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SMA breakout (Donchian-style) strategyvsEqual Highs/Lows strategy

SMA breakout (Donchian-style) strategy: Buy a fresh push above the 20-bar mean and trail the winner until it folds. Β· Equal Highs/Lows strategy: Fade the stop-hunt β€” short EQH sweeps, long EQL sweeps, exit on the next liquidity event.

BreakoutLong only

SMA breakout (Donchian-style) strategy

Buy a fresh push above the 20-bar mean and trail the winner until it folds.

Mean reversionLong & short

Equal Highs/Lows strategy

Fade the stop-hunt β€” short EQH sweeps, long EQL sweeps, exit on the next liquidity event.

Indicators

  • SMA (period 20)
  • Equal Highs/Lows (swing 3, threshold 0.1)

Timeframes

1h4h1d
15m1h4h

Bias

Long only

Long & short

Market fit

Volatility expansion

Range-bound

Entry rules

  • Enter long when close crosses above the 20-bar SMA.
  • 4-bar cooldown after exit reduces back-to-back whipsaws.
  • Short on an EQH sweep β€” the stop-hunt fades and sellers step in.
  • Long on an EQL sweep.

Exit rules

  • Close on a cross back below the SMA.
  • Trailing 5% stop catches deeper retracements before the SMA flips.
  • Opposite-direction sweep closes the trade β€” that's the next liquidity event.
  • 4% trailing stop, 3-bar cooldown.

Expected behavior

Trendy growth in directional regimes punctuated by ugly chop when price oscillates around the SMA. Best paired with a higher-timeframe trend filter to skip the chop.

Range-friendly. Frequent small trades when price oscillates between equal-highs and equal-lows pools; can stack losses in strong trends that take out structure cleanly without reversing.

Complexity

1 ind Β· 2 entry Β· 2 exitBalanced
1 ind Β· 2 entry Β· 2 exitBalanced

Which one is right for you?

Derived from the bias, timeframe and indicator profile of each strategy β€” not a back-test forecast.

When to pick SMA breakout (Donchian-style) strategy

  • You expect volatility expansion β€” the thesis is "Buy a fresh push above the 20-bar mean and trail the winner until it folds."
  • You want a long-only bot on 1h–1d candles with a balanced rule-set.
  • You're comfortable monitoring 1 indicator (SMA (period 20)).

Buy a fresh push above the 20-bar mean and trail the winner until it folds.

When to pick Equal Highs/Lows strategy

  • You expect range-bound β€” the thesis is "Fade the stop-hunt β€” short EQH sweeps, long EQL sweeps, exit on the next liquidity event."
  • You want a long & short bot on 15m–4h candles with a balanced rule-set.
  • You're comfortable monitoring 1 indicator (Equal Highs/Lows (swing 3, threshold 0.1)).

Fade the stop-hunt β€” short EQH sweeps, long EQL sweeps, exit on the next liquidity event.

SMA breakout (Donchian-style) strategy

Buy a fresh push above the 20-bar mean and trail the winner until it folds.

Equal Highs/Lows strategy

Fade the stop-hunt β€” short EQH sweeps, long EQL sweeps, exit on the next liquidity event.

Related comparisons

Other pairings that involve one of these strategies.

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