Market X-Ray · Toolbox 3

Ratio-Quality Decomposition

A rising ratio is ambiguous. IWM/SPY can rise because small-caps led — or because the S&P fell. This decomposes every structural ratio into what the numerator did versus the denominator, and scores how meaningful the move is: numerator-driven and consistent across horizons = high quality; denominator-driven or one-horizon = low quality, mechanically misleading. Quality is reliability, not direction.

Updated daily · data as of loading…

Avg quality how meaningful, mean
Numerator-driven of ratios
Misleading up 0 rising on low quality
Real weakness 0 numerator-driven down

Alerts — misleading strength & real weakness

No high-severity ratio-quality alerts right now.

Every ratio — decomposed (21-day)

RatioStateQualityDriverNumDenRatioTF
Ratio reads load on the next refresh.

How to read it

Using log returns, ratio return = numerator return − denominator return, so each leg's contribution is exact. The quality score is the numerator's share of the move scaled by how consistently the ratio points the same way across 1, 21 and 63 days — high when the asset we track is genuinely the story, low when the move is a denominator artifact. Misleading strength = a ratio rising on a denominator collapse; real weakness = a ratio falling because the numerator itself is deteriorating, confirmed across horizons.

For information and discussion only — a reading of market internals, not investment advice. Thresholds are uncalibrated pending the planned backtest. Pairs with Breadth-of-Breadth and the Beta-Instability X-Ray.

FAQ · from the current data

Quick answers

What does Ratio-Quality Decomposition measure?

A rising ratio is ambiguous — it can mean the numerator led (real) or the denominator collapsed (misleading). This decomposes every structural ratio into what the numerator did versus the denominator, and scores how meaningful the move is: numerator-driven and consistent across horizons scores high; denominator-driven or single-horizon scores low.

What is the average ratio quality right now?

The average quality score refreshes after each US close; see the summary stats above for the current reading.

How many ratios are showing misleading strength or real weakness?

The misleading-strength and real-weakness counts refresh after each US close; see the summary stats above for the current figures.

How is the quality score calculated?

Using log returns, ratio return equals numerator return minus denominator return, so each leg’s contribution is exact. The quality score is the numerator’s share of the move scaled by how consistently the ratio points the same way across 1, 21 and 63 days — high when the tracked asset is genuinely the story, low when the move is a denominator artifact.