# Technical Indicators & Overlays

## **Introduction**

**Technical Indicators** are the often squiggly lines found above, below and on-top-of the price information on a technical chart. Indicators that use the same scale as prices are typically plotted on top of the price bars and are therefore referred to as **“Overlays”**.

If you are new to stock charting and the use of technical indicators, the following article will help you get going:

[**Introduction to Technical Indicators and Oscillators**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/introduction-to-technical-indicators-and-oscillators)\
An in-depth introduction to the various kinds of technical indicators and oscillators out there. A “must read” article for StockCharts users.

***

## Technical Overlays <a href="#technical_overlays" id="technical_overlays"></a>

[**Anchored VWAP**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/anchored-vwap)\
A version of the VWAP overlay where the chartist defines the starting point for overlay calculations.

[**Bollinger Bands**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/bollinger-bands)\
A chart overlay that shows the upper and lower limits of 'normal' price movements based on the Standard Deviation of prices.

[**Chandelier Exit**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/chandelier-exit)\
An indicator that can be used to set trailing stop-losses for both long and short positions.

[**Double Exponential Moving Average (DEMA)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/double-exponential-moving-average-dema)\
A faster moving average calculation that offsets values in order to reduce the traditional lag found in moving averages.

[**Hull Moving Average (HMA)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/hull-moving-average-hma) \
A very responsive moving average calculation that weights recent prices more heavily than those earlier in the period.

[**Ichimoku Cloud**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/ichimoku-cloud)\
A comprehensive indicator that defines support and resistance, identifies trend direction, gauges momentum and provides trading signals.

[**Kaufman's Adaptive Moving Average (KAMA)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/kaufmans-adaptive-moving-average-kama)\
A unique moving average that accounts for volatility and automatically adjusts to price behavior.

[**Keltner Channels**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/keltner-channels)\
A chart overlay that shows upper and lower limits for price movements based on the Average True Range of prices.

[**Moving Averages**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/moving-averages-simple-and-exponential)\
Chart overlays that show the 'average' value over time. Both Simple Moving Averages (SMAs) and Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) are explained.

[**Moving Average Ribbon**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/moving-average-ribbon)\
A quick way to plot several moving averages with different look-back periods on a chart at once.

[**Moving Average Envelopes**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/moving-average-envelopes)\
A chart overlay consisting of a channel formed from simple moving averages.

[**Parabolic SAR**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/parabolic-sar)\
A chart overlay that shows reversal points below prices in an uptrend and above prices in a downtrend.

[**Pivot Points**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/pivot-points)\
A chart overlay that shows reversal points below prices in an uptrend and above prices in a downtrend.

[**Price Channels**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/price-channels)\
A chart overlay that shows a channel made from the highest high and lowest low for a given period of time.

[**Triple Exponential Moving Average (TEMA)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/triple-exponential-moving-average-tema)\
A more responsive moving average indicator which significantly reduces the lag present in traditional moving average calculations.

[**Volume By Price**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/volume-by-price)\
A chart overlay with a horizontal histogram showing the amount of activity at various price levels.

[**Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/volume-weighted-average-price-vwap)\
An intraday indicator based on total dollar value of all trades for the current day divided by the total trading volume for the current day.

[**ZigZag**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-overlays/zigzag)\
A chart overlay that shows filtered price movements that are greater than a given percentage.

***

## Technical Indicators <a href="#technical_indicators" id="technical_indicators"></a>

[**Accumulation/Distribution Line**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/accumulation-distribution-line) \
Combines price and volume to show how money may be flowing into or out of a stock.

[**Aroon**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/aroon)\
Uses Aroon Up and Aroon Down to determine whether a stock is trending or not.

[**Aroon Oscillator**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/aroon-oscillator)\
Measures the difference between Aroon Up and Aroon Down.

[**Average Directional Index (ADX)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/average-directional-index-adx)\
Shows whether a stock is trending or oscillating.

[**Average True Range (ATR) and Average True Range Percent (ATRP)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/average-true-range-atr-and-average-true-range-percent-atrp)\
Measures a stock's volatility.

[**Balance of Power (BOP)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/balance-of-power-bop)\
Measures buying and selling pressure to determine which side is in greater control and driving price action.

[**Bollinger BandWidth**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/bollinger-bandwidth)\
Shows the percentage difference between the upper and lower Bollinger Band.

[**%B Indicator**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/b-indicator)\
Shows the relationship between price and standard deviation Bollinger Bands.

[**Chaikin Money Flow (CMF)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/chaikin-money-flow-cmf)\
Combines price and volume to show how money may be flowing into or out of a stock Alternative to Accumulation/Distribution Line.

[**Chaikin Oscillator**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/chaikin-oscillator)\
Combines price and volume to show how money may be flowing into or out of a stock. Based on Accumulation/Distribution Line.

[**Chande Trend Meter (CTM)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/chande-trend-meter-ctm)\
Scores the strength of a stock's trend, based on several technical indicators over six different timeframes.

[**CMB Composite Index**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/cmb-composite-index)\
An unbound momentum oscillator that attempts to improve on some of the shortcomings of traditional RSI.

[**Commodity Channel Index (CCI)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/commodity-channel-index-cci)\
Shows a stock's variation from its “typical” price.

[**ConnorsRSI**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/connorsrsi)\
A momentum oscillator created from the composite of RSI, ROC, and Up/Down Length, designed for shorter-term trades.

[**Coppock Curve**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/coppock-curve)\
An oscillator that uses rate-of-change and a weighted moving average to measure momentum.

[**Correlation Coefficient**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/correlation-coefficient) \
Shows the degree of correlation between two securities over a given timeframe.

[**DecisionPoint Price Momentum Oscillator (PMO)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/decisionpoint-price-momentum-oscillator-pmo) \
An advanced momentum indicator that tracks a stock's rate of change.

[**Detrended Price Oscillator (DPO)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/detrended-price-oscillator-dpo) \
A price oscillator that uses a displaced moving average to identify cycles.

[**Distance From Highs**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/distance-from-highs) \
Shows how far a security is trading from its 3, 6, 9, or 12-month highs, expressed as a percentage.

[**Distance From Lows**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/distance-from-lows) \
Shows how far a security is trading from its 3, 6, 9, or 12-month lows, expressed as a percentage.

[**Distance To Highs**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/distance-to-highs)\
Shows the percentage move necessary for a security to reach a 3, 6, 9, or 12-month high.

[**Distance To Lows**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/distance-to-lows) \
Shows the percentage move necessary for a security to reach a 3, 6, 9, or 12-month low.

[**Distance From Moving Average**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/distance-from-moving-average) \
Shows the percentage difference between price and a moving average of your choice.

[**Ease of Movement (EMV)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/ease-of-movement-emv) \
An indicator that compares volume and price to identify significant moves.

[**Force Index**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/force-index) \
A simple price-and-volume oscillator.

[**Highest High Value**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/highest-high-value) \
Shows a security's highest trading value in the span of a specific period.

[**Lowest Low Value**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/lowest-low-value) \
Shows a security's lowest trading value within a specific period.

[**Mass Index**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/mass-index) \
An indicator that identifies reversals when the price range widens.

[**MACD (Moving Average Convergence/Divergence Oscillator)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/macd-moving-average-convergence-divergence-oscillator) \
A momentum oscillator based on the difference between two EMAs.

[**MACD-Histogram**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/macd-histogram) \
A momentum oscillator that shows the difference between MACD and its signal line.

[**MACD-V**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/macd-v) \
A volatility-normalized MACD that can analyze trends.

[**MACD-V Histogram**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/macd-v-histogram) \
A momentum oscillator that indicates if a trend is positive or negative in absolute terms.

[**Money Flow Index (MFI)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/money-flow-index-mfi) \
A volume-weighted version of RSI that shows shifts is buying and selling pressure.

[**Negative Volume Index (NVI)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/negative-volume-index-nvi) \
A cumulative volume-based indicator used to identify trend reversals.

[**On Balance Volume (OBV)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/on-balance-volume-obv) \
Combines price and volume in a very simple way to show how money may be flowing into or out of a stock.

[**Percentage Price Oscillator (PPO)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/percentage-price-oscillator-ppo) \
A percentage-based version of the MACD indicator.

[**Percentage Volume Oscillator (PVO)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/percentage-volume-oscillator-pvo) \
The PPO indicator applied to volume instead of price.

[**Price Relative / Relative Strength**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/price-relative-relative-strength)\
Technical indicator that compares the performance of two stocks to each other by dividing their price data.

[**Pring's Know Sure Thing (KST)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/prings-know-sure-thing-kst)\
A momentum oscillator from Martin Pring based on the smoothed rate-of-change for four different timeframes.

[**Pring's Special K**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/prings-special-k)\
A momentum indicator from Martin Pring that combines short-term, intermediate and long-term velocity.

[**Rate of Change (ROC) and Momentum**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/rate-of-change-roc) \
Shows the speed at which a stock's price is changing.

[**Relative Strength Index (RSI)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/relative-strength-index-rsi) \
Shows how strongly a stock is moving in its current direction.

[**Relative Volume (RVOL)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/relative-volume-rvol) \
A set of indicators/overlays that compare current volume to the average, in order to identify conditions where unusually high or low volume is powering a price move.

[**RRG Relative Strength**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/rrg-relative-strength) \
Uses RS-Ratio to measure relative performance and RS-Momentum to measure the momentum of relative performance.

[**StockCharts Technical Rank (SCTR)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/stockcharts-technical-rank)\
Our relative ranking system based on a stock's technical strength.

[**Slope**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/slope)\
Measures the rise-over-run for a linear regression.

[**Standard Deviation (Volatility)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/standard-deviation-volatility)\
A statistical measure of a stock's volatility.

[**Stochastic Oscillator (Fast, Slow, and Full)**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/stochastic-oscillator-fast-slow-and-full) \
Shows how a stock's price is doing relative to past movements. Fast, Slow and Full Stochastics are explained.

[**StochRSI**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/stochrsi) \
Combines Stochastics with the RSI indicator to help you see RSI changes more clearly.

[**Traffic Light**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/traffic-light)\
Shows bullish (green), bearish (red), and neutral (yellow) zones on a chart using parameters you set.

[**TRIX**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/trix)\
A triple-smoothed moving average of price movements.

[**True Strength Index**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/true-strength-index) \
An indicator that measures trend direction and identifies overbought/oversold levels.

[**TTM Squeeze**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/ttm-squeeze)\
A volatility indicator used to identify periods of consolidation and determine the likely direction of the resulting move.

[**Ulcer Index**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/ulcer-index)\
An indicator designed to measure market risk or volatility.

[**Ultimate Oscillator**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/ultimate-oscillator)\
Combines long-term, mid-term and short-term moving averages into one number.

[**Vortex Indicator**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/vortex-indicator)\
An indicator designed to identify the start of a new trend and define the current trend.

[**Williams %R**](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/technical-indicators-and-overlays/technical-indicators/williams-r)\
Uses Stochastics to determine overbought and oversold levels.

{% hint style="info" %}
We also have a large collection of Market Indicators documented on [this page](https://chartschool.stockcharts.com/table-of-contents/market-indicators).
{% endhint %}