General Usage The M-Oscillator analyses the price change rather than the price level. It draws the difference between prices at two time intervals. It is a leading indicator of price direction. It can identify when the current trend is no longer maintaining its same level of strength or is losing momentum. The importance of the momentum is when its value reaches to extreme levels either up or down.
Interpretation M-Oscillator reading for default period of 14.
M-Oscillator is plotted along the bottom of the price chart; it fluctuates between positive and negative 14.
Movement above 10 is considered overbought, and movement below -10 is oversold.
In sharp moves to the upside, the M-Oscillator fluctuates between 5 and 14, while in down side it fluctuates between -5 and -14.
In an uptrend, the M-Oscillator fluctuates between zero and 14 and vice versa.
The advantage
The momentum line leads the price action (it leads the advance or decline in prices).
The crossing of the zero line is considered as a trading signal.
The disadvantage
The need for an upper and lower boundary.
If recent price gains are the same as older price gains, the momentum line will be fl at even though the market is still going up.
If recent price gains are less than those of before, even if prices are still rising, the rate of change will have slowed further, and the momentum line will actually drop.
Using price differences in the erratic movements often caused by sharp changes in the value.
The "Uber" M-Oscillator The Uber version of M-Oscillator provides the following improvements:
Period is not fixed to 14 anymore, can be determined freely
Overbought and oversold conditions are automatically adjusted to the chosen period
Ability to draw oscillator crosses on the signal line
For both oscillator and signal line smoothing 16 moving averages are available
Available Moving Averages 16 different moving averages are available for oscillator and signal line:
ALMA (Arnaud Legoux Moving Average)
DEMA (Double Exponential Moving Average)
EMA (Exponential Moving Average)
FRAMA (Fractal Adaptive Moving Average)
HMA (Hull Moving Average)
JURIK (Jurik Moving Average)
KAMA (Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average)
Kijun (Kijun-sen / Tenkan-sen of Ichimoku)
LSMA (Least Square Moving Average)
RMA (Running Moving Average)
SMA (Simple Moving Average)
SuperSmoothed (Super Smoothed Moving Average)
TEMA (Triple Exponential Moving Average)
VWMA (Volume Weighted Moving Average)
WMA (Weighted Moving Average)
ZLEMA (Zero Lag Moving Average)
Alerts
Traders can easily use the trend change signals to trigger alerts from:
Cross Up
Cross Down
Those values are > zero if a condition is triggered. Alert condition example: "Cross Up" - "GreaterThan" - "0"
Trading tactics
Overbought/Oversold: We define the overbought area as anywhere above the 10 level. The oversold area is below -10. When the M-Oscillator goes above 10 (overbought) and then re-crosses it to the downside, a sell signal is triggered. When the M-Oscillator surpasses -10 to the downside and then re-crosses back above this level, a buy signal is triggered. This tactic is only successful during sideways markets; during an uptrend, the oscillator will remain in its overbought territory for long period of times. During a downtrend, it will remain in oversold for a long time.
Overbought/Oversold rule:
Buy when the M-Oscillator violates the (-10) level to the downside and crosses back to the upside
Sell when the M-Oscillator crosses above the (+10) level and crosses back to the downside
Divergence: Divergence is one of the most striking features of the M-Oscillator. It is a very important aspect of technical analysis that enhances trading tactics enormously; it shows hidden weakness or strength in the market, which is not apparent in the price action. A positive divergence occurs when the price is declining and makes a lower low, while M-Oscillator witnesses a higher low. A negative divergence occurs when the price is rising and makes a higher High, while the M-Oscillator makes a lower high, which indicates hidden weakness in the market. Divergences are very important as they give us early hints of trend reversal.
Divergence rule:
Buy when the M-Oscillator witnesses a positive divergence with prices followed by a rise above (-10)
Sell when the M-Oscillator witnesses a negative divergence with prices followed by a decline below (+10)
Support and Resistance During an uptrend, the M-Oscillator moves between (0) and (+10). During a downtrend, most of the time the M-Oscillator will move between (0) and (-10). Sometimes the (0) level acts as support (in the case of uptrends) and resistance (during downtrends). We can buy during an uptrend when the M-Oscillator reaches its midrange (0) and begins to move to the upside from there. During downtrends, an upward move to (0) might be a selling opportunity. It is also used as exit signal (when the M-Oscillator acts as a resistance) as well as indication of a re-entry level (when the M-Oscillator acts as a support)
Exit signal: When the M-Oscillator crosses above the (-10), giving a buy signal, but it doesn’t retrace further than the zero line, the M-Oscillator drops towards the lower boundary. This is considered as weakness and an exit signal when the M-Oscillator drops from the zero line toward the (-10). (To avoid whipsaws, filters can be used.)
Re-entry: When the M-Oscillator breaks the (+10), giving a sell signal, but it doesn’t retrace further than the zero line, the M-Oscillator rebounds toward the upper boundary. This is considered as strength and a re-entry point when the M-Oscillator rebounds from zero line to upside. (To avoid whipsaws, filters can be used.)
Using M-Oscillator as a Trend Identifier on LongTerm Scale During downtrends, the M-Oscillator does not reach overbought zone. A move toward the overbought area is a sign of strength when it occurs for the first time in a while. On the other hand, during uptrend, the M-Oscillator does not reach oversold areas easily. Going into oversold and staying there after a long time is a signal that the uptrend is reversing. (As Constance Brown explained in her book Technical Analysis for the Trading Professional, chapter 1, “oscillators do not travel between 0 and 100”.)
Crossover on Extreme Levels Sell signals are triggered when the M-Oscillator crosses its signal line above (13), which indicates an extreme market condition, and buy signals are triggered when the M-Oscillator crosses its signal line below (- 13).