You can see on the picture above a similar to the previously illustrated situation, but with the opposite trend. We have a crossover at (1), followed by a trend acceleration at (2), around where we enter a short position and place a protective stop at the days high. It would also be wise to place the protective stop several pips away from support, so that random noise or an attempt to break the days low doesnt trigger it.

• The divergence signals generated by the ADX are very similar to those from oscillators like the MACD or the RSI.
• In fact, a primary application of ADX is to differentiate between trending and range-trading conditions.
• ADX not only identifies trending conditions, it helps the trader find the strongest trends to trade.
• Technical analysis focuses on market action — specifically, volume and price.
• A succession of higher ADX peaks indicates trend momentum is rising.

The ADX is a lagging indicator, meaning a trend must have established itself for the indicator to generate a signal that a trend is underway. ADX values range between 0 and 100, in which high numbers signify a strong trend and low numbers suggest a weak trend. Although being familiar with the formula can come in handy, measuring ADX calculations yourself is Average Directional Index unnecessary, as most online trading systems will automatically calculate technical indicators. Wilder can be considered the father of several technical indicators that are now regarded as the core principles of technical analysis software. On top of the ADX, these include the Average True Range, the Relative Strength Index (RSI), and the Parabolic SAR.

Is ADX a Good Indicator?

You may need to look at a detailed trail app to do more in-depth analysis of the topography. Likewise, when looking at trends in the stock market, it may be simple to identify bullish or bearish trends, but it can be helpful to gauge the strength of the trend in addition to the direction. As mentioned earlier, the ADX is commonly used within highly liquid markets. The ADX indicator, when applied to currency trading, helps measure a currency pair’s strength to see whether the instrument will increase or decrease in price. Using this method will reflect its trend momentum and indicate the presence of either an upward or downward trend.

J.B. Maverick is an active trader, commodity futures broker, and stock market analyst 17+ years of experience, in addition to 10+ years of experience as a finance writer and book editor. Due to the fact that the Average Directional Index includes multiple lines, the indicator requires a sequence of calculations, which are laid out below. The ADX requires a sequence of calculations due to the multiple lines in the indicator. We were able to draw a red rising support line, and that may blind us to the unhappy sideways movement marked by the gold lines.

Introduction to Moving Averages

An exit from your short position should be taken when the ADX falls down below 30. Wilder suggests that a stop-loss should be placed at the the high of the day when the signal was generated, but again, that depends on the time-frame. You can see on the screenshot below that the ADX alone tells you nothing more but how strong the price momentum is. However, this could be changed depending on the trader’s preference, in some occasions ADX indicator setting could range as low as seven days or as high as 30 days. However, it’s important to remember that even when utilising an ADX trading strategy there is always a risk of loss.

The signal remains in force as long as this low holds, even if +DI crosses back below -DI. This bullish signal is reinforced if/when ADX turns up and the trend strengthens. Once the trend develops and becomes profitable, traders will have to incorporate a stop-loss and trailing stop should the trend continue. The high on the day of the sell signal becomes the initial stop-loss. The positive directional indicator is 100 times the exponential moving average (EMA) of +DI divided by the average true range (ATR) for a set number of periods (typically 14 days). The Average Directional Index (ADX) is a valuable tool for identifying the strength of market trends and enhancing trading strategies.

Basic explanation of calculation

His preferred instruments are ETFs but also maintains a portfolio of cryptocurrencies. Viktor loves to experiment with building data analysis and backtesting models in R. His expertise covers all corners of the financial industry, having worked https://www.bigshotrading.info/ as a consultant to big financial institutions, FinTech companies, and rising blockchain startups. It is fair to say that the ADX isn’t the simplest of indicators, which is why traders often make a few crucial mistakes when applying it.