Simple MACD signal crossover question

[altrader]

Hi Guys,

I know this is a simple question, and I've looked in the forum but it's still not 100% clear to me.

How do I code an MACD and signal line crossover?

i.e. if MACD crosses Signal Line
EXIT!!

I guess it it will just use CrossBelow but I'm unsure what the values should be.

Sorry for the stupid question - still learning.

[NinjaTrader_Ray]

Something like this -

if (CrossBelow(MACD(12, 26, 9), MACD(12, 26, 9).Avg, 1))
    ExitLong();

[altrader]

Thanks Ray.

I might be following up with another stupid question here but ...

is your example below saying
if MACD value crosses below the average of the MACD for previous bar
do something?

Is that going to give me a realtime actual crossover?

I assume it's not specifically a crossover of MACD and signal? Sorry, I'm just trying to understand exactly what I'm doing. I've tried printing out the values to the output window as per below, but I'm not sure it's helped me get it.

if (CrossBelow(MACD(12, 26, 9), MACD(12, 26, 9).Avg, 1))
ExitLong();

The current MACD value [0] is 0.0849033617174939
The current MACD value avg [1] is is 0.110320765678418
The current MACD value [0] is 0.705493932279808
The current MACD value avg [1] is is 0.51412018703849
The current MACD value [0] is 0.0924098265641931
The current MACD value avg [1] is is 0.105237284886233

[altrader]

Just tried a quick test and it looks to me like that code is exiting me at the lower larger circle in attached image, rather than the cross of MACD and signal.

Is that what you would expect to happen?

Thanks

[NinjaTrader_Ray]

Yes, that is what I coded as an example.

Your options are -

MACD(12, 26, 9) - MACD value
MACD(12, 26, 9).Avg - Average line
MACD(12, 26, 9).Diff - Diff line

You can use any of these value in the CrossBelow() method to achieve what you wish.

[altrader]

Sorry, I think I'm probably suffering from too long staring at some code but I can't make sense of the values I'm printing out.

MACD = 12 period EMA - 26 period EMA
Signal = 9 period EMA of MACD

So I want to do something when MACD crosses Signal, but when I print out timestamps and MACD, AVG, and Diff values to the output window they don't seem to compare to the crosses and timeframes I'm seeing visually on the chart so I'm still not clear on what I need to do.

Am I being an idiot here?

[altrader]

It would seem I'm an idiot

The penny dropped eventually though.

Many thanks for the help.

[NinjaTrader_Josh]

Glad you got it worked out.

[dwt1020]

I am just starting working with Strategy Wizard and thought this would be a great place to start.. I created what I thought was a cross up Go Long and then cross down Go Short.. But when I backtest it takes NO orders at all..

Here is the code generated... can someone help me debug..)

thanks in advance


protected override void OnBarUpdate()
{
// Condition set 1
if (CrossAbove(MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), 1))
{
EnterLong(DefaultQuantity, "");
}

// Condition set 2
if (CrossBelow(MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), 1))
{
EnterShort(DefaultQuantity, "");
}
}

[Bogan7]

How would you incorporate a cross above/below the zero line as the trigger instead of a crossing of the fast and slow?

Regards

Originally Posted by dwt1020

I am just starting working with Strategy Wizard and thought this would be a great place to start.. I created what I thought was a cross up Go Long and then cross down Go Short.. But when I backtest it takes NO orders at all..

Here is the code generated... can someone help me debug..)

thanks in advance


protected override void OnBarUpdate()
{
// Condition set 1
if (CrossAbove(MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), 1))
{
EnterLong(DefaultQuantity, "");
}

// Condition set 2
if (CrossBelow(MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), 1))
{
EnterShort(DefaultQuantity, "");
}
}

[Elliott Wave]

Use CrossAbove/CrossBelow in the Condition Builder, choose the MACD plot you want to use and on the right side, choose "Numeric Value" from the Misc section then select 0.

[Elliott Wave]

It looks to me that no plots have been selected. In the condition builder you'll want the plot parameter on one side to be .MACD and the other to be .Avg. By the looks of your code you are waiting for the MACD line to cross the MACD line, which it never will as they have the same value.

Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by dwt1020

I am just starting working with Strategy Wizard and thought this would be a great place to start.. I created what I thought was a cross up Go Long and then cross down Go Short.. But when I backtest it takes NO orders at all..

Here is the code generated... can someone help me debug..)

thanks in advance


protected override void OnBarUpdate()
{
// Condition set 1
if (CrossAbove(MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), 1))
{
EnterLong(DefaultQuantity, "");
}

// Condition set 2
if (CrossBelow(MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), MACD(Fast, Slow, Smooth), 1))
{
EnterShort(DefaultQuantity, "");
}
}

[dwt1020]

I know this is a stupid question but which line which regarding AVG & MACD and what is Diff.

thanks in advance

david

[dwt1020]

LOL.. thank you very much.. TOTALLY over looked that..)

David

Originally Posted by Elliott Wave

It looks to me that no plots have been selected. In the condition builder you'll want the plot parameter on one side to be .MACD and the other to be .Avg. By the looks of your code you are waiting for the MACD line to cross the MACD line, which it never will as they have the same value.

Hope that helps.

[Elliott Wave]

The Diff is the histogram (bars). Instead of doing MACD CrossAbove Avg etc, you could use:

If .Diff CrossAbove 0
Go Long
If .Diff CrossBelow 0
Go Short

Its exactly the same as the diff is merely the difference between the two lines.

You might want to give the PPO indicator a try. Its almost the same as MACD but uses %, I personally find it better. The QQE is also very good, but its not included by default so you'd need to grab it from the file sharing section.