I'm backtesting a Long/Short strategy using a data set of 37 futures (with daily cash margins of around $4000-5000) over a 2-yr and a 4-yr timeframe. Staring balance is $50,000
I use 3 settings in Portfolio Simulation mode
1) 1 Share/Contract
2) 8 Shares/Contracts
3) 5% equity

On average this strategy holds 5-6 futures positions. Despite this, 1 and 2 both yield the same equity curve where 90% of the curve is cash - only 10-20% or so is equity.

- Given 6 futures positions held, even the 1 Share/Contract setting should show around $30K in equity.
- When i increase to 8 Contracts/position, most of the entire equity curve should be equity. It shows the same equity curve as above.

- what's a good setting for such a portfolio simulation i.e. $4-5K margin per future, $50K starting balance, strategy holds 5-6 positions in total (long and short)?

thanks
Kiran

Kiran, please re-read the P.S. in my reply to you that I left less than a week ago:

http://www.wealth-lab.com/Forum/Posts/How-do-I-make-WL-treat-symbol-as-Futures-33251

1) "The same equity curve" is not clear enough. What is this, a shape that looks similar? Or the exactly same ending capital figure?
2) What are the symbols involved and their symbol info manager settings?

If futures margin is roughly $5K for each contract, then you'll only be able to take 1 trade at a time (initially) with 8 fixed contracts sizing. With 5% of equity, or $2,500 at the start, you won't even be able to purchase a single contract.

You should be able to put on up to 10 positions initially with 1 fixed contract sizing, so this setting should produce different results, but to me it sounds like you haven't enabled Futures Mode, or something of the sort.