HFM information and reviews
HFM
96%
FXCC information and reviews
FXCC
92%
FxPro information and reviews
FxPro
89%
FBS information and reviews
FBS
88%
Vantage information and reviews
Vantage
85%
XM information and reviews
XM
82%

What Are The Bulls Power And Bears Power Indicators?


To make forex trading as productive as possible and to make trades more accurate, it is recommended to use technical tools, such as indicators. The choice of indicators directly depends on a trading strategy chosen by a trader. In any case, a trader needs to understand what kind of moods are prevailing in the market at a given moment.

The two indicators - Bulls Power and Bears Power, which characterize the number of buyers and sellers in the market for a particular trading asset, do this best.

Bears And Bulls

In the currency market, there is a constant struggle between the buyers - bulls who raise prices and the sellers - bears who lower prices. At the end of the trading day, the price of the asset becomes lower or higher than on the previous trading day. If it is higher, the bulls took the initiative, and prices will rise. If it is lower, the bears imposed their influence on the market, and prices will fall.

But is it possible to determine when the market begins to be dominated by buyers or sellers? To solve this problem, one of the most famous and respected traders in the world Alexander Elder has created two oscillators for forex technical analysis: Bears Power, reflecting the superiority of the bears, and Bulls Power, showing the dominance of the bulls.

In the trading terminal, they are placed at the bottom of the price chart in the form of bar charts. These indicators are quite popular and are considered classic tools for trading forex.

Description Of The Bears Power Oscillator

The oscillator Bears Power determines the situation when the market power balance is in favor of bears. It is based on Alexander Elder's assumption, that the Moving Average shows the balance between bulls and bears for some time, and the minimal price shows the strength of bears. The author has suggested to take the period of 13 days as a base. As the result, the formula for calculating the tool looks like this:

PB = LOW - EMA, where:

In the Exponential Moving Average, the prices at the end of the period have the most noticeable influence on the oscillator values, which allows you to evaluate Bears Power quite accurately. If the values of this indicator for forex are below zero, price lows below the EMA, it shows the growing power of bears, if higher, price lows above the EMA, the bears give up positions, the trend can change, and the bulls can take over. The zero mark represents a parity situation, an equilibrium between buyers and sellers.

Bears Power oscillator in MetaTrader 4

Bears Power oscillator in MetaTrader 4

The most positive signal for the bears is when in a downtrend, the next lowest oscillator reading is lower than the previous reading and coincides with the price movement. This can signify that the bears have gained a lot of strength and will continue to press the price to make new lows. If the price made a new low, but the next low is higher than the previous one on the bar chart, it can indicate that the bears are getting weaker and we should expect a trend reversal soon.

The Bears Power oscillator itself is designed to determine the forex signals to buy an asset only. It is rarely used in trading without other indicators, because, with all its merits, it does not show the sellers' strength with one hundred percent accuracy.

In particular, volume is not considered in calculations, which does not give a complete picture of the market situation, so it would be imprudent to use the Bears Power signals in trading decisions. It is more useful as an indicator showing the most probable trend direction. More often the Bears Power oscillator is used with trend indicators, mainly with a Moving Average of any type.

Description Of The Bulls Power Oscillator

The Bulls Power indicator mirrors the Bears Power. It is defined by the formula:

PB = HIGH - EMA, where:

On an uptrend, HIGH is higher than EMA, histogram readings are above zero, which shows the growth of bulls' power. If in a downtrend HIGH is placed under the EMA, the oscillator indicators are below the zero line, which shows the weakening of the bulls' power, which allows the bears to seize the initiative.

Bulls Power oscillator in MetaTrader 4

Bulls Power oscillator in MetaTrader 4

Bulls Power is used to analyze the situation in the market, and to determine the moment of the beginning of a trend. But the Bulls Power signals are aimed only at selling the asset. Like the Bears Power, the Bulls Power oscillator should preferably be used with trend indicators. Of course, the two oscillators of power are often used together, because they were invented as complementary.

Bull Power and Bear Power Oscillators are on the list of standards in trading terminals. In MT4, they are placed in the navigation panel on the left side of the price chart. In the indicator settings, you can change the period:

Bull Power And Bear Power-Based Trading Strategies

The Bull Power and Bear Power oscillators are used in forex strategies to determine entry and exit points in "price overshoot" situations, i.e. when the price is very far from the average values (over the limit). For example, Bear Power is used in an uptrend to track the moment of maximum bearish dominance to enter the market when the price rises.

Also, these oscillators are used to determine the exit points from the market, and the position selection on the uptrend is made with Bulls Power, and on the downtrend - with Bears Power.

Bears Power and Bulls Power oscillators are most often used in conjunction with the trend indicators, such as Exponential Moving Average, EMA, which is needed to determine the direction of the trend.

Bulls Power (164) + Exponential Moving Average (34) + Bears Power (68)

Bulls Power (164) + Exponential Moving Average (34) + Bears Power (68)

On a downtrend shown by the EMA, the Bulls Power oscillator shows a sell signal when the Bulls Power readings are above zero but begin to decline. Also, the Bulls Power oscillator data does not confirm this trend and shows that the trend can change to a downtrend. In this case, the position to sell is opened when the Bulls Power figures are below zero.

For example, to implement this strategy, an Exponential Moving Average with a period of 34 is set, while a period of 68 is specified for Bears Power and a period of 164 for Bulls Power. The EMA crossing the price from bottom to top will be a signal to buy, the Bears Power histogram indicators should be below zero level, but they should show growth. The signal for selling will be the EMA crossing by the price from top to bottom, the Bulls Power oscillator readings should be above zero level, but trending downward.

The strategy using the divergence is based on the price divergence between the Bulls Power and Bears Power indicators, although it is a rare signal, it is more informative. In bullish divergence, the indicators on the Bears Power oscillator are placed below the zero mark, but they grow while the price keeps decreasing. A divergence indicates an uptrend can be expected. In a bearish divergence, the Bulls Power indicator readings are above the zero level but are declining while the price is rising. The divergence shows that we can expect a downtrend reversal to a downtrend soon.

Even though it is not recommended to implement strategies only with the considered oscillators without additional indicators, there is a trading strategy that uses only Bears Power and Bulls Power. For example, if the Bulls Power indicators in the histogram begin to decrease and the Bears Power bars increase, it can be a signal to sell. If the Bulls Power figures increase and the Bears Power figures decrease, it can be a signal to buy. But more often, the strategies with the Bears Power and Bulls Power oscillators use Stochastic, RSI, MACD, ATR, and Bollinger Bands indicators.

Bears Power and Bulls Power oscillators are also used with Bill Williams indicators, particularly in the Accelerator Oscillator strategy. In this strategy, Elder indicators are used as the main indicators, while Accelerator Oscillator is used as a signal filter:

Bulls Power + Bears Power + Accelerator Oscillator

Bulls Power + Bears Power + Accelerator Oscillator

This strategy is applied in a time frame from M30, all indicators are set with standard values. Sell positions are placed when the Bulls Power indicators are above the zero level and tend to weaken, cross the zero level below the zero mark, and the Accelerator indicator is colored red, placed below zero or equal to zero.

Buy positions are established when Bears Power is placed below the zero mark, you should wait for its indicators to cross the line to the mark above zero, the Accelerator indicator should be colored green and placed above or at the zero mark.

The other strategy uses Momentum and Elder Impulse System indicators with standard settings along with Bulls Power and Bears Power. Recall that Momentum is a trend indicator, which is included in the list of standard tools in trading terminals, it measures the amount of price change over time. The Elder Impulse System is basically a trading system consisting of EMA and MACD: the EMA is trend-following, and the MACD shows momentum.

Long positions are opened when the Momentum crosses above the 100 level, the Elder Impulse System indicator is green, and the Bulls Power oscillator is not only above zero but keeps rising. The opening of a short position presupposes a downward crossover of the Momentum indicator level 100, the Elder Impulse System should turn red, and the Bears Power indicators are placed below the zero level and continue to fall.

Bears Power + Parabolic

Bears Power + Parabolic

Another fairly popular strategy, for example, applies Parabolic SAR with Bears Power. In this case, the signals are generated by Parabolic, the points of which are placed on any side of a candle on the chart: if the point is above the candle, this is a sell signal, if the point is below the candle, this is a buy signal. Bears Power confirms the Parabolic signal under a candlestick.

Conclusion

Bulls Power and Bears Power oscillators have such advantages, as a fairly realistic display of the market situation, ease of use and interpretation of signals, the ability to predict further developments, and versatility. In general, they are quite effective indicators for trading. Their main disadvantage is that these indicators are not recommended for use without other market instruments. If used together, Bulls Power and Bears Power can be the basis of many effective strategies.

#source


RELATED

Trading on the news: Pros and Cons

Most often, the most significant changes in the Forex market occur after the financial, economic and political news and the reaction of the market to them...

What Are Bitcoin Options? Bitcoin Options Vs Bitcoin CFDs

Everywhere you turn in financial sector, the focus is on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Businesses are now adopting blockchain or supporting digital currency for payments...

Quantitative Tightening: What Is It And How Does It Work?

During the pandemic alone, the U.S. Federal Reserve bought a whopping $3.3 trillion in Treasury bonds and $1.3 trillion in mortgage-backed securities to lower borrowing costs...

Thriving in Day Trading: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastery and Risk Management

Day trading, an increasingly popular venture in the digital era, offers attractive prospects for generating substantial income online. With trading platforms amassing millions of users...

Five Tips To Choosing The Right Strategy On Covesting

The Covesting copy trading platform has now been available on PrimeXBT for over a month following an extended beta phase. Between the beta and the ongoing...

Micro Lots and Everything You Need to Know About Lot Sizes

Before any trader jumps into the market and starts trading, it is imperative that they understand the concept of lot sizes. Throughout this article we will explain what a lot is, different lot sizes and how to calculate your various position sizes...

What is Leverage in Forex: A Beginner’s guide

Leverage can be an essential feature to use, especially when trading foreign currencies via Contract of Difference (“CFD”). Leverage allows you to open larger positions with relatively little capital...

The Importance of Having a Forex Trading Plan

When approaching a field like forex trading where personal decisions translate into profits or losses, having a well-outlined and easy-to-follow plan can make the difference between success and failure...

Pair Trading: Features and Advantages

The functionality of modern trading platforms allows traders to implement almost any trading ideas. However, there are methods of money management that allow...

Ultimate guide to Dogecoin trading

Dogecoin is a highly popular "meme coin" that has even attracted the likes of Elon Musk to become a fan. Dogecoin is a cryptocurrency that was created in 2013 as a joke...

AvaTrade: Commodities trading explained

Commodities are basic items of consumption of the worldwide economy. Do you have an opinion on the price movements of Gold, Silver or Coffee? Act on it! Commodities...

Understanding What Crypto Trading is All About

The idea of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies feels like it has only just been created, but the first instance we see of these digital assets came out around 11 years ago...

When a fracture in the spread of COVID-19 pandemic can be expected?

The fall in global financial markets, which began in February 2020, is associated with the COVID-19 pandemic...

Why Live and Demo Forex Trading Show Differences

In practice - often because of the lack of a real money commitment - results achieved from trading in a demo account...

Cardano vs. Solana: Which one is the Better Investment?

Cardano and Solana have captured the imagination of crypto enthusiasts in the last few years, rising with the previous bullish run of crypto. The two cryptocurrencies...

Markets.com: Thousands of markets to trade

With Markets.com you can trade every market twist, turn and trend with a vast range of assets, including our thematic Blends, weighted baskets of stocks focused...

Mastering Oil Trading: Comprehensive Strategies and Crucial Aspects

The world of oil trading offers a plethora of opportunities for savvy traders, but it also presents unique challenges. Understanding the nuances of trading in Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI)...

Small-caps and large-caps. What’s the difference for those who buy them?

Shorthand for "market capitalization", the term market cap refers to the total value of all a company’s shares of stock. One can calculate it by multiplying...

What is spot trading in crypto and how does it work?

In a spot market, traders can immediately exchange their cryptocurrency for fiat currency or another cryptocurrency by placing a buy or sell order...

Step-by-step guide about bitcoin trading

When Satoshi Nakamoto created bitcoin in 2009, nobody taught it would be a worthy coin, let alone being recognized and accepted as a means of transaction worldwide...

FP Markets information and reviews
FP Markets
81%
IronFX information and reviews
IronFX
77%
T4Trade information and reviews
T4Trade
76%
Exness information and reviews
Exness
76%
Just2Trade information and reviews
Just2Trade
76%
FXNovus information and reviews
FXNovus
75%

© 2006-2025 Forex-Ratings.com

The usage of this website constitutes acceptance of the following legal information.
Any contracts of financial instruments offered to conclude bear high risks and may result in the full loss of the deposited funds. Prior to making transactions one should get acquainted with the risks to which they relate. All the information featured on the website (reviews, brokers' news, comments, analysis, quotes, forecasts or other information materials provided by Forex Ratings, as well as information provided by the partners), including graphical information about the forex companies, brokers and dealing desks, is intended solely for informational purposes, is not a means of advertising them, and doesn't imply direct instructions for investing. Forex Ratings shall not be liable for any loss, including unlimited loss of funds, which may arise directly or indirectly from the usage of this information. The editorial staff of the website does not bear any responsibility whatsoever for the content of the comments or reviews made by the site users about the forex companies. The entire responsibility for the contents rests with the commentators. Reprint of the materials is available only with the permission of the editorial staff.
We use cookies to improve your experience and to make your stay with us more comfortable. By using Forex-Ratings.com website you agree to the cookies policy.