Advanced Tools Plug-in:

MACD - Moving Average Convergence Divergence Indicator

MACD was created in an attempt to determine the strength of a trend along with the direction of that trend. Gerald Appel created a system that looked at two exponential moving averages and the difference between those two averages.

Looking at these moving averages of the market we are able to see clear buy and sell signals. We are also able to get a more accurate signal by looking at an average of the difference in the two moving averages.

Computing this indicator requires the use of exponential moving averages. Exponential moving averages are different than simple moving averages because instead of looking at only the last few days and averaging them, the exponential averages look at all the prices, and then put more weight on the most recent data. This type of weighted average gives a smoother average price that reacts more quickly to market moves. The two averages of MACD move above and below a base line, which gives indication of the strength of the current move. This placement of the two averages in relationship to the base line is calculated by looking at the exponential moving average of the difference between the two averages. So, even though the two averages may cross, the divergence, or true indication of the signal, is not shown until both averages cross the base line.

Keeping this in mind, an ideal buy signal is seen on a move where the shorter-term average moves above the other average and both averages cross above the base line of zero. Inversely, a sell signal would be the opposite of this.

The histogram method of MACD is read as a straight line above or below the zero base line. This line represents the difference between the moving averages. Therefore, when the moving averages move above the base line they are indicating a buy, and as the difference between the averages increases the lines will get taller.

The opposite is true of a sell signal. Track ‘n Trade High Finance’s ability to display MACD in this fashion is vital because it allows you to read the strength of the current trend along with the signal to buy or sell.

When MACD is plotted as a histogram, the values used to plot the histogram are the differences between the two moving averages on each day. The “trigger” line that appears on this chart is an average of the histogram data, or a smoothed view of the histogram.

Using the MACD as a histogram will allow the trader to spot divergences between the indicator and the market price. A divergence is present when the market makes a higher high than the previous high, but the MACD histogram fails to make a corresponding higher high. This is considered - in technical lore - to be a sign of weakness and a sell signal when the MACD breaks below the lowest point in between the divergent highs.

Bullish divergence is seen in an exact opposite fashion. Assume a market has been trending downward. The market has been consistently making lower lows, as has been the MACD histogram indicator. However, eventually the MACD fails to make a lower low, corresponding to the lower low in price. If the MACD histogram line crosses above the highest high in between the divergent lows, then technical lore holds that higher prices should follow.

You also have the choice to view the MACD indicator in a simple line style, instead of the histogram. In this view there is no trigger line. The line style MACD gives buy and sell signals are based off of the crossing of the two moving averages.

Calculation

Parameters: First (12) - the number of bars, or interval, used to calculate the first Exponential Moving Average. Second (26) - the number of bars, or interval, used to calculate the second Exponential Moving Average. Difference (9) - the number of bars, or interval, used to calculate an additional Exponential Moving Average.

Formula: In this study, the oscillator is the simple difference between the first two exponential moving averages. The formula is as follows:

OSCt = (EMA1 - EMA2)

OSCt: The oscillator for the current period.

EMA1: The first exponential moving average.

EMA2: The second exponential moving average.

The second part of the study computes an exponential moving average of the oscillator. You have:

EMAosct = EMAosct-1+ (k * (OSCt - EMAosct-1))

EMAosct: The exponential moving average of the oscillator.

OSCt: The oscillator for the current interval.

EMAosct-1: The exponential moving average of the oscillator for the previous interval.

k: The exponential smoothing constant.

Since the second value, EMAosct, is an exponential moving average, it rises and falls more slowly than the oscillator. Hence, the two lines generate crossover points. These crossover points are the buy/sell signals. Review Reading Moving Average Convergence/Divergence Trading Signals for other possible trading signals.

If the study is displayed as a histogram, each value for the lines is calculated as:

DIFFt = OSCt - EMAosct

DIFFt: The difference between the oscillator for the current interval and the exponential moving average of the oscillator.

OSCt: The oscillator for the current interval.

EMAosct: The exponential moving average of the oscillator.

Buy/Sell Signals

Buy Signal happens when: -If we draw the MACD with the Trigger line: MACD value today is greater than Trigger value today AND MACD value yesterday is less than or equal to yesterdays Trigger value AND today’s Trigger is less than 0.  If we draw the MACD without the Trigger line: MACD value today is greater than 0 AND yesterdays MACD value is less than 0 AND MACD today is greater than or equal to Yesterdays MACD value.

Sell Signal happens when: If we draw the MACD with the Trigger line: MACD value today is less than Trigger value today AND MACD value yesterday is greater than or equal to yesterdays Trigger value AND today’s Trigger is greater than 0. If we draw the MACD without the Trigger line: MACD value today is less than 0 AND yesterdays MACD value is greater than 0 AND MACD today is less than or equal to Yesterdays MACD value.