Paper portfolio methodology

Last updated: August 27, 2026

This page describes how MarketRunner’s public paper track record is calculated. It reflects the rules implemented in the current paper-trading automation. This is a paper / simulated account operated by MarketRunner LLC, not customer money and not trading in an actual customer brokerage account.

What the track record shows

The website focuses on cash deployed in the market (open paper positions), not idle portfolio cash or whole-account equity. It shows how much of that invested cash is currently up or down (unrealized P&L), what percent of open holdings are up vs down, what percent of closed exits took profit, and a full list of open paper holdings. Values can update after market sessions when orders fill and positions mark to market.

What qualifies for an entry

• Only Daily Setups labels Strong Buy and Buy are eligible for automated paper entries.
• Possible Buy Here and sell-side labels are not used for new paper entries.

Position sizing

• Strong Buy: approximately $500 notional per new entry (configurable; default $500).
• Buy: approximately $100 notional per new entry (configurable; default $100).
• Orders are submitted as day market orders sized by notional when the asset supports fractional shares; otherwise a whole-share fallback may be used when a usable price is available.

Duplicate-entry handling

• A symbol is not entered again merely because the same Strong Buy / Buy signal remains on later Daily Setups updates.
• Once traded for the current appearance on the combined Strong Buy ∪ Buy list, it is skipped while it remains on that list.
• After a symbol leaves that list, it can become eligible again if it later reappears (leave-and-return).
• As an additional safety check, the automation also skips symbols that already have an open paper position.

Entry-price methodology

Entries use Alpaca paper market orders. Fill prices are whatever the paper broker assigns when the order executes (often at or after the next market open for orders queued outside regular hours). The track record does not invent a custom theoretical fill model beyond the paper broker’s execution.

Exit methodology

Open paper positions are reviewed on a recurring schedule. A position is generally exited when:

• the MarketRunner action label is one of: Possible Sell Here, Too Risky, Not A Buy, or Strong Sell; or
• the position has been held for at least 90 calendar days (configurable max-hold default).

If a symbol is on today’s published Daily Setups list, that published action is used for the exit check (so Alpaca stays aligned with Daily Setups / the app). Symbols not on today’s list are live-rescored. Labels such as Strong Buy, Buy, Possible Buy Here, and Hold For Now are treated as hold-side classifications for this paper exit process.

Cash, fees, and slippage

• Uninvested buying power remains cash in the paper account.
• Starting equity for return display defaults to $100,000 paper capital (configurable).
• The display does not add a separate custom commission or slippage model beyond what the paper broker’s fills and account equity already reflect.
• Paper results can still differ materially from live trading because of spreads, liquidity, market impact, rejected orders, taxes, and behavioral factors that simulations do not capture.

Performance start date

Public return figures compare current paper equity to the configured starting equity. The equity curve uses available paper portfolio history from the broker plus the current equity point. Exact calendar start depends on when the paper account and automation began running and when history is available from the broker.

Important limits

Paper trading does not represent actual customer investment results. Simulated performance has inherent limitations and may differ materially from live trading. Past or simulated performance does not guarantee future results. See also Disclosures and the Terms of use.

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