Relative Strength Index/RSI Made Simple
The RSI (Relative Strength Index) is like a tool that helps people who buy and sell stocks and other things to figure out how strong the price of something is. It works by looking at the prices of that thing over a certain period of time, like 14 days, and then putting those prices on a scale from 0 to 100.
🔸When the RSI is high, like over 70, it means the price has gone up a lot and might be too high. When the RSI is low, like under 30, it means the price has gone down a lot and might be too low.
But just looking at the RSI by itself is not enough.
While many traders do use the RSI to buy at the 30 level and sell above the 70 level, this is not the only way to use the indicator. (As shown below)
🔸The RSI should be used in conjunction with other technical indicators and fundamental analysis to make informed trading decisions. In fact, relying solely on these levels can lead to missed opportunities and suboptimal trading decisions.
🔸It's also worth noting that the RSI can be used to identify bullish and bearish trends. When the RSI is above 50, it is considered bullish, indicating that the market is trending upwards. When the RSI is below 50, it is considered bearish, indicating that the market is trending downwards.
🔸While the 70 and 30 levels are popular levels to buy and sell, traders can also use other points based on how price reacts at those levels. For example, if the RSI reaches 80, it may indicate an especially strong upward trend, while a drop to 20 may indicate an especially strong downward trend. Traders should use their own judgment and analysis to determine which levels are most appropriate for their trading strategy. You can also find that as the name suggest (Relative Strength) traders should look for levels in price action where there is a strong reaction and then check to see at what level on the RSI this occurred because it might happen again once we got to that RSI value. (As seen below )
So as you can see in the image above you do not need to wait for price to go to levels 80 or 20 in order to look for reactions you can look at how price has reacted at previous levels before and monitor those levels in the future.
Finally lets talk about divergence.
🔸RSI divergence is a trading strategy that involves looking for differences between the movement of the price of an asset and the movement of the RSI indicator.
When there is RSI divergence, it means that the price of an asset is moving in a different direction than the RSI indicator, which can signal a potential change in trend.
There are two types of RSI divergence: bullish and bearish. Bullish divergence occurs when the price of an asset is making lower lows, but the RSI indicator is making higher lows. This can suggest that the price of the asset is oversold and may be due for a rebound.
Conversely, bearish divergence occurs when the price of an asset is making higher highs, but the RSI indicator is making lower highs. This can suggest that the price of the asset is overbought and may be due for a correction.
Traders can use RSI divergence to help them make trading decisions. For example, if they see bullish divergence, they may consider buying the asset, while if they see bearish divergence, they may consider selling the asset. However, traders should always use RSI divergence in conjunction with other technical indicators and fundamental analysis to make informed trading decisions.
Example is shown below:
🔸Settings of the RSI:
Traders can customize the settings of the RSI to suit their trading style and preferences. They can adjust the number of periods used in the calculation, which can range from as low as 2 to as high as 200 or more, depending on the timeframe being analyzed.
In addition to the default settings, traders can also adjust the overbought and oversold levels of the RSI. By default, the RSI is considered overbought when it is above 70 and oversold when it is below 30. Traders can adjust these levels to suit their trading style and the specific asset being analyzed.
Traders can also add other indicators on top of the RSI to help them analyze the market. For example, they may add a moving average to the RSI to help them identify trend direction and potential areas of support and resistance.
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Also keep in mind that the RSI can be used as a reversal tool and also a trend trading tool. For example, when the RSI reaches extreme levels of overbought or oversold, it can signal a potential reversal in the price trend. When the RSI reaches these levels, traders can look for other confirming indicators or price action to help them decide whether to enter a trade in the opposite direction.
On the other hand, as a trend trading tool, traders can use the RSI to identify the strength of a trend and to help them decide when to enter or exit a trade. When the RSI is above 50, it can indicate a bullish trend, and when it is below 50, it can indicate a bearish trend. Traders can use the RSI to help them identify potential areas of support and resistance within the trend and to enter trades in the direction of the trend.
It's important to note that traders should not rely solely on the RSI to make trading decisions. The RSI should be used in conjunction with other technical indicators, such as moving averages, and fundamental analysis to get a complete picture of the market. By using the RSI as both a reversal tool and a trend trading tool, traders can better identify potential trading opportunities and make more informed trading decisions.
🔸When the RSI is high, like over 70, it means the price has gone up a lot and might be too high. When the RSI is low, like under 30, it means the price has gone down a lot and might be too low.
But just looking at the RSI by itself is not enough.
While many traders do use the RSI to buy at the 30 level and sell above the 70 level, this is not the only way to use the indicator. (As shown below)
🔸The RSI should be used in conjunction with other technical indicators and fundamental analysis to make informed trading decisions. In fact, relying solely on these levels can lead to missed opportunities and suboptimal trading decisions.
🔸It's also worth noting that the RSI can be used to identify bullish and bearish trends. When the RSI is above 50, it is considered bullish, indicating that the market is trending upwards. When the RSI is below 50, it is considered bearish, indicating that the market is trending downwards.
🔸While the 70 and 30 levels are popular levels to buy and sell, traders can also use other points based on how price reacts at those levels. For example, if the RSI reaches 80, it may indicate an especially strong upward trend, while a drop to 20 may indicate an especially strong downward trend. Traders should use their own judgment and analysis to determine which levels are most appropriate for their trading strategy. You can also find that as the name suggest (Relative Strength) traders should look for levels in price action where there is a strong reaction and then check to see at what level on the RSI this occurred because it might happen again once we got to that RSI value. (As seen below )
So as you can see in the image above you do not need to wait for price to go to levels 80 or 20 in order to look for reactions you can look at how price has reacted at previous levels before and monitor those levels in the future.
Finally lets talk about divergence.
🔸RSI divergence is a trading strategy that involves looking for differences between the movement of the price of an asset and the movement of the RSI indicator.
When there is RSI divergence, it means that the price of an asset is moving in a different direction than the RSI indicator, which can signal a potential change in trend.
There are two types of RSI divergence: bullish and bearish. Bullish divergence occurs when the price of an asset is making lower lows, but the RSI indicator is making higher lows. This can suggest that the price of the asset is oversold and may be due for a rebound.
Conversely, bearish divergence occurs when the price of an asset is making higher highs, but the RSI indicator is making lower highs. This can suggest that the price of the asset is overbought and may be due for a correction.
Traders can use RSI divergence to help them make trading decisions. For example, if they see bullish divergence, they may consider buying the asset, while if they see bearish divergence, they may consider selling the asset. However, traders should always use RSI divergence in conjunction with other technical indicators and fundamental analysis to make informed trading decisions.
Example is shown below:
🔸Settings of the RSI:
Traders can customize the settings of the RSI to suit their trading style and preferences. They can adjust the number of periods used in the calculation, which can range from as low as 2 to as high as 200 or more, depending on the timeframe being analyzed.
In addition to the default settings, traders can also adjust the overbought and oversold levels of the RSI. By default, the RSI is considered overbought when it is above 70 and oversold when it is below 30. Traders can adjust these levels to suit their trading style and the specific asset being analyzed.
Traders can also add other indicators on top of the RSI to help them analyze the market. For example, they may add a moving average to the RSI to help them identify trend direction and potential areas of support and resistance.
______________________________________________
Also keep in mind that the RSI can be used as a reversal tool and also a trend trading tool. For example, when the RSI reaches extreme levels of overbought or oversold, it can signal a potential reversal in the price trend. When the RSI reaches these levels, traders can look for other confirming indicators or price action to help them decide whether to enter a trade in the opposite direction.
On the other hand, as a trend trading tool, traders can use the RSI to identify the strength of a trend and to help them decide when to enter or exit a trade. When the RSI is above 50, it can indicate a bullish trend, and when it is below 50, it can indicate a bearish trend. Traders can use the RSI to help them identify potential areas of support and resistance within the trend and to enter trades in the direction of the trend.
It's important to note that traders should not rely solely on the RSI to make trading decisions. The RSI should be used in conjunction with other technical indicators, such as moving averages, and fundamental analysis to get a complete picture of the market. By using the RSI as both a reversal tool and a trend trading tool, traders can better identify potential trading opportunities and make more informed trading decisions.
C Nicholas Downie
