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Volatility-Based

T h i l Analysis
Technical A l i :
Strategies for Trading the Invisble

Kirk Northington

With Companion Website


http://www.tradingtheinvisible.com

tradingtheinvisible.com
metaswing.com
Kirk Northington

BIO
ƒ The author of Volatility
Volatility-Based
Based Technical Analysis: Strategies for Trading
the Invisible. Wiley Trading Series, John Wiley & Sons Publishers. ISBN:
978-0-470-38754-2.

ƒ The owner of Northington


g Trading,
g, LLC,, and the creator of MetaSwing,
g, a
MetaStock and TradeStation Add-On. He trades his own money, and uses
MetaSwing technical analysis methods exclusively.

ƒ Kirk Northington is a technical analyst. He is an associate member of the


Market Technicians Association, through which he is participating in the
Chartered Market Technician (CMT) Program.

ƒ Kirk has a B.S. degree from Nicholls State University, in Thibodaux,


L i i
Louisiana. H
He hhas extensive
i experience
i iin controll system engineering,
i i
software engineering, and project management. Kirk, his wife Faith, and
his two sons live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

ƒ kirk@metaswing.com
kirk@metaswing com or (910) 789
789-0673
0673

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The Companion Website: tradingtheinvisible.com

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Goal of Volatility-Based Technical Analysis

Goal:

Identify
yap point where,, mathematically
y
speaking, price should not be, at that
point in time;;
p

i.e.,, find the true inefficiencies.

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Mantra of Volatility-Based Technical Analysis

Mantra:

Money
y is made at the Extremes

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Money is made at the Extremes

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Money is made at the Extremes

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How is this possible?

Volatility
y Measurement:

Identifies Extremes

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Can I understand volatility measurement?

Yes
Volatility Measurement with:

Calculus

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VBTA = New Concepts and Capabilitis for TA

This Presentation:

Will pick one concept and capability and


solve for it:

Trend Compensation

We will also view volatility-based support and resistance.

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Money is made at the Extremes

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Why is Volatility Measurement Important?

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Why is Volatility Measurement Important?

Why?

• Equity
q y Options
p Trading
g

• VaR – Value at Risk modeling


• Portfolio Managment
• Risk Management

• Program Trading

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Why is Volatility Measurement Important?

Brain Power page 5

Quatitative mathematics focuses heavily on volatility measurement


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Why is Volatility Measurement Important?

Horse Power

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Why is Volatility
Measurement
Important?

Horse Power

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Why is Volatility Measurement Important?

Brain Power page 5

Quatitative mathematics focuses heavily on volatility measurement


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Why is Volatility Measurement Important?

Horse Power

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Opportunities

Take the Offensive

• Redraw the Playing Field


• Simple Volatility Measurement
• Avoid Systemic Risk
• Hidden Momentum
• True Overbought and Oversold
• Exit on Cue

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Preparing to Use VBTA

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Working with Volatility Measurement

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What is Volatility?

Concept . . . Not a Specific Measurement

• “In truth volatility is more of a concept applied to whatever the


task at hand needs it to be. So conceptually volatility as it
applies to a tradable instrument is just a measurement of an
instrument’s price, in terms of rise or fall, within a given time
frame.”

• Used to project an extreme that might be reached, within a


reasonable probability

• Most commonly expressed with Standard Deviation

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What is Volatility?

Historical and Implied

• “Historical Volatility (also referred to as Statistical Volatility) is


a measure of movement within a given period of time.
Historical volatility is normally measured using forms of
standard deviation and is expressed in terms of percent.”

• “Implied
Implied Volatility: A measure of possible, or ‘expected’
expected
movement of the underlying stock’s price, as projected
forward through time, expressed as a percentage. It is created
by any of many options pricing models. These pricing models
utilize all known options trading factors, in addition to the
actual current trading price of the option’s premium.”

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Option Pricing

Historical Implied

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Volatility Unmasked

Basic Forms of Volatility Measurement

• Standard Deviation
• Average True Range
• Percentage
• Mean (or Average)
• Linear Regression
g
• Standard Error
• R Squared
• Variance

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Volatility Measurement is Simple as 1 - 2 - 3

Standard Deviation (20)

1. Difference between Close and


moving average

2. Square it (Key Step)

3. Add the most recent 20 of these,


and calculate square root
root.

Stdev(C, 20)
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Average True Range

It is the greatest of:

• The distance from today’s


y high
g to today’s
y low.
• The distance from yesterday’s close to today’s high.
• The distance from yesterday’s close to today’s low.

ATR(C, 14)
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Linear Regression

Most Efficient – Least Squares

1. Difference between price and


theoretical
h i l line,
li then
h square it.
i

2. Add up all the squared values

3. Redraw the line so that the sum


of the squared values is lower.
((lather,, rince,, repeat)
p )
LinearReg(C, 20)
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Predictive Qualities

Basic Forms of Volatility Measurement

• Standard Deviation
• Average True Range
• Percentage
• Mean (or Average)
• Linear Regression
• Standard Error
• R Squared
• V i
Variance

Forward Predictive Value = 2 to 5 Periods

• Are Fractal and therfore Chart Periodicity independent

• Dependent on lack of conflicting / overriding fundamental news; as is all TA

• Amplified by Trend

• Design specific components for specific purposes

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Specific Purpose

Basic Forms of Volatility Measurement

• Standard Deviation
• Average True Range
• Percentage
• Mean (or Average)
• Linear Regression
• Standard Error
• R Squared
• V i
Variance

T
Trend
d Compensated
C t d

O S ld / Overbought
OverSold O b ht Detection
D t ti

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Northington RSIV

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Northington RSIV

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Northington RSIV
{ py g
{Copyright Kirk Northington,
g , Northington
g Trading,
g, LLC.
All rights reserved}

{User Inputs}
pds1:= Input("Lookback", 2, 1000, 30);
pds2:= Input("Linear Regression Periods", 2, 1000, 40);
pds3:= Input("ATR Periods", 2, 1000, 7);
Upper:= Input("Upper
(" Threshold",
h h ld" 50
50, 99
99, 70)
70);
Lower:= Input("Lower Threshold", 1, 59, 30);

{Express the prevailing trend}


x1:= (C - LinearReg(C, pds2)); Trend Compensation
{Calculate the RSIV indicator}
x2:= If(x1 > Ref(x1, -1), 1, 0);
x3:= If(x1 > Ref(x1, -1), x1 - Ref(x1, -1), 0);
x4:= If(x1 < Ref(x1, -1), 1, 0);
x5:= If(x1 < Ref(x1, -1), Ref(x1, -1) - x1, 0);
x6:= Sum(x3, pds1) * Sum(x2, pds1);
x7:= (Sum(x5, pds1) * Sum(x4, pds1)) + .00001;
x8:= 100-(100/(1+(x6/x7)));

{Volatility threshold calculation}


x9:= (ATR(pds3) / Mov(C, pds3, E)) * 100;
x10:= x9 - LinRegSlope(x9, pds2);

{Plot the indicator}


Upper + x10;
Upper;
x8;
{Fml("Northington RSIV Fast");}
Lower;
Lower - x10;

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Example

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Required Capabilities

Capabilities of a VBTA
Trading System

• Oversold and Overbought


• Trend Detection
• Broad Market Integration
• S
Support t and
d Resistance
R i t
• Historical Volatility
• Implied Volatility
• Multi-Timeframe Verification

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The Framework
Capabilities Components TTI ATR Extreme TTI Fabric SD TTI Fabric Ratio LR-SD TTI RSIV-1
Application TTI StochEx TTI Fabric LG TTI Trend Strength TTI Composite
1 Oversold / OverBought
Trending x x x x
Non-Trending x x x x x x
TTI Trend Entry x x

2 Trend Detection
Capabilities of a Trending x x
Non-Trending x
VBTA Trading System TTI Trend Entry x x

3 Broad Market Integration


T di
Trending
• Oversold and Overbought Non-Trending
• Trend Detection TTI Trend Entry

• Broad Market Integration 4 Support and Resistance


• Support and Resistance Trending
Non-Trending
• Historical Volatility TTI Trend Entry
• Implied Volatility
5 Historical Volatility
• Multi-Timeframe Verification Trending x x x x x x
Non-Trending x x x x x x x
TTI Trend Entry x x x x

6 Implied Volatility
Trending
Non-Trending
TTI Trend Entry

7 Multi Time Frame Verification


Trending x x x
Non-Trending x x x x x x
TTI Trend Entry x

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Volatility-Based
Trading Bands (N Bands)

N Bands are calculation of


price volatility
volatility.

They represent an extreme


level of support and resistance
on a chart.
h t

When price approaches the N


Bands a reversal,
reversal or at least a
pause is likely.

Higher significance when


volatility
l tilit iis hi
higher.
h

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Volatility-Based
Support and Resistance (S/R) Lines

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Volatility-Based
Support and Resistance (S/R) Lines

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Other Examples

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Other Examples

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Other Examples

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Other Examples

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Other Examples

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Other Examples

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Live Charts

Live Charts of Your Choice

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Volatility-Based Technical Analysis

Kirk Northington

ƒ www.tradingtheinvisible.com

ƒ www.metaswing.com

ƒ kirk@metaswing.com or (910) 789-0673

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Volatility-Based
T h i l Analysis
Technical A l i :
Strategies for Trading the Invisble

Kirk Northington

With Companion Website


http://www.tradingtheinvisible.com

tradingtheinvisible.com
metaswing.com

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