Percent Return Indicator Explained

The Percent Return indicator is the everyday counterpart to log returns: (close − previous close) ÷ previous close × 100 per bar. It's the number humans already think in — 'the bar moved 0.8%' — exposed as a series your conditions can use directly.

How It Works

• Simple percentage change per bar (or over the window).
• Directly interpretable thresholds: 0.5%, 1%, 2%.
• Slightly asymmetric across large up/down moves (unlike log returns).

How to Trade It

Threshold it for event rules ('skip entries after any ±2% bar'), sum it for plain-language momentum ('up more than 3% in 10 bars'), or use it to size positions inversely to recent per-bar movement. For statistics-heavy pipelines, prefer its log sibling.

Building It in Setup.Cash

Add Percent Return in the strategy builder — the length input controls its sensitivity — and use its value in any entry, exit, or filter condition. You can also combine it with other tools in the Indicators Lab or via the AI indicator generator. See Log Return for the quant-grade version. For the full category overview, see the advanced momentum library guide.

Momentum signals are timing tools — combine them with a trend or regime filter and backtest the exact rules before going live.