Flow Control Oscillator (FCO)Flow Control Oscillator (FCO)
The Flow Control Oscillator (FCO) is a momentum-based indicator that combines volume analysis and money flow to determine who is in control of the market—buyers or sellers—and how strong that control is. Unlike pure price-based oscillators, FCO integrates both price action and volume distribution to provide a more complete picture of market dynamics.
How It Works
Core Components:
Money Flow Index (MFI) -
Scaled to -1 to +1 range
Measures the flow of money into and out of an asset
Identifies buying and selling pressure based on price and volume
Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) -
Already in -1 to +1 range
Measures the accumulation/distribution of volume
Shows whether volume is accumulating (buying) or distributing (selling)
Combined Flow Control Line (FCO Line) -
Equal-weighted composite of MFI and CMF
Smoothed with SMA (default: 3 periods)
Values above 0 = Buyers in control
Values below 0 = Sellers in control
Signal Line -
WMA of the FCO line (default: 6 periods)
Used for timing entries and confirming momentum shifts
Momentum Histogram-
Shows the rate of change in buyer/seller control
Weighted by ADX (Average Directional Index) when enabled
Larger bars = stronger momentum
ADX weighting filters out choppy, unreliable signals
Key Zones
Neutral Zone (-0.3 to +0.3): Balanced market, low conviction
Healthy Trend Zone (±0.3 to ±0.7): Clear control without exhaustion
Warning Zone (±0.7 to ±1.0): Extended, approaching exhaustion
Extreme Zone (beyond ±1.0): Overbought/oversold, reversal likely
What To Look For
Reversal Setups:
FCO in extreme zone (beyond ±1.0)
FCO crosses Signal line in opposite direction
Momentum histogram shrinking (weakening pressure)
Interpretation: Buyers or sellers are exhausted and losing control
Trend Strength Setups:
FCO crosses zero line (control shift)
Momentum histogram growing in the same direction
ADX confirms strong trend (no orange background)
Signal line moving in same direction as FCO
Interpretation: New control being established with building momentum
Divergences:
Price makes new high/low but FCO doesn't confirm
Indicates weakening momentum despite price movement
Early warning of potential reversal
Choppy Market Warning:
Orange background (ADX < 20)
Small momentum bars regardless of FCO position
Interpretation: Weak trend, avoid trading or use tight stops
Best Practices:
Use with context: Combine with support/resistance levels (like VWAP) for confluence
Multi-timeframe confirmation: Check higher timeframe FCO for overall bias
Wait for confirmation: Let signals develop rather than predicting turns
Respect extreme zones: Best reversal opportunities occur when FCO is beyond ±1.0
Filter with ADX: Pay attention to background coloring—avoid choppy conditions
The indicator includes comprehensive alert conditions for:
Reversal setups (extreme + cross + weakening momentum)
Trend strength signals (zero cross + growing momentum + strong ADX)
FCO/Signal crossovers
Extreme overbought/oversold conditions
Control shifts (buyers/sellers taking control)
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