The Vortex Indicator (VI) is a trading indicator and technical analysis tool introduced by Etienne Botes and Douglas Siepman in 2010. It is designed to detect trend patterns, confirm existing market trends, and provide insights into market trends by plotting two oscillating lines, VI+ and VI- lines, which represent positive trend movements and negative trend movements. The Vortex Indicator...
The standard deviation trading indicator is a fundamental tool in technical analysis that measures how much price values deviate from their average closing price over a given time period. The greater the standard deviation reading, the more volatile the asset, while a lower degree of deviation suggests stability. A useful way to think about standard deviation measures is like road traffic. On a...
Well I certainly hope you like rollercoasters, because that is exactly what the markets feel like at the moment! After the massive tariff shocks of last week, this week we had the 10th largest up move in the history of the S&P500 (close to close in percentage terms). I am not going to get into the drivers of the volatility this week because unless you are living under a rock you can't miss...
The Heikin-Ashi technique is a Japanese trading indicator that smooths out price fluctuations to provide a clearer view of current trends. Many traders struggle with reading Japanese candlestick charts because of market noise, frequent reversals, and false breakouts. This technique modifies the way colored candles are plotted to reduce noise and make trend visualization easier to follow....
If you’ve been trading for a while but still feel like something isn’t clicking, it might not be your strategy — it might be that you are not being true to your trader personality. Our Trader Personality Test can help! Every trader approaches the markets differently. Some crave structure and data, while others rely on instinct and adaptability. But most traders never stop to understand how their...
The Awesome Oscillator is a market momentum trading indicator is designed to provide a clear representation of current market momentum. Traders often look for ways to measure price momentum and identify when trends are likely to continue or reverse. It was developed by Bill Williams to help technical traders compare short-term trends with longer-term periods. The indicator is displayed as a...
The Accumulation/Distribution trading indicator is a cumulative indicator that helps traders identify whether a financial asset is being accumulated (bought up) or distributed (sold off). Instead of simply tracking stock prices, it weights price trend by volume, offering deeper insight into stocks using supply and demand dynamics. Think of the accumulation and distribution line as a financial...
The Envelope trading indicator is a technical analysis tool that helps traders define trading ranges and identify potential trend reversals in price movements. It consists of a moving average and two bands that create an upper and lower boundary around the price action. These bands are set at a fixed percentage above and below the moving average, making it a useful tool for both trend indicators...
The Demark Pivot Points trading indicator, developed by Thomas DeMark, is a unique variation of technical indicators used to identify potential market trend turning points. Unlike standard types of pivot points, which rely on previous highs, lows, and closing prices, Demark Pivot Points adjust based on the relationship between the open and close. Think of Demark Pivot Points as a GPS for price...
The Triple Exponential Average (TRIX), commonly referred to as the TRIX trading indicator is a momentum oscillator that helps technical traders identify trend reversals, market conditions, and price fluctuations while filtering out insignificant price movements. Exponential moving averages are applied three times to the closing price, ensuring smoother price action and reducing false signals....
Trading psychology refers to the mental and emotional factors that influence a successful trader's decisions. It’s the silent force behind hesitation, overconfidence, fear and greed. In everyday life, it’s like ignoring a fire alarm because you think it's just a drill, only to discover it’s actually real. During severe bear markets, trading psychology is the biggest factor affecting trading...
Pessimism bias is a cognitive bias that causes traders to overestimate the likelihood of negative events while underestimating the likelihood of positive ones—a mindset often explored in trading psychology. It’s what makes someone believe the worst-case scenario is more probable than it actually is. Picture a friend who refuses to fly because they think every plane is bound to crash—even though...