Algorithmic Trading can be a complex subject. Keep your knowledge current with this glossary of key concepts, terminology, and technical indicators.
A technical momentum indicator that is used to illustrate the relationship between the rate of an asset's price change and its volume. This indicator attempts to identify the amount of volume required to move prices. Generally a value greater than zero is an indication that the stock is being accumulated (bought) and negative values are used to signal increased selling pressure.A high positive value appears when prices move upward on low volume. Strong negative numbers indicate that price is moving downward on low volume.
A type of technical indicator typically formed by two moving averages that define upper and lower price range levels. An envelope is a technical indicator used by investors and traders to help identify extreme overbought and oversold conditions in a market. The envelopes, which typically appear overlaid on a price chart, are also useful in identifying trading ranges for a particular trading instrument.
A moving average envelope calculates two moving averages using the high price and low price inputs. Both averages are calculated using price data from the same number of bars, as determined by the input length. The average of the high price is increased by a user-specified percent and then plotted; the average of the low price is reduced by a user-specified percentage and then plotted. The envelope inputs can be customized to suit each investor's or trader's style and preferences.
A bearish candlestick pattern consisting of three candles that have demonstrated the following characteristics:
1. The first bar is a large white candlestick located within an uptrend.
2. The middle bar is a small-bodied candle (red or white) that closes above the first white bar.
3. The last bar is a large red candle that opens below the middle candle and closes near the center of the first bar's body.
As shown by the chart below, this pattern is used by traders as an early indication that the uptrend is about to reverse.
A gap that occurs after the rapid rise in a stock's price begins to tail off. An exhaustion gap usually reflects falling demand for a particular stock.
A price movement through an identified level of support or resistance that does not have enough momentum to maintain its direction. Since the validity of the breakout (or breakdown) is compromised, many traders close their positions and the price fails to make the sharp move that many were expecting. A failed break is also commonly referred to as a "false breakout".
A bearish candlestick pattern that is used to predict the continuation of the current downtrend. This pattern is formed when the candlesticks meet the following characteristics: 1. The first candle in the pattern is a long red candlestick within a defined downtrend.
2. A series of ascending small-bodied candlesticks that trade within the range of the first candlestick.
3. A long red candlestick creates a new low, which suggests that the sellers are back in control of the direction.