In trading, profitability alone does not tell the full story. What truly separates disciplined traders from short term performers is consistency. To measure this, Top One Trader uses the Equity Stability Score (ESS). ESS evaluates not just how much profit you generate, but how balanced and stable your trading performance is over time.
NOVA requirement: Funded NOVA accounts need an ESS of 20% or lower to be eligible for a payout. ESS does not apply during the evaluation.
What is the Equity Stability Score (ESS)?
The ESS is a percentage that reflects how concentrated your trading results are. It considers your largest winning day, your largest losing day (calculated as a positive number, so -350 counts as 350), and your total net profit. A lower ESS indicates stable, consistent trading. A higher ESS suggests profits rely too heavily on one or two outsized trading days.
ESS formula
ESS = [ Largest Winning Day + Largest Losing Day (absolute value) ] ÷ Total Profit × 100
Term | Definition |
Largest Winning Day | Your single most profitable trading day |
Largest Losing Day | Your single largest losing trading day, counted as a positive value |
Total Profit | Your overall closed net profit |
ESS requirement for NOVA accounts
Account stage | ESS rule |
Evaluation | Not applicable |
Funded | 20% ESS or lower required for payout |
If your ESS is 20% or lower, you are payout eligible. If your ESS is above 20%, continue trading to improve your score. All other payout rules must also be satisfied.
Examples of ESS in action
| Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3: small profit base |
Largest winning day | $400 | $1,200 | $500 |
Largest losing day | $350 | $800 | $400 |
Total profit | $3,750 | $11,000 | $1,200 |
Calculation | (400 + 350) ÷ 3,750 = 0.20 | (1,200 + 800) ÷ 11,000 = 0.18 | (500 + 400) ÷ 1,200 = 0.75 |
ESS | 20% | 18% | 75% |
Result | Qualified | Qualified (below 20%) | Not qualified (higher than 20%) |
How to maintain a healthy ESS
To keep ESS within limits:
Balance profitable and losing days.
Avoid oversized trades.
Build steady profit growth.
Focus on consistency rather than spikes.
If ESS is too high, increasing total profit gradually without creating new extreme days will naturally improve the score.