The Momentum of Momentum

Utilizing oscillators to confirm trend continuations and reversals is a momentum traders’ bread and butter. You most likely have the RSI or MACD saved to your favorites, but have you ever considered analyzing the momentum of an oscillator itself? You would be surprised at what insights the momentum of an oscillator can show you. In this article, we will look at how the momentum of an oscillator can help parse out false signals and give you an edge in your decision-making.
Below is the BTC/USDT 15-minute chart, the True Momentum Oscillator (TMO), and a 50-day EMA. We have highlighted what appears to be a short-term double top, with a weakening oscillator momentum that failed to reach or exceed the previous level. The price consistently bounced around the 50-period EMA and had cleanly broken through with a retrace imminent. Whether you aim to trade the break of the EMA or the retrace and rejection, this appears to be set up for a potential short trade.


Now we take the momentum of the TMO and its signal line and plot those lines (purple and white). Another layer to this story suddenly unfolds. We can now see from the new momentum lines that this move to the downside weakened almost as soon as it began. There is now a clear divergence between the oscillator and its momentum lines. What seemed to be a solid short setup now has upside potential. We must now question our next move.


A few bars later, the price broke above the 50-EMA and quickly touched it one last time and is followed by a robust move to the upside. In the current market, it is easy to lean short. Eager traders might have taken the short only to be burned by the strong move against the desired trade. Adding the layer of the momentum of our oscillator helped us read between the noise. We had a better idea of where the next chapter could take us, or at the very least, we could avoid a risky trade.


This is just one example of how the momentum of oscillators can be another valuable tool in our technical analysis tool belt. This momentum offers a unique visual aid for making quick decisions when trading.