What it is
TRIX, built by Jack Hutson, is a trend-following momentum line. Smoothing price three times removes most of the short-term noise, then taking the rate of change shows whether that smooth trend is climbing or falling, and how fast.
The result is slow but clean. It turns later than RSI or MACD, but when it crosses zero the trend underneath has usually really changed. Many traders add a signal line, commonly a 9 period average of TRIX, for earlier turns.
How it is calculated
1. Take a 15 period exponential moving average (EMA) of the close. 2. Take a 15 period EMA of that result. 3. Take a 15 period EMA of the second result. This is the triple-smoothed average. 4. TRIX = 100 times (today's triple-smoothed value minus yesterday's) divided by yesterday's value. That is its percent change per candle. 5. A signal line, commonly a 9 period EMA of TRIX, can be used for crossovers.
Settings
| Setting | Default | Range | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 15 | 2 to 100 | Length of each of the three averages. Higher values smooth more and turn later; lower values react faster with more false turns. |
How to read it
How to trade it
- 1
On a 4 hour gold chart, look for TRIX(15) to cross above zero as the main trend signal.
- 2
Enter on the close of the crossing candle, or on the first pull-back after it if the candle was very large.
- 3
Place the stop below the most recent swing low, often 20 to 30 points on 4 hour gold.
- 4
Hold while TRIX stays above zero; take part profit at 2 times the stop and exit the rest when TRIX crosses back below its signal line.
- 5
On US30, ignore signal line crosses that happen far below zero unless price is also breaking a level.
A buy on a zero cross is proved wrong when TRIX closes back below zero, or price closes below the swing low used for the stop.
WickSpeak runs in your browser with nothing to install. When you add TRIX, it writes a plain-English reading on the live candle: what the indicator is, what it is doing right now, how to trade it and what would prove that reading wrong. It says whether the smoothed trend is above or below zero, whether it is speeding up or slowing down, and what would cancel the current reading.
In Playbook, our no-code strategy builder, TRIX can be a condition in a play. It can test whether TRIX: crosses above its signal line; crosses below its signal line; crosses above zero; crosses below zero; is above zero; is below zero; is rising; is falling. Each condition can run on any of 12 timeframes from 1 minute to weekly, combined with up to 11 others, and the play can be backtested on past candles with your own costs and turned into alerts on screen, by email or by phone push.
There is also a WickSpeak TRIX. Its line is coloured by strength: faint when the push is weak, glowing when it is strong, mint above zero and pink below it. Crosses of zero are marked only once the candle has closed, so a marker never appears and then vanishes mid-candle. A gold marker shows a stretched reading, meaning the strongest few percent of its own range or a reading past a fixed extreme level. Divergences between price and the oscillator are drawn on both the chart and the indicator, and a chip shows the same reading on a higher timeframe.
Best markets and timeframes
Best on 1 hour to daily charts of gold, indices and forex, where its slowness filters out intraday noise. On short timeframes reduce the length or expect late signals.
Common mistakes
- Expecting early entries. TRIX is built to be late but reliable; it will miss the first part of every move.
- Trading signal line crosses in flat markets, where TRIX hovers around zero.
- Comparing raw TRIX values across markets; it is a percent change, so a quiet market reads small.
Works well with
Questions traders ask
What is the best TRIX setting?
15 is the most common length, with a 9 period signal line. Lower values such as 9 suit faster trading, while 20 to 30 suit swing and position trading.
Is TRIX better than MACD?
TRIX is smoother because it uses three averages, so it gives fewer but later signals. MACD reacts faster with more false turns. Which suits you depends on how much noise you can tolerate.
What does TRIX crossing zero mean?
It means the triple-smoothed average has changed direction. Above zero it is rising, below zero it is falling, so a zero cross marks a change in the underlying trend.
Does TRIX have a signal line?
The original is a single line, but most traders add a signal line, usually a 9 period average of TRIX. In WickSpeak, Playbook can test TRIX crossing above or below its signal line.