// learn · Signals & indicators
The indicators we use
Peaky Radar doesn't rely on one magic indicator, it blends several into a transparent composite score. Here's what each one actually measures, its formula in plain terms, and how it feeds our ranking. No black box: every number a signal shows you comes from these.
The building blocks
| Indicator | Measures | Plain-terms formula | What it flags |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMA / EMA | Trend | Average of recent closes (EMA weights recent ones more: k = 2/(N+1)) | Direction; price above/below the 50 & 200 |
| RSI | Momentum extremes | 100 − 100/(1+RS), RS = avg gain / avg loss (Wilder, N=14) | Overbought (>70) / oversold (<30), divergences |
| MACD | Momentum shifts | EMA(fast) − EMA(slow), vs. its signal line | Trend acceleration / crossovers (with lag) |
| ATR | Volatility | EMA of the True Range (biggest of high-low / gaps) | How much it moves, used to size stops |
| Bollinger Bands | Volatility + range | SMA ± k × standard deviation | Squeeze (coiling) and breakouts / mean reversion |
| Volume (vs. MA) | Participation | Volume ÷ its N-period average | Whether a move has real conviction behind it |
| ROC | Rate of change | % change over N periods | Raw momentum strength |
How the Radar turns them into a score
No single indicator decides anything. Peaky Radar computes a composite score from several transparent factors, each capped and weighted, then ranks what stands out:
- Trend, moving-average alignment, price vs. the 50 and 200-day.
- Momentum, RSI zone, MACD sign, rate-of-change.
- Volatility, ATR percentile: rewards a healthy range, penalises the extremes.
- Liquidity, volume ratio and volume delta vs. average.
- Freshness, how young the trend is, position in the 52-week range.
- Quality & risk, fundamentals (margins, growth, debt) as a sanity filter.
The score you see on a signal (the █████░░░ bar) is that blend, and every input above is shown, never hidden. A high score means several independent signals agree, not that one line crossed another.
How to read them yourself
- Never trade one indicator alone. Look for agreement, e.g. price reclaiming the 200-day and RSI turning up and volume expanding.
- Match the tool to the regime. RSI mean-reversion works in ranges; moving-average trend signals work in trends. Using the wrong one in the wrong market is how people lose.
- Respect the warm-up. Indicators need history to stabilise, early readings on a fresh listing are noise.
Want to see them in action? These feed straight into the typical signals the Radar posts, and the same maths powers the bot design.
Educational market information, not financial advice. Indicators describe the past and present, not the future. Markets carry risk of loss, do your own research.