In the 1980s, Linda Raschke introduced an updated version of the Keltner Channels. The new version, just like the Bollinger bands used a volatility based measure (ATR) to calculate the channel width. Add and subtract the 10-day SMA of the High-Low, which basically becomes a range calculation, to form the upper and lower channel lines. Before using Keltner Channels to trade with real money, practice trading on the indicator’s signals in a demo account. Only when you are consistently successful over many practice sessions should you consider trading with real capital.

When an asset is trending higher, its price should regularly reach or come close to the upper band and sometimes even move past it. The price should also stay above the lower band and will often stay above the middle band or just barely dip below it. Day traders can quickly investigate the ongoing trend and often provide the major trading signals through the Keltner Channels (KC). Therefore, this famous trading indicator is utilized in trading systems by day traders. Keltner Channels and Bollinger Bands are quite similar, but their execution is different.

Swing Trading Signals

If the multiplier is higher, then this channel comes out to be wider. There are strong prospects of a trend reversal when the price closes near the edge of the lower or upper channel. A hint that the price will shortly break out is indicated when the Keltner channel advances in a flat direction. Although both indicators have an upper, middle, and lower band and are envelope-based, their calculations are different.

• All you need to do is, look for the price to close outside the Keltner Channel.
• Traders first need to decide how they want to use the indicator and then set it up to help accomplish that purpose.
• A smaller multiplier means the bands will be closer together and the price will reach or exceed the bands more often.
• The default setting is 20, but you may try to experiment with shorter or longer lengths.
• Strong moves such as these would typically signal the end of one trend and the beginning of another.

The Keltner Channel is a volatility-based indicator that is comprised of a simple exponential moving average. Around it, we have a lower band and an upper band that is based on a setting that you use. The Keltner Channel was first introduced by Chester Keltner in the 1960s. The original formula used simple moving averages (SMA) and the high-low price range to calculate the bands.

What Is the Keltner Channel?

In that case, we could use that knowledge to filter out bad trades by only trading in the sections of the Keltner Channel where the strategy performed the best. The same Keltner Channel strategies that work for swing trading will also work for day trading. The only difference is that the movements will be smaller and quicker.

• We’re going to explore three typical examples where you can use the Keltner trading strategy.
• Still, one of the most effective ways to not act on false breakouts, is to only trade trend following strategies in markets that are trending in nature, such as energies or metals.
• The moving average is the average price for a certain number of periods.
• You need to look at the direction of the channel to see if it’s going down, up, or sideways.
• The Keltner Channel is a volatility-based indicator that is comprised of a simple exponential moving average.
• Because in a strong uptrend, the price can remain “overbought” for a long period.

The settings you use on one asset may not necessarily work, or be the best settings, for another asset. In the chart below we’ve highlighted small retracements while the price hugs the upper Keltner band. It won’t give you an exact price, but a price zone from where the price can potentially bounce and the bullish trend can resume.

Trading Pullbacks with Keltner Channel

This indicates that the least volatile period of the market is the optimum time to accomplish it. You can observe from the chart below that the price seems to fluctuate close to the midline (20-EMA) when there is a significant upward trend. This seems to have the same working nomenclature with CAP trading channel. This means the best time to do it is when the volatility of the market is low. If the close is higher than the higher Keltner band, then buy the next day. If the close is lower than the lower Keltner band, then buy the next day.

Learn the three proven techniques you can use every day to trade with the Keltner trading strategy. The Keltner channel system can improve your profitability because it adapts to the ever-changing Forex market conditions. If a trader does not follow the required guidelines, the calculations will display wrong results. As a solution, a trader has to lower or increase the multiplier, after which the price might fall within the certain width of this Keltner channel. It is quite a lot easy to fully adjust the calculations of this channel based on the trading asset you are about to trade.

How To Use Keltner Channels

There really aren’t any best Keltner Channel settings, because it depends on your trading timeframe and why you’re using it. Most of the price action is still not confined within the upper and the lower band. What we can expect is that the behavior of the market will vary depending on if it is in section one, two or three.

The Keltner Channel uses the average true range (ATR) to calculate the lower and upper bands. The Keltner Channel is a volatility-based band used in determining a trend’s direction and is placed on both sides of the price of an asset. It was developed and introduced in the 1960s by Chester Keltner, who termed it after his name.

Follow the above trading rules if you want to avoid most of the false breakouts. We’re going to explore three typical examples where you can use the Keltner trading strategy. In the presence of a strong upward or downward trend, pullbacks tend to stall near the middle 20-period EMA. It would help if you completely understood how to trade on these signals successfully. Plus, it is essential to know which trade to avoid and which one to place. It is necessary to practice it through a demo account before utilizing these channels to trade with the real money eventually.