Volatility
is something that we can use when looking for good breakout trade
opportunities.
Volatility
measures the overall price fluctuations over a certain time and this
information can be used to detect potential breakouts.
There are
a few indicators that can help you gauge a pair's current volatility. Using
these indicators can help you tremendously when looking for breakout
opportunities.
1. Moving Average
Moving averages are probably the most common indicator used by traders and
although it is a simple tool, it provides invaluable data.
Simply
put, moving averages measures the average movement of the market for an X
amount of time, where X is whatever you want it to be.
For
example if you applied a 20 SMA to a daily chart, it would show you the average
movement for the past 20 days.
There are
other types of moving averages such as exponential and weighted, but for the
purpose of this lesson we won't go too much in detail on them.
For more information on moving averages or if you just need to
refresh yourself on them, check out our lesson on moving averages.
2. Bollinger Bands
Bollinger bands are excellent tools for measuring volatility because that is
exactly what it was designed to do.
Bollinger
bands are basically 2 lines that are plotted 2 standard deviations above and
below a moving average for an X amount of time, where X is whatever you want it
to be.
So if we
set it at 20, we would have a 20 SMA and two other lines. One line would be
plotted +2 standard deviations above it and the other line would be plotted -2
standard deviations below.
When the bands contract, it tells us that volatility is low.
When the
bands widen, it tells us that volatility is high.
For a more thorough explanation, check out our Bollinger bands lesson.
3. Average True Range (ATR)
Last on
the list is the ATR.
The ATR
is an excellent tool for measuring volatility because it tells us the average
trading range of the market for X amount of time, where X is whatever you want
it to be.
So if you
set ATR to 20 on a daily chart, it would show you the average trading range for
the past 20 days.
When ATR
is falling, it is an indication that volatility is decreasing. When ATR is
rising, it is an indication that volatility has been on the rise.
