Trading Made Easy ATR BandsAs always, this is not financial advice and use at your own risk. Trading is risky and can cost you significant sums of money if you are not careful. Make sure you always have a proper entry and exit plan that includes defining your risk before you enter a trade.
Background:
This is my take on two relatively famous indicators that paint the colour of your candles in order to help identify trend direction and smooth out market noise. The Elder Impulse System was designed by Dr . Alexander Elder in his book Come Into My Trading Room and attempts to identify the change of trends and when these trends speed up and slow down (school.stockcharts.com). The system used a 13 period EMA and a MACD histogram, and compared each of these indicators to the previous period. In short, when both the histogram and the EMA were rising, the trend was accelerating to the upside and when both were falling, accelerating to the downside. Conversely, when the indicators were not in alignment, say the MACD falling but the EMA rising, it signaled a slowing down of momentum. The downside of this indicator is that it be can rather jumpy, focusing on a short period EMA for 50% of its calculation, leaving a trader to potentially sit on the sidelines during opportune pull backs to enter winning positions, or exit early when there is still a lot of gas left in the tank.
A similar concept has been employed by John Carter and his organization, SimplerTrading, with the 10X bars indicator. However, here they use the famous Directional Movement Index (DMI) created by J. Welles Wilder as the basis for their bars (www.simplertrading.com). John Carter states that the use of this indicator can lead to getting in earlier on more, bigger, and faster setups. The downside of this indicator is the reliance on the ADX calculations to keep you out of rangebound trades. Anyone who is familiar with the DMI system understands it has unparalleled ability to identify longer term trends, but it is also quite slow, leaving the trader to miss a good portion of the initial runup due to this ADX portion that is very slow to get moving and also slow to signal exits.
In short, both of these systems are designed with one thing in mind: keeping the trader on the right side of the move --- but both suffer from the same issue but on opposite sides of the spectrum. One is too fast and the other is too slow. Ultimately, leaving profits on the table for the trader when such a situation could be avoided.
Here I present my own take on these and have made the “Trading Made Easy ATR Bands”. I name it this because trading is much easier when you trade with the prevailing trend, and this system identifies these periods quite effectively while doing a better job of handling the speed flux of most markets. The base formula uses the DMI as its main calculation and the relationship between the DMI+ and DMI- lines, respectively, like the 10X bars. While the trader can investigate these on their own to understand these more intimately, essentially the DMI+ and DMI- lines are calculating the highs and lows respectively of each bar compared to a period in the past and smoothed with the true range, a measurement of volatility . What this ultimately presents is a picture of uptrends and downtrends, where price is making consistently more highs or more lows over a period of time. Where I have modified this relative to the 10X bars is I have ignored the ADX calculations. Further, values over 25 have been discussed as “strong” momentum, in my calculations, I have sped this up to 20 to get a trader into the move earlier. Second, I have added an additional calculation based around the 21-period exponential moving average calculated against its previous output. This then, like the Elder Impulse System, has two forms of market momentum as its calculation to smooth out noise, but has the benefit of being less jumpy, like the original 10X bar system. I have added a series of exponential moving averages following the Fibonacci sequence from 8-144 as a system of dynamic support and resistance showing the sentiment of both the shorter and longer term market participants. Last, I have added a series of Keltner Channels , from 1X-4X, that encompass the 21 period EMA as a base line. The 21 EMA is a stable in all of John Carter’s work and I do believe he is correct that the market is mostly structured around this line, since it roughly approximates one month of trading data. It is not uncommon to see price expand and contract back to this line over and over again.
Trade Signals:
Strong Bullish Momentum – The system will generate a green bar when the DMI+ line is over the DMI- line, the DMI+ line is equal or greater than 20 and the 21 EMA has increased relative to its last close.
Weak Bullish Momentum – The system will generate a blue bar in several scenarios. First, when the DMI+ line is over the DMI- line but the DMI+ line is not over 20 and the EMA is equal or less than the previous close. It will also print a blue bar if either the DMI or the EMA are not aligned, such as the DMI+ is over the DMI- but not over 20 but the EMA has risen compared to the last bar. Last, it will also print a blue bar if the DMI- is over the DMI+ but the EMA is rising.
Strong Bearish Momentum – The system will generate a red bar when the DMI- line is over the DMI+ line, the DMI- line is equal or greater than 20, and the 21 EMA has fallen relative to its last close.
Weak Bearish Momentum – The system will generate an orange bar in several scenarios. First when the DMI- line is over the DMI+ line but the DMI- line is not over 20 and the EMA is equal or greater than the last bar. It will also print an orange bar if either the DMI or the EMA are not aligned, such as the DMI- is over the DMI+ but not over 20 but the EMA has fallen. Lastly, it will also print an orange bar if the DMI+ line is over the DMI- and the EMA has fallen relative to the last bar.
Uses:
1) Like the Elder Impulse System and 10X Bar systems, these should be used as trade filters only.. It is in the trader’s best interest to trade with the trends and these bars identify these periods but may not always generate the most opportune time to enter a market. For instance, trying to short a market when the market is in a phase of Strong Bullish Momentum would not be wise, and vice versa with trying to open long positions when the market is exhibiting Strong Bearish Momentum. Use multiple forms of evidence to confirm the signals shown before entering any trade and to not take these signals on their without confluence of ideas. A viable system could use the Elder Triple Screen System (for reference, see this decent write up --- www.dailyforex.com) with the Trading Made Easy Bands as your “Tide” or longer term filter, and a further trading plan to establish an entry on a short time frame pull back.
2) Interim Trend Exhaustion – Keltner channels work as moving standard deviations from the 21 EMA . 3X multipliers will encompass 99.7% of price and 4X will encompass 99.9% of price away from the 21 EMA . During a trend it would be a good idea to lock in partial profits when price reaches these outer extrema as it is very highly probable that a retracement back to the mean is approaching. While not part of the system, and not recommended to be used by this system, a mean reversion trader could in theory look for reversals at these extrema points and trade a mean reversion strategy back to the 21EMA, but is a much riskier trade with lower probability of success. A trend trader should look to enter trades when a signal is given within the 1ATR or 2ATR zone as this is when price has not really started accelerating yet and is likely to see continued momentum in that direction.
Elderimpulsesystem
Elder Impulse System + ATR BandsDisregard the above chart, I am not sure why it isn't showing the one I want, which is linked below:
This is as far as I can tell the closest representation to Dr. Alexander Elder's updated "Elder Impulse System" that has added ATR-volatility bands up to 3x deviations from price. I got the idea from watching this recent video (www.youtube.com) of Dr. Elder reviewing some recent trades and noticed he had updated his system from his original books. The Impulse System colour coding was inspired by AstralLoverFlow and LazyBear. ATR Bands are pre-programmed Keltner Channels with some modifications such as filing in the ATR Zones with user-selected colour bands and modifying the ATR value to better suit the volatility of the market being traded.
The script has several components, which I will detail below:
Exponential Moving Averages:
1) A 13-period EMA that is used as a staple in all of Dr. Elder's technical analysis. He uses this EMA as the basis for all of his indicators and why it is included here.
2) A 26-period EMA which can be used as a base-line of sorts to filter when to go long or when to go short. For instance, price over the 26-EMA, price is strong and the rally upwards is likely to continue, underneath it, price is weak and likely to continue downwards for a time.
Volatility Bands:
By definition these are nothing more than 3 separate Keltner Channels of a 13-period EMA each set to one additional multiplier from the moving average. This gives us a 1x, 2x, and 3x multiplier of average volatility from the 13-period EMA based on a 14-period Average True Range (ATR) reading. The ATR was chosen as it accommodates price gaps and also is the standard formula calculation in TradingView. The values of the bands cannot be adjusted but the colour coding of them can be.
Elder Impulse System:
These colour-coded bars show you the strength and direction of the current chart resolution, calculated by the slope of a 13-period EMA and the slope of a MACD histogram. These are used not as a buying or selling recommendation alone but as trend filters, as per Dr. Elder's own description of them.
Green Bars = The 13-period EMA is sloping positively and the MACD histogram is rising compared to previous bars. The trader should only consider buying/long opportunities when a green bar is most recent.
Red Bars = The 13-period EMA is sloping negatively and the MACD histogram is falling compared to previous bars. The trader should only consider selling/short opportunities when a red bar is most recent.
Blue Bars = The 13-period EMA and the MACD histogram are not aligned. One of the indicators is sloping opposite to the other indicator. These are known as indecision bars and are typically seen near the end of a previously established trend. The trader can choose to wait for either a green or red bar to shape their trading bias if they are more risk-averse while a counter-trend trader may decide to try opening a position against the currently-established trend.
How To Trade the System:
This system is unique in that it is so versatile and will fit the styles of many traders, be it trend following traders (generally the original Elder Impulse System design) or mean-reversion/counter-trend trading (the original Keltner Channel design). None of the examples below or in the chart above are financial advice and are just there for demonstration purposes only.
1) The most basic signal given would be the moving average cross up or down. A cross of the 13-EMA over the 26-EMA signals upward trend strength and the trader could look for buying opportunities. Conversely, the 13-EMA under the 26-EMA shows downward trend strength and the trader could look for selling opportunities.
2) Following the Elder Impulse system in conjunction with the EMAs. Look for long opportunities when a green bar is printed and price is over both of the 13- and 26-period EMAs. Look for short opportunities when a red bar is printed and price is below both of the 13- and 26-period EMAs. Keep in mind this does not necessarily need a moving average cross to be viable, a green or red bar over both EMAs is a valid signal in this system, usually. Examine price more closely for better entry signals when a blue bar is printed and price is either above or below both EMAs if you are a trend trader. This is how Dr. Elder originally intended the system to be used in conjunction with his famous Triple Screen Trading System. I am not going into detail here as it is a deep subject but I would suggest an interested trader to examine this Triple Screen System further as it is widely accepted as a strong strategy.
3) Mean Reversion and Counter-Trend Trading. Dr. Elder mentions that the zone between the two EMAs is called the Value Zone. A mean reversion trader could look for buying opportunities if price has generally been in an uptrend and falls back to value, conversely, they could look for shorting opportunities if price has generally been in a downtrend and rises back to value. These are your very basic pull backs found in trends that create your higher lows in an uptrend or your lower highs in a downtrend. A mean reversion/scalper trader may also look to use the upper and lower most ATR bands as an indication of price being overbought or oversold and could look to enter a counter-trend trade here once a blue indecision bar is printed and to ride that move back down to the Value Zone.
Taking Profits and Risk Management
This system again is very versatile and will fit a wide range of trading styles. It has built in take profit levels and risk management depending on your style of trading.
1a) In original Triple Screen Trading (and the original Elder Impulse system), a trader was to place a buy order one tick above a newly printed green bar with a stop loss one tick below the most recent 2-day low, and vice-versa for red bars on short selling. as long as other criteria were met, that I will not go into. It is all over YouTube and in his books and on Investopedia if you want more information. The general idea is to continue the trend in the direction if price is strong and you are bought into that move with a close stop, or if price falls back a little bit, you can get in at a better price. This would be a system typically better suited to a scalper.
1b) The updated risk management according to the above video is to place a stop loss at least 2ATR away from price. These bands already have calculated these values so a trader can place a stop one tick below the 2 or even 3ATR zones depending on their risk appetite. This is assuming you have already received a strong buy signal based on the system you follow. This would be a system typically better suited to a trend-trader.
2a) Taking profits if you are a trend trader has several possibilities. The first, as Dr. Elder suggests, is to place a price target 2ATR values away from your entry giving you approximately a 1:1 risk-reward ratio.
2b) The second possibility if the trade is successful is to ride the trend upwards until a blue bar is printed, suggesting indecision in the market. A modified version of this that could let a winning trade run longer is to wait for the price to close under the 13-EMA in fast markets, or close under the 26-EMA in slightly slower markets to maximize potential winnings.
2c) A scalper trader may wish to have a target at either the value zone if they are playing an extended buy/short back to the mean, or if they are being at the mean, to sell or cover when price extends back out to the 2x or 3x zone.
3) Trend traders can additionally use the ATR zones as a sort of safety guidelines for entering a trade. Anything within the 1ATR zone is typically a safer entry as the market is less volatile at this time. Entering when price has gone into the 2ATR zone is signaled as a strong momentum move and can signal a stronger move in the direction of the current closing bar. While not always the case, it is suggested by Dr. Elder to not enter trend trades at the 3ATR zone as this is where you will be likely looking for a counter-trend retracement back to value and a trader entering here in the direction of the trade has a higher chance of being stopped out or not getting in at the best possible price.
Elder-Keltner-Impulse-MA Study by STTAStudy Name: Elder-Keltner-Impulse-MA Study by STTA
English:
This indicator shows in a combined way three Keltner Channels with EMA21 and multiplier 1,3,5, the Elder Impulse System and a short EMA 11 to recognize the valuation zone, according to various strategies of Dr. Alexander Elder.
This indicator can be applied on all symbols.
Inputs: displayed symbol
Settings:
Elder Force Index (EFI)
-EIF MACD Length
-EIF MACD Slow Length
-EIF MACD Signal Length
-EIF EMA Length
EMA Short Length
Keltner Channels (KC)
-KC MA Length
-KC Multiplier1-3
-KC Source
-KC Type
-KC Bands Style
Outputs:
-EIF Bar Colors
-KC Upper1-3 channel upper and lower Lines
-MA Short
Elder Impulse SnapshotNASDAQ:AMZN
I've always been intrigued by the Elder Impulse System but found it labour intensive with its flipping back and forth between daily and weekly charts. I also wasn't fond of the way it repainted the candlesticks. So I set out to build a version where you could get every trade signal filtered down in one chart and still see the real price action.
This article provides a decent overview of the original system: www.investopedia.com
Elder Impulse Snapshot uses two EMAs and two MACDs, one of each to process both the daily and weekly data. The daily data gets an EMA of 13 periods and the standard MACD settings. For the weekly info, the EMA is set to 65 periods and all the MACD values are also multiplied by five (60, 130, 45). Buy signals are generated when both EMAs and both MACD histograms are rising. When all four of these elements are falling, sell signals are generated. If any of the indicators disagree, no signal is generated and entering any trade is not advised.
The blue and red arrows are the buy and sell signals. From my reading, it appears Dr. Elder recommended exiting the trade as soon as the system no longer generated a signal, though the case could be made for taking partial profit and moving up your stop loss to ride the trend out longer provided you haven't been stopped out yet.
Elder impulse releaseThe purpose of Impulse Release is to prevent trading in the wrong direction. While the Impulse System operates in a single timeframe, Impulse Release is based on two timeframes. It tracks both the longer and the shorter timeframes to find when the Impulse points in the same direction on both.
Its color bar flashes several signals:
If one timeframe is in a buy mode and the other in a sell mode, the signal is "No Trade Allowed", a red bar.
If both are neutral, then any trades are allowed, showing a blue bar.
When one is bullish while the other is either bullish or neutral, there is a green bar, allowing traders to buy and prohibiting shorting.
When one is bearish while the other is either bearish or neutral, a red bar signals that shorts are permitted, while long trades are not allowed.
Please check Dr Elders books available on amazon they are a great buy and a nice to read.
Elder impulse system with barcolor + Safezone stops + emasThe impulse system :
The Impulse System combines two simple but powerful indicators.
One measures market inertia, the other its momentum. When both
point in the same direction, they identify an impulse worth following.
We get an entry signal when both indicators get in gear.
The Impulse System uses an exponential moving average to find
uptrends and downtrends. When the EMA rises, it shows that inertia
favors the bulls. When EMA falls, inertia works for the bears. The sec-
ond component is MACD-Histogram, an oscillator whose slope reflects
changes of power among bulls or bears. When MACD-Histogram rises,
it shows that bulls are becoming stronger. When it falls, it shows that
bears are growing stronger.
The Impulse System flags those bars where both the inertia and the
momentum point in the same direction. When both the EMA and
MACD-Histogram rise, they show that bulls are roaring and the uptrend
is accelerating.
The SafeZone Stop :
Once in a trade, where should you put your stop? This is one of the
hardest questions in technical analysis. After answering it, you’ll face
an even harder one—when and where to move that stop with the pas-
sage of time. Put a stop too close and it’ll get whacked by some mean-
ingless intraday swing. Put it too far, and you’ll have very skimpy
protection.
The Parabolic System, described in Trading for a Living, tried to
tackle this problem by moving stops closer to the market each day,
accelerating whenever a stock or a commodity reached a new extreme.
The trouble with Parabolic was that it kept moving even if the market
stayed flat and often got hit by meaningless noise.
SafeZone trails prices with stops tight enough to protect
capital but remote enough to keep clear of most random fluctuations.
Engineers design filters to suppress noise and allow the signal to come
through. If the trend is the signal, then the countertrend motion is the
noise. When the trend is up, we can define noise as that part of each
day’s range that protrudes below the previous day’s low. When the trend
is down, we can define noise as that part of each day’s range that pro-
trudes above the previous day’s high. SafeZone measures market noise
and places stops at a multiple of noise level away from the market.
We can make our lookback period 100 days or so if we want to aver-
age long-term market behavior.
SafeZone offers an original approach to placing stops. It monitors
changes in prices and adapts stops to the current levels of activity. It
places stops at individually tailored distances rather than at obvious
support and resistance levels.
Triple Moving Average & Elder ImpulseThis is an updated version of my previous Triple Moving average script.
This one plots 3 moving averages + Elder impulse system.
The user has an option to choose from EMA or SMA.
User can also choose the length and source for moving averages.
The user also has an option to turn ON/OFF the use of the Elder impulse system.
All this utilizing the space for a single indicator. This is especially helpful for free users with a limit of only 3 indicators per chart.
This way you can add the 4 above + 2 more indicators of your choice.
Hope it helps.
Elder Impulse System with AutoEnvelope combined by iduThe idea is to combine Elder Impulse System with AutoEnvelope. It's usefull for free accounts to have more indicators on chart.
So what would on chart:
- fast ema
- slow ema
- AutoEnvelope
- Bar colour changed after signals of upcending/discending fast ema + upcending/discending macd
I've used Elder Impulse System by samuel16 and Elder's AutoEnvelope indicator by jamiespips. Thanks to both of them.
