EPISODE · Jun 17, 2024 · 1H 1M
What You Need to Know About Analyzing Backtests
from Two Quants and a Financial Planner · host Excess Returns
In this episode of the podcast, we dive into the world of backtesting investment strategies. We discuss the importance of approaching backtests with a healthy dose of skepticism, as it's easy to create a backtest that looks impressive but may not hold up in the real world. We explore various questions to ask when evaluating a backtest, such as whether it accounts for human emotions, has a sound economic reasoning behind it, covers a sufficiently long time period, and includes periods of struggle. We also touch on the potential pitfalls of data mining and the challenges of creating a truly "pure" bet without unintended exposures. Throughout the conversation, we emphasize the need to understand the limitations of backtesting and to use it as a tool for learning rather than a definitive guide to future performance. We hope you enjoy the discussion. SEE LATEST EPISODES https://excessreturnspod.com FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL https://www.valideacapital.com FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS https://sunpointeinvestments.com/ FOLLOW JACK Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094 FOLLOW JUSTIN Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau FOLLOW MATT Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/
What this episode covers
In this episode of the podcast, we dive into the world of backtesting investment strategies. We discuss the importance of approaching backtests with a healthy dose of skepticism, as it's easy to create a backtest that looks impressive but may not hold up in the real world. We explore various questions to ask when evaluating a backtest, such as whether it accounts for human emotions, has a sound economic reasoning behind it, covers a sufficiently long time period, and includes periods of struggle. We also touch on the potential pitfalls of data mining and the challenges of creating a truly "pure" bet without unintended exposures. Throughout the conversation, we emphasize the need to understand the limitations of backtesting and to use it as a tool for learning rather than a definitive guide to future performance. We hope you enjoy the discussion. SEE LATEST EPISODES https://excessreturnspod.com FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VALIDEA CAPITAL https://www.valideacapital.com FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SUNPOINTE INVESTMENTS https://sunpointeinvestments.com/ FOLLOW JACK Twitter: https://twitter.com/practicalquant LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-forehand-8015094 FOLLOW JUSTIN Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjcarbonneau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarbonneau FOLLOW MATT Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultishcreative LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-zeigler-a58a0a60/
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What You Need to Know About Analyzing Backtests
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