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Accumulation Distribution Index

Accumulation Distribution Index tracks whether price is closing in a way that implies steady accumulation or distribution.

Indicator Guide
Volume
Signal Panel
momentum
accumulation distribution index

What it measures

Accumulation Distribution Index tracks whether price is closing in a way that implies steady accumulation or distribution.

Momentum measures raw distance from a prior close. Rising values show impulse expansion; flattening values warn that the push is losing force.

Visual read

Accumulation Distribution Index is shown as a signal panel: price stays above, while the lower pane helps you judge momentum, volatility, volume pressure, or trend strength.

138119100PriceA/D cumulative lineAccumulation rises when closes finish strong on volume.AccumulationDistributionA/D flowA/D cumulative lineTimeConcept sketch only. CandleOps missions still resolve from real historical candle data.

Formula / construction

Momentum distance
Momentum = close_today - close_n_periods_ago

Momentum measures raw distance from a prior close. Rising values show impulse expansion; flattening values warn that the push is losing force.

How to read it in replay

Use Accumulation Distribution Index to judge momentum quality, not to blindly fade every extreme reading. The best reads happen when it lines up with a clean price zone or a trend continuation setup.

Accumulation Distribution Index checks whether participation supports the price move. It is strongest when volume pressure confirms a break, reclaim, rejection, or value rotation.

What confirms the read

Look for a sequence: structure first, Accumulation Distribution Index second, execution last. That keeps the indicator in a supporting role instead of letting it bully the trade decision.

Confirmation should be visible before the trade starts. If the indicator says one thing and raw candles reject that story, skip the mission or record it as a conflicted setup.

Default parameters in CandleOps

Cumulative accumulation model

Replay drill

  1. Open a block of 10 to 20 missions and allow Accumulation Distribution Index to answer only one question: bias, timing, volatility, or participation.
  2. Before clicking Start Mission, write one sentence explaining what Accumulation Distribution Index says and one sentence explaining what raw price must do to confirm it.
  3. Keep virtual risk stable for the whole drill so the review measures decision quality rather than random sizing.
  4. After each mission, grade the Accumulation Distribution Index read as clean, early, late, conflicted, or irrelevant, then compare that grade with the payout and the revealed candles.

Failure modes and risk notes

Avoid reading Accumulation Distribution Index in isolation during hard trend days. Overbought and oversold conditions can stay pinned much longer than a new trader expects.

Because Accumulation Distribution Index sits in a separate panel, the common trap is staring at the value while ignoring the candles. A panel signal needs price confirmation before it deserves risk.

The indicator should change the decision process, not decorate it. If it does not affect direction, invalidation, target placement, or the decision to skip, remove it from the active tactical handbook for that drill.

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Accumulation Distribution Index | CandleOps Indicator Guide