Indicators for Trading & Backtesting
Conditions, chart context, and backtest links. Each card shows buy/sell conditions; open details to see full rules and how the indicator appears on a chart.
RSI (Relative Strength Index)
Oscillator 0–100. Measures speed of price change. Period 14 typical.
When to use
- Spot overbought/oversold in ranging markets
- Confirm reversals with divergence
Long:
- RSI < 30 (oversold), then crosses above 30
- Bullish divergence: price lower low, RSI higher low
Short:
- RSI > 70 (overbought), then crosses below 70
- Bearish divergence: price higher high, RSI lower high
MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence)
MACD line, signal line, histogram. Fast 12, slow 26, signal 9.
When to use
- Trend and momentum in one indicator
- Zero-line cross for trend direction
Long:
- MACD crosses above signal line
- MACD histogram turns positive from negative
Short:
- MACD crosses below signal line
- MACD histogram turns negative from positive
Stochastic Oscillator
%K and %D (0–100). Compares close to high-low range. 14,3 typical.
Long:
- %K < 20 (oversold), then %K crosses above %D
- %K crosses above %D in oversold zone
Short:
- %K > 80 (overbought), then %K crosses below %D
- %K crosses below %D in overbought zone
CCI (Commodity Channel Index)
Measures deviation from statistical mean. +100 / -100 common levels.
Long:
- CCI crosses above -100 from oversold
- CCI crosses above 0 from negative
Short:
- CCI crosses below +100 from overbought
- CCI crosses below 0 from positive
Williams %R
Oscillator -100 to 0. Similar to Stochastic, inverted scale.
Long:
- Williams %R < -80 (oversold), then turns up
- %R crosses above -80
Short:
- Williams %R > -20 (overbought), then turns down
- %R crosses below -20
ROC (Rate of Change)
Percent change over N periods. Momentum without bounds.
Long:
- ROC crosses above 0
- ROC crosses above its moving average
Short:
- ROC crosses below 0
- ROC crosses below its moving average
SMA (Simple Moving Average)
Average of close over N periods. 20, 50, 200 common.
Long:
- Price crosses above SMA
- Golden cross: SMA(50) crosses above SMA(200)
Short:
- Price crosses below SMA
- Death cross: SMA(50) crosses below SMA(200)
EMA (Exponential Moving Average)
Weighted average, more weight to recent prices. 9, 12, 20, 26 common.
Long:
- Price above EMA(20) and EMA sloping up
- EMA(9) crosses above EMA(21)
Short:
- Price below EMA(20) and EMA sloping down
- EMA(9) crosses below EMA(21)
ADX (Average Directional Index)
Trend strength 0–100. Not direction. +DI and -DI show direction.
Long:
- ADX > 25 (strong trend) and +DI > -DI
- +DI crosses above -DI with ADX rising
Short:
- ADX > 25 and -DI > +DI
- -DI crosses above +DI with ADX rising
SuperTrend
ATR-based trailing line. Flips above/below price for trend change.
Long:
- SuperTrend flips from above price to below (bullish flip)
- Price holds above SuperTrend line
Short:
- SuperTrend flips from below price to above (bearish flip)
- Price holds below SuperTrend line
Parabolic SAR
Dots above/below price. Trailing stop and trend reversal.
Long:
- SAR dot moves below price (switch to long)
- Price stays above SAR dots
Short:
- SAR dot moves above price (switch to short)
- Price stays below SAR dots
Ichimoku Cloud
Five lines: Tenkan, Kijun, Senkou A/B (cloud), Chikou span.
Long:
- Price above cloud
- Tenkan crosses above Kijun
Short:
- Price below cloud
- Tenkan crosses below Kijun
Bollinger Bands
Middle SMA, upper/lower = middle ± k×stddev. 20,2 typical.
Long:
- Price touches or breaks below lower band then closes inside
- Price crosses above middle from below
Short:
- Price touches or breaks above upper band then closes inside
- Price crosses below middle from above
ATR (Average True Range)
Volatility in price units. Used for stops and position size.
Long:
- Use ATR for stop: place stop 1.5–2× ATR below entry
- ATR expansion after consolidation can signal breakout
Short:
- Use ATR for stop: place stop 1.5–2× ATR above entry
- ATR expansion can confirm breakdown
Keltner Channel
EMA middle, ATR-based upper/lower bands. Similar to Bollinger.
Long:
- Price at or below lower channel then reverses
- Price crosses above middle line
Short:
- Price at or above upper channel then reverses
- Price crosses below middle line
Volume
Number of shares/contracts. Confirm breakouts and reversals.
Long:
- Breakout above resistance with volume > average
- Up day on above-average volume
Short:
- Breakdown below support with volume > average
- Down day on above-average volume
OBV (On-Balance Volume)
Cumulative volume: add on up closes, subtract on down closes.
Long:
- OBV rising while price flat or down (accumulation)
- OBV breakout above prior high
Short:
- OBV falling while price flat or up (distribution)
- OBV breakdown below prior low
VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price)
Average price weighted by volume. Intraday benchmark.
Long:
- Price above VWAP (bullish intraday bias)
- Price pulls back to VWAP then bounces
Short:
- Price below VWAP (bearish intraday bias)
- Price rallies to VWAP then rejects
MFI (Money Flow Index)
Volume-weighted RSI (0–100). 14 period typical.
Long:
- MFI < 20 (oversold) then turns up
- MFI crosses above 20
Short:
- MFI > 80 (overbought) then turns down
- MFI crosses below 80
Pivot Points
Classic pivots from prior high, low, close. R1/R2/R3, S1/S2/S3.
Long:
- Price bounces from S1 or S2
- Price breaks above Pivot and holds
Short:
- Price rejects at R1 or R2
- Price breaks below Pivot and holds
Fibonacci Retracement
38.2%, 50%, 61.8% retracement levels from swing high to low.
Long:
- Price retraces to 50–61.8% (golden zone) in uptrend then bounces
- Confluence with support
Short:
- Price retraces to 50–61.8% in downtrend then rejects
- Confluence with resistance
Candlestick Reversals (Hammer & Engulfing)
Long: hammer at support or bullish engulfing after downtrend. Short: shooting star at resistance or bearish engulfing after uptrend.
Long:
- Hammer at support
- Bullish engulfing after downtrend
Short:
- Shooting star at resistance
- Bearish engulfing after uptrend
Double Top / Double Bottom
Long: two similar lows then break above neckline. Short: two similar highs then break below neckline.
Long:
- Double bottom: two lows near same level
- Break above neckline (high between the two lows)
Short:
- Double top: two highs near same level
- Break below neckline (low between the two highs)
Head and Shoulders
Long: inverse H&S (three troughs, middle lowest), break above neckline. Short: three peaks, head highest, break below neckline.
Long:
- Inverse H&S: left shoulder low, lower head, right shoulder low
- Break above neckline (line under the two shoulders)
Short:
- Head and shoulders top: left shoulder high, higher head, right shoulder high
- Break below neckline
MACD Divergence Wave (3-Wave)
3-wave MACD structure for divergence: wave A/B/C. Popular for spotting reversals.
When to use
- Spot hidden strength/weakness when price and MACD disagree
- Use on higher timeframes for swing reversals
Long:
- Wave C low above wave A low while price makes lower low (bullish divergence)
- MACD histogram turns up from wave C
Short:
- Wave C high below wave A high while price makes higher high (bearish divergence)
- MACD histogram turns down from wave C
Breakouts & Pullbacks (ATH)
Break above range or 52-week high, then trade pullback to breakout level.
When to use
- Trade continuation after a clear breakout
- Use level as invalidation; stop below/above level
Long:
- Price breaks above resistance or 52-week high
- Pullback to breakout level holds; enter on bounce
Short:
- Price breaks below support or 52-week low
- Rally to breakdown level rejects; enter on rejection
Peak Trading Activity (LuxAlgo)
Volume and volatility by month, day of week, or hour. Median and delta views.
When to use
- Optimize entry time (e.g. avoid low volume)
- Position sizing by typical volatility
Long:
- Trade during hours/months with highest volume or volatility
- Use delta view to spot strongest periods
Short:
- Avoid low-activity periods
- Size positions by typical volatility for that time
Smart Trader Block Analysis (Candles & Tradelines)
Block segmentation, composite candles, buy/sell volume delta, POC and core levels.
When to use
- Clean chart with dashboard for volume and structure
- Multi-block view for trend and key levels
Long:
- Block trend bullish; delta positive; price near POC or max-buy level
- Composite candle bullish; quality score high
Short:
- Block trend bearish; delta negative; price near max-sell level
- Composite candle bearish; quality score low
RSI Radar Multi Time Frame
RSI from 6 timeframes in one radar view. Works above or below chart timeframe.
When to use
- Confirm RSI signals across timeframes
- Avoid fighting higher-timeframe momentum
Long:
- Multiple timeframes show RSI oversold or turning up
- Confluence across timeframes for mean reversion
Short:
- Multiple timeframes show RSI overbought or turning down
- Confluence for short or exit
Time & Sales (Tape)
Real-time trade flow: time, direction, price, volume. Volume delta per bar.
When to use
- Intraday order flow and aggression
- Confirm breakouts with tape and delta
Long:
- Tape shows persistent buying (green); delta positive
- Large buy prints at key levels
Short:
- Tape shows persistent selling (red); delta negative
- Large sell prints at key levels
Delta Ladder (Volume Delta)
Volume delta at price levels: buy vs sell per bar. Classic, on-bar, or pure ladder.
When to use
- See where volume delta is concentrated by price
- Combine with volume profile and POC
Long:
- Positive delta blocks dominate; PoC highlighted bullish
- Delta merging shows net buying at price levels
Short:
- Negative delta blocks dominate; PoC highlighted bearish
- Delta merging shows net selling at price levels
Bull vs Bear Volume Profile (Intraday)
Separate volume profiles for buying vs selling in fixed session ranges. POC and value area each.
When to use
- Intraday session analysis with up to 10 ranges
- Compare buy-side vs sell-side volume at price
Long:
- Bull profile POC above bear POC; price holds above bull value area
- Break above value area with volume
Short:
- Bear profile POC below bull POC; price holds below bear value area
- Break below value area with volume
Intraday Spark Chart (% from Daily Open)
Sparkline of intraday % change from daily open. Session markers and final daily %.
When to use
- Quick session bias and multi-asset comparison
- Opening range and session-close context
Long:
- Sparkline green (above open); session bias bullish
- Opening range breakout with green expansion
Short:
- Sparkline red (below open); session bias bearish
- Break below open with red expansion
Adaptive Market Profile (Auto Detect)
Auto-detected regression channel + dynamic market profile and most-active zones.
When to use
- Objective trend channel via Pearson R
- Support/resistance from volume or touches
Long:
- Price in upper activity zones; channel slope up
- Bounce from most-active line in uptrend channel
Short:
- Price in lower activity zones; channel slope down
- Rejection at most-active line in downtrend channel
Smart Money Breakout Channels
Volatility-normalized accumulation/distribution zones. Breakout boxes with volume delta gauge.
When to use
- Anticipate breakouts from structured ranges
- Volume delta and gauge for direction bias
Long:
- New channel forms; price breaks above box; volume delta gauge bullish
- Strong close above channel
Short:
- New channel forms; price breaks below box; volume delta gauge bearish
- Strong close below channel
Trend Range Detector (Zeiierman)
ATR-based range boxes when price stays in volatility envelope. Breakout coloring (green/red).
When to use
- Spot consolidation and breakout direction
- Speed-weighted centerline; less noise
Long:
- Range box forms (blue); price breaks above; box turns green
- Consolidation then bullish breakout
Short:
- Range box forms; price breaks below; box turns red
- Consolidation then bearish breakdown
T-Virus Sentiment (Multi-Indicator)
Dashboard: RSI, MACD, ADX, Ichimoku, Bollinger, OBV combined into one sentiment % and vial.
When to use
- Confirm setups with multi-indicator confluence
- Gauge trend vs chop; avoid low sentiment longs
Long:
- Active % (sentiment) high and rising; virus mascot green
- Confluence of indicators bullish
Short:
- Active % low and falling; virus mascot red
- Confluence bearish or divergence with price
Markov Chain Regime (Bull / Bear / Neutral)
Regime detection and transition probabilities. 3D spheres and arrows for state changes.
When to use
- Regime-aware trading; filter by Bull/Bear/Neutral
- Transition probabilities for next state
Long:
- Current state Bull; loop dominant = continuation
- Arrow Bull→Neutral or Bear→Bull for reversal
Short:
- Current state Bear; loop dominant = continuation
- Arrow Bear→Neutral or Bull→Bear for reversal
Asset Drift Model (Statistical)
Tests whether asset has significant directional drift over ~3 years. Strong / weak / no evidence.
When to use
- Position bias from statistical drift
- Filter: trade with drift, not against
Long:
- Strong evidence: positive drift, robust across subsamples
- Favor longs in positive-drift assets
Short:
- Strong evidence: negative drift
- Favor shorts or avoid longs in negative-drift assets
Tick CVD (Live Tick Data)
CVD and volume delta from live ticks. No tick chart required; upticks vs downticks.
When to use
- More accurate CVD from tick-level data
- Real-time only; efficiency mode for fast markets
Long:
- Tick CVD positive and rising; key levels at CVD lows
- More upticks than downticks
Short:
- Tick CVD negative and falling; key levels at CVD highs
- More downticks than upticks
Fair Value Gaps (FVG)
Institutional imbalance zones: price gaps that often refill. Multi-timeframe detection.
When to use
- Find imbalance zones after strong moves
- Use as targets or entries on retest
Long:
- Bullish FVG: low > high of 2 bars ago; price returns to fill the gap
- Enter on touch of FVG with confirmation
Short:
- Bearish FVG: high < low of 2 bars ago; price returns to fill
- Enter on touch with confirmation
Volume Profile / POC
Volume-by-price: POC (Point of Control) and value area. Where most volume traded.
When to use
- Identify high-volume support/resistance
- POC acts as magnet; value area as range
Long:
- Price at or below POC in uptrend then bounces
- Break above value area with volume
Short:
- Price at or above POC in downtrend then rejects
- Break below value area with volume
Simplified Percentile Clustering (SPC)
Regime clustering using percentiles: bullish / bearish / neutral. No heavy ML.
Long:
- SPC assigns bar to bullish cluster
- Transition gradient near 0 → 1 (flip to bullish)
Short:
- SPC assigns bar to bearish cluster
- Transition gradient near 1 → 0 (flip to bearish)
Liquidity Void Detector
Flags strong moves on low volume (inefficient displacement). Often refills.
When to use
- Target inefficient moves that may refill
- Combine with FVG or key levels
Long:
- Negative oscillator: strong down-move on low volume (sell-side void below)
- Expect refill upward
Short:
- Positive oscillator: strong up-move on low volume (buy-side void above)
- Expect refill downward
First Passage Time (FPT)
Probability of hitting +X% or -X% first. Monte Carlo style. For targets and stops.
Long:
- First hit rate: upside % >> downside %
- Median time to target reasonable for holding period
Short:
- First hit rate: downside % >> upside %
- Use for short bias or avoid long
Volume Delta / CVD
Cumulative volume delta: buy vs sell volume. Order flow imbalance.
Long:
- Delta positive and rising (buying pressure)
- Price above delta line; delta divergence bullish
Short:
- Delta negative and falling (selling pressure)
- Price below delta line; delta divergence bearish
Smooth Theil-Sen Regression
Robust trend line (median slope). Gaussian smoothing for less choppiness.
Long:
- Price above Theil-Sen line and line sloping up
- Price bounces off the regression line
Short:
- Price below Theil-Sen line and line sloping down
- Price rejects at the regression line
Trading Activity Index
Dollar-volume based activity meter. Unusually low or high participation.
Long:
- Activity above 80th percentile + breakout
- Low activity (blue) then expansion (orange) for breakout
Short:
- Activity high + breakdown
- Use to filter: avoid breakouts when activity very low
Market Regime Detector
Trend vs chop: ADX, RSI, ATR%. Green = favorable for trend-following.
When to use
- Filter: only trend-follow when regime favors trend
- Reduce trades in chop; size up in clear trend
Long:
- Regime = strong trend, bias bullish
- Use as filter: only take longs when regime favorable
Short:
- Regime = strong trend, bias bearish
- Avoid trend trades when regime = chop