Free Education

Home Education Center Forex Education Free Education Center Understanding the Best Technical Indicators for Day Trading

Understanding the Best Technical Indicators for Day Trading

by Didimax Team

As a trader, you must know the best technical indicators for day trading. Day traders have to act fast, so monitoring multiple indicators is time-consuming, counterproductive and actually tends to worsen performance. Use only a few of it, then maximize. Consider these tips to find the best day trading indicators for you.

It is simply a manipulation of price data or volume data, therefore many day traders do not use indicators at all. They are not required for profitable trading. Practice trading in the best forex broker based on price action and there is little need for them.

For example, the price tends to be higher but is losing momentum. For someone unfamiliar with reading price action (analyzing how the price moves), this may be difficult to see, but an indicator can make it clearer. Unfortunately, an indicator come with a number of problems of their own, signaling a reverse too soon or too late.

 

Many Trading Indicators are Redundant

Many of the best technical indicators are almost identical, with slight variations. One can be based on percentage movements while the other can be based on dollar movements (PPO and MACD). Also, an indicator can be part of the same "family".

Examples include MACD, stochastics, and RSI. Although they may appear slightly different, usually just using one is sufficient. Having all three on your chart will not increase your trading chances, as all of them will provide you with almost the same information most of the time.

Even MA and MACD can provide the same information. If you use the MACD indicator (12.26) and also add 12 and 26-period MAs to your price chart, the MACD and MA indicator will tell you the same. In fact, all MACDs show how far the 12-period moving average is above or below the 26-period MA.

When the MACD crosses above or below the zero lines, it means the 12 period MA crossed above or below the 26 period. If you add these best technical indicators to your chart they will always confirm each other, because they use the same input.

If you choose to use an indicator, only select one from each of the following four groups (if needed, remember indicator is not required to make profitable trades). Even selecting just one from each group can lead to redundancies and chaos, without providing additional insight.

There is little need for more than one breadth, oscillator or volume indicator. However, you can use multiple overlays, which help indicate changing trends, trading levels, and areas of potential support or resistance.

Incorporating Daily Trading Indicators

Consider choosing one or two best technical indicators to aid entry (entry) and exit (exit), respectively. For example, the RSI can be used to help isolate trends and entry points. In an uptrend, the RSI should extend above 70 on the rally and stay above 30 on the pullback.

This simple guide can help confirm trends, highlight trading opportunities, and see when the market might change trend direction.

MA, ATR Stops (Chandelier Exits) or Moving Average Envelopes can be applied to charts (overlays) to help out. For example, one of these can be used as a trailing stock loss in trend trading. If the trend is up, look for an exit if the price falls below the line (which will be below the price when the price is rising).

This is just one example of how they can be combined. Which indicator to choose depends on how a trader is trading, and on what time-frame. Calibrate each indicator (via indicator settings) to a specific asset, time frame and trading strategy. You can learn this by joining Didimax forex broker.

Indicator settings may require occasional adjustments as market conditions change over time. Standard settings on indicators may not be ideal, so change them to the best technical indicators to ensure they provide the best signals for the trades taken.