What are the volume indicators?

Opening a company looks at cash flow; understanding macroeconomics looks at money flow; and the stock market looks at volume. In the financial market, the ups and downs of prices are inseparable from volume. In practical operation, the volume indicator is often used with the k-line average and other price indicators to predict the market but also to analyze the price trend of one of the important indicators.

Which is the Volume Indicator?

Its English name is Volume Indicator, abbreviated as VOL. As an important market indicator, it can be used to analyze the strength and direction of trading activities. Volume also allows us to understand market sentiment, as if the k-line histogram reflects the change in market sentiment.

Volume refers to the total amount of a financial asset (such as stocks, futures, foreign exchange, etc.) traded in the market at a given time.Usually measured in trading units (shares, lots, contracts, etc.), it indicates the sum of all buying and selling transactions in a given time period.

The so-called transaction must be that buyers are optimistic that the market price will rise and sellers are bearish that the market price will fall, the two sides of the left side of the views of the parties to facilitate the transaction. Therefore, it is one of the most important indicators of market activity and trading strength. High volume usually reflects the increased interest and attention of market participants in a particular asset, which may be a signal of acceleration or reversal of the market trend. Low volume, on the other hand, may indicate that the market is relatively cold and investors are cautiously waiting to see what happens.

The simplest form of VOL is a volume chart, which shows how much of an asset has been traded over different time periods. It will be presented as a bar chart, which is colored to take into account the opening and closing prices, with green representing a rise and red a fall. If the stock price rises from $8 to $10 on the same day, it will be shown in green; if the stock price falls from $10 to $8 on the same day, it will be shown in red.

Volume that changes from large to small is called a contraction, and volume that changes from small to large is called an increase. Shrinkage refers to the market compared to the previous volume being significantly reduced; it indicates that the buyers and sellers are extremely light. generally divided into two situations. First, the market is bearish. To maintain this wait-and-see attitude, some people sell and no one buys.Second, the market is very optimistic about the stock market; some people buy without anyone to sell, and buyers and sellers cannot reach the transaction. Volume refers to the market compared to the previous significant increase, which indicates that buyers and sellers are more active. One part of the population sells in large quantities, while the other part of the population buys in large quantities, and the increase in volume is greatly increased in this regard.

Its relationship with price is known as the volume-price relationship, and different volume-price relationships in different markets convey different information. Generally speaking, the price rise needs support; it is the price upward ladder. However, the dealer, in wanting to ship out to clear the position, also went back and forth to sell the stock,  create a false number of transactions, and attract retail investors on the hook.

How to read the volume indicator

It contains different types of indicators, the most common of which are volume bar charts. Its height indicates the size of the volume, and generally speaking, an increase in volume is usually accompanied by a rise in price. Following this trend, a rising price with a rising volume represents an active market. Conversely, a falling price with rising volume may indicate a sluggish market.

By itself, it can't directly tell you whether to buy or sell because every transaction involves both buyers and sellers. However, by combining price action with volume, you can try to interpret market behavior and trends. In the case of rising prices, if the volume also increases, this could indicate strong support for the trend. Conversely, if it decreases when prices are rising, it may be a warning sign that the uptrend may lack support.

When prices make new highs or lows but the corresponding volume does not increase accordingly, there may be a price divergence. This may indicate that market participants' support for the current trend is weakening and a trend reversal may be occurring.

By looking at the volume histogram, you can see its relative size at different points in time. Larger bars indicate more intense trading activity during the corresponding time period. Some specific patterns may provide additional information, such as spikes, zoomed-in trading days, etc. These patterns may be associated with important turning points in the market.

It also contains a number of other indicators, such as the Relative Strength Indicator (RSI), Accumulation/Distribution Line (Accumulation/Distribution Line), Volume Relative Strength (VROC), and Open Bigger Than The Previous Day's Close (OBV). The RSI varies from 0 to 100. Typically, an RSI value above 70 may indicate that the market is overbought and a price decline may occur. An RSI value below 30 may indicate that the market is oversold and a price increase may occur.

Accumulation and dispatch line trends can be used to determine market strength. An upward trend may indicate market accumulation, and a downward trend may indicate market dispensation. Signals that form trend consistency with the price chart may signal a buy or sell.

Positive values of VROC indicate an increase in volume, while negative values indicate a decrease in volume. Changes in relative strength can be used to measure market momentum. For example, a positive VROC may indicate that the market is in an uptrend phase. Positive OBV values indicate accumulation, and negative values indicate dispatches. oBV forms trend-consistent signals with price charts and can be used to confirm the reliability of a trend.

When looking at VOL, the key is to combine it with price charts and other technical indicators. For example, does an upward or downward price trend coincide with an increase or decrease in volume? It is also important to consider the overall context of the market, the trend, and key support and resistance levels.

Volume Indicator Formulas

Relative Strength Indicator (RSI): RSI = 100 - (100/(1+RS)), where RS (Relative Strength) = average volume on an average growth day and average volume on an average down day.

Accumulation/Dispatch Line: Volume for the day plus (Close of the day, Low of the day) minus (High of the day, Close of the day)

Volume Relative Strength (VROC): VROC=((Volume of the day - Volume of n days ago)/Volume of n days ago)*100

Open greater than the previous day's close (OBV):

The change in OBV is determined by comparing the day's close to the previous day's close:

If the day's close is greater than the previous day's close, OBV = the previous day's OBV + the day's volume.

If the day's closing price is less than the previous day's closing price, then OBV = the previous day's OBV minus the day's volume.

If the day's closing price is equal to the previous day's closing price, the OBV remains unchanged.

Disclaimer: This material is for general information purposes only and is not intended as (and should not be considered to be) financial, investment, or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by EBC or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.