I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Now the market is open again and it’s back to business…
So I want to talk about one of the most common indicators in day trading — VWAP.
Not only is it one of the most common indicators, but it’s also one of the most powerful…
It stands for Volume Weighted Average Price and it’s a blend of the two crucial factors in trading: price and volume.
It can give you many insights to help your trading…
How can you use this indicator to make smarter trading decisions? Here are my top three ways…
3 Ways to Use VWAP In Your Trading
VWAP is a lagging indicator that can show you the bullish or bearishness of a stock. That can create a…
1. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
VWAP has become the trendsetter of technical indicators. It has replaced moving averages, Fibonacci levels, and RSI.
And now that it’s such a popular indicator — it creates self-fulfilling prophecies.
Meaning, the indicator works because traders believe it works.
If a stock is trading above VWAP it’s considered bullish. If it’s trading below VWAP it’s considered bearish.
So when a stock reclaims VWAP to the upside, it can create big upside moves. If a stock dips below VWAP it can often create a wave of selling.
As traders follow VWAP’s signals, a self-fulfilling prophecy occurs, propelling stock in the predicted direction.
But VWAP doesn’t just show you where the buyers and sellers can be. You can also use…
2. The VWAP Scan to Find Trades
I like to run a VWAP scan in the afternoon to find those stocks that are hovering around VWAP.
Because if a stock breaks VWAP in either direction, it can be ripe for a potential trade.
The criteria for my VWAP scan are:
- Within 2% of VWAP.
- Trading price between $1 to $20.
- Volume of at least 1 million shares.
- A 10% price gain or more for the day.
This tight criteria ensures you’re scanning through a manageable and actionable list of potential trades.
Once you have a list of stocks from your scan, VWAP can help you spot opportunities and filter out weak setups.
3. Mastering the Afternoon Pattern: The VWAP Hold
When you have your list of stocks from your scan, you can analyze the charts and find stocks poised for a breakout, with the VWAP acting as a support level.
Stocks holding above VWAP in the afternoon have the potential for bullish moves.
I like to look for stocks that are trading around VWAP and curling upwards in the afternoon. Then I want to see it break the high of the day for more potential upside.
Learn how to trade the VWAP hold high of day break pattern here.
In summary, VWAP is not just an indicator, you can use it as part of your strategy and a guide for successful day trading.
If you need a more detailed walkthrough of indicators, trading strategies, and setups — join our daily training sessions where we break down a complete trading system, run live scans, and share valuable insights!
Have a great day everyone. See you back here tomorrow.
Tim Bohen
Lead Trainer, StocksToTrade