What You Need to Know About Using Trading Indicators

There are many trading indicators, from momentum, volatility, and volume to trend interpretation. Trading indicators don’t necessarily provide buy or sell signals but could help you analyze market conditions and plan where to set your trades. If you are new to trading, the following is what you need to know about trading indicators.

Types of Technical Trading Indicators

Momentum Trading Indicator

A momentum trading indicator is a trend-following indicator that plots the velocity of price movements in a specific time frame. The most used trend-following indicators include the Moving Average Convergence Divergence, or MACD, and the Relative Strength Index (RSI). Price Momentum – Price momentum should be used as a confirmation tool only.

Volatility Trading Indicator

Volatility is measured using statistical calculations such as skewness and kurtosis, which are popularly used in other contexts. Bollinger Bands and the Average True Range (ATR) are the most used volatility indicators. Volatility trading indicators should be used to measure market volatility as a confirmation tool.

Trend Trading Indicator

While trend trading can be defined as buying in an uptrend and selling in a downtrend, it is more of an approach to market analysis than a technical indicator. Price trends can be determined by using moving averages. The longer the moving average, the slower the price trend will be, and vice versa. However, this approach requires more time to interpret price trends than technical indicators.

Also Read : Why beststocks.com is the best place to find stocks to buy now

Volume Trading Indicator

Volume trading is the measure of buying and selling a stock for a certain period as determined by the number of shares traded. It is normally used by traders who employ technical indicators to interpret market movements. However, volume trading can be highly volatile.

You will get default trading indicators in your trading platform, which may improve your trading. Also, there are customized indicators developed by experienced traders that may work way better than the default options. For example, you may try out the free NinjaTrader indicators to help you get a more reliable market analysis.

Use Complementary Indicators

If you have used similar indicators, you might have noticed they have multicollinearity, which causes confusion and congestion on your chart. You may use a momentum indicator with a trend-following indicator to better understand the current market conditions.

It is best to keep indicators simple. For example, use moving averages instead of weighted moving averages to make the indicator more robust. In addition, normalize your indicators so that they do not fluctuate wildly when the market is moving quickly.

Trading indicators are only as effective as how well they are used. If you do not have at least a few years of experience in analyzing the market, your trading will likely be based on luck instead of skill.

You need to know how to read charts and use technical indicators effectively before using them to trade. Practice with the free Ninja Trader indicators until your trading approach is stable enough for you to live trade.

Benefits of Using Trading Indicators

1. Provide a Better Understanding of the Current Market Conditions

Indicators will help you analyze market conditions, including market movement and volatility. You can use this knowledge to determine where you want to set your trading entry and exit points.

2. Provides a Check on Your Analysis

Using indicators can add another element of confirmation to your analysis. You can use indicators to confirm the buy or sell signal generated by another indicator, for example, volume and trend trading indicators.

3. Provides a Visual Reference Point That Can Be Used To Set Your Trading Levels

Indicators can be overlaid on your chart to provide the reference point for your trades. You can also use several indicators at the same time so that you have visual cues for price targets and stop losses.

4. Helps You Better Manage Your Trades To Avoid Over-trading or Under Trading

If you are accustomed to charting your trades only at the beginning and end of the trading day, you may not be able to manage your trades effectively. In such cases, indicators can help you keep track of your trades and adjust as needed.

5. Provides Additional Confirmation When Trading a Market That Is Moving Quickly

When markets move quickly, it’s sometimes difficult to read with just charts and indicators. Using indicators can help you stabilize your trades and make them more predictable.

Also, indicators can help when you want to set your entry and exit points. For example, indicators will help you explore psychological triggers, such as the Green Wave Theory and Rabbit Trading. You can deliver more consistent trading results using technical indicators and other trading techniques like the Green Wave Theory.

Bottom Line

If you learn how to use indicators properly, they may positively impact your trading strategy. Be patient and master your technique before trading with real money using technical trading indicators.