Analysing the Results of a Professional Forex Trader

I recently uploaded a video showing how much I made last year as a Forex trader. The video was well received, and I wanted to provide a deeper dive into my trading results, hence this post and my latest video.

There are two areas I wish to focus on:

• What you can learn from analysing a professional trader's performance

• How were the returns made, i.e. which strategies were implemented to make the year a success?

The trader's results I will use for my analysis are my own. The performance is verified by multiple third parties, including Darwinex, myfxbook, and Forex Factory. The results are public on my Verified Trading Performance Page.

Lessons Learned from Analysing my Trading Results

Lesson One: Losses are Normal

We all know that there will be losing trades. Making losses is 'part and parcel' of trading. However, is it normal to have consecutive losing trades? Do professional traders have losing weeks? How about losing months? The answer to all three of these questions is 'yes'. Losing days, weeks, months, and even years is normal, even for professional traders.

You'll notice from my performance that I had two consecutive losing months. In the past, I've had up to four consecutive losing months. In the moment, these losing streaks are frustrating; at times, they are infuriating. However, consecutive losing periods should be expected; in the long term, they are part of the normal cycle on an equity curve.

Lesson Two: Double-digit Returns are Normal, and Possible. Triple-digit returns are the exception.

My results show a handful of months with double-digit monthly returns. Both years (2024 and 2025) also show double-digit returns. These returns are possible and are relatively typical among professional traders. However, an annual return above 20% is impressive and better than average (not to blow my trumpet).

Are double-digit returns possible every month? From my experience, no. Are triple-digit returns possible? Yes, they're likely, but shouldn't be expected. A triple-digit annual return (100%+) is not standard and should not be expected. Anyone who teaches you that they can make 100%, 1,000%, or even more in a short period of time is likely not being honest. The truth is, these sorts of returns, if sustainable, would make you one of the wealthiest people in the world.

Lesson Three: Even Professionals Make Mistakes

There are a couple of areas on my equity curve which highlight my mistakes. These are areas that display sharp or significant drawdown. Even after trading for fifteen years, I make mistakes. They're generally the following:

Fat Fingers. Amateur, I know. Getting the lot size wrong or clicking on buy or sell by mistake (I suggest you turn off one-click trading) are among the mistakes I make now and then. Only a few times per year. However, depending on the extent of an oversized position, a fat-finger or miscalculated trade can leave a footprint on the equity curve. On the flip side, I've also entered positions that should have been larger because I mistakenly undersized them. This can be equally frustrating, especially if the trade closes with a strong risk-to-reward.

Missed Opportunities. Getting up late, not paying attention, and taking time off can lead to missing opportunities. Sods law teaches that the morning you get up late or the day you take off for your birthday is the time your strategies would have performed well.

You'll notice from my track record that the equity curve moves sideways during the months of August and December. This is because I was off, and as a result, I frequently missed trading opportunities. There were also several highly profitable trades missed during the year due to distractions, such as creating videos and going to the gym.

Trading Emotions. Yes, even after fifteen years of trading, I still fall victim to my emotions. Some winners could have run longer, and some losing trades were taken in violation of my strategies. Thankfully, these are few and far between, but they still happen.

If you're struggling with your trading emotions, take my Guide to Beating Trading Emotions.

Lesson Four: Win-Rate is Not That Important

As I write this article, my win-rate for long trades is 62%, and my short trades is 49%. That's an average win-rate of 55.5%.

In my experience, a high win rate is not essential. Anywhere between 40-60% is good enough to become profitable as a trader. However, high win-rates have a positive impact on trading psychology - low win-rates generally increase trading emotions.

Lesson Five: Risk-to-Reward is Very Important

If win-rates are not that important, then what is? Well, strong risk-to-reward ratios are essential for profitable trading. During the year, I had a handful of trades which closed from 1:5 to 1:10 risk-to-reward. These trades are the 'bread and butter' of my trading. They are what make me profitable.

Which Strategies were used?

To make the returns displayed on my verified track record, I applied the following trading techniques, principles, and strategies:

Multiple Time Frame Analysis

I used several time frames, scaling from higher to lower frames. In general, I used higher time frames (daily, weekly, and monthly) to assess trend direction, patterns, and support and resistance levels. I used the lower time frames (4-hourly and 1-hourly) for trade entry, stop-loss, take-profit, and management.

This technique of using higher time frames and scaling to lower ones is employed in all my trading strategies. I love it and strongly believe in using it as part of trading.

Fundamental AND Technical Analysis

I love price action. I also love technical indicators and many aspects of technical analysis. However, my strategies incorporate basic fundamental analysis. This adds an element of interest to my trading and complements my technical analysis.

My fundamental analysis aims to forecast interest rates accurately. I do this by tracking and analysing inflation, GDP, and unemployment rates, and by staying informed about current economic events. It's easier than it sounds. My Free Fundamental Analysis Course teaches how I do this.

My technical analysis includes multiple time frames, price action setups, moving averages, the RSI, price action patterns, and support and resistance levels—a combination of my favourite price action and indicators. My ULTIMATE Forex Trading Course teaches my trading strategies in detail with live trading examples.

Healthy Risk-to-Reward Ratios

As mentioned earlier, my win rate was less critical than healthy risk-to-reward ratios. All positions I open have the potential for strong risk-to-reward ratios. If they didn't, I wouldn't take them. I try to make at least 1:5 on each trade I enter.

Quick Q&A

Question: How much did I risk per trade?

Answer: I risk 0.5% per trade.

Question: How long do I keep positions open?

Answer: As long as the price is moving in my favour, I'll keep the position open. This means some of my most substantial wins are open for a few weeks. However, some trades can be over within a few hours.

Question: How long have you been trading?

Answer: Since 2011.

Question: Do you trade only Forex?

Answer: No. You'll see from my trading results that I also trade commodities and equity indices. I also invest in UK and US stocks.

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