ROC is a momentum oscillator measuring the percentage rate of change between current price and price N periods ago. ROC is similar to Momentum Indicator but uses percentage rather than absolute values, making it better for comparing assets at different price levels.
ROC = [(Close(t) - Close(t-n)) / Close(t-n)] × 100 Where: Close(t) = Current closing price Close(t-n) = Closing price N periods ago n = Number of periods (standard 12 or 14) ROC > 0: Price rising ROC < 0: Price falling ROC = 0: Price same as N periods ago
Standard ROC (12-14 periods): Most commonly used
Short-term ROC (5-9 periods): More sensitive, suitable for short-term trading
Long-term ROC (20-30 periods): Smoother, suitable for long-term trend analysis
ROC Moving Average: Applies moving average to ROC, smooths fluctuations
ROC > 0: Price rising, positive rate of change
ROC < 0: Price falling, negative rate of change
ROC Crosses Above Zero: Changing from decline to rise, buy signal
ROC Crosses Below Zero: Changing from rise to decline, sell signal
ROC Extremes: ROC reaches extreme high or low, may signal overbought/oversold
Bearish Divergence: Price makes new high but ROC doesn't, signals weakening upward momentum
Bullish Divergence: Price makes new low but ROC doesn't, signals weakening downward momentum
ROC Trend: Rising ROC indicates accelerating rise, falling ROC indicates accelerating decline
ROC is best used for identifying speed of price change and trend strength. ROC extremes can identify overbought/oversold conditions, but thresholds need adjustment based on specific asset and market conditions. ROC divergence is powerful reversal signal, especially when occurring near key support/resistance. Many traders apply moving averages to ROC, buying when ROC crosses above its MA, selling when crossing below. ROC can also compare relative strength across different assets.
Percentage format facilitates comparison across assets, clearly shows speed of price change, strong divergence prediction capability, applicable to all markets and timeframes, can identify overbought/oversold conditions
No standard overbought/oversold thresholds, prone to false signals, sensitive to price noise, requires combination with other indicators, significant lag
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