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BUSTED BY COSTS

BANKNIFTY 15-min Bollinger band rejection backtest: does it work after costs?

We coded the banknifty 15-min bollinger band rejection strategy exactly as taught in a public video and ran it on BANKNIFTY futures, 2017-01 to 2026-10, with real charges. Our test: −₹2.83 L after real costs. As taught, 1 lot lost about ₹2.83 L after real costs over ~10 years and lost money every year; even before costs it was slightly negative.

Net after costs
−₹2.83 L
Win rate
—
Worst drawdown
−₹2.83 L
Reality Score
8/100

The rules, as taught

15-min chart. Long when a candle dips below the lower Bollinger band, closes back above it green and below the middle band with ADX(14) < 25; short is the mirror. Signals 12:00–14:00, one trade a day. Stop ₹4,500/lot, target ₹11,000/lot, exit at the middle band or 15:20.

What the video claims, and what we found

Claim: About ₹47k net on 1 lot over two years with a 65% win rate.

On their two-year window we get −₹53k after costs (₹32k–58k before costs depending on how the time window is read) vs their +₹46.8k. Their charges assume older STT (~₹380 a trade vs ~₹1,130 now).

See the full results, charts and every trade

Questions people ask

Does the BANKNIFTY 15-min Bollinger band rejection strategy work?

Not as taught, once real charges are included. As taught, 1 lot lost about ₹2.83 L after real costs over ~10 years and lost money every year; even before costs it was slightly negative. Tested on BANKNIFTY futures, 2017-01 to 2026-10, after real costs. Reality Score 8/100.

What is the win rate of the BANKNIFTY 15-min Bollinger band rejection strategy after costs?

We did not count a per-trade win rate for this one; the net result after real charges was −₹2.83 L with a worst drawdown of −₹2.83 L.

How much did it make or lose in the backtest?

Our test: −₹2.83 L after real costs. Over 2017-01 to 2026-10 (1 lot, historical lot sizes), the net after charges was −₹2.83 L and the worst fall from a peak was −₹2.83 L.

What exact rules were tested?

15-min chart. Long when a candle dips below the lower Bollinger band, closes back above it green and below the middle band with ADX(14) < 25; short is the mirror. Signals 12:00–14:00, one trade a day. Stop ₹4,500/lot, target ₹11,000/lot, exit at the middle band or 15:20.

How was the BANKNIFTY 15-min Bollinger band rejection backtest done?

On 1-minute exchange data since 2017, signals filled at the next minute's open, with real broker charges, STT, exchange fees, SEBI fee, stamp duty and GST, and the lot size of each date. Rules exactly as taught; gaps we had to fill are stated. Full method on our How we test page.

Run it yourself — coming soon

These rules use features our public backtester can't express exactly yet, so we won't pre-fill an approximation. Build your own idea in the meantime.

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