MACD

Moving-average convergence/divergence — momentum + crosses.

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), introduced by Gerald Appel in the 1970s, plots the difference between a fast and a slow EMA, then overlays an EMA of that difference as the signal line. The bar histogram shows the gap between MACD and signal.

The canonical parameters are 12 / 26 / 9: a 12-period fast EMA, a 26-period slow EMA, and a 9-period signal EMA on the difference. Trading reads: MACD crossing above signal = bullish, MACD crossing below signal = bearish, histogram expansion = strengthening trend.

MACD has no upper or lower bound, so it cannot be used for overbought/oversold reads the way RSI can. It is a trend-confirmation tool first, and a divergence tool second.

MACD = EMA(12) − EMA(26)
Signal = EMA(9, MACD)
Histogram = MACD − Signal

Leggi la definizione completa di MACD nel glossario →