Custom Formula Collection

In his article "Using The Tick In A Short-Term Indicator", in the January 94 issue of TASC, Daniel E. Downing presents the Tick Line Momentum Oscillator.

Taken from Stocks &
Commodities, V. 12:1 (42-44): Using The Tick In A Short-Term Indicator by Daniel E. Downing

"The tick index, the net difference of the numbers of stocks last traded on an uptick from those last traded on a downtick , is a well-known indicator, but it's got a problem. The raw number result is volatile, perhaps too volatile for some. What to do? here, then, is a way to smooth out the noise to identify short-term trading opportunities.

The tick is a basic unit for the markets, watched with fascination during periods of turmoil and periods of enthusiasm. It is quoted throughout the day on most quote services. In addition, the closing tick value can be found on the market statistics pages of financial newspapers such as Barron's and The Wall Street Journal. Let me present, then, the tick line momentum oscillator, which is based on the closing value for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) tick indicator. The oscillator has been shown to have a good track record of determining when the NYSE is overbought or oversold on a short-term basis. The formula for the tick line momentum oscillator is simple and can be easily calculated without a computer, although a spreadsheet version can be found in the sidebar, "Tick line momentum." Finally, the oscillator is straightforward and simple to apply."

The MetaStock formula for the Tick Line Momentum Oscillator is:

Mov( ROC( Cum( If( C ,>
,Ref( Mov(C ,10 ,E ) ,-1 ) ,+1 ,If( C ,<
,Ref( Mov( C ,10 ,E ) ,-1 ) ,- 1 ,0 ) ) ) ,5 ,$ ) ,5 ,E )

For interpretation refer to Mr. Downing's article.