What it does
A cumulative market-breadth indicator that each day adds the number of advancing stocks minus the number of declining stocks in an index or exchange to a running total. It shows whether the broad market is participating in a move or whether the index is being carried by a handful of heavyweight names. Rising A/D lines indicate broad participation; falling lines indicate deteriorating breadth.
How to add it
Click Indicators (ƒx) in the header.
Search “Advance/Decline Line” and click the result.
Hover its legend row and click the gear to open settings.
How traders use it
- Confirm index highs: a new high in the index accompanied by a new high in the A/D line suggests a healthy, broad-based advance.
- Watch for divergence: if the index makes new highs while the A/D line fails to, breadth is narrowing and the rally is vulnerable.
- A rising A/D line while the index is flat or dipping hints at underlying accumulation and can precede an upside resolution.
- Use the slope of the A/D line as a regime filter: favor long setups when it trends up, be defensive when it trends down.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Default | Range / Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | number | 10 | 1–2000 |
Plots & styling
| Plot | Style | Default color |
|---|---|---|
| A/D Line | line | #2196f3 |
Every plot's color, line width and visibility can be changed on the Style tab. Precision (default 0 decimals), price-scale labels and status-line values are configurable at the bottom of the Style tab.
Reference levels
| Level | Value |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
Level values, colors and line styles are editable in settings.
Tips
- Reference levels (where the study has them) are editable — tune them to the instrument you're trading.
- Hide the study from the legend eye instead of removing it when you only want it out of the way temporarily.
- Merge multiple oscillators into one pane from the legend ⋯ menu to compare them on a shared axis.
Watch out for
- The absolute level of the line is meaningless because it depends on the starting date; only its direction and divergences matter.
- Breadth divergences can persist for months before the index reacts, so they are context, not timing signals.