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Inside Bar Breakout Strategy

An inside bar forms when a candle's range is fully contained within the previous bar's high and low. It signals short-term indecision that can lead to a breakout once price clears the pattern. This strategy waits for that break and then trades in the direction of the expansion.

Testing indicates an average annual return of about 118%. It performs best in the stocks market.

Each new candle is compared with the one before it. If an inside bar appears, the system marks its high and low and watches for a close outside those levels. A bullish breakout opens a long position with a stop below the pattern low, while a bearish breakout triggers a short with a stop above the pattern high.

Should price fail to break out immediately, the strategy manages existing positions by exiting if the next candle moves against the trade beyond the prior bar's extremes.

Details

  • Entry Criteria: Breakout of an inside bar's high or low.
  • Long/Short: Both.
  • Exit Criteria: Price crossing previous candle extreme or stop-loss.
  • Stops: Yes, placed beyond the pattern.
  • Default Values:
    • CandleType = 5 minute
    • StopLossPercent = 1
  • Filters:
    • Category: Breakout
    • Direction: Both
    • Indicators: Candlestick
    • Stops: Yes
    • Complexity: Intermediate
    • Timeframe: Intraday
    • 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>
/// Inside Bar Breakout strategy.
/// Detects inside bar patterns (high lower than previous high, low higher than previous low).
/// Enters on breakout of the inside bar's high (buy) or low (sell).
/// Uses SMA for exit signals.
/// </summary>
public class InsideBarBreakoutStrategy : Strategy
{
	private readonly StrategyParam<int> _maPeriod;
	private readonly StrategyParam<DataType> _candleType;
	private readonly StrategyParam<int> _cooldownBars;

	private ICandleMessage _prevCandle;
	private ICandleMessage _insideBar;
	private bool _waitingForBreakout;
	private int _cooldown;

	/// <summary>
	/// MA Period.
	/// </summary>
	public int MAPeriod
	{
		get => _maPeriod.Value;
		set => _maPeriod.Value = value;
	}

	/// <summary>
	/// Candle type.
	/// </summary>
	public DataType CandleType
	{
		get => _candleType.Value;
		set => _candleType.Value = value;
	}

	/// <summary>
	/// Cooldown bars.
	/// </summary>
	public int CooldownBars
	{
		get => _cooldownBars.Value;
		set => _cooldownBars.Value = value;
	}

	/// <summary>
	/// Constructor.
	/// </summary>
	public InsideBarBreakoutStrategy()
	{
		_maPeriod = Param(nameof(MAPeriod), 20)
			.SetGreaterThanZero()
			.SetDisplay("MA Period", "Period for SMA", "Indicators");

		_candleType = Param(nameof(CandleType), TimeSpan.FromMinutes(1).TimeFrame())
			.SetDisplay("Candle Type", "Type of candles to use", "General");

		_cooldownBars = Param(nameof(CooldownBars), 500)
			.SetRange(1, 1000)
			.SetDisplay("Cooldown Bars", "Bars to wait between trades", "General");
	}

	/// <inheritdoc />
	public override IEnumerable<(Security sec, DataType dt)> GetWorkingSecurities()
	{
		return [(Security, CandleType)];
	}

	/// <inheritdoc />
	protected override void OnReseted()
	{
		base.OnReseted();
		_prevCandle = null;
		_insideBar = null;
		_waitingForBreakout = false;
		_cooldown = default;
	}

	/// <inheritdoc />
	protected override void OnStarted2(DateTime time)
	{
		base.OnStarted2(time);

		_prevCandle = null;
		_insideBar = null;
		_waitingForBreakout = false;
		_cooldown = 0;

		var sma = new SimpleMovingAverage { Length = MAPeriod };

		var subscription = SubscribeCandles(CandleType);
		subscription
			.Bind(sma, ProcessCandle)
			.Start();

		var area = CreateChartArea();
		if (area != null)
		{
			DrawCandles(area, subscription);
			DrawIndicator(area, sma);
			DrawOwnTrades(area);
		}
	}

	private void ProcessCandle(ICandleMessage candle, decimal smaValue)
	{
		if (candle.State != CandleStates.Finished)
			return;

		if (!IsFormedAndOnlineAndAllowTrading())
			return;

		if (_cooldown > 0)
		{
			_cooldown--;
			_prevCandle = candle;
			_waitingForBreakout = false;
			return;
		}

		if (_prevCandle == null)
		{
			_prevCandle = candle;
			return;
		}

		// Check for breakout of a previously detected inside bar
		if (_waitingForBreakout && _insideBar != null && Position == 0)
		{
			if (candle.HighPrice > _insideBar.HighPrice)
			{
				BuyMarket();
				_cooldown = CooldownBars;
				_waitingForBreakout = false;
			}
			else if (candle.LowPrice < _insideBar.LowPrice)
			{
				SellMarket();
				_cooldown = CooldownBars;
				_waitingForBreakout = false;
			}
		}

		// Check if current candle is an inside bar
		if (candle.HighPrice < _prevCandle.HighPrice && candle.LowPrice > _prevCandle.LowPrice)
		{
			_insideBar = candle;
			_waitingForBreakout = true;
		}

		// Exit logic using SMA
		if (Position > 0 && candle.ClosePrice < smaValue)
		{
			SellMarket();
			_cooldown = CooldownBars;
		}
		else if (Position < 0 && candle.ClosePrice > smaValue)
		{
			BuyMarket();
			_cooldown = CooldownBars;
		}

		_prevCandle = candle;
	}
}