====== Forex - Indicators - Stochastic ====== Stochastic is designating a process having an infinite progression of jointly distributed random variables. The Stochastic Oscillator Technical Indicator compares where a security’s price closed relative to its price range over a given time period. The Stochastic Oscillator is displayed as two lines. - The main line is called "%K." - The second line, called "%D," is a moving average of %K. The %K line is usually displayed as a solid line and the %D line is usually displayed as a dotted line. There are several ways to interpret a Stochastic Oscillator. Three popular methods include: * Buy when the Oscillator (either %K or %D) falls below a specific level (e.g., 20) and then rises above that level. * Sell when the Oscillator rises above a specific level (e.g., 80) and then falls below that level. * Buy when the %K line rises above the %D line and sell when the %K line falls below the %D line. * Look for divergences. For example, where prices are making a series of new highs and the Stochastic Oscillator is failing to surpass its previous highs. ---- ===== How to use ===== This is confirmation indicator and acts as a filter, or confirmation for some other signal, and filter to filter false signals. **NOTE:** The main signals (from some other indicators) may not come in simultaneously with the Stochastic. * For this reason, it is important to check different possible signals from the Stochastic indicator to use it for trading, such as * Fast Stochastic: 34/5/5 * Medium Stochastic: 55/8/8 * Slow Stochastic: 100/8/8 * and potentially use rules such as this for a buy: * Slow Stochastic (main line) on bar #1 is below 20. * Fast Stochastic on bar #1 is below 50. * Medium Stochastic on bar #2 is below 20. * Medium Stochastic on bar #1 is above 20. * Medium Stochastic main line on bar #1 is above Medium Stochastic signal line on same bar #1. * Medium Stochastic main line on bar 2 < Medium Stochastic main line bar #1. * and the opposite for a sell. Thus, the most usual rules/signals (most usually used) for this indicator are the following: * main line of indicator is above or below some level indicating overbought/oversold. or * main and signal lines are started to move to our direction. or * main line of indicator is above or below 50. The main line is above some level (50%, 70% or 80%): * as a confirmation for sell trade - for trend following system * as a confirmation for buy trade - for breakout systems (breaking support/resistance levels) The main line is below some level (50%, 30% or 20%): * as a confirmation for buy trade - for trend following system * as a confirmation for sell trade - for breakout systems (breaking support/resistance levels) ---- ====== References ====== https://www.metatrader5.com/en/terminal/help/indicators/oscillators/so https://www.mql5.com/en/docs/standardlibrary/expertclasses/csignal/signal_stochastic