The Bottom Line

The parabolic SAR is used to gauge a stock’s direction and for placing stop-loss orders. The indicator tends to produce good results in a trending environment, but it produces many false signals and losing trades when the price starts moving sideways. To help filter out some of the poor trade signals, only trade in the direction of the dominant trend. Some other…

Indicators to Complement to the Parabolic SAR

In trading, it is better to have several indicators confirm a certain signal than to rely solely on one specific indicator. Complement the SAR trading signals by using other indicators such as a stochastic, moving average, or the ADX. For example, SAR sell signals are much more convincing when the price is trading below a long-term moving average….

The Indicator

The parabolic SAR is a technical indicator used to determine the price direction of an asset, as well as draw attention to when the price direction is changing. Sometimes known as the “stop and reversal system,” the parabolic SAR was developed by J. Welles Wilder Jr., creator of the relative strength index (RSI).1 On a chart, the indicator appears as a series of dots…