Market Pressure Differential (MPD) [SharpStrat]Market Pressure Differential (MPD)
Concept & Purpose
The Market Pressure Differential (MPD) is a proprietary indicator designed to measure the internal balance of buying and selling pressure directly on the price chart.
Unlike standard momentum or trend indicators, MPD analyzes the structural behavior of each candle—its body, wicks, and overall range—to determine whether the market is dominated by expansion (buying aggression) or contraction (selling absorption).
This indicator provides a visual overlay of market pressure that adapts dynamically to volatility, helping traders see real-time shifts in participation intensity without using oscillators.
In simple terms:
When MPD expands upward → buyer pressure dominates.
When MPD contracts downward → seller pressure dominates.
Calculation Overview
MPD uses a structural candle formula to compute directional pressure:
Body Ratio = (Close − Open) / (High − Low)
Wick Differential = (Lower Wick − Upper Wick) / (High − Low)
Raw Pressure = (Body Ratio × Body Weight) + (Wick Differential × Wick Weight)
Then it applies:
EMA smoothing (to stabilize short-term noise)
Standard deviation normalization (to maintain consistent scaling)
ATR projection (to adapt the signal visually to volatility)
This produces the MPD projection line and the pressure ribbon, drawn directly on the main chart.
Customizable Inputs
Users can adjust color schemes, EMA smoothing length, ATR parameters, normalization length, and body/wick weighting to adapt the indicator’s sensitivity and aesthetic to different markets or chart themes.
How to Use
The Market Pressure Differential (MPD) visualizes the real-time balance between buying and selling pressure. It should be used as a contextual bias tool, not a standalone signal generator.
The white line represents the MPD projection, showing how market pressure evolves in real time based on candle structure and volatility.
The red line represents the ATR envelope, which defines the market’s expected volatility range.
MPD reacts quickly to candle structure, so trend bias is based on how its projection behaves relative to the ATR envelope:
Above the ATR band → positive pressure and bullish bias.
Below the ATR band → negative pressure and bearish bias.
Hovering near the ATR band → neutral or indecisive conditions.
The MPD percentage in the label represents the normalized strength of pressure relative to recent volatility.
Positive % = buying dominance.
Negative % = selling dominance.
Higher absolute values = stronger momentum compared to volatility.
To trade with MPD:
Watch candle colors and the projection line — green or positive % shows buyer control, red or negative % shows seller control.
Note transitions above or below the ATR level for early signs of momentum shifts.
Combine MPD signals with price structure, key levels, or volume for confirmation.
This helps reveal which side controls the market and whether that pressure is strong enough to overcome typical volatility.
Disclaimer
It introduces a novel structural–pressure approach to visualizing market dynamics.
For educational and analytical purposes only; this does not constitute financial advice.
Sharpstrat
Momentum Shift Oscillator (MSO) [SharpStrat]Momentum Shift Oscillator (MSO)
The Momentum Shift Oscillator (MSO) is a custom-built oscillator that combines the best parts of RSI, ROC, and MACD into one clean, powerful indicator. Its goal is to identify when momentum shifts are happening in the market, filtering out noise that a single momentum tool might miss.
Why MSO?
Most traders rely on just one momentum indicator like RSI, MACD, or ROC. Each has strengths, but also weaknesses:
RSI → great for overbought/oversold, but often lags in strong trends.
ROC (Rate of Change) → captures price velocity, but can be too noisy.
MACD Histogram → shows trend strength shifts, but reacts slowly at times.
By blending all three (with adjustable weights), MSO gives a balanced view of momentum. It captures trend strength, velocity, and exhaustion in one oscillator.
How MSO Works
Inputs:
RSI, ROC, and MACD Histogram are calculated with user-defined lengths.
Each is normalized (so they share the same scale of -100 to +100).
You can set weights for RSI, ROC, and MACD to emphasize different components.
The components are blended into a single oscillator value.
Smoothing (SMA, EMA, or WMA) is applied.
MSO plots as a smooth line, color-coded by slope (green rising, red falling).
Overbought and oversold levels are plotted (default: +60 / -60).
A zero line helps identify bullish vs bearish momentum shifts.
How to trade with MSO
Zero line crossovers → crossing above zero suggests bullish momentum; crossing below zero suggests bearish momentum.
Overbought and oversold zones → values above +60 may indicate exhaustion in bullish moves; values below -60 may signal exhaustion in bearish moves.
Slope of the line → a rising line shows strengthening momentum, while a falling line signals fading momentum.
Divergences → if price makes new highs or lows but MSO does not, it can point to a possible reversal.
Why MSO is Unique
Combines trend + momentum + velocity into one view.
Filters noise better than standalone RSI/MACD.
Adapts to both trend-following and mean-reversion styles.
Can be used across any timeframe for confirmation.
