What it does
The Double Exponential Moving Average (DEMA) reduces the lag of a normal EMA by combining an EMA with the EMA of that EMA: DEMA equals 2 times EMA minus EMA of EMA. The subtraction cancels much of the smoothing delay, producing a line that follows price far more closely than a standard EMA of the same length. It was designed by Patrick Mulloy to give faster signals without simply shortening the period.
Typedraws on the price chart
How to add it
Click Indicators (ƒx) in the header.
Search “Double EMA” and click the result.
Hover its legend row and click the gear to open settings.
How traders use it
- Use it wherever you would use an EMA but want earlier turns, such as trend filters and trailing guides on fast timeframes.
- Trade price crossing the DEMA as a quicker trend-change trigger than the equivalent EMA cross.
- Pair a DEMA with a slower standard MA: the DEMA crossing the SMA gives earlier crossover entries with the SMA providing stability.
- Use it as tighter dynamic support and resistance in strongly trending markets where a regular EMA trails too far behind.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Default | Range / Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | number | 9 | 1–10000 |
Plots & styling
| Plot | Style | Default color |
|---|---|---|
| DEMA | line | #43A047 |
Every plot's color, line width and visibility can be changed on the Style tab. Precision, price-scale labels and status-line values are configurable at the bottom of the Style tab.
Tips
- Drag the indicator to its own pane from the legend ⋯ menu if it crowds the price chart.
- Double-click any of its lines to jump straight into the settings dialog.
- Save the configured chart as a study template (Indicators menu) to reapply this exact setup elsewhere.
Watch out for
- Less lag means less smoothing: DEMA reacts to noise and produces more false crossovers in sideways markets than a plain EMA.
- It can overshoot around sharp reversals because of the subtraction in its formula.