ORB Breakout Strategy with VWAP and Volume FiltersOverview
This strategy implements the classic Opening Range Breakout (ORB) methodology, a well-documented approach in trading literature that has been used by institutional and retail traders for decades. The strategy identifies the high and low of the first 15 minutes of the trading session, then trades breakouts with defined risk management.
This implementation includes multiple customizable filters (VWAP, Volume, Candle Strength) that traders can enable, disable, and tune to find configurations that work for their specific markets and trading style.
How It Works
Opening Range Calculation
The strategy captures the high and low of the first N bars after the session open (default: 3 bars on a 5-minute chart = 15 minutes). These levels become the breakout triggers for the session.
Entry Logic
Long Entry: When a bar closes above the ORB High and all enabled filters pass
Short Entry: When a bar closes below the ORB Low and all enabled filters pass
Exit Logic
Take Profit: Configurable multiple of the ORB range (default: 1x = full range beyond breakout level)
Stop Loss: Opposite side of the ORB range
Breakeven: Optional stop adjustment to entry price when trade reaches configurable profit threshold
Session Close: All positions automatically closed at end of trading session
Configurable Filters
All filters can be independently enabled or disabled:
1. VWAP Filter
Requires price above/below session-anchored VWAP
Requires VWAP slope confirmation (configurable lookback and minimum slope)
Purpose: Align trades with intraday trend direction
2. Volume Filter
Requires minimum volume on the breakout bar
Purpose: Confirm institutional participation in the breakout
3. Candle Strength Filter
Requires close in upper/lower portion of the bar range
Purpose: Filter out weak breakouts with poor conviction
Strategy Properties
Initial Capital - $50.000USD
Position Size - 1 contract (fixed)
Commission - $4.00 per contract
Slippage - 2 ticks
Margin - 1%
Pyramiding - Disabled
Backtest Results (NQ)
Recent Performance (Jan 2025 - Jan 2026)
Total Trades - 243
Win Rate - 39.09%
Profit Factor - 1.03
Net P&L - $3,581 (+7.16%)
Max Drawdown - $25,447 (39.96%)
Long-Term Performance (2010 - 2026)
Total Trades - 1699
Win Rate - 37.61%
Profit Factor - 0.756
Net P&L - ($49,632) (-99.26%)
Max Drawdown - $50,262 (99.27%)
Important: Long-term results show negative expectancy with default settings. This strategy is published as a research framework, not a ready-to-trade system. Users are encouraged to experiment with different configurations to find their edge.
Settings Guide
Main Settings
ORB Bars: Number of bars for opening range (3 = 15 min on 5-min chart)
Trading Session: Time window for trading (e.g., 0930-1200 for morning only)
Timezone: Your market's timezone
Take Profit: Multiple of ORB range for target
Breakeven Trigger: Distance to move stop to entry
Max Trades Per Day: Daily trade limit
VWAP Filter
Use VWAP Filter: Enable/disable
VWAP Slope Lookback: Bars to measure VWAP direction
Min VWAP Slope: Minimum slope threshold
Volume Filter
Use Volume Filter: Enable/disable
Min Breakout
Volume: Minimum contracts required
Candle Strength Filter
Use Candle Strength Filter: Enable/disable
Min Candle Strength: Required close position (0.7 = top/bottom 30%)
Research Suggestions
This strategy provides a foundation for exploring ORB-based approaches. Consider testing:
Different ORB periods: 5, 10, 15, or 30 minutes
Session variations: Morning only (0930-1200), afternoon, or full day
Direction bias: Long-only or short-only based on daily trend
Filter combinations: Different mixes of VWAP, volume, and candle filters
Take profit ratios: 0.5x, 1x, 1.5x, or 2x ORB range
Market regimes: Performance may vary in trending vs ranging markets
Different instruments: Test on ES, NQ, MNQ, or other futures
Visual Elements
Orange Background: ORB forming period
Green Background: Active trading session
Green Line: ORB High level
Red Line: ORB Low level
VWAP Line: Green = upslope, Red = downslope, Gray = flat
White Line: Trade entry price
Lime Line: Take profit level
Red Line: Stop loss level
Orange Line: Breakeven trigger level
Blue Background: Breakeven activated
Triangles: Entry signals (only appear when trade executes)
Limitations
Negative long-term expectancy: Default settings do not produce profitable results over extended periods
Parameter sensitivity: Results highly dependent on filter settings and market conditions
Market regime dependent: May perform differently in trending vs choppy markets
Commission impact: Frequent trading accumulates significant transaction costs
Curve fitting risk: Optimized settings may not persist in future markets
Disclaimer
This strategy is provided for educational and research purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice.
Past performance does not guarantee future results
Backtested results may not reflect actual trading conditions
The long-term backtest shows significant negative returns
Always paper trade before risking real capital
Never risk more than you can afford to lose
Conduct your own research and due diligence
This is a research framework designed for traders to explore and customize, not a plug-and-play trading system.
Strategia Pine Script®






















