In a strong trend, the mid-line can be used as a reference point for placing trailing stops. In range-bound markets, mean reversion strategies can work well, as prices travel between the two bands like a bouncing ball. However, Bollinger Bands® don't always give accurate buy and sell signals. During Bollinger bands strategy a strong trend, for example, the trader runs the risk of placing trades on the wrong side of the move because the indicator can flash overbought or oversold signals too soon. Conversely, when the distance between the bands expands, an increase in market volatility or price action is found.

In this case, the crossing of the middle line of the moving average indicator should occur. In the chart above we can easily identify the m tops, and we can see that the price has gone above the upper band, i.e. %b must be greater than 1 (highlighted in the graph with a green oval). At the same time, Alligator does not show any crossings between its lines (in a blue circle), which indicates an early sign of an overbought asset and a possible trend change. Whereas in a Bollinger Bands squeeze, the market doesn’t swing up and down because the price action gets really tight and the candles are overlapping one another. So it’s impossible to identify support and resistance in a Bollinger Bands squeeze.

Great Bollinger Band® Trading Strategies

Bollinger bands can be used in pretty much any timeframe whether that’s 5 minutes, one hour, daily or weekly. The key is just ensuring that the timeframe includes enough data and information to give you a clear overview of the market price. Start using moving averages with City Index by opening an account or creating a risk-free demo.

To understand what this is about, let's add them to the chart. The first indicator will be with a period of 20 candles and two standard deviations. BandWidth will also be very useful in determining the end points of strong trends. Heavy movements provoke a significant increase in volatility and the bands widen. Because of this, the level of dispersion increases and the Bollinger Bands expand.

Bollinger Band Squeezes

This indicator also helps to discover oversold and overbought markets while trading. This, in turn, allows confirmation of trade entries, for a reversal or a breakout, with increased accuracy. Trading on a 4-hour chart and seeing for instance the 1-hour Bollinger Bands can help establish direction changes much more quickly.

The period of the fast EMA should be set at 21 bars, the slow one at 100 candles, and the signal line - at 9. Stop orders are set at the low price with a two candlestick offset, counting from the bar with an open position. In the chart, I have marked the moment of the breakout of the lower level with a red arrow.

What are the risks of using the Bollinger Bands Bounce trading strategy?

Signs of buying pressure or accumulation increased the chances of an upside breakout. Now that we have a clear understanding of how to calculate and interpret Bollinger bands, let’s review some strategies based on them in the next section. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.

Volatility Channels are a type of indicator that plot volatility-related lines above and below the market. These lines are variously known as channels, envelopes, or bands. They widen as volatility increases, and narrow as volatility decreases. The most well-known volatility channel is the Bollinger Band, though the Keltner Channel Indicator is another effective type as well. As more funds program their algorithmic software to trade Bollinger Bands, the more self-fulfilling they will become, and the more we can trust them as signals for trades.

Bands Help Identify Ranges

The main idea behind Bollinger Bands trading strategy is that by comparing an asset’s position relative to the bands, a trader could determine whether an asset’s price is relatively high or low. The Bollinger Band Squeeze occurs when volatility falls to low levels and the Bollinger Bands narrow. According https://investmentsanalysis.info/ to John Bollinger, periods of low volatility are often followed by periods of high volatility. Therefore, a volatility contraction or narrowing of the bands can foreshadow a significant advance or decline. Once the squeeze play is on, a subsequent band break signals the start of a new move.