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Thursday, July 2, 2009

What Are Moving Average Crossovers?

By Ahmad Hassam

A moving average is an average of a predetermined number of prices such as the closing prices calculated over a number of periods like 50 candles. The higher the number of candles in the average, the smoother the line is.

Moving averages are of two types. 1) Simple Moving Averages (SMAs). SMA is only a simple average. It is obtained by adding all the candles that you would like to measure. 2) Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs). EMA is obtained by exponentially smoothing the SMA. EMA pays more attention to newer candles. The EMA responds more quickly to price changes as compared to SMA.

Instead of watching the up and down behavior of each candle with a moving average, you are watching the relatively smooth line. A MA makes it much easier to see price action without statistical noise.

Moving averages are lagging indicators. They are not leading indictors and its signal occurs after the new price movement not before it. A MA can only tell you what has happened, not what will happen. Moving averages do not think ahead.

Still, moving averages have a critical role to play in planning your trades in advance. Past does not always predict the future but it sure likes to repeat itself. Several different moving averages are used at once. They offer different pieces of the puzzle when planning our trades.

When the market is steadily rolling, moving averages keep us in our trades. If something changes like the moving average crossover, time to get out or trade the new direction. Moving averages are frequently used as price filters.

A short term moving average has to cross a long term moving average to filter choppier price action into a reliable indication for true price action. The most obvious use of MAs is to watch for crossovers to confirm new trends.

Short term moving averages are more sensitive to price action as they are measuring fewer candles. Longer term moving averages are less sensitive to price action. They tend to be more flat and are less likely to whipsaw up and down.

When moving averages do crossover you should take notice at once. If the fast EMA crosses below the slow EMA, it is predicting new downward price action. If the fast EMA crosses above the slow EMA, it is predicting a new upward price action.

However, such crossovers should not prompt you to jump into a trade at once. MA crossovers often occur too late and will put you in the market with an unfavorable risk to reward ratio.

A moving average crossover should be part of the trade plan that you have developed in advance. Not every moving average crossover is the same. MA crossovers are great as they are easy to see. A MA crossover will immediately attract your attention but it cant simply replace the work of planning your trades. - 23167

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