How the Force Index Works

The force index is calculated by subtracting yesterday’s close from today’s close and multiplying the result by today’s volume. If closing prices are higher today than yesterday, the force is positive. If closing prices are lower than yesterday’s, the force is negative. The strength of the force is determined either by a larger change in…

What Is the Force Index?

Dr. Alexander Elder is one of the contributors to a newer generation of technical indicators. His force index is an oscillator that measures the force, or power, of bulls behind particular market rallies and of bears behind every decline.1 The three key components of the force index are the direction of price change, the extent of…

The Bottom Line

The average true range is an indicator of the price volatility of an asset. It is best used to determine how much an investment’s price has been moving in the period being evaluated rather than an indication of a trend. Calculating an investment’s ATR is relatively straightforward, only requiring you to use price data for…

Limitations of the ATR

There are two main limitations to using the ATR indicator. The first is that ATR is a subjective measure, meaning that it is open to interpretation. No single ATR value will tell you with any certainty that a trend is about to reverse or not. Instead, ATR readings should always be compared against earlier readings to get…