Possible division by zero in `AnnualReturn`

Maxim Korobov

I'm optimizing parameters for strategy.
Sometimes when strategy is full of fear, so perform no action. In suck situations ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero occur.

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "D:/Projects/trading-bot/main/lab/backtrader/morning_buy.py", line 86, in <module>
	strategies = back_trader.run(timeframe=bt.TimeFrame.Minutes)
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\cerebro.py", line 794, in run
	runstrat = self.runstrategies(iterstrat)
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\cerebro.py", line 927, in runstrategies
	strat._stop()
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\strategy.py", line 421, in _stop
	analyzer._stop()
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\analyzer.py", line 194, in _stop
	self.stop()
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\analyzers\annualreturn.py", line 84, in stop
	annualret = (value_end / value_start) - 1.0
ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero

I checked that

b_trader.broker.setcash(1000.0)

was called earlier.

backtrader

AnnualReturn is really a relic. It was superseded by TimeReturn which is configurable for different timeframes and can even track datas

In any case that error seems likely to happen when there has been no year change in the data.

Maxim Korobov

Thanks for suggestion, I replace it with:

back_trader.addanalyzer(TimeReturn, timeframe=bt.TimeFrame.Years, _name='annualreturn')

Looks loke pretty the same for SharpeRatio:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "D:/Projects/trading-bot/main/lab/backtrader/morning_buy.py", line 87, in <module>
	strategies = back_trader.run(timeframe=bt.TimeFrame.Minutes)
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\cerebro.py", line 794, in run
	runstrat = self.runstrategies(iterstrat)
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\cerebro.py", line 927, in runstrategies
	strat._stop()
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\strategy.py", line 421, in _stop
	analyzer._stop()
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\analyzer.py", line 194, in _stop
	self.stop()
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\analyzers\sharpe.py", line 173, in stop
	ret_free_avg = average(ret_free)
  File "C:\Users\Home\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\backtrader\mathsupport.py", line 38, in average
	return math.fsum(x) / (len(x) - bessel)
ZeroDivisionError: float division by zero

backtrader

That happens because the SharpeRatio is being used with less data than the timeframe with which is working.

@Maxim-Korobov said in Possible division by zero in `AnnualReturn`:

           ret_free = [r - rate for r in returns]
           ret_free_avg = average(ret_free)

The average fails because the number of returns is 0

Change the timeframe of the analyzer to something for which returns can be generated.