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Finaxion Research · Parabolic SAR: follow the dots · single stocks · Recomputed 2026-09-10

Does Parabolic SAR: follow the dots work on PM?

Parabolic SAR: follow the dots does not beat buy-and-hold on PM: -9.3 points a year over 18 years.

Total return
80.5%
Buy and hold
785.7%
CAGR
3.3%
Sharpe
0.04
Max drawdown
-29.3%
Trades
415
Out of sample
—
Years
18
1×4.9×200920112013201520172019202120232025
StrategyPM

Findings

  1. Parabolic SAR: follow the dots does not beat buy-and-hold on PM: -9.3 points a year over 18 years.
  2. Against the S&P 500 over the same window: -9.0 points a year.
  3. Total return +80.5% versus +785.7% for buy-and-hold, with 415 trades.
  4. Maximum drawdown -29.3%.
  5. It beats in neither half of the history (split at 2017).
  6. It ranks #139 of 235 markets for this strategy by annual excess over the S&P 500.

Findings derived from the full panel. Each carries its number and its denominator; the computations are reproducible with artifact 566419a0cec8.

Exactly what was tested

Long while the close is above the SAR (0.02, 0.02, 0.2); exit when the close drops below the SAR.

How to read it

The verdict compares the strategy with buying and holding PM over the same window, with round-trip costs per asset class. “Out of sample” is walk-forward: the rule is fit on one stretch and judged on the next. A result that beats in the full sample but not out of it is overfit. Full methodology in the protocol. How we test.

Open this backtest with its trades   Trades (CSV)

Every strategy on PM → · Full page for Parabolic SAR: follow the dots →

How to cite

Finaxion Research (2026). Does Parabolic SAR: follow the dots work on PM?. Daily backtest 1962-01-01–2026-08-31, artifact 566419a0cec8. https://finaxion.app/en/research/parabolic-sar/pm

Not a recommendation. Past performance does not guarantee future results.