Mean Reversion Strategy

A statistical trading approach that capitalizes on asset price deviations from their historical average.

Overview

Mean reversion trading is based on the principle that asset prices tend to return to their average value over time. This strategy identifies and exploits temporary price deviations.

Most effective in ranging markets with clear support and resistance levels.

Key Components

Statistical Measures

  • Moving Averages

    Simple and exponential moving averages for trend identification

  • Bollinger Bands

    Standard deviation-based channels for volatility measurement

  • Z-Score

    Measures deviation from the mean in standard deviation units

Entry/Exit Rules

  • Entry Signals

    Price deviations beyond statistical thresholds

  • Exit Signals

    Return to mean or opposite threshold breach

  • Stop Loss

    Based on historical volatility measures

Configuration

Key Parameters

Lookback Period

Time window for calculating average price (default: 20 periods)

Deviation Threshold

Number of standard deviations for entry (default: 2)

Stop Loss

Percentage or volatility-based stop loss

Position Sizing

Based on account size and volatility

Risk Management

Key Considerations

  • • Monitor market conditions for regime changes
  • • Adjust position sizes based on volatility
  • • Use correlation analysis for portfolio diversification
  • • Implement time-based exit rules for non-reverting scenarios

Best Practices

  • • Test strategy on different market conditions
  • • Start with wider deviation thresholds
  • • Use multiple timeframe analysis
  • • Consider fundamental factors that might prevent mean reversion