How to Use the Average True Range Effectively: A Professional Guide to Measuring Price Volatility

Many traders are well acquainted with MACD, Moving Average, or RSI, but they often overlook ATR (Average True Range), an indicator that is highly effective in analyzing market volatility. Although it does not indicate price direction, it is a crucial tool for setting logical entry and exit points.

The Importance of Average True Range in Trading

ATR is a technical indicator designed by J. Welles Wilder to measure (Volatility) by assessing price fluctuations without indicating whether prices will go up or down. Instead, it shows how strong the price movements are.

Volatility indicates the extent of price swings. The more the price changes, the higher the ATR. Conversely, when price movements are minimal, ATR decreases.

How Does ATR Work?

When ATR is in a high zone, prices tend to fluctuate between high and low levels with large gaps, resulting in larger candlesticks. The candlestick body may be short, but the overall movement range is significant. This indicates abnormal price activity.

On the other hand, if ATR is low, prices adjust slowly with no strong movements. Candlesticks will be small, and short-term traders should wait for the right opportunity.

Practical Benefits of ATR

1. Setting Stop Loss and Take Profit Scientifically

Instead of guessing SL/TP, use ATR values. For example: if ATR = 8.2 points

• Take Profit: Entry price + 8.2
• Stop Loss: Entry price - 8.2

Or multiply ATR by 2 for a wider range.

2. Identifying Suitable Trading Periods

High ATR = potential breakout or strong reversal (be cautious of danger but also high profit) Low ATR = consolidation phase; wait until ATR increases

3. Calculating Lot Size

Professional traders use ATR to adjust position size according to volatility. When ATR is high, use smaller lots.

4. Confirming Trends and Detecting Reversals

Although ATR is not a trend indicator, when ATR expands, it indicates a strong trend. When ATR contracts, the trend may weaken and prepare for reversal.

Difference Between ATR and Momentum

Traders should understand that ATR measures volatility (of price movements), while Momentum measures the rate of acceleration (of price movements).

Example: During a strong uptrend

• High ATR + High Momentum = Strong breakout, be cautious but with good opportunities
• High ATR + Decreasing Momentum = Weakening momentum, price may reverse quickly
• Low ATR + High Momentum = Gentle and stable uptrend, safer

Bullish candles during a strong uptrend: large bodies, short wicks (High ATR, High Momentum) Weak uptrend candles: small bodies, long wicks (High ATR, Low Momentum) or normal candles (Low ATR, Low Momentum)

Basic Method to Calculate ATR

Although most platforms calculate it automatically, understanding its origin is important.

Step 1: Find True Range (TR)

TR = the maximum of:

• H - L (High of today - Low of today)
• |H - Previous Close| (Gap up)
• |L - Previous Close| (Gap down)

Example: H=49.32, L=48.08, Previous Close=49.93

• H-L = 1.24
• |49.32 - 49.93| = 0.61
• |48.08 - 49.93| = 1.85

TR = 1.85 (the highest value)

Step 2: Calculate the average of TR

Most use 14 days for ATR (ATR14)

ATR = average of TR over the past 14 periods

From the example above, if the 14-day TR average is 0.82, it indicates ATR is in a medium-high zone, suggesting higher-than-normal volatility. This period is suitable for profit-seeking but requires caution.

Using ATR in Day Trading

In day trading (Day Trading), high volatility is common, especially at market open.

For example, on 1-minute or 5-minute timeframes: immediately after market open, ATR spikes, and prices fluctuate before settling into a normal trend. This is called a “Volatility Burst.”

Important: An ATR rebound does not mean the long-term trend has changed. Use other indicators for confirmation.

ATR for Setting Strategies

Breakout Strategy: When ATR expands, prices may break out from support/resistance levels. Set SL below the breakout point using ATR × 1.5.

Range Trading: When ATR is low, prices consolidate in a narrow range. Sell at the top, buy at the bottom, using ATR/2 as TP.

Trailing Stop: Use ATR × 2 as the distance for trailing stops to let profits run without forcing exit.

Key Information to Know

What qualities should a good ATR have?
It must accurately detect volatility across multiple dimensions, helping reliably set TP/SL.

What ATR value is considered high?
It depends on the contract and timeframe. For example, if ATR14 is 1.0 and exceeds 0.8, it is considered relatively high.

Sources: stockcharts.com, Mitrade

Summary: ATR is not an indicator that shows direction but a volatility measure that helps you set proper risk management. When trading in high volatility, stay calm, calculate SL/TP based on ATR, and trading becomes more systematic, reducing the risk of losses.