Taurus Strategy

A short-selling strategy that identifies stocks with the most bearish price structure and profits from their continued decline using bar-level pattern analysis.

What This Page Covers

This page explains the Taurus bearish structure strategy. You'll learn about the proprietary bearish structure scoring system, how stocks are ranked for short selling, and how the portfolio is constructed.

1

Strategy Overview

Core Concept

The Taurus strategy is a systematic short-selling approach that analyzes price bar structure over a proprietary lookback window. Unlike momentum-based approaches, Taurus focuses on the micro-structure of daily bars to identify stocks with the most persistent bearish characteristics.

Trades only easy-to-borrow stocks, filtered by price and volume daily
Scores each stock using a proprietary bearish structure 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

Bearish Structure Scoring

Proprietary Composite Score

Each stock is assigned a composite bearish structure score combining multiple bar-level factors. Lower scores indicate more bearish structure, making them better short candidates. The scoring uses a proprietary lookback window.

What We Measure

  • Bearish candle frequency and persistence
  • New low frequency and breakdown patterns
  • Reversal risk and squeeze susceptibility
  • Bar-level micro-structure characteristics

How Scores Are Used

  • Stocks are ranked by composite bearish score
  • Most bearish 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
Proprietary filters actively avoid squeeze-prone stocks
Daily rebalancing prevents positions from growing too large
Volume and price filters ensure adequate liquidity
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 bearish structure scores for all qualifying stocks using the proprietary composite. Select the most bearish 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.