Clenow Momentum

Clenow Momentum Method

The Clenow Momentum Method, developed by Andreas Clenow, is a systematic, quantitative trading strategy focused on capturing medium- to long-term price trends in financial markets. Popularized through Clenow’s book, Stocks on the Move: Beating the Market with Hedge Fund Momentum Strategies, the method leverages momentum—an empirically observed phenomenon where assets that have performed well in the recent past tend to continue performing well in the near future.

Theoretical Foundation
Momentum investing is grounded in behavioral finance and market inefficiencies. Investors often exhibit herding behavior, underreact to new information, or chase trends, causing prices to trend beyond fundamental values. Clenow’s method builds on academic research, such as Jegadeesh and Titman (1993), which demonstrated that stocks with high returns over 3–12 months outperform those with low returns over similar periods.

Clenow’s approach specifically uses **annualized momentum**, calculated as the rate of return over a lookback period (typically 90 days), annualized to reflect a yearly percentage. The formula is:

Momentum=(((Close N periods agoCurrent Close​)^N252​)−1)×100


- Current Close: The most recent closing price.
- Close N periods ago: The closing price N periods back (e.g., 90 days).
- N: Lookback period (commonly 90 days).
- 252: Approximate trading days in a year for annualization.

This metric ranks stocks by their momentum, prioritizing those with the strongest upward trends. Clenow’s method also incorporates risk management, diversification, and volatility adjustments to enhance robustness.

Methodology
The Clenow Momentum Method involves the following steps:

1. Universe Selection:
- A broad universe of liquid stocks is chosen, often from major indices (e.g., S&P 500, Nasdaq 100) or global exchanges.
- Filters should exclude illiquid stocks (e.g., low average daily volume) or those with extreme volatility.

2. Momentum Calculation:
- Stocks are ranked based on their annualized momentum over a lookback period (typically 90 days, though 60–120 days can be common tests).
- The top-ranked stocks (e.g., top 10–20%) are selected for the portfolio.

3. Volatility Adjustment (Optional):
- Clenow sometimes adjusts momentum scores by volatility (e.g., dividing by the standard deviation of returns) to favor stocks with smoother trends.
- This reduces exposure to erratic price movements.

4. Portfolio Construction:
- A diversified portfolio of 10–25 stocks is constructed, with equal or volatility-weighted allocations.
- Position sizes are often adjusted based on risk (e.g., 1% of capital per position).

5. Rebalancing:
- The portfolio is rebalanced periodically (e.g., weekly or monthly) to maintain exposure to high-momentum stocks.
- Stocks falling below a momentum threshold are replaced with higher-ranked candidates.

6. Risk Management:
- Stop-losses or trailing stops may be applied to limit downside risk.
- Diversification across sectors reduces concentration risk.

Implementation in TradingView
Key features include:
- Customizable Lookback: Users can adjust the lookback period in pinescript (e.g., 90 days) to align with Clenow’s methodology.
- Visual Cues: Background colors (green for positive, red for negative momentum) and a zero line help identify trend strength.
- Integration with Screeners: TradingView’s stock screener can filter high-momentum stocks, which can then be analyzed with the custom indicator.





Strengths
1. Simplicity: The method is straightforward, relying on a single metric (momentum) that’s easy to calculate and interpret.

2. Empirical Support: Backed by decades of academic research and real-world hedge fund performance.
3. Adaptability: Applicable to stocks, ETFs, or other asset classes, with flexible lookback periods.
4. Risk Management: Diversification and periodic rebalancing reduce idiosyncratic risk.
5. TradingView Integration: Pine Script implementation enables real-time visualization, enhancing decision-making for stocks like NVDA or SPY.

Limitations
1. Mean Reversion Risk: Momentum can reverse sharply in bear markets or during sector rotations, leading to drawdowns.
2. Transaction Costs: Frequent rebalancing increases trading costs, especially for retail traders with high commissions. This is not as prevalent with commission free trading becoming more available.
3. Overfitting Risk: Over-optimizing lookback periods or filters can reduce out-of-sample performance.
4. Market Conditions: Underperforms in low-momentum or highly volatile markets.

Practical Applications
The Clenow Momentum Method is ideal for:
Retail Traders: Use TradingView’s screener to identify high-momentum stocks, then apply the Pine Script indicator to confirm trends.

Portfolio Managers: Build diversified momentum portfolios, rebalancing monthly to capture trends.

Swing Traders: Combine with volume filters to target short-term breakouts in high-momentum stocks.

Cross-Platform Workflow: Integrate with Python scanners to rank stocks, then visualize on TradingView for trade execution.

Comparison to Other Strategies
Vs. Minervini’s VCP: Clenow’s method is purely quantitative, while Minervini’s Volatility Contraction Pattern (your April 11, 2025 query) combines momentum with chart patterns. Clenow is more systematic but less discretionary.

Vs. Mean Reversion: Momentum bets on trend continuation, unlike mean reversion strategies that target oversold conditions.

Vs. Value Investing: Momentum outperforms in bull markets but may lag value strategies in recovery phases.

Conclusion
The Clenow Momentum Method is a robust, evidence-based strategy that capitalizes on price trends while managing risk through diversification and rebalancing. Its simplicity and adaptability make it accessible to retail traders, especially when implemented on platforms like TradingView with custom Pine Script indicators. Traders must be mindful of transaction costs, mean reversion risks, and market conditions. By combining Clenow’s momentum with volume filters and alerts, you can optimize its application for swing or position trading.