Trader of the Month (May 2025): Francesco, Over 100% Return in a Single Month
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In the world of algorithmic trading, where consistency, knowledge, and a strategic approach make all the difference, June brought well-deserved recognition to a new talent: Francesco, named “Trader of the Month” by Unger Academy thanks to his outstanding +104.04% performance, which translated into €4,856 in profit, while keeping drawdown limited to just 4.23%. A result that proves it’s possible to achieve remarkable returns even with small capital, provided you approach the markets with discipline and awareness.
A Journey from Zero: From Learning to Live Trading
Francesco has been a student at Unger Academy for three years and went live with his trading in May 2023. His approach was deliberate: starting with a small capital to navigate this phase with greater peace of mind and to focus on truly understanding market dynamics. Before joining Unger Academy, he had no prior trading experience, he started entirely from scratch.
His growth has been steady and well-structured:
- He began with a trend-following strategy on Crude Oil (CL)
- He then added a countertrend strategy on the same instrument
- Later, he introduced a third bias-based strategy operating during different time frames
- Finally, he expanded his portfolio to include Gold Futures, applying both trend-following and bias-based logic
All of his strategies were initially inspired by the Million Dollar Database, the extensive collection of systems made available by Unger Academy, but Francesco customized and optimized them based on his personal risk and return objectives.
A Manual but Mindful Approach
Today, Francesco manages a portfolio consisting of five active systems:
- 3 on Crude Oil
- 2 on Gold Futures
For all his systems, he uses mini contracts, which allow him to keep his exposure under control.
He monitors his performance manually using a customized Excel file that tracks the effectiveness of each system.
Even in June, his results remained positive and consistent, confirming the strength of the approach he has adopted.
Technical Skills and an Engineering Mindset
Francesco is an electronics engineer, a background that has helped him understand coding and logically structure his algorithmic trading systems. However, he emphasizes that technical skills alone aren’t enough: in trading, it’s crucial to truly understand the underlying logic, not just “press play.”
His advice for those starting out with live trading?
“Start cautiously. Until you go live, you can’t fully understand what it really means to trade. You need awareness, study, and the ability to take one step at a time, every stage has its own pace.”
Looking ahead, Francesco is interested in exploring the world of options, but he’s in no rush. He wants to continue building his trading activity on solid foundations without skipping any steps.
Other Traders in the Spotlight: Tony, Stefano, and Salvatore
Other traders also stood out in May thanks to their excellent performances:
- Tony: +25.86% (equal to AUD 35,611) with a contained drawdown of 3.66%
- Stefano: +19.02% (€91,824) with a drawdown of 3.71%
- Salvatore: +43.94% (€2,648) with a more aggressive drawdown of 10%
These results once again confirm the high level of the Unger Academy® community, where the combination of professional tools and targeted education enables students to achieve consistent and sustainable results.
An Inspiring Story: Learning, Strategy, and Smart Progress
Francesco’s story is a perfect example of smart progression in trading: in-depth study, controlled experimentation, system adaptation to personal needs, and a methodical mindset, all pursued patiently and with a realistic approach.
A clear message for anyone looking to embark on this journey: success in algorithmic trading isn’t a matter of luck but the result of thoughtful choices, awareness, and a lot of work behind the scenes.
Want to Know More About the “Trader of the Month” Contest?
Curious about our “Trader of the Month” contest? This exciting monthly competition is open exclusively to Unger Academy students and rewards the top performer with a €1,000 Amazon gift card for achieving the best live trading results using the Unger Method. Interested? Click here to learn more!
Want to see the champions from previous months? Click here to check them out! to check them out!
Transcription
Need More Help? Book Your FREE Strategy Session With Our Team Today!
We’ll help you map out a plan to fix the problems in your trading and get you to the next level. Answer a few questions on our application and then choose a time that works for you.
