Effort-Result Divergence [Interakktive]The Effort-Result Divergence (ERD) measures whether volume effort is producing proportional price result. It quantifies the classic Wyckoff principle: when price moves easily, momentum is real; when price struggles despite heavy volume, absorption is occurring.
Think of ERD as "energy efficiency" for price movement — green means price is gliding, red means price is grinding.
█ WHAT IT DOES
• Measures volume EFFORT relative to average volume
• Measures price RESULT relative to ATR-normalized movement
• Computes ERD = Result minus Effort (each scaled 0-100)
• Flags statistical divergences via Z-score analysis
• Absorption events: high effort, low result (negative ERD)
• Vacuum events: low effort, high result (positive ERD)
█ WHAT IT DOES NOT DO
• NO buy/sell signals
• NO entry/exit recommendations
• NO alerts (v1 is educational only)
• NO performance claims or guarantees
This is a context tool for understanding market participation quality.
█ HOW IT WORKS
The ERD analyzes two dimensions of market activity and compares them.
EFFORT (Volume Intensity)
Compares current volume to a moving average baseline:
Effort Ratio = Volume ÷ SMA(Volume, Length)
Effort Score = clamp(100 × Effort Ratio ÷ Effort Cap)
High effort means above-average volume participation.
Low effort means below-average volume participation.
RESULT (Price Efficiency)
Measures how much price moved relative to expected volatility:
Result Ratio = |Close − Previous Close| ÷ ATR
Result Score = clamp(100 × Result Ratio ÷ Result Cap)
High result means price moved significantly for the volatility regime.
Low result means price barely moved despite market activity.
ERD SCORE
ERD = Result − Effort
• Positive ERD: Result exceeds effort → price moved easily (vacuum/thin liquidity)
• Negative ERD: Effort exceeds result → price struggled (absorption/accumulation)
• Near zero: Balanced effort-to-result relationship
STATISTICAL DIVERGENCE DETECTION
Z-score analysis identifies statistically significant extremes:
Z = (ERD − Mean) ÷ StdDev
• Absorption Event: Z ≤ −threshold (extreme negative ERD)
• Vacuum Event: Z ≥ +threshold (extreme positive ERD)
█ INTERPRETATION
GREEN BARS (Positive ERD)
Price moved with relatively little volume effort. This suggests:
• Thin liquidity / low resistance
• Strong directional interest
• Momentum is "real" — not forced
RED BARS (Negative ERD)
Heavy volume was used but price barely moved. This suggests:
• Absorption / accumulation occurring
• Large players opposing the move
• Inefficiency — someone is working hard for little result
THE KEY INSIGHT
When you see:
• Down moves = high effort (red spikes)
• Up moves = low effort (green bars)
This means: It's easier for price to go up than down.
That is asymmetric strength — classic bullish pressure.
The reverse (red on up moves, green on down moves) signals bearish pressure.
PRACTICAL RULES
Without any other indicators:
• Avoid shorting when ERD is mostly green and red spikes appear only on down candles
• Be cautious buying when ERD turns red on up candles (signals absorption of buying pressure)
• Vacuum events (extreme green) often precede continuation or pause — not violent reversal
• Absorption events (extreme red) often precede reversals or range formation
█ VOLUME DATA NOTE
This indicator uses the volume variable which represents:
• Exchange volume on stocks and futures
• Tick volume on Forex and CFD instruments
Tick volume is a proxy for activity, not actual exchange volume. The indicator remains useful on Forex as relative volume comparisons are still meaningful, but interpretation should account for this limitation.
█ INPUTS
Core Settings
• Volume Average Length: Baseline period for effort calculation (default: 20)
• ATR Length: Volatility normalization period (default: 14)
• Effort Cap: Volume ratio that maps to 100% effort (default: 3.0)
• Result Cap: ATR multiple that maps to 100% result (default: 1.0)
Divergence Detection
• Z-Score Lookback: Statistical analysis window (default: 100)
• Z-Score Threshold: Standard deviations for event flags (default: 2.0)
Visual Settings
• Show ERD Histogram: Toggle main display
• Show Zero Line: Toggle reference line
• Show Divergence Markers: Toggle event circles
• Show Effort/Result Lines: Display component breakdown
█ ORIGINALITY
While Wyckoff's effort-versus-result principle is well-established, existing implementations are typically:
• Purely visual with no quantification
• Pattern-based requiring subjective interpretation
• Not statistically normalized for comparison across instruments
ERD is original because it:
1. Normalizes both effort and result to 0-100 scales for direct comparison
2. Uses ATR for result normalization (adapts to volatility regime)
3. Applies statistical Z-score for objective divergence detection
4. Provides quantified output suitable for systematic analysis
█ DATA WINDOW EXPORTS
When enabled, the following values are exported:
• Effort (0-100)
• Result (0-100)
• ERD Score
• Z-Score
• Absorption Event (1/0)
• Vacuum Event (1/0)
█ SUITABLE MARKETS
Works on: Stocks, Futures, Forex, Crypto
Best on: Instruments with reliable volume data (stocks, futures, crypto)
Timeframes: All timeframes — interpretation adapts accordingly
█ RELATED
• Market Efficiency Ratio — measures price path efficiency
• Wyckoff Volume Spread Analysis — conceptual foundation
█ DISCLAIMER
This indicator is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always conduct your own analysis before making trading decisions.
Institutionalflow
VWAP TrendSignalVWAP TrendSignal
VWAP (Volume-Weighted Average Price) is the market’s true fair value — the benchmark institutions use to see when price is balanced, extended, or trending with real intent.
Price often snaps back when it moves too far (mean reversion), and only shows genuine strength when it holds above or below VWAP.
VWAP TrendSignal makes this insight effortless by color-coding VWAP direction:
Yellow = VWAP rising → bullish pressure
Red = VWAP falling → bearish pressure
No bands. No noise. Just pure directional clarity.
Anchor VWAP to the Session, Week, Month, Quarter, or Year, and tailor the Slope Smoothing Filter to your timeframe:
1–2 smoothing → fast & reactive (1–5m scalping)
3–5 smoothing → clean & stable (5–15m intraday)
6–10 smoothing → slow flips (1H–4H swings)
10–15 smoothing → macro bias only (Daily/Weekly)
The line adapts to how you trade.
How to Use It
Mean Reversion
When price stretches far from VWAP, expect pullbacks or snapbacks.
Trend Direction
Yellow supports long bias, red supports short bias.
Simple, reliable, instantly visible.
Balance Zones
Price sitting near VWAP = compression, buildup, or chop.
A perfect signal to wait or prepare for a breakout.
Why It Works
VWAP TrendSignal distills institutional logic into a clean, single-line tool.
It shows fair value, trend slope, and balance all at once — making your chart clearer and your decisions faster.
Once you get used to reading it, trading without it feels blind.
