MSST Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. I'm using "Next Open" as the Trade Price and my results aren't matching MetaStock using a 1-day delay and the open price.

A. The primary cause of this is the difference between how MSST treats delays and how MetaStock treats delays. If, for example, your buy signal is on Monday, MSST will treat this as a Monday signal but use Tuesday's price. If you subsequently get a sell signal on Tuesday, MSST will observe it and get you out of the position. On the other hand, MetaStock will execute the delayed signal on Tuesday, and ignore any Tuesday signals, which will result in your sell signal being ignored and MetaStock remaining in the position. To see if this is the cause, plot your system's signal line and look for a signal followed immediately on the next bar by another signal.

There is a secondary effect that will also cause minor differences between MSST and MetaStock in the Equity curve. If you get your signal on, say, Monday, MetaStock will create a buy signal on Tuesday, but won't update the equity curve until Wednesday. MSST, on the other hand, will start updating the equity curve on Tuesday (the day of the trade). To see if this is the cause, plot both the MSST Equity Line and the System Equity from MetaStock. If they "mirror" each perfectly, except for a one period delay, this is the cause.

If neither of these issues seem to be the cause of your difference, let us know at support.