What is RSI Indicator? Relative Strength Index Explained

Adjusting to this level takes some rethinking on the part of the traditionally schooled chartists. Wilder considers overbought conditions ripe for a reversal, but overbought can also be a sign of strength. Bearish divergences still produce some good sell signals, but chartists must be careful in strong trends when bearish divergences are actually normal.

The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. This means that if the downtrend is unable to reach 30 or below and then rallies above 70, that downtrend is said to weaken. Investment values start to drop when demand for overbought assets begins to decline. Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts.

Positive and negative RSI reversals

The Relative Strength Index is a powerful trading tool with many uses. It has remained relevant for more than 30 years despite market changes and the development of more sophisticated trading technology and tools. You can use it to predict market behavior and asset values, but RSI should just be one indicator in a comprehensive trading strategy.

• However, that momentum can often indicate that the stock is overbought.
• This is called a “bullish” divergence and indicates that the buying force is getting stronger despite the price downtrend.
• Technical Analysis The technical analysis definition is a trading tool and method of analysing…
• Welles Wilder, Jr. and presented in his book “New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems” in June 1978.

This also means that RSI values become more accurate as the calculation period extends. SharpCharts uses at least 250 data points prior to the starting date of any chart when calculating its RSI values. To exactly replicate our RSI numbers, a formula will need at least 250 data points.

Positive/bullish RSI divergence

Therefore, traders should consider using the RSI indicator along with other indicators in order to avoid false signals. The RSI is also an oscillating indicator that makes it easier for traders to spot overbought or oversold market conditions. It evaluates the asset price on a scale of 0 to 100, considering the 14 periods. While an RSI score of 30 or less suggests that the asset is probably close to its bottom , a measurement above 70 indicates that the asset price is probably near its high for that period.

In an uptrend, there are more gains, keeping the RSI at higher levels. In a downtrend, on the other hand, the RSI tends to stay at lower levels. True reversal signals are rare and can be difficult to separate from false alarms. A false positive, for example, would be 3d printing penny stocks a bullish crossover followed by a sudden decline in a stock. A false negative would be a situation where there is a bearish crossover, yet the stock suddenly accelerated upward. However, they measure different factors, so they sometimes give contradictory indications.

When the indicator rises above 30 again, RSI will return from the oversold zone, which could serve as a buy signal. When calculating RSI, average upward price movements are correlated with average downward price movements. When averaging positive and negative price movements, exponential smoothing is used. The value of RSI oscillates from 0 to 100, with a value over 70 indicating the oversold condition and below 30 indicating the oversold condition.

What Is RSI and How Do You Apply It to Crypto Trading?

Overbought and oversold signals are often considered more reliable when combined with divergences. As mentioned, the RSI is a momentum indicator, which is a type of technical trading tool that measures the rate at which the price is changing. When momentum increases and the price is rising, it indicates that the stock is being actively bought in the market. If momentum increases to the downside, it is a sign that the selling pressure is increasing. On the other hand, when RSI levels get over the value of 70, a sell signal is sent, alarming the investor about a possible attenuation at the price and the need to start trading.

If the indicator value exceeds the upper oscillation range but returns to the range, it can serve as a sell signal. For example, the statistically averaged RSI fluctuation range was between 30 and 50. After that, the RSI fell below 30 — it entered the oversold zone.

Bollinger Bands is a volatility indicator whose bands squeeze when there is low volatility but diverge when there is high volatility. Periods of consolidation are usually followed by massive breakouts, which makes any Bollinger Bands squeeze a vital time to watch the markets. A breakout signal will be delivered when there is an RSI overbought or oversold failure swing. For instance, a bearish signal happens when the RSI line rises above 70 and then falls below 70 again. You could open a sell position when the prices touch the lower Bollinger band.

Such a formation is viewed as a bullish sign and, thus, a buy signal for traders. In other words, despite stronger momentum as seen by the higher high or lower low in the RSI, price could not make a higher high or lower low. Cardwell noted that positive reversals only happen in uptrends while negative reversals only occur in downtrends, and therefore their existence confirms the trend. Wilder believed that tops and bottoms are indicated when RSI goes above 70 or drops below 30. Traditionally, RSI readings greater than the 70 level are considered to be in overbought territory, and RSI readings lower than the 30 level are considered to be in oversold territory. In between the 30 and 70 level is considered neutral, with the 50 level a sign of no trend.

Chart 8 shows Texas Instruments with a bearish failure swing in May-June 2008. Relative Strength Index is an indicator of price momentum, and its values range from 0 to 100. The number helps gauge whether the price of a stock is on the rise or on the decline.

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Setting and Adjusting RSI Indicator

This quality can be observed by using trendlines on the RSI chart and trading its break. When the RSI is rising, an upward trendline is drawn by connecting two or more lows and projecting the line into the future. Similarly, when the RSI is falling, a downward trendline is drawn by connecting two or more highs and how to interpret macd projecting the line into the future. A break of an RSI trendline precedes an actual price reversal or continuation in the market. The RSI may stay in the overbought or oversold territory during strong moves. It can also create chart patterns not visible on the price chart, like trend lines or double tops/bottoms.

As such, there’s an expectation that the market will see a correction in the price in the near term. In essence, the MACD works by smoothing out the security’s recent price movements and comparing that medium-term trend line to a short-term trend line showing its more recent GCI Broker Forex Broker Review price changes. Traders can then base their buy and sell decisions on whether the short-term trend line rises above or below the medium-term trend line. Readings below 30 generally indicate that the stock is oversold, while readings above 70 indicate that it is overbought.

The main signal the RSI oscillator generates allows defining overbought and oversold price ranges. Although it is frequently used as a filter in systems where the main indicator is a trend one, it might be possible to try trading using RSI signals only. Instrument configuration window will open before the indicator is set in the chart. The main parameter is the period; It defines the number of price values taken into consideration at plotting the main indicator’s line. The shorter the period, the steeper indicator’s chart movements will be.

Both Bullish and Bearish Divergence most often lead to a short price correction and not to a real trend reversal. Moreover, the two zones are separated from a straight line that has a value of 50. When the trend of the market is in an uptrend the RSI indicator is above 50, otherwise, it stays below 50. RSI values help investors to facilitate the process of defining the entry and exit trading points. It’s necessary to underline that it is crucial to examine the behavior of the RSI during a trend.