Moving Average Stratgies
Moving averages are a fundamental tool in technical analysis, serving various purposes. They help analysts identify trends, support and resistance levels, and price extremes and provide crucial trading signals.
Determining Trend: Technical analysts leverage moving averages in multiple ways. One primary use is assessing trend direction. For instance, comparing the current price to a moving average relevant to the investor’s timeframe (like the commonly used 200-day moving average). If the stock or market average trades above its 200-day moving average, it indicates an upward trend. Conversely, trading below the 200-day moving average suggests a downward trend.
Below is an example of Sunpharma with 50 MA determining bullish and bearish trends.
Determining Support and Resistance: Another critical role of moving averages is their function as support or resistance levels in technical analysis. Just like trend lines, moving averages often mirror the price trend, making them helpful in setting trailing stop levels to manage positions. Prices frequently pause or change direction around moving averages.
Below is the Chart of Asian Paint Support Resistance marked on 50 EMA on the Daily timeframe represented in Hourly.
Determining Price Extremes: Moving averages indicate price extremes in technical analysis. They represent a mean value as an average, and price tends to revert towards this mean over time. This reversion to the mean can offer profitable trading opportunities when the current price significantly deviates from the moving average. Such deviations signify how far prices have moved away from their typical trend, indicating a potential return to that average. This deviation provides opportunities to trade in alignment with or against the trend, although trading against the trend requires caution and tight stop-loss management. Additionally, if prices consistently move away from the trend significantly, it might signal an impending change in direction for the trend
Below is the Chart of Price to MA working as a Mean Revert Indicator defining Price Extremes on the same Asian Paints Chart
Providing Specific Trading Signals: Moving averages offer specific trading signals in technical analysis. These signals materialize when prices cross a moving average, shorter moving averages intersect longer ones, or even when a third, shorter moving average crosses two longer ones. Using two moving averages and their crossover as a signal has often been effectual. Yet, it might lead to significant capital drawdowns in sideways markets due to numerous small, unprofitable trades triggered by false signals.
Below is the Chart of the Moving average strategy with specific signals on a stock (long only), using 20 and 50 MA. Bharti Airtel Buy SIgnal from 300 to 527 and 608 and riding.
In the Next post, We will discuss the Lag in the Moving Average and specific Strategies for using MA on Indices and Stocks such as nifty50, bank nifty, etc. Till Then,
Happy Learning!
