Saturn Strategy

A short-selling strategy that identifies the weakest stocks by composite weakness scoring and profits from their continued decline.

What This Page Covers

This page explains the Saturn short weak momentum strategy. You'll learn about the weakness scoring system, how stocks are ranked for short selling, and how the portfolio is constructed from the weakest candidates.

1

Strategy Overview

Core Concept

The Saturn strategy is a systematic short-selling approach that operates exclusively within a pool of easy-to-borrow stocks. It identifies stocks exhibiting the strongest weakness signals and profits from their continued decline using a proprietary multi-factor weakness scoring system.

Trades only easy-to-borrow stocks, filtered by price and volume daily
Scores each stock using a composite weakness metric
Shorts the weakest stocks in the universe
No regime filter — always in market with short positions

Current Configuration

Stock UniverseEasy-to-Borrow Universe
Price FilterProprietary Range
Volume FilterLiquidity Threshold
Lookback PeriodProprietary Window
Portfolio SizeConcentrated
Regime FilterNone (always invested)
RebalancingDaily at open
2

Weakness Scoring

Proprietary Weakness Score

Each stock is assigned a composite weakness score combining multiple factors. Lower scores indicate weaker stocks that are better short candidates. The scoring uses a proprietary lookback window.

What We Measure

  • Price momentum and trend direction
  • Path efficiency and directional consistency
  • Moving average relationship
  • Relative performance vs. the broader market

How Scores Are Used

  • Stocks are ranked by composite weakness score
  • Weakest stocks are selected for shorting
  • Daily re-ranking ensures freshness
  • Score changes trigger rebalancing
3

Risk Characteristics

Short Selling Risks

Short selling carries unique risks compared to long-only strategies. Understanding these risks is essential before considering this strategy.

Unlimited theoretical loss potential (stock price can rise indefinitely)
Short squeeze risk when heavily shorted stocks rally
Borrow costs and availability may affect real-world execution
Margin requirements can force position liquidation

Risk Mitigation

The strategy incorporates several features to manage short-selling risks.

Equal-weight allocation across positions limits single-stock exposure
Daily rebalancing prevents positions from growing too large
Volume and price filters ensure adequate liquidity
Composite scoring reduces reliance on any single weakness signal
4

Trade Execution

T+1 Execution Model

All trading signals are generated at market close (Day T) and executed at the next day's open (Day T+1). This ensures realistic backtesting without look-ahead bias.

1

End of Day T: Score & Rank Stocks

After market close, calculate weakness scores for all qualifying stocks using the proprietary scoring system. Select the weakest stocks for the short portfolio.

2

Day T+1 Open: Execute Trades

At market open, cover short positions that are no longer in the target list and open new short positions. Equal-weight allocation across all positions.

Important Disclaimer

All performance figures are based on historical backtesting and are hypothetical. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Short selling involves substantial risk including unlimited loss potential. The backtest assumes perfect execution at open prices with no slippage. Stock borrowing costs and fees are not factored into the results — real-world returns will be lower after accounting for borrow rates, which vary by stock and broker. This is educational content, not investment advice.