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Re: Lag In Moving Avg



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Vitaly, All, There is a lot that can be done with the ZeroLag indicators. Don't lock yourself into using a simple EMA1:= Mov(P,Period,E); as your base formula. The possibillities are endlesss. Exchanging the Close for a P is a start. What would happen if you used MP() or Typical() instead of the Close? Again, I can't begin to tell you the number of indicators that I have seen evolve from this one formula. J.  >From: "Vitaly Larichev" >Reply-To: metastock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >To: "Metastock List" >Subject: Re: Lag In Moving Avg >Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 19:43:09 -0500 > > > Bob Webb is exactly right, and said it very well. It's > > not possible to remove the lag from a moving average. > >I concur with it. An improvement still available here is to dynamically >change the period in MA; MS syntax doesn't allow it :-( . For instance, >considering that the tops are accompanied by high volatility, one can >make a formula for MA with the period inversely varying with the >volatility, or ,say, ROC for that matter. In fact, the following formula >posted on the list is built on this idea, though implicitly: > >{From Metastock List of Wed, 03 May 2000 14:07:04 GMT From: "j seed" >; I changed Close to P} > >Period:= Input("What Period",1,250,10); >EMA1:= Mov(P,Period,E); >EMA2:= Mov(EMA1,Period,E); >Difference:= EMA1 - EMA2; >ZeroLagEMA:= EMA1 + Difference; >ZeroLagEMA > >I like it, I use it. To smooth it out further, one may apply it twice with >smaller period for the second. > >But again, you cannot make the lag zero! > >All said, I was impressed by Jeff's trendline >(http://www.digital-web.net/~haferman/plot.html). Very good, indeed! > >Jeff, can you expand a bit what's it - "non-linear trendline"? If it doesn't >sound too nosy, of course :-) . > >Cheers, Vitaly > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Jeff Haferman" >To: >Sent: Saturday February 10 2001 4:52 PM >Subject: Re: Lag In Moving Avg > > > > > > Bob Webb is exactly right, and said it very well. It's > > not possible to remove the lag from a moving average. > > > > It is possible to draw a non-linear trendline through > > a time series, and this will give you an idea of > > the current trend. Such a trendline doesn't appear > > to the eye to have the lag associated with an MA. > > > > For example, try my "plot" page at > > http://www.digital-web.net/~haferman/plot.html > > > > Enter any U.S. equity symbol, wait about 10 seconds, > > and you'll get a plot back with a best-fit non-linear > > trendline. > > > > Jeff > > > > > > Bob Webb wrote: > > > > > >Jim, > > > > > >I think I know what you mean by the question, but when you think about >it, > > >it is not possible. A "moving average of X periods" is, by its very > > >definition, an average of X number of previous prices (O,H,L,C) or some > > >other value (e.g., see the use of m.a. in the MACD). If price (e.g., >Close) > > >is reversing from being in an upward trend to moving lower, then it will > > >take a certain number of Closes, before the moving average of X periods > > >will begin to also reverse direction. Thus, a moving average is, by very > > >definition, a lagging indicator. > > > > > >There are, however, two ways (and perhaps more) to decrease (but not > > >remove) the lag in a moving average: > > > > > >(1) make the "X" in a "moving average of X periods" a smaller number. >Thus > > >it will take a fewer number of lower Close values to turn the moving > > >average around. > > > > > >(2) give greater weight to the most recent X values and lesser weight to > > >the older X values. This is accomplished by using a weighted or >exponential > > >moving average. > > > > > >The danger, however with using either of these above methods (or a > > >combination of both), is that you will have a greater number of whipsaws. > > > > > >In conclusion: a moving average is, by definition, a lagging indicator. > > >There are other indicators that are anticipatory, but not the m.a. > > > > > >Hope this helps. > > > > > >Bob. > > > > > > > > > > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com