█ Overview The Absolute Strength Index (ASI) is a next-generation oscillator designed to measure the strength and direction of price movements by leveraging percentile-based normalization of historical returns. Developed by Zeiierman, this indicator offers a highly visual and intuitive approach to identifying market conditions, trend strength, and divergence opportunities.
By dynamically scaling price returns into a bounded oscillator (-10 to +10), the ASI helps traders spot overbought/oversold conditions, trend reversals, and momentum changes with enhanced precision. It also incorporates advanced features like divergence detection and adaptive signal smoothing for versatile trading applications.
█ How It Works The ASI's core calculation methodology revolves around analyzing historical price returns, classifying them into top and bottom percentiles, and normalizing the current price movement within this framework. Here's a breakdown of its key components:
⚪ Returns Lookback The ASI evaluates historical price returns over a user-defined period (Returns Lookback) to measure recent price behavior. This lookback window determines the sensitivity of the oscillator:
Shorter Lookback: Higher responsiveness to recent price movements, suitable for scalping or high-volatility assets.
Longer Lookback: Smoother oscillator behavior is ideal for identifying larger trends and avoiding false signals.
⚪ Percentile-Based Thresholds The ASI categorizes returns into two groups:
Top Percentile (Winners): The upper X% of returns, representing the strongest upward price moves.
Bottom Percentile (Losers): The lower X% of returns, capturing the sharpest downward movements.
This percentile-based normalization ensures the ASI adapts to market conditions, filtering noise and emphasizing significant price changes.
⚪ Oscillator Normalization The ASI normalizes current returns relative to the top and bottom thresholds: Values range from -10 to +10, where:
+10 represents extreme bullish strength (above the top percentile threshold).
-10 indicates extreme bearish weakness (below the bottom percentile threshold).
⚪ Signal Line Smoothing A signal line is optionally applied to the ASI using a variety of moving averages: Options: SMA, EMA, WMA, RMA, or HMA.
Effect: Smooths the ASI to filter out noise, with shorter lengths offering higher responsiveness and longer lengths providing stability.
⚪ Divergence Detection One of ASI's standout features is its ability to detect and highlight bullish and bearish divergences:
Bullish Divergence: The ASI forms higher lows while the price forms lower lows, signaling potential upward reversals.
Bearish Divergence: The ASI forms lower highs while the price forms higher highs, indicating potential downward reversals.
█ Key Differences from RSI
Dynamic Adaptability: ASI adjusts to market conditions through percentile-based scaling, while RSI uses static thresholds.
█ How to Use ASI
⚪ Trend Identification
Bullish Strength: ASI above zero suggests upward momentum, suitable for trend-following trades.
Bearish Weakness: ASI below zero signals downward momentum, ideal for short trades or exits from long positions.
⚪ Overbought/Oversold Levels
Overbought Zone: ASI in the +8 to +10 range indicates potential exhaustion of bullish momentum.
Oversold Zone: ASI in the -8 to -10 range points to potential reversal opportunities.
⚪ Divergence Signals Look for bullish or bearish divergence labels to anticipate trend reversals before they occur.
⚪ Signal Line Crossovers A crossover between the ASI and its signal line (e.g., EMA or SMA) can indicate a shift in momentum:
Bullish Crossover: ASI crosses above the signal line, signaling potential upside.
Bearish Crossover: ASI crosses below the signal line, suggesting downside momentum.
█ Settings Explained
⚪ Absolute Strength Index
Returns Lookback: Sets the sensitivity of the oscillator. Shorter periods detect short-term changes, while longer periods focus on broader trends.
Top/Bottom Percentiles: Adjust thresholds for defining winners and losers. Narrower percentiles increase sensitivity to outliers.
Signal Line Type: Choose from SMA, EMA, WMA, RMA, or HMA for smoothing.
Signal Line Length: Fine-tune the responsiveness of the signal line.
⚪ Divergence
Divergence Lookback: Adjusts the period for detecting divergence. Use longer lookbacks to reduce noise.
----------------- Disclaimer
The information contained in my Scripts/Indicators/Ideas/Algos/Systems does not constitute financial advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any securities of any type. I will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from the use of or reliance on such information.
All investments involve risk, and the past performance of a security, industry, sector, market, financial product, trading strategy, backtest, or individual's trading does not guarantee future results or returns. Investors are fully responsible for any investment decisions they make. Such decisions should be based solely on an evaluation of their financial circumstances, investment objectives, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs.
My Scripts/Indicators/Ideas/Algos/Systems are only for educational purposes!