17/06/2016
MACD Indicator
Perhaps the most widely used Oscillator in Forex, the MACD needs no special introduction. What it does need is a proper explanation of how to use it and when.
The idea of MACD is to signal your entry point when you’ve already figured out where the trend is going. It’s not going to alert you to a trend. What that means is that you first have to perform your technical analysis. Once you reach a conclusion, then you can use the MACD.
On MT4, the MACD comes with default parameters (12, 26, 9). 12 represents the fast Exponential moving average, 26 the slow exponential moving average and 9 the Simple MACD average. Usually, when you trade on a daily basis, those parameters are fine.
Now in the chart below we see two points, A and B. In point A, the histogram moved above the average and that is supposed to be a buy signal. But, technical common sense says that a pronged bearish trend cannot end abruptly without some form of double bottom. Hence, one should ignore that signal.
But in point B, that’s a different story. After a double top that hits a resistance level and hits the trend average, there’s a case for a short. But we need to know when. Notice how after the second top the histogram in the MACD falls again below the average? That’s our mark and that is how you use MACD to time your trade. Once again, the lesson here is that Oscillators are for timing, not for point to the pair’s direction.
MACD Indicator