BacktestFolio · Glossary
Rolling Returns
In plain language
Instead of just looking at 'from 2000 to today', rolling returns show all 5-year (or 3-year, or 10-year) periods contained in the historical sample. Useful for understanding how much results depend on when you invested: if all 10-year windows are positive, the portfolio is robust regardless of entry timing.
Technical definition
Returns calculated over overlapping fixed-length windows (e.g. 1, 3, 5, 10 years) rolling through the entire available sample. Reveals the dispersion of results depending on the chosen entry point into the investment.