Sharpe Ratio
A metric measuring risk-adjusted return relative to the volatility of the investment.
Full Definition
The Sharpe ratio measures how much return a strategy produces for every unit of risk taken. It is one of the most widely used metrics for comparing trading strategies and investment portfolios with different risk profiles.
The formula subtracts the risk-free rate (usually the yield on short-term government bonds) from the strategy return, then divides by the standard deviation of those returns. Higher numbers mean more return per unit of volatility. A Sharpe ratio below 1.0 is generally weak, between 1.0 and 2.0 is acceptable, above 2.0 is very good, and above 3.0 is considered excellent.
For example, if a forex strategy returns 20 percent per year with a standard deviation of 15 percent, and the risk-free rate is 5 percent, the Sharpe ratio is (20 - 5) / 15, or 1.0. A second strategy that also returns 20 percent but with only 8 percent volatility has a Sharpe ratio near 1.88, which is much more attractive because it delivered the same return with fewer wild swings.
In copy trading, the Sharpe ratio helps distinguish strategies that achieve returns efficiently from those that take outsized risk. When evaluating any copy trading service, request risk-adjusted return data alongside raw percentage returns. SteadyFlowFX publishes full performance data on Myfxbook including drawdown, allowing subscribers to assess whether the return profile justifies the volatility experienced.