Reading Balance and Equity Graphs in MT5 Strategy Tester

Understanding the Result and Graph Tabs

The MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester provides two primary views for analyzing test outcomes. The Result tab delivers a comprehensive statistical report that includes profit figures, trade counts, and various risk metrics, while the Graph tab offers a visual representation of the account's performance over time. According to the testing documentation, the Result tab contains general testing results including profit and the number of trades, alongside many statistical values to help assess the trading robot's performance. Additional charts on this tab visualize the distribution of trading operations by hours, days, and months, providing deeper insight into when the strategy performs best or worst.

The Graph tab serves as a visual analysis tool where users can determine how successfully the Expert Advisor performed on the selected instrument during the chosen time interval. The main area of this tab displays two key curves: the balance curve shown in blue and the equity curve shown in green. These visual elements allow traders to quickly identify periods of drawdown, recovery, and overall trend consistency. The horizontal scale represents dates while the vertical scale shows balance and equity values, creating a clear timeline of the account's financial trajectory throughout the testing period.

Sources: MetaTrader 5 documentation: testing MetaTrader 5 documentation: features

Balance Changes and Position Closure Dynamics

Balance represents the actual cash value of the account and only changes when positions are closed, according to the documented testing features. Each time a trade is exited, the realized profit or loss is added to or subtracted from the balance, creating discrete steps in the blue balance curve. The documentation explicitly states that balance values are shown on the chart each time they change when a position is closed, making it easy to identify exactly when trades were exited and what their individual outcomes were.

Between position closures, the balance remains constant while equity fluctuates continuously with market prices. This creates a sawtooth pattern where the blue balance line stays flat during open positions and jumps vertically when trades close. Understanding this distinction is crucial because it reveals whether the strategy's open positions are currently in profit or loss relative to their entry points, even though those gains or losses have not yet been realized through closure.

Sources: MetaTrader 5 documentation: testing MetaTrader 5 documentation: features

Equity Behavior Between Balance Updates

Equity represents the current value of the account including both realized balance and unrealized profits or losses from open positions. The green equity curve updates continuously as market prices move, providing a real-time view of the account's current financial exposure. The testing documentation specifies that equity values are additionally shown with a certain periodicity between balance changes, ensuring that the curve remains visible and informative even during extended periods without position closures.

This continuous updating mechanism allows traders to monitor intraday fluctuations and identify potential margin issues before they become critical. When equity drops significantly below balance, it indicates that open positions are experiencing drawdowns, which could trigger margin calls if the trend continues. Conversely, when equity rises above balance, it shows that open positions are currently profitable, adding to the account's effective value even though these gains remain unrealized until positions are closed.

Sources: MetaTrader 5 documentation: testing MetaTrader 5 documentation: features

Deposit Load as Margin and Equity Ratio

The deposit load histogram appears in the bottom portion of the Graph tab and represents the ratio of margin to equity, calculated as margin divided by equity. This metric provides crucial insight into how much of the account's current value is being utilized to maintain open positions. According to the testing documentation, the deposit load is calculated as the ratio of margin and equity (margin/equity), giving traders a clear percentage indicating account utilization.

Higher deposit load values suggest that a larger portion of the account's equity is tied up in margin requirements, leaving less free margin available for new trades or to absorb additional losses. The documentation notes that when testing on accounts with the exchange risk management model, the chart only shows the equity curve while balance and deposit load are not displayed, because in the exchange calculation mode margin equals the current discounted value of the asset/liability and changes along with equity. This exception highlights how different risk management models affect what information is visually presented during testing.

Sources: MetaTrader 5 documentation: testing MetaTrader 5 documentation: features

Exchange Risk-Management Exception and Display Limitations

When testing Expert Advisors on accounts configured with the exchange risk management model, the Graph tab displays only the equity curve according to the documented testing features. The balance and deposit load indicators are not shown because the underlying calculation methodology differs significantly from standard OTC accounts. In the exchange calculation mode, margin is defined as the current discounted value of the asset or liability, meaning it fluctuates directly with equity rather than representing a fixed reservation requirement.

This fundamental difference in how margin is calculated means that the traditional deposit load ratio becomes meaningless in exchange-mode testing, as margin and equity move together by definition. The trading status of such accounts is evaluated based solely on the equity level, while the balance only reflects the actual money on the account without considering the trader's assets and liabilities. This distinction is critical for traders working with exchange-traded instruments like futures and options, where the risk management framework operates differently than in forex markets.

Sources: MetaTrader 5 documentation: testing MetaTrader 5 documentation: features

Distinguishing Result Display from Tester Calculation

The visual presentation in the Result and Graph tabs represents processed output generated by the Strategy Tester after completing all calculations, rather than raw real-time data. The tester performs comprehensive computations including swap calculations, commission deductions, and margin requirements before displaying the final results. According to the testing documentation, these calculations occur behind the scenes using the testing agent's processing capabilities, with the platform then rendering the summarized data in the user interface.

This distinction matters because the displayed values reflect the tester's interpretation of trading rules and account parameters, which may differ from live trading conditions. Factors such as execution delays, slippage emulation, and commission structures are pre-configured in the testing settings and then incorporated into the final calculations. The documentation emphasizes that users should verify results using accurate tick generation modes like 'Every tick' or 'Real ticks' for more reliable representations, as simplified modes like 'Open prices only' or '1 minute OHLC' may produce different outcomes due to their handling of intermediate price movements and order execution logic.

Sources: MetaTrader 5 documentation: testing MetaTrader 5 documentation: features

AI-assisted educational article. Automated checks reviewed source support and quality; they do not guarantee accuracy. This is not investment advice. Leveraged and automated trading involves substantial risk of loss.