- Type of Indicator: Momentum
- Creator: Larry Williams
- When Created: 1970s
- First Mentioned In: How I Made One Million Dollars Trading Commodities Last Year by Larry Williams.
What Is The Ultimate Oscillator?
The Ultimate Oscillator (UO) is a momentum-based technical analysis indicator created by Larry Williams.
It is designed to capture momentum across three different timeframes and is used to identify potential overbought and oversold conditions.
The oscillator is calculated by combining short-, medium-, and long-term weighted averages of a security’s closing price.
The Ultimate Oscillator oscillates between 0 and 100. Readings above 70 indicating overbought conditions and readings below 30 indicating oversold conditions.
The indicator can also be smoothed with a moving average to create a signal line.
How Do You Read The UO?
The Ultimate Oscillator provides traders with information about potential overbought and oversold conditions.
Readings above 70 indicate that the security may be overbought and due for a potential price reversal. Readings below 30 indicate that the security may be oversold and due for a potential price reversal.
Traders also look for divergences between the Ultimate Oscillator and the asset’s price to identify potential trading signals.
A bullish divergence occurs when the price makes a lower low, but the UO makes a higher low. A bearish divergence occurs when the price makes a higher high, but the UO makes a lower high.
How Does The UO Work?
The Ultimate Oscillator works by combining short-, medium-, and long-term weighted averages of a cryptocurrency’s closing price to capture momentum across three different timeframes.
This calculation is designed to filter out short-term price fluctuations and highlight the underlying trend.
How Is The Ultimate Oscillator Calculated?
BP = Current Close – Minimum Low
TR = Maximum High – Minimum Low
Average7 = (7-period BP sum) / (7-period TR sum)
Average14 = (14-period BP sum) / (14-period TR sum)
Average28 = (28-period BP sum) / (28-period TR sum)
Ultimate Oscillator = 100 * [(4 * Average7) + (2 * Average14) + Average28] / (4 + 2 + 1)
Signal Line = n-period Simple Moving Average of Ultimate Oscillator
How Do You Use The Ultimate Oscillator?
Overbought/Oversold Conditions: Readings above 70 indicate that the security may be overbought and due for a potential price reversal. Readings below 30 indicate that the security may be oversold and due for a potential price reversal.
Bullish/Bearish Divergences: A bullish divergence occurs when the price makes a lower low, but the oscillator makes a higher low, suggesting a potential price reversal. A bearish divergence occurs when the price makes a higher high, but the oscillator makes a lower high, suggesting a potential price reversal.
Additional Trading & Risk Management Tips
Use the Ultimate Oscillator in conjunction with other technical indicators and chart patterns to improve the accuracy of your trading signals.
Be cautious when relying solely on the UO. It can generate false signals in certain market conditions, such as during strong price reversals or volatile, choppy markets.
Adjust the lookback period for calculating the Ultimate Oscillator and the signal line to suit your specific trading style and the market you are analyzing. Shorter lookback periods will make the indicator more sensitive to price changes. Longer lookback periods will make it less sensitive.
Practice proper risk management techniques to protect your investments, and always consider other factors in addition to the Ultimate Oscillator when making trading decisions.
Consider using the oscillator in combination with other momentum or trend-following indicators such as moving averages or the Relative Strength Index (RSI) to confirm potential trading signals and to confirm the strength and direction of the trend.
Be aware that the tool may perform differently in different market conditions. It’s essential to stay flexible and adapt your trading strategy as needed.
Keep in mind that the Ultimate Oscillator is a lagging indicator. This means it reflects past price movements and may not accurately predict future price movements. Therefore, use it in conjunction with other technical analysis tools to make more informed trading decisions.
Consider using the tool in conjunction with support and resistance levels or trendlines to confirm potential entry and exit points or to identify areas of confluence.
Test the Ultimate Oscillator on historical data to evaluate its effectiveness for your specific trading style and market conditions before incorporating it into your live trading strategy. Practice using the Stochastic using a TradingView account to backtest performance.