PFE Extremes
This strategy trades breakouts of the Polarized Fractal Efficiency (PFE) indicator. When PFE crosses above the upper level, the strategy closes any short position and opens a long. When PFE crosses below the lower level, it closes long positions and opens a short.
The PFE indicator evaluates how efficiently price is moving relative to its path. Values near +1 suggest strong upward movement, while values near -1 show strong downward movement. Threshold crossings may highlight the start of a new trend.
Details
- Entry Criteria: PFE crosses above
UpLevelfor longs or belowDownLevelfor shorts. - Long/Short: Both directions.
- Exit Criteria: Opposite level break or reversal signal.
- Stops: Not used by default; can be added via position protection.
- Default Values:
PfePeriod= 5UpLevel= 0.5DownLevel= -0.5CandleType= 4-hour timeframe
- Filters:
- Category: Trend-following
- Direction: Both
- Indicators: PFE
- Stops: Optional
- Complexity: Basic
- Timeframe: Swing
- Seasonality: No
- Neural Networks: No
- Divergence: No
- Risk Level: Medium
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Ecng.Common;
using StockSharp.Algo.Indicators;
using StockSharp.Algo.Strategies;
using StockSharp.BusinessEntities;
using StockSharp.Messages;
namespace StockSharp.Samples.Strategies;
/// <summary>
/// Polarized Fractal Efficiency breakout strategy.
/// Computes PFE manually. Buys when PFE crosses above upper level,
/// sells when PFE crosses below lower level.
/// </summary>
public class PfeExtremesStrategy : Strategy
{
private readonly StrategyParam<int> _pfePeriod;
private readonly StrategyParam<decimal> _upLevel;
private readonly StrategyParam<decimal> _downLevel;
private readonly StrategyParam<DataType> _candleType;
private readonly List<decimal> _closes = new();
private decimal? _prevPfe;
public int PfePeriod { get => _pfePeriod.Value; set => _pfePeriod.Value = value; }
public decimal UpLevel { get => _upLevel.Value; set => _upLevel.Value = value; }
public decimal DownLevel { get => _downLevel.Value; set => _downLevel.Value = value; }
public DataType CandleType { get => _candleType.Value; set => _candleType.Value = value; }
public PfeExtremesStrategy()
{
_pfePeriod = Param(nameof(PfePeriod), 9)
.SetGreaterThanZero()
.SetDisplay("PFE Period", "Number of bars for PFE calculation", "Indicator");
_upLevel = Param(nameof(UpLevel), 20m)
.SetDisplay("Upper Level", "PFE value to trigger long entries", "Signal");
_downLevel = Param(nameof(DownLevel), -20m)
.SetDisplay("Lower Level", "PFE value to trigger short entries", "Signal");
_candleType = Param(nameof(CandleType), TimeSpan.FromHours(4).TimeFrame())
.SetDisplay("Candle Type", "Timeframe for indicator calculation", "General");
}
public override IEnumerable<(Security sec, DataType dt)> GetWorkingSecurities()
{
return [(Security, CandleType)];
}
protected override void OnReseted()
{
base.OnReseted();
_closes.Clear();
_prevPfe = null;
}
protected override void OnStarted2(DateTime time)
{
base.OnStarted2(time);
_closes.Clear();
_prevPfe = null;
var sma = new SimpleMovingAverage { Length = 1 };
var subscription = SubscribeCandles(CandleType);
subscription.Bind(sma, ProcessCandle).Start();
var area = CreateChartArea();
if (area != null)
{
DrawCandles(area, subscription);
DrawOwnTrades(area);
}
}
private void ProcessCandle(ICandleMessage candle, decimal _smaVal)
{
if (candle.State != CandleStates.Finished)
return;
_closes.Add(candle.ClosePrice);
var period = PfePeriod;
if (_closes.Count < period + 1)
return;
while (_closes.Count > period + 2)
_closes.RemoveAt(0);
var n = _closes.Count;
var closeNow = _closes[n - 1];
var closePast = _closes[n - 1 - period];
var diff = (double)(closeNow - closePast);
var directDist = Math.Sqrt(diff * diff + (double)(period * period));
var sumDist = 0.0;
for (var i = n - period; i < n; i++)
{
var d = (double)(_closes[i] - _closes[i - 1]);
sumDist += Math.Sqrt(d * d + 1.0);
}
if (sumDist == 0)
return;
var sign = closeNow >= closePast ? 1.0 : -1.0;
var pfe = (decimal)(100.0 * sign * directDist / sumDist);
if (!IsFormedAndOnlineAndAllowTrading())
{
_prevPfe = pfe;
return;
}
if (_prevPfe is decimal prev)
{
// Upward crossover triggers long
if (prev <= UpLevel && pfe > UpLevel && Position <= 0)
BuyMarket();
// Downward crossover triggers short
else if (prev >= DownLevel && pfe < DownLevel && Position >= 0)
SellMarket();
}
_prevPfe = pfe;
}
}
import clr
import math
clr.AddReference("StockSharp.Messages")
clr.AddReference("StockSharp.Algo")
clr.AddReference("StockSharp.Algo.Indicators")
clr.AddReference("StockSharp.Algo.Strategies")
from System import TimeSpan
from StockSharp.Messages import DataType, CandleStates
from StockSharp.Algo.Indicators import SimpleMovingAverage
from StockSharp.Algo.Strategies import Strategy
class pfe_extremes_strategy(Strategy):
def __init__(self):
super(pfe_extremes_strategy, self).__init__()
self._pfe_period = self.Param("PfePeriod", 9) \
.SetDisplay("PFE Period", "Number of bars for PFE calculation", "Indicator")
self._up_level = self.Param("UpLevel", 20.0) \
.SetDisplay("Upper Level", "PFE value to trigger long entries", "Signal")
self._down_level = self.Param("DownLevel", -20.0) \
.SetDisplay("Lower Level", "PFE value to trigger short entries", "Signal")
self._candle_type = self.Param("CandleType", DataType.TimeFrame(TimeSpan.FromHours(4))) \
.SetDisplay("Candle Type", "Timeframe for indicator calculation", "General")
self._closes = []
self._prev_pfe = None
@property
def pfe_period(self):
return self._pfe_period.Value
@property
def up_level(self):
return self._up_level.Value
@property
def down_level(self):
return self._down_level.Value
@property
def candle_type(self):
return self._candle_type.Value
def OnReseted(self):
super(pfe_extremes_strategy, self).OnReseted()
self._closes = []
self._prev_pfe = None
def OnStarted2(self, time):
super(pfe_extremes_strategy, self).OnStarted2(time)
self._closes = []
self._prev_pfe = None
sma = SimpleMovingAverage()
sma.Length = 1
subscription = self.SubscribeCandles(self.candle_type)
subscription.Bind(sma, self.process_candle).Start()
area = self.CreateChartArea()
if area is not None:
self.DrawCandles(area, subscription)
self.DrawOwnTrades(area)
def process_candle(self, candle, _sma_val):
if candle.State != CandleStates.Finished:
return
self._closes.append(float(candle.ClosePrice))
period = int(self.pfe_period)
if len(self._closes) < period + 1:
return
while len(self._closes) > period + 2:
self._closes.pop(0)
n = len(self._closes)
close_now = self._closes[n - 1]
close_past = self._closes[n - 1 - period]
diff = close_now - close_past
direct_dist = math.sqrt(diff * diff + period * period)
sum_dist = 0.0
for i in range(n - period, n):
d = self._closes[i] - self._closes[i - 1]
sum_dist += math.sqrt(d * d + 1.0)
if sum_dist == 0:
return
sign = 1.0 if close_now >= close_past else -1.0
pfe = 100.0 * sign * direct_dist / sum_dist
if not self.IsFormedAndOnlineAndAllowTrading():
self._prev_pfe = pfe
return
up_level = float(self.up_level)
down_level = float(self.down_level)
if self._prev_pfe is not None:
if self._prev_pfe <= up_level and pfe > up_level and self.Position <= 0:
self.BuyMarket()
elif self._prev_pfe >= down_level and pfe < down_level and self.Position >= 0:
self.SellMarket()
self._prev_pfe = pfe
def CreateClone(self):
return pfe_extremes_strategy()