Moving Average Convergence / Divergence (MACD)
The MACD is an extremely popular indicator used in technical analysis. It can be used to identify aspects of a security’s overall trend. Most notably these aspects are momentum, as well as trend direction and duration. What makes the MACD so informative is that it is actually the combination of two different types of indicators. First, the MACD employs two Moving Averages of varying lengths (which are lagging indicators) to identify trend direction and duration. Then, it takes the difference in values between those two Moving Averages (MACD Line) and an EMA of those Moving Averages (Signal Line) and plots that difference between the two lines as a histogram which oscillates above and below a center Zero Line. The histogram is used as a good indication of a security’s momentum.
The basics
To fully understand the MACD indicator, it is first necessary to break down each of the indicator’s components.
The three major components
- The MACD Line.
MACD Line is a result of taking a longer term EMA and subtracting it from a shorter term EMA.The most commonly used values are 26 days for the longer term EMA and 12 days for the shorter term EMA, but it is the trader’s choice. - The Signal Line.
The Signal Line is an EMA of the MACD Line described in Component 1. The trader can choose what period length EMA to use for the Signal Line however 9 is the most common. - The MACD Histogram.
As time advances, the difference between the MACD Line and Signal Line will continually differ. The MACD histogram takes that difference and plots it into an easily readable histogram. The difference between the two lines oscillates around a Zero Line.
A general interpretation of MACD is that when MACD is positive and the histogram value is increasing, then upside momentum is increasing. When MACD is negative and the histogram value is decreasing, then downside momentum is increasing.
Divergence
Divergence is another signal created by the MACD. Simply put, divergence is when the MACD and actual price are not in agreement.
For example, Bullish Divergence occurs when price records a lower low, but the MACD records a higher low. The movement of price can provide evidence of the current trend, however changes in momentum as evidenced by the MACD can sometimes precede a significant reversal.
Bearish Divergence is, of course, the opposite. Bearish Divergence occurs when price records a higher high while the MACD records a lower high.
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