Same Breakout Strategy, Different Results: Nasdaq vs. SP500 vs. Dow

TLDR Summary

• Long-only breakout strategy tested on Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Dow Jones

• Same logic, different results across markets

• Backtested from 2006 to 2025 on daily bars, almost 20 years of data

• Includes comparison equity curves and stats for all three major US indices

Why Breakout Strategies Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All

Most traders assume that if a strategy works on one major index, it'll work on the others. After all, the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Dow Jones often move together. But when you apply a simple breakout strategy across these markets, the results tell a different story.

Breakout strategies rely on momentum, but not all markets reward momentum equally. The Nasdaq consistently shows stronger follow-through on bullish closes compared to the S&P and Dow. This makes it a much better fit for breakout logic.

The Strategy Setup (Simple but Effective)

This long-only breakout strategy is intentionally simple:

• Entry Option 1: Close > Previous Close

• Entry Option 2: High > Previous High

• Entry Option 3: Next bar at Previous High + ATR(10) x 0.25

• Entry Option 4: Next bar at Previous Close + ATR(10) x 0.25

• Exit: Fixed number of bars (5) after entry

It trades daily bars and enters positions only when there's evidence of upward momentum. No complicated oscillators, no predictive models, no filters, no profit target and no stop loss.

Why Keep It Simple?

Simple strategies are easier to test, adapt, and maintain. They also reduce the risk of overfitting. More importantly, they let you see the market's real tendencies.

Backtesting the Strategy

Testing parameters:

• Data: 2006-2025 Daily bars, daily session

• Fees: No commissions

Instruments Tested:

• Nasdaq 100 (via futures @NQ.D)

• S&P 500 (via futures @ES.D)

• Dow Jones Industrial Average (via futures @YM.D)

We tested four simple variations using different breakout thresholds, with same exit. All versions used the same core logic to ensure a fair comparison.

Strategy Results,  Nasdaq 100

Table comparing breakout strategy variants on Nasdaq with metrics including net profit, return/drawdown, and win rate

Equity curve for Nasdaq breakout strategy with annual performance breakdown from 2006 to 2025

The close breakout showed the strongest net profit and best Ret/DD ratio. Nasdaq’s tech-heavy makeup seems to favor fast momentum bursts.

Strategy Results,  S&P 500

Table comparing breakout strategy variants on S&P 500 with profit factor, average trade size, and return/exposure

Equity curve for S&P 500 breakout strategy, including year-by-year profit breakdown

Best method on the sp500 was the Close plus ATR distance breakout.

Strategy Results,  Dow Jones

Table comparing breakout strategy variants on Dow Jones with key stats and improvement percentages

Equity curve for Dow breakout strategy with annual performance summary and drawdown visualized in red

Dow Jones had the best performance when using the Close +ATR distance breakout method.

Why Nasdaq Breakouts Work So Well

Nasdaq stocks tend to trend harder and react faster to momentum signals. Here’s why:

• Higher volatility and beta

• Tech-sector dominance encourages trend-following

• Stronger reaction to positive closes

This makes the Nasdaq an ideal sandbox for breakout systems.

The Trap of Assuming Correlated = Identical

Yes, these indices are correlated, but correlation just means they often move in the same direction. It doesn’t mean they respond to the same triggers the same way.

The best breakout strategy is bested by the simple RSI2 mean reversion strategy on the sp500 with only 27% exposure. [[https://statoasis.com/post/rsi-deep-dive-how-to-trade-the-sp500-like-a-pro-with-mean-reversion]]

“The market doesn’t care how good your backtest looks. It only cares how your strategy holds up when things get messy.”

Related Read: Why Most Traders Fail Without This Step

If you want to build strategies that last beyond one backtest, you need robustness testing. [https://statoasis.com/post/why-most-traders-fail-the-missing-piece-called-robustness-testing]

Read: Why Most Traders Fail: The Missing Piece Called Robustness Testing

That article explains how to stress test your logic using IS/OOS splits, walk-forward optimization, and more.

Watch the Full Video Breakdown

🎥 How I found a Profitable Nasdaq Strategy WITHOUT Indicators

In the video, we:

• Walk through the breakout strategy setup in StrategyQuant X

• Show raw test results with and without filters

• Compare multiple strategies and combine in a portfolio.

Watching the video makes this article even easier to understand.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: What makes breakout strategies effective on Nasdaq?
Nasdaq responds better to momentum signals due to its volatility and tech-stock bias.

Q2: Can I apply this strategy to individual stocks?
Yes, especially high-momentum tech stocks. Test thoroughly first.

Q3: Should I use this with leverage?
Only if you have tested drawdowns and know your risk metrics.

Q4: How often should I retest the breakout logic?
if you are using a simple logic, then yearly, but for more nuanced logic, then quarterly, or after major market regime changes.

Q5: Is this strategy good for ETFs like QQQ, SPY, DIA?
Yes, these ETFs are great proxies for index-level behavior.

Conclusion:  Same Strategy, Different Markets, Different Outcomes.

A strategy that works brilliantly on the Nasdaq might fall flat on the Dow.

That’s the takeaway here:

A simple change in logic (like using the close instead of the high) can make a big impact when testing long historical data.

If you’re building breakout logic, start with the Nasdaq. But don’t assume it’s universal; instead, test other variations on correlated markets.