The MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence) plots the difference between a shorter-term (12-bar) and a longer-term (26-bar) exponential moving average (EMA). Bullish and bearish events are generated respectively as the MACD fluctuates above and below zero to indicate whether prices in the shorter term are stronger or weaker than the longer term average. A 9-period EMA of the MACD is overlayed as a "signal line" which smooths out the MACD to provide a clearer view of whether it's moving upward or downward. A bullish event is generated when the MACD crosses above the signal line, showing that the current MACD is actually higher than its average, a sign of increasing strength for the price. The opposite is true for bearish events which signal decreasing strength in price as the MACD crosses below the signal line showing that it's now below average.

Tells Me: For bullish events, upward momentum has just built up with the latest price now trading higher than the price 10 bars ago. The opposite is true for bearish events where we're seeing downward momentum now that the price is trading lower than 10 bars ago. Momentum measures the velocity of price changes. For a 10-bar momentum, we take the difference between the last bar's close and the close 10 bars ago and we plot this as a line fluctuating above and below 0 which can be used as buy and sell signals when in agreement with prevailing trend analysis. Momentum is significant because it signals the strength of price trends. A healthy price trend tends to exhibit strong momentum, while weakening trends often have decreasing momentum indicating a trend reversal or correction.

Tells Me: When the event is bullish, we may be facing higher prices as the price has risen out of oversold (%K crossed below 20 then rose again) and starting to trade higher up in the recent 14-bar high-to-low range (%K crossed above %D). The opposite is true for bearish events, where the price has fallen out of overbought and starting to trade lower in the recent high-to-low range. Stochastics is built on the premise that as prices increase, "close" prices tend to be closer to the upper end of the recent price range, and vice versa. The raw %K number looks at the most recent "close" price as a percentage of the high-to-low price range over a specified period of time (14 bars) so when %K is high, it's likely we're seeing upward pressure, and vice versa. %D is a 3-bar moving average of %K and is used as a signal line, indicating whether prices are starting to trade lower or higher within the recent high-to-low range. Both lines fluctuate between 0 and 100 with 20 and 80 often used to identify oversold and overbought conditions.

Tells Me: The price is generally in an established trend (bullish or bearish) for the time horizon represented by the moving average period (21, 50 or 200 bars). Moving averages are used to smooth out the volatility or "noise" in the price series, to make it easier to discover the underlying trend. By plotting the average price over the last several bars, the line is less "jerky" than plotting the actual prices. A bullish event is generated when the price crosses above the moving average, and in this state, the price is likely in an established uptrend. The opposite is true when the price crosses below the moving average, triggered a bearish event.