Technical Analysis Guide

Oscillators - Commodity Channel Index (CCI)

Commodity Channel Index (CCI) measures the price deviation of a particular instrument from its average traded price.

A very high index value (more than +100) indicates that the price is in the overbought area, and a very low value (lower than -100) indicates that the price is in the oversold territory.

Commodity Channel Index (CCI) calculations:

  • 1) Find a typical price: add high, low and close of each bar and divide it by 3:
    TP = (HIGH + LOW + CLOSE) / 3
  • 2) Calculate the simple moving average of the typical prices over n-periods:
    SMA (TP, N) = SUM (TP, N) / N
  • 3) Subtract SMA(TP, N) from the typical prices ( TP) of each preceding n periods:
    D = TP - SMA (TP, N)
  • 4) Calculate simple moving average of the absolute D values over n periods:
    SMA (D, N) = SUM (D, N) / N
  • 5) Multiply SMA (D, N) by 0,015:
    M = SMA (D, N) * 0,015
  • 6) Divide M by D:
    CCI = M / D


Where:

  • HIGH - bar high;
  • LOW - bar low;
  • CLOSE - close price;
  • SMA - simple moving average;
  • SUM - total amount;
  • N - the number of periods used for the calculation.

Commodity Channel Index (CCI) signals:

  • Bullish divergence / bearish convergence is the main signal. In distinction from other oscillators, Commodity Channel Index (CCI) is the most sensitive one, hence divergence / convergence is not always a signal of the weakness of the trend, but always quite accurately defines the beginning of the correction;
  • Under flat conditions exit from the overbought / oversold territory is a sell (buy) signal.

In order to add the Commodity Channel Index (CCI) indicator in MetaTrader 4, use the "Insert ->Indicators -> Trend -> Commodity Channel Index" menu sequence.

Examples of CCI's bullish divergence / bearish convergence

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