Oil Trading Pivot Points

Pivot points is a set of indicators developed by floor traders in the commodities markets to determine potential turning points, also known as 'pivots'. These points are calculated to determine levels in which the sentiment of the oil trend could change from 'bullish' to 'bearish.' Oil traders use these points as markers of support and resistance.

These points are calculated as the average of the high, low & close from the previous session:

Oil Pivot Point = (High + Low + Close) / 3

Day traders use the calculated pivots to determine levels of entry, stops and profit taking, by trying to determine where the majority of other oil traders may be doing the same.

A pivot is a oil price level of significance in technical analysis of a financial market that is used by oil traders as a predictive indicator of crude oil price movement. It's calculated as an average of significant oil prices (high, low & close) from the performance of a market in the prior trading period. If the oil prices in the following period trades above the central point it is usually evaluated as a bullish sentiment, whereas if crude oil price below the central point is seen as bearish.

The central point is used to calculate additional levels of support & resistance, below & above central point, respectively, by either subtracting or adding crude oil price differentials calculated from previous trading ranges.

A pivot-point & the associated support & resistance levels are often turning points for the direction of crude oil price movement in a market.

• In an up crude oil trend, the pivot point and the resistance levels may represent a ceiling level for the oil price. If crude oil price goes above this level the up oil trend is no longer sustainable and a oil trend reversal may occur.

• In a down oil trend , a pivot point and the support levels may represent a low for crude oil price level or a resistance to further decline.

The central pivot can then be used to calculate the support & resistance areas as follows:

Pivot points consist of a central point level surrounded by three support levels below it and three resistance levels above it. These points were originally used by floor traders on equity and futures exchanges because they provided a quick way for those traders to get a general idea of how the crude oil market was moving during the course of the day using only a few simple calculations. However, over time they have also proved exceptionally useful in other markets as well.

One of the reasons they are now so popular is because they are considered a 'leading' (or predictive) technical indicator rather than a lagging indicator. All that is required to calculate the pivot points for the upcoming (current) day is the previous day high, low, and close oil prices. The 24-hour cycle pivot points in this indicator are calculated according to the following formulas:

The central pivot can then be used to calculate the support & resistance areas as follows:

Resistance 3

Resistance 2

Resistance 1

Pivot Point

Support 1

Support 2

Support 3

Pivot Points Support and Resistance Areas

Pivot Points as a Oil Trading tool

The pivot point itself represents a level of highest resistance or support, depending on the overall sentiment. If the crude oil market is direction-less ( range bound ) oil prices will often fluctuate greatly around this level until a oil price breakout develops. Oil Trading Prices above or below the central point indicates the overall sentiment as bullish or bearish respectively. This technical indicator is a leading Crude Oil Trading indicator that provides signals of potentially new highs or lows within a given chart time frame.

The support and resistance levels calculated from the central point and the previous market width may be used as exit points of the open Oil trades, but are rarely used as entry signals. For examples, if the crude oil price is up-trending and breaks through the pivot point, the first or second resistance level is often a good target to close a position, as the probability of resistance and reversal increases greatly, with every resistance level.

In pivot point analysis 3 levels are commonly recognized above & below the central point. These are calculated from the range of crude oil price movement in the previous trading period & then added to the central point for resistances & subtracted from it for support levels.

Pivot Points

Pivot levels can be used in many different ways. Here are a few of the most common techniques for utilizing them:

Oil Trading Trend Direction: Combined with other Oil Trading analysis techniques such as overbought/oversold oscillators, volatility measurements, etc., the central point may be useful in determining the general trending direction of the market. Trades are only taken in the direction of the Oil Trading trend. Buy trades occur only when the crude oil price is above the central point and sell crude oil trades occur only when the crude oil price is below the central pivot.

Oil Trading Price Breakouts: In crude oil price breakouts, a bullish buy oil signal occurs when the crude oil price breaks up through the central point or one of the resistance levels (typically Resistance 1). A short sell oil signal occurs when crude oil price breaks down through the central point or one of the support levels (typically Support 1).

Oil Trading Trend Reversals: In oil trend reversals, a buy oil signal occurs when the crude oil price moves towards a support level, gets very close to it, touches it, or moves only slightly through it, and then reverses and starts moving in the other direction.

To download Pivot points:

https://c.mql5.com/21/9/pro4x_pivot_lines.mq4

Once you download it open it with MQL4 Language Editor, Then Compile it by pressing the Compile Button & it'll be added to your MT4.

Note: Once you add it to your MT4, the indicator has additional lines named Mid Points, to remove these additional lines open MQL4 Language MetaEditor(shortcut keyboard key - press F4), & change line 16 from:

Extern bool midpivots = true:

To

Extern bool midpivots = false:

Then Press Compile button again, and it will then appear as exactly illustrated on www.tradeforextrading.com website.