RSI Basic Lite
RSI Basic Lite
RSI Basic Lite
Session 1 Disc A (31:00) - Market Price Activity and Momentum Sentiment Index
Price
o People’s minds interpret what goes on during the day relative to the previous close.
Am I above or below it?
Is the market price rising or falling?
Is momentum increasing or decreasing?
How much time is left before the closing bell?
o Most technical indicators are based on close because prices are going to move up and down
this line all period long but at the end of the day everybody makes the same decision of
whether to get in, stay in, or get out
when the market sold off it probably stopped out a lot of people who were long
when the market rallied it probably stopped out a lot of people who were short
Basic Trends
o Up trends generally have higher highs and higher lows
o Down trends generally have lower highs and lower lows
o Resistance becomes support and support becomes resistance
Works with price levels and trend lines
Sentiment
o When a market gets overbought or oversold it can stay that way for a while. And just
because you hear the market is overbought and it’s too high doesn’t mean the market can’t
go higher.
o Use Range Rules on RSI
Section 2 The Basics
o Use 14-period RSI on every chart, this will be the most accurate
The 14-period oscillator is set at half a cycle length. (cycle length is 28 days)
Bottoms are usually 28 days apart (think lunar cycle)
For financials (treasury bonds, euros, T-bills, and stocks, and stock indices)you can
also look at 21 because stocks and financials are generally a little slower than
futures contracts and commodity prices
For currencies, gold, silver, crude oil, you can also look at 25-period RSI (because
there’s a 50-day cycle that a lot of traders trade in the currency market)
For hourly charts 14-period is fine but you can also look at 9.
Less than an hour (30, 15, 5 min) you may want to drop it down to 9.
With the 5-minute charts you might be looking at 7-period or 5-period.
o Keep an eye on one time period longer so that you’re not blind-sided
If the weekly is down and the daily is up the market will be very choppy
Daily charts are going to get overextended and go to new lows because of
the longer-term trend.
Daily traders hold positions 1 to 3 weeks.
RSI14 is the most consistent and reliable but:
You can look at 3, 5, 7, 9 for a shorter-term traders
7, 9, and 14 for intermediate
14 and 21 for the longer term.
if you want to you can go to 25 and even 45
all show generally the same move but the amplitude will be different
look for when they all line up together as a no-brainer
o RSI = 100 – (100 / (1 – (average of 14 day’s close up) / (average of 14 day’s close down)))
Y-axis is proportional to the magnitude of the move
Slope is proportional to velocity of the move
o Parameters of RSI
For a 14-period RSI
75% of the time the normal range is 70-30
o Value indicates the probability of a lower move
In uptrends(higher highs/higher lows on price) the range is 80-40
o RSI reaches oversold at the 40-35 level
In downtrends(lower highs/lower lows on price) the range is 60-20
o RSI reaches overbought at the 60-65 level
o Each time we come back up to 60 we see lower highs on price
o Each time we come back down to 20 we see lower lows on price
A transition market may not get above 70 or below 45 but just resting. This
happens when a market that’s been in an uptrend pauses before continuing
up.
A 9-period is going to go higher than 80, it may get to 85.
A 7-period may get all the way up to 90 or 95
Just because it’s above 70 or above 80 and it’s putting in momentum highs does not
mean that’s the end of the market.
First thing to look at = range rules, second thing to look at = simple momentum
(above0/below0)
Look at the 14 first as your guideline and then use your shorter-term time periods to
try and optimize
If RSI pulls back to a higher low and price pulls back to an equal low we can still consider that a
divergence but would much prefer seeing a lower low on price
o If this happens recommend waiting one more period, unless I wanted to be real aggressive.
o If it were the same price then we should be turning, we should see a little turn up because it
says that it wasn’t able to go to a lower price but it’s equal to or less than.
We want to identify divergences only because in the checklist that we’re building we want to know
whether it’s in an uptrend or a downtrend with a quick assessment. Positives and negatives tell you
when to buy or sell, whether the market’s in an uptrend/downtrend, and what price the market is
going to
Complementary indicators: moving averages of RSI, moving averages of close, basic momentum
On a longer-term bullish divergence your momentum is probably going to be below 0, same if the
trend is still down. It’s going to be a little short-term move before it turns down again.
Positive Reversal (chart 2-37)
o Come in uptrends (with 80-40 range rule and bearish divergences)
Should see around the 40 level
o 2-5 period is optimal, but >5 still confirms uptrend
o Day X: Momentum low in RSI
o Day 1: Price and RSI rally
o Day 2: RSI pulls back to lower low compared to day x, Price pulls back to higher low
compared to day X. Also to note price pulled back to 50% of day 1’s move. Momentum is
more oversold but price is higher than before.
Negative Reversal (chart 2-37)
o Come in downtrends (with 60-20 range rule and bullish divergences)
Should see around the 60 level
o 2-5 periods is optimal, but >5 still confirms downtrend
o Day X: Momentum high in RSI
o Day 1: Pull back in price and RSI
o Day 2: Rally in RSI to higher high compared to day X, Rally in price to lower high compared to
day X. Again notice 50% retracement in price from day 1’s move. The RSI got more
overbought going from 99 (day 1 close) up to 102 (day 2 close) than it was on the X day.
Market is burning itself out on the way up.
A market that’s in an uptrend should show bearish divergence and positive reversals.
o Take profits on bearish divergences.
o Buy positive reversals.
Positive reversals confirm bullish divergences
Negative reversals confirm bearish divergences
o If we’re seeing an 80-40 range, and we’re seeing positive reversals, and all of a sudden we
see a bearish divergence followed by a negative reversal (negative reversals come in the
downtrends) it says that last bearish divergence that we saw was probably for real.
o If you see a negative reversal in a market that looks like it’s in an uptrend it’s saying that you
missed something, you better go back.
Positive and negatives are much more important than all the bullish and bearish divergences in the
world but you should see positive reversals to confirm your uptrend, you should see negative
reversals to confirm your downtrend
Chart 2-41
o Day X: Momentum low on RSI, although kind of hidden because wasn’t a new low
o Day 4: 5-period Bearish divergence - Higher close in price compared to day X-1 but lower
high in RSI compared to day X-1.
o Day 5: 5-period Positive reversal – Lower low in RSI compared to day X but higher low in
price compared to day X
o After Day 5: Bearish divergence from X-1 to 4 negated
o Day 11:
Since day 5 was a positive reversal we can draw a price support at the day 5 price
close. Day 11 did not break it.
6-period Positive reversal, 2 positive reversals in a row
Draw a new support line on price at 11 or draw a trendline on price from X to 11. As
long as that market stays above the trendline then trend should be up.
Chart 2-42
o Day 4: 4-period Negative reversal – RSI closed higher compared to day X but price closed
lower compared to day X
o And you can draw a little trendline connecting that close chart at the bottom.
o Day 5: sells all the way down below the 30 level on RSI telling you that the trend is still to
the downside.
take partial profits down here because it may be a momentum low (oversold) even
though we’re still seeing negative reversals
o Day 6:
RSI peaks at resistance line formed by negative reversal from X to 4, creating
another negative reversal between 6 and 4 as well as 6 and X
Price doesn’t move up nearly as much and stops shy of support-resistance line
created at point 2. Note that bottoms are becoming tops.
The first negative reversal you see confirms the bearish divergence, the second negative reversal
you see confirms the first negative reversal, and every negative reversal after that should show you
that this thing is continuing to work lower unless you’re starting to see bottom-top negatives and
then you know it’s really going to get nailed.
Target setting (Chart 2-43):
o Positive reversal:
Day X: Momentum low on RSI
Day 1: Rally in price and RSI
Day 2: Positive Reversal – lower low in RSI compared to day X but higher low in price
compared to day X
Positive Reversal Target = Day 2 Price minus Day X Price plus Most Recent Price Top
prior to X = 118 – 115 + 120 = 123 or higher
o Negative Reversal:
Day X: Momentum high on RSI
Day 1: Pullback in price and RSI
Day 2: Negative Reversal – higher high in RSI compared to day X but lower high in
price compared to day X
Negative Reversal Target = Day 2 Price minus Day X Price minus Most Recent Price
Bottom prior to X = 121 – 123 – (-118) = 116 or lower
In addition to the negative reversal pattern, if shorter-term moving averages were
below longer-term moving averages it would be what would be considered a
confirmed or enhanced negative reversal signal. If the moving averages were
pointing up it would be what I call a naked signal.
Chart 2-44 – Bonds Feb93-Jul93
o Line D resistance: Bearish Divergence
o Point 1: Positive Reversal, creates long-term price support level
o Line D resistance negated
o Line E resistance: Bearish Divergence
o Point 2: Positive Reversal, also at 40 level, creates long-term price support level
o Point 3: Bearish Divergence, creates new trend line
o Line F resistance: Bearish Divergence created at Point 3
o Point 4: Price support from point 2 holds but can draw another price support line here at
108
o Point 5: Line F resistance negated and then used as support, draw another price support
here, move up stops underneath that price support, trend is up until a price support is
broken
Patterns
o Divergence Patterns
Bullish
Bearish
o Reversal Patterns
Positive Reversals
Negative Reversals
o Hidden Signals for Intermediate Trend Change (similar to divergence but depends on where
in the chart it appears, good signal for intermediate trend changes)
Bullish Divergence
Bearish Divergence
o Overbought/Oversold
Up Trends – Intermediate to Long Term Support
A price level resistance at a RSI momentum high becomes a price level
support (overbought becomes oversold, what was a top becomes a bottom)
Intermediate to Long Term Positive Reversals
Could have a signal count of 2-3 weeks or even a couple months
Intermediate to Long Term Top Bottom Positive Reversals
When a top becomes a bottom and also shows a positive reversal, this is the
strongest signal
o Oversold/Overbought
Down Trends – Intermediate to Long Term Resistance
Intermediate to Long Term Negative Reversals
Intermediate to Long Term Bottom Top Negative Reversals
Market moves occur faster in your mind than in reality
o When you see patterns setting up on the chart don’t jump in too quickly
o If you see a PR rally and pull back into another PR on TBS then slow down:
Go through your work, don’t just buy
What is the trend?
PR is saying the trend is up and we should see higher prices
What are possible support and resistance lines?
What are the highs and lows for the last 5 days?
What can we set as a price objective?
Are the moving averages confirming (naked vs. enhanced)?
What are my time cycles?
Where’s my sma3?
Don’t just buy at any price, wait for a pullback so you aren’t frustrated with the
bouncing around before the stock starts to move
Chart 3-3
o Point 1
RSI below 40 with Price just below 100
o Point 2
Market rallied
RSI went from below 40 but hit the 60 level and backed off
Prices also went to new highs
o Point 3
RSI pullback from the 60 level
o Point 4
RSI rallies, breaking through the 60 level, went almost up to 80 level
Range is shifting, indicates uptrend
Price is also rising (higher highs in Price and RSI)
o Point 5
RSI comes back to test the 60 level as support
Then rallies into 5 creating a Bearish Divergence with point 4 (Line B)
Indicates uptrend but needs a detour first
Calculate price cycle retracements (Fibonacci) to see where detour might
pullback to
Draw trendline on RSI
o Point 6
Positive Reversal with point 3
Indicates uptrend
Expect break of bearish divergence RSI trendline from points 4 and 5 to
confirm uptrend
Draw trend lines on RSI and price connecting point 3 and 6 (Line A)
o Line D
RSI breaks RSI Line B created by bearish divergence
Confirms uptrend
Creates price level for future support at point 4 (should become top-bottom
support)
Normally start to see an acceleration in the uptrend when bearish
divergence broken (the market was a little overextended and needed to
correct, after the correction is over the market should continue the trend)
RSI breaks through 60 level indicating uptrend
Line D is created by another bearish divergence
Turns into a positive reversal
o Point 7
Pullback still stayed above Price Line A
Pullback stayed above Price support (top-bottom support) at point 4
Long-term perspective still up
o Point 8
RSI Line D broken confirming uptrend
Creates bearish divergence at 80 level (Line E)
Market is a bit high and should correct
Divergence at the 80 level say it’s overextended on an intermediate- to
longer-term basis, needs to correct but the trend is probably still up
o Point 9
Creates positive reversal with point 7
Can draw price level support at point 7 and 9 but can also draw a trendline
connecting point 7 and 9 on price
o If you just get a momentum peak and don’t establish a divergence the market will usually
give you a sharp quick selloff because it was too weak to even create a bearish divergence
They selloff quickly but the selloff is over quickly as well
Same for bullish divergence
o A bearish divergence tells you:
The trend is up
We should get a correction
It should correct to level based on price cycles before continuing back up
Chart 3-4
o 80-40 range rules
o Point 2
RSI found support at 40
o Point 3
Price at 104.24
o Point 3*
Price sold off to 104.07
o Point 4
Price rallied back to 104.30 to create bearish divergence with point 3
o Point 5
Price sells off to 104.15 creating a positive reversal with point 3*
Set objective at 104.15 – 104.07 + 104.30 = 105.06
Powerful pattern because part of the positive reversal is within the bearish
divergence
RSI finds support at the wma45 (on Chart 3-5) as well as the sma9>wma45
Don’t be afraid to buy positive reversal even when the RSI is up at the 60 level
o Point 6
Breaks bearish divergence created by points 3 and 4, confirming uptrend
Achieves and surpasses PR objective
Price support will be at points 3* and 5 (positive reversal support)
Price support also at 50% retracement of move between points 5 and 6
Price support at momentum peak before that created the divergence (point 3 at
104.24)
104.24 becomes top-bottom support
Expect pullback to somewhere between point 3 (104.24, a previous top should
become a bottom) and point 5 (104.15, a positive reversal should hold)
Could go ahead and put in buy order at 104.20
o Point 7
Retraced more than 50% but held the price support levels created by points 3, 3*,
and 5
Created positive reversal with point 5
Entry:
If you want to be aggressive (definitely getting in but maybe not at the best
price) then buy at close or better (<=104.20)
o This is less aggressive if you’re seeing positive reversals, bearish
divergences, top-bottom supports, and MAs are up
Should have support at 104.15 and 104.07 so could also put your buy order
at one of those levels and stops below them maybe around 104.00
The day after point 7 you expect a good solid reversal but the market will
usually open unchanged and drop in the first part of the day
However the recommended approach is to see what the low was for day at
point 7 and put your low below there
o Can also look at the lows for the last couple days and put an order
there
o Can also use wma45 as support although not applicable in this
example
o Can also use point 1 at 103.06 as long-term support if you want to
risk putting your stop lower
o Point 8
Bearish divergence with 2nd point 7
Went from 104.20 (1st point 7) to 110.25 (point 8) so 50% pullback would be
to 107.23
Take profits
Could be aggressive and play the down move but remember that the trend is up (i.e.
bearish divergence, MAs positive, 80-40 range)
o Point 9
Sells off to 107.28
o Point 10
Rallies to just above the 60 level
MAs had turned over, now pointing down
Probably going to get a deeper correction down
From 101.08 (point 2) to 110.25 (point 8) the 50% retracement would be 105.67
Also look to point 6 (105.28) as support because it’s close to 105.67, it broke
through divergence line A, and was a new high
o Point 12
Holds the 40 level
Got down to 106.30 which was below the 107.23 support set from the 50%
retracement of point 7 to point 8, but above the 105.28 support of point 6, and
above the 105.67 support set from the 50% retracement of point 2 to point 8
RSI MAs negative but everything else has indicated uptrend, remembering that we
had to get the retracements out of the way
Price below points 11 and 9 but above points 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7
RSI makes longer-term positive reversal with point 2
Since we’ve seen bearish divergences, positive reversals (even though outside the
optimal 2-5 period range), holding the 40 level, and completed a 50% retracement
we might want to take a look at the RSI sma3 to see if that’s oversold
Could still go lower but we haven’t seen a negative reversal although the
recent rally did stop at the 60 level and the MAs are negative but the long-
term is still up with an 8-week positive reversal (with point 2) with long-
term support at point 2 (101.08), also have support at points 5 and 7
(104.15 and 104.20) and 104.07 where the positive reversals formed
Potential resistance points to look for;
What would be your first bottom-top resistance?
o Point 11 at 107.28 (was also at point 9 but broke through it on the
way to point 12
If you played this down from point 8 and made a lot of money you may be thinking
the trend has changed and is going down but all the rules/checklist still say up
The long-term positive reversal between point 12 and 7 sets a price objective of
106.30-104.20+110.25 (point 8) = 112.35
Your risk down is to 104.20 (2.10 down vs. 6.05 up) but still in 80-40 range,
haven’t seen any negative reversals. MAs down though but we still consider
the trend to be up.
Can also set objective from positive reversal on points 12 and 2 (106.30-
101.08+110.25=114.75)
Entry
Could get in on close or better tomorrow
Could wait for tomorrow to close to confirm positive reversal
Could wait for it to take out possible resistance at 107.28
o Point 13
Creates bearish divergence with point 8
Draw trendline C with point 8
When trendline line is broken the uptrend will accelerate
Broke above the 60 level (couldn’t do at point 10)
RSI MAs turn positive
Higher highs relative to point 10
Probably still in uptrend
o Point 14
Retraces to 108.29 (50% retracement from points 12 to 13 was 108.71)
o Point 15
Doesn’t break bearish divergence line C
o Point 16
Bearish divergence with point 15
Doesn’t break bearish divergence line C
o Point 17
Sells off to 40 level
Wanted to see bullish divergence
Only time you want to see it is if the 40 level holds and you have seen
positive reversals followed by bullish divergences
A bullish divergence after a positive reversal is a good indication of solid
support
o Point 18
Not a bullish divergence but started up again anyway
o Point 19
Doesn’t break bearish divergence line C
o Point 20
Broke line C (long-term bearish divergence from point 8 and 13)
Confirms uptrend
Should see an acceleration to the upside
RSI MAs cross going up
o Point 21
Uses bearish divergence line C as support
o Point 22
Uses bearish divergence line C as support
Almost positive reversal with point 21
Follows an almost bullish divergence at points 17 and 18
Points 2 and 12 are still long-term support
o When looking at longer-term positive and negative reversals as well as longer-term bullish
and bearish divergences we prefer to see them less than 13 days back because we’re using a
14-period RSI
o Most positive reversal you see when the market is making a bottom will have the RSI at 40-
45 level
o If we set a positive reversal objective and see it achieved and surpassed then the market is
exceptionally strong
o Whenever you see a positive reversal you want to buy at that day’s close or lower because
that day’s close should be a support level
Look at previous support levels to potentially get a better price
If it doesn’t get down there then that means support is holding
Look at the high of the day the positive reversal was created (point 7) and
the highs of the previous couple days. You can put in an order above that
but be careful because your stop is still the close on the day of the positive
reversal.
Chart 3-4
o How do you know point 7 (104.20) is a positive reversal before the next day?
Go through the checklist but we won’t know for sure until it turns up the next day
and you can set an objective
We’ve seen bearish divergences (points 3 and 4)
We’ve seen positive reversals (points 3* and 5)
Market is holding support
o Point 2 held the 40 on RSI
o 104.15 (point 5) should be support
o 104.07 (point 3*) should be support
o 103.06 (point 1) should be support
o 101.08 (point 2) should be long-term support because it held the
80-40 range should still be intact
Points 3, 4, 5, and 6 above 60 so probably in 80-40 range
Moving averages on RSI positive
Moving averages on close positive
Couldn’t say no to any item on the uptrend checklist
o A trend is up until proven otherwise (bullish divergence, negative
reversal, bottom-top resistance holding)
Lower close on RSI, higher close on price relative to point 5
Price cycle retracements show support levels for the retracement from point 6
From close at point 5 (104.15) to close at point 6 (105.28)
Or, from the day’s low at point 5 to the day’s high at point 6
As each support is broken it becomes resistance
Point 6 was a new price high
Point 6 negated bearish divergence line A
Seeing higher highs and higher lows in price
o At point 6 you see:
New momentum high (price may selloff but could also keep going higher)
Divergence break
RSI moving averages positive (price could go higher, could pull back)
There are usually 5 to 10 good trading opportunities a year
o You don’t have to trade every market every day
o You don’t have to take every single signal
o When everything says up then you want to be long but look for a good entry
Add on positive reversals
Take profits on bearish divergences but leave at least 1 contract but pull your stops
up based on new support levels
Add to existing position on next positive reversal
If your position closes in profit then you have a good price entry. If your position closes in loss then
you might be on the wrong side.
If you’re trading off the daily, look at one time frame bigger (weekly) and one time frame smaller
(hourly)
o If they’re all oversold at the same level then the move should be more significant to the
upside. If the daily was down to the 40 level but the weekly had been up to 80 and was only
down to 60 then you say well there’s going to be a little bounce but we’re still within the
uptrend. But if the weekly, the daily are both down around 40 then you’re oversold on an
intermediate basis and a long-term basis.
If you’re trading off the hourly, look at one time frame bigger (daily) and one time frame smaller (15
minute)
Chart 3-6
o Point 1
3-period bearish divergence with 93.44 and 93.69
Follows previous bearish divergence but this one shows up lower
Draw line A
Just above 60 level
o Point 2
Falls to 92.38
o Point 3
Rallied to 93.64, failed to make new highs
RSI MAs starting to turn down (starting to show more intermediate-type weakness,
could be potentially good divergence)
o Point 4
Sell off again but rally back to 93.07
RSI finds resistance at declining sma9
o Point 5
Another sell off then a rally back to 92.69
RSI finds resistance at declining sma9
o Point 6
Sells off to 90.68
o Point 7
RSI crossed above the wma45
More than 5 period Negative reversal formed with Point 4 (92.84 vs. 93.07)
suggesting lower prices, confirms the bearish divergence at point 1 is real
Before the next day you don’t know if this is a negative but you know it
could be
o You see the resistance above it at points 1 (93.69, 93.44), 3 (93.64),
and 4 (93.07)
o First get out of your longs
o If you want to get short you can put an order below the low of
today and let it trigger the next day if it sells off
o Or put in an order close or better (>92.84) with a stop at 93.07 (if it
goes above 93.07/point 4 then it’s not a negative reversal)
o Or to help pick a point find out what the price cycle retracements
would be from the point 1 to point 6 run, anticipating that one of
those retracement resistances should hold because the moving
averages had turned down
o Where is the sma3
o Time cycles: how long since a low or high
o There’s no hurry if you want to be conservative. You can let it sell
off a little bit OR you can let it rally back and selloff again to where
OR you can give it a couple days OR you can give it a week. Just
recognize that since you have seen a negative reversal the trend
may have changed.
Price objective: Points 6-(4-7) = 90.68-(93.07-92.84) = 90.45
RSI sma9 still below wma45
RSI below the 60 level at this peak
o Point 8
RSI sma9 couldn’t get above wma45
Sells off, rallies (92.03), sells off, rallies (point 8 at 91.41)
o Point 9
Sells off to 90.56
Might be creating a double bottom in the RSI and the price with Point 6 because RSI
at about the same value and price at about the same value
Double bottoms create support, this might hold but let the charts show me
o Point 10
Double bottom held but Point 10 creates 2-period negative reversal with Point 8
Even though it’s only a .08 difference, it’s still a 2 to 5 period negative
reversal
Price objective: points 9-(8-10) = 90.56-(91.41-91.33) = 90.48
o Compare to price objective of 90.45 set at point 7
o Now there are two negatives pointing to the same target and both
are below the double bottom
o Price objectives should be achieved and surpassed to confirm trend
Entry:
o Try and sell to open at 91.41 (point 8) since that should be
resistance because it was the first part of the negative reversal
o Or put a sell to open order in below 90.56 which would mean the
double bottom was broken
o Can also put a stop order above 92.03 since that was your last rally
point before the negative reversal
Moving averages down
RSI still below 50 level (first negative we saw at point 7 was at 66 level)
Given all this double bottom should not hold and the support at point 6 and 9
should definitely be broken
o Point 11
Takes out support levels at 90.68 (point 6) and 90.56 (point 9), they should now
become resistance levels
Takes out the price objective of 90.45, confirms downtrend
Makes a new price and momentum low
Take partial profits (when the market is oversold it will rally) and do price cycle
retracements to see how far it could rally back
o Point 12
Meeting resistance from the double bottom (point 6’s 90.68 and point 9’s 90.56)
Moving averages still down
RSI topping out at 50 level
12-period negative reversal with point 10
Price objective: points 11-(10-12)=88.47-(91.33-90.38)=87.52
This is a lower objective than the previous negative reversal set
Bottom-top negative (from double bottom)
o Point 13
Creates intermediate-type bullish divergence with point 11 (further proof of
downtrend), Line E
Surpassed price target of 87.52 (confirming downtrend)
o Point 14
Rallies into another negative reversal along line F
When you start seeing one negative reversal right after the other it’s just
more and more confirmation (points 4&7, 8&10, 10&12 are negatives,
support at points 6&9 becomes resistance at point 12, points 11&13 is
bullish divergence, point 14 negative reversal, moving averages down from
point 3
Example of negative reversal happening at a 35 level
o Point 16
Bullish divergence with point 15
Evidence of down trend
o Point 17
Have been making lower prices and higher RSI values but staying below the 50 level
With moving averages turning up you could say we might have a short-term bottom
Every time you see a bearish divergence be alert to the fact that it could be the final divergence but
you have to see a negative to confirm it
o If a negative happens quickly after a bearish divergence then anticipate a rather big move
because of the fact that it’s showing a lot of weakness very quickly
o If a negative takes longer to show up then your market may be sideways for a while
Chart 3-8
o Point 2
>5-period Bullish divergence with point 1
o Point 3
Rallies but finds resistance at 60 level
o Point 4
Pullback but finds support at 40 level
Forms another >5-period bullish divergence with point 2
Draw line A
o Point 5
Broke through 60 level but just barely
o Point 7
Positive reversal with point 6
Means we should get a rally to new highs
o Point 8
Rally to new highs
o Point 10
Creates positive reversal with point 9
Draw Line C
Bearish divergence created just before and just after point 10 (Line D)
o Point 12
Creates bearish divergence with point 11
Approaching 80 level
o Point 14
Bearish divergence created with point 13
o Point 16
Bearish divergence created with point 15
o When you get bearish divergences up around the 80 level it should just be a short-term
momentum peak, but if you’re getting multiple divergences it says it should sell off so:
Figure out your 50% retracements from the previous positive reversal (points 9&10)
Figure out your 50% retracement from the low at point 4 to the high at point 16
o Point 17
Support line A held
Chart 3-9
o Point 2
<5-period bullish divergence with point 1
o Points 3&4
Bearish divergence with peaks on left (not with each other)
o Point 5
Found support 40 level
Rally up from point 5 took out previous peak of 5352 (point 4)
Next resistance should be point 3 (5385)
o Point 6
New highs in price and RSI
Takes out resistance from points 3&4 but not the peaks to the left (5562&5475)
o Point 7
Starting to see evidence of tops becoming bottoms
Since this is weekly chart your daily should start showing some sort of top-
bottom support or range analysis or moving averages turning up
Creates long-term price support that’s held for rest of chart
o Point 9
Bearish divergence with point 8
After point 9 it sells off into a 3-period positive reversal (58.25 vs. 58.38)
With bearish divergence and positive reversal the trend should be up
o Point 10
Bearish divergence with point 9
Bearish divergence with point 8
o Point 11
Creates longer-term positive reversal with all valleys back to point 7
Still hasn’t broken price support from positive reversal after point 9
Connecting with point 7 on price chart gives long-term support that’s held at point
19, gives an idea of what the intermediate- to longer-term trend should be
5-2 Checklist
o 5-point checklist for uptrends and downtrends
Allows you to analyze a trend, identify a trend change, monitor a trend, price target,
and manage a trade
If you can answer yes to all 5 then do your homework because something is getting
ready to start
Uptrends
80-40 RSI Range
Top-Bottom Supports
Bearish Divergences
Positive Reversals
Higher Highs and Higher Lows
Downtrends
60-20 RSI Range
Bottom-Top Resistances
Bullish Divergences
Negative Reversals
Lower Highs and Lower Lows
o Bull/Uptrend Range Analysis: 80-40
If in an uptrend and RSI is between 75-80 look for:
Momentum Highs (short-, intermediate-, and long-term)
o Prices are probably still working higher
Divergence (intermediate- and long-term)
o Probably just a short-term overextension, the more important trend
changes and divergences tend to show up between 70-75 where
maybe your X point is at 75 and the divergence point is at 70
Complex Divergences
If in an uptrend and RSI is between 70-75 look for:
Divergence
o You may see momentum highs where the RSI runs up to 74 and
then runs up to 72 creating a divergence and sells off and then
comes back up to 75 but it still stays above the 70 level. They’re just
short-term momentum pushes in price to where the momentum is
still continuing to make higher highs with price
Momentum Highs
Swing Failures in RSI Momentum
o RSI rallies above 70, sells off, rallies but fails to make a divergence
(lower high in price close)
o Indicates a lot of weakness coming in
RSI Moving Average Crossovers
o When the sma9 gets over 70 you’re approaching intermediate- to
long-term overbought conditions and it’s usually an indication that
the intermediate trend is very, very overextended
If in an uptrend and RSI is between 60-70 look for:
Divergence (Simple 2- to 5-period)
o you may see an X point, or a momentum high up around 68 and
then a divergent point for a simple 2- to 5-period signal be around
65
Positive Reversals
o sometimes take place and develop at the 60 level which means the
market is extremely strong because any pullback whatsoever is
being well supported
Top-Bottom Positive Reversals
o maybe we had a divergence that showed up where the momentum
high was above 70 and then created a divergence but when it sold
off into this area of 60 to 70 it found price support on what had
been previous tops
RSI Moving Average Crossovers
o Look for the 9 to cross the 45 down prior to or just as a divergence
is created
If in an uptrend and RSI is between 50-60 look for:
Divergence
o Indicates possible trend change, could be followed by a negative
reversal also near the 60 level 8-10 days later
Top-Bottom Support
Top-Bottom Positive Reversals
Positive Reversal Support (intermediate)
o In a strong uptrending market sometimes the RSI will only come
back to the 50 instead of the 40 (means longer-term uptrend with a
lot of momentum behind it)
If in an uptrend and RSI is between 35-45 look for:
Overbought Oversold
o A price that was overbought is now oversold
Positive Reversals
Top-Bottom Positive Reversals
Positive Reversal Support (intermediate- to long-term)
7 out of 10 times the 40 level will hold but could drop to 35 before an
overbought oversold or positive reversal occurs
o Bear/Downtrend Range Analysis: 60-20
If in an downtrend and RSI is between 20-25 look for:
Momentum Lows (short-, intermediate-, and long-term)
Divergence (intermediate- and long-term)
o May also see short-term where it rallies from the 22 up to the 40,
back to the 25 and up to the 40, then down to the 30 level where
each bottom is a little bit higher than the bottom before while
building a base in price (rising-type bottom formation, each new low
in price is making a higher low in RSI, it’s a longer-term divergence)
o Rising-type bottom formation also occur in intermediate- and long-
term
Complex Divergences
o Develops down around the 20 level where you get momentum lows
maybe a 3- to 5-period signal, a rally, another divergence, another
divergence and then a quick sharp rally and then a pullback into
another divergence, or you will get divergences where you might
get a 2- to 5-period signal and then a quick rally into a negative and
then back down and another divergent point and another rally into
a negative or you get a complex pattern like we had talked about
where you get both bullish divergence and negative reversals but
this is all taking place below the 30 level
If in an downtrend and RSI is between 30-35 look for:
Divergence
o Good range to start seeing long-term divergences
o Look for moving averages to flatten out or start turning up. If
crossed then you’re more likely to get a 2- to 5-period divergence.
Momentum Lows
Swing Failures in RSI Momentum
o where you see the momentum low with a price low, a rally for a day
or two, and then the next day the market sells off sharply below the
close where your X point was but it doesn’t close down there, every
time the price gets below the X point it rallies back above it so you
never really get a divergence on close
RSI Moving Average Crossovers
o The 9 may start turning up around the 30 while the 45 is at 35.
Could be developing a divergence or maybe just a momentum low
that turns into a hidden signal.
If in an downtrend and RSI is between 30-40 look for:
Divergence (simple 2- to 5-period)
Positive Reversals
Bottom-Top Negative Reversals
RSI Moving Average Crossovers
o Preceding what should be a positive reversal but could also then
pull back to the 45 as support before it turns higher
If in an downtrend and RSI is between 40-50 look for:
Divergence
Bottom-Top Resistance
o At previous X point or previous Bottom-Top Resistance
o Watch if previous momentum lows in price are still capping any rally
because then it means your trend is still down
Bottom-Top Negative Reversals
o Indicates market is extremely negative
Negative Reversal Resistance (intermediate)
If in an downtrend and RSI is between 55-65 look for:
Oversold Overbought
o RSI gets near 55 but price is below where it was when RSI was
making momentum lows below 30
Negative Reversals
Bottom-Top Negative Reversals
Negative Reversal Resistance (intermediate- to long-term)
5-3: 10-point checklist
o Up Trends (will usually see 1-7 below in order)
Top-Bottom Support
What was resistance becomes support
Bearish Divergence
Starts with a momentum high
Positive Reversal
Higher Tops / Higher Bottoms
80 / 40 Range of RSI
Pullbacks usually find support at the 40 level
Top-Bottom Positive Reversals
Spike Lows (RSI)
Whenever there’s a selloff in an uptrend it’s usually sharp and quick
Close Moving Average Positive
Used for trend analysis and confirmation when we see positive reversals
and bearish divergences
RSI Moving Average Positive
Used for trend analysis and confirmation when we see positive reversals
and bearish divergences
Overbought / Oversold
Longer-term evidence of uptrend, indicates major move
Example: it finds support at the 35-40 level at price levels that were
previously overbought
o Down Trends (will usually see 1-7 below in order)
Bottom-Top Resistance
What was support is becoming resistance
Bullish Divergence
Negative Reversal
Lower Tops / Lower Bottoms
60 / 20 Range of RSI
Bottom-Top Negative Reversals
Spike Highs (RSI)
Close Moving Averages Negative
RSI Moving Averages Negative
Oversold / Overbought
The market may rally up to or just shy of a price that had been a momentum
low down at maybe the 30 or the 25 level but now it’s showing up at the 60
level and it’s also showing up as an intermediate-type negative and may
even rally up into a declining 45-period moving average
o Knowing the order that these come in will help to identify managed trades where you stay
positioned in the direction of that trend. For the uptrend start off by buying one or two
contracts, if you see a bearish divergence take a profit on one, let it pull back into a positive,
figure out where your price cycles are and when it pulls back into that positive add the
position back on that you took off initially but maybe buy another one and then when it
goes up sell out of those two, let it pull back, but all the while leave one on so that if you
miss a trading opportunity where it doesn’t pull back the next day like you think it will and it
takes off you at least have that one on in the direction of the major trend.
Chart 5-4 (the ABCs of RSI)
o C creates bullish divergence with A
o G creates positive reversal with E
o K creates positive reversal with I
o T creates negative reversal with R
o X creates negative reversal with V
5-5 – Charts Andrew used
o Price (open, high, low, close)
o Volume
o Open interest
o RSI14
o Sma9 of RSI14
o Wma45 of RSI14
o Sma9 of close
o Wma45 of close
o RSI3 (only on short-term periods)
o Sma3 of RSI3
o Momentum20