MACD-V (Volatility Normalized MACD)Award-Winning Momentum Indicator by Alex Spiroglou (CMT Charles Dao Award & NAAIM Founders Award, 2022)
The classic MACD has powered trading decisions for decades, but it suffers from five major limitations that undermine consistency:
1- Readings are not comparable over time (absolute price dependency causes massive scale differences across decades)
2- Not comparable across markets or assets (e.g., stocks vs. forex vs. crypto)
3- No universal overbought/oversold levels
4- Excessive whipsaws in low-momentum/range-bound conditions
5- Lagging signals in high-momentum reversals (e.g., missing big chunks of V-shaped recoveries)
MACD-V solves all five issues by normalizing momentum against volatility instead of price.
Core Formula
MACD-V = (EMA(12) - EMA(26)) / ATR(26) × 100
This expresses momentum in units of Average True Range (ATR), creating a volatility-adjusted oscillator that remains mathematically meaningful and comparable:
-Analysts can use MACD-V across any timeframe:
-Across any asset class (stocks, forex, commodities, bonds, crypto)
-Over decades of history
Key Features & Benefits
Time-stable & cross-market comparable: A +100 reading today has the same meaning as +100 in the past years, regardless of asset or price level.
Universal extremes: ±150 captures ~95% of all readings across markets → extreme/stretched momentum.
Momentum Lifecycle Roadmap (objective framework):
+150 or < -150: Extreme / overstretched (high reversal risk)
+50 to +150 or -50 to -150: Strong directional momentum (rallying, retracing, rebounding, reversing)
-50 to +50: Neutral / low momentum / ranging (avoid most signals — high whipsaw zone)
Range Rules for regime context: In bullish regimes (price > 200 EMA), -50 to -150 becomes the practical oversold zone; readings below -100 are rare and often powerful buy setups. Opposite in bearish regimes.
Improved signal quality: Filter whipsaws in neutral zone, anticipate lag in extremes, prioritize high-probability crosses in strong-momentum bands.
MACD-V Histogram (MACD-VH): Normalized short-term momentum with extremes at ±40 for fast reversal detection.
Backtesting & strategy-friendly: Enables reliable historical analysis, cross-asset relative strength, and systematic rules
MACD-V transforms momentum from subjective art into objective, repeatable science — giving you consistent, actionable insights no matter what you're trading.
Use it standalone or layer with trend filters (e.g., 200 EMA), volume, or price action for even stronger edges.
Developer: Alex Spiroglou
Open-source versions inspired by his work — feel free to fork and improve!
Happy trading! 🚀
