Accumulation/Distribution (A/D)

L’idée en termes simples

Where the price closes within its range tells you who won the candle. A/D adds a portion of the volume for closes near the high and subtracts it for closes near the low, building a line that shows whether money is flowing in (accumulation) or out (distribution).

Mode de calcul

Each candle's position of the close in its range (from −1 at the low to +1 at the high) is multiplied by its volume and added to the running total.

Close location = ((close − low) − (high − close)) ÷ (high − low)
A/D = previous A/D + close location × volume

Comment l’utiliser

• Rising A/D confirms an uptrend; falling A/D confirms a downtrend.
• Divergence: price rising while A/D falls suggests the rally lacks real buying.

Tirer des conclusions

• The level of the line means nothing; only its direction and its divergences matter.

Points de vigilance

• On currencies, metals and CFDs there is no central exchange volume. The chart uses "tick volume", the number of price changes in each candle, which follows real activity closely but is not the number of contracts traded.

Un peu d’histoire

Developed by Marc Chaikin.