RSI Trading Strategy | Best RSI Setting for Day Trading (2024)

Market Insights

Jasper Lawler・8 March 2021・ Technical Analysis

An RSI trading strategy using the Relative Strength Indicator is a great place to start when day trading and forex trading. It has default settings of 14 periods and 70/30 levels.

MUST KNOW

  • How will the RSI setting change the indicator trading signals?
  • What is the best RSI setting for day trading?
  • What is a good RSI to buy?
  • How do you trade with RSI?
  • How do you use RSI strategy?
  • Conclusion: Is RSI a good indicator?

How will the RSI setting change the indicator trading signals?

The RSI setting will affect how frequently the RSI gives overbought and oversold signals as well as divergence signals to buy and sell.

What does RSI 14 mean? The default RSI setting for the RSI indicator is 14-periods. That means the indicator is calculated using the last 14 candles or last 14 bars on the price chart.

Using a shorter timeframe, for example 5-periods will cause the RSI reach extreme values (above 70 or below 30) more often. By the same token, longer timeframe settings will see the RSI indicator reach above 70 or below 30 less frequently.

The below shows how to change the various settings in the FlowBank trading platform.

RSI Trading Strategy | Best RSI Setting for Day Trading (1)

What is the best RSI setting for day trading?

The developer of the RSI, J. Welles Wilder Jr. recommends using the 14-period RSI. But other RSI settings can also be good to trade depending on whether you are trading forex, cryptocurrencies or other financial markets and the timeframe you are trading off.

Looking at the chart below, you can compare a 14-day RSI vs. 5 day RSI vs. 50 day RSI setting.

RSI Trading Strategy | Best RSI Setting for Day Trading (2)

It can be observed that the 14-period RSI gives several signals, the 5-period RSI is very frequently giving trading signals and the 50-period RSI gives just one very good trading signal throughout the time period selected.

In his book “New concepts in technical trading systems,” Wells Wilder only uses trading strategy examples with the 14-period RSI. Although other RSI settings are certainly possible and potentially profitable, since Wilder created the indicator, we should take time to note why he think his indicator is best setup with 14-periods.

Firstly, 14-periods is like a fortnight or half a month. Although markets are not normally open 7 days per week so 14 periods does not equal two weeks, this timeframe has a certain basis in nature relating to the time it takes the moon to travel around planet earth. These natural phenomenon like the Fibonacci sequence have a way of working in trading markets.

In fact, Wilder says in his book that he tested multiple time periods and found 14 to be the most effective for his swing trading style using daily timeframe charts. So his choice of technical indicator settings was based on real evidence from his day trading.

What is a good RSI to buy?

The way Wilder recommends using the RSI is by using the 30 and 70 levels in the oscillator as oversold and overbought levels respectively. This means that when RSI falls below 30, you aim to buy the financial security that has been sold too much and when the RSI reaches over 70, you aim to sell the financial asset that has been bought too much. However these are not the only options.

Is a high RSI good or bad? Some trend following trading strategies use a high RSI level as a sign to keep buying. However, in this instance the RSI is not being used as a trigger to enter a trade but as a guide on the direction of the trend.

A way some successful day traders have found to increase the accuracy or buy and sell triggers from RSI is by changing the definition of oversold and overbought to the 20 and 80 levels , or indeed other levels. Of course, the price will get to these extremes less frequently than 30 and 70, thus in theory offering the most reliable trading signals. The main disadvantage to using 20 and 80 for RSI is that it means missing some potentially good trading opportunities.

The FlowBank trading platformconveniently allows you to set the overbought and oversold levels. The below chart shows the way the settings affect the trading signals that would have been taken from the RSI indicator.

RSI Trading Strategy | Best RSI Setting for Day Trading (3)

The first RSI in yellow uses the (70/30) setting with a 14-day period while the second chart uses the (80/20) setting for overbought and oversold on the same 14-day period timeframe setting.

Both RSI configurations capture the initial buying opportunity. The (80/20) misses the first weak sell signal within the uptrend then both trigger the next poor sell signal. Then both capture the third sell signal which proceeds a nice downtrend. However the (80/20) misses two more buying opportunities and one good opportunity to go short.

How do you trade with RSI?

The use of a divergence trading strategy is possible with multiple technical indicators, including MACD and Stochastic. What is better MACD or RSI? Really neither one is better but divergence only works on an underlying price chart.

Divergence is when the direction of a technical indicator, usually an oscillator ‘diverges’ from the direction of the price. In essence, the indicator starts moving in the opposite direction to the price.

The change in direction of the indicator is taken by forex traders or other traders to mean that price movements might be about to follow in the same direction. The oscillator in this scenario is a leading indicator for the price.

In the chart below the price continues to rise but the RSI indicator starts to fall from an overbought position. This is known as bearish divergence. After the price falls following the indicator signal the indicator starts to point higher in what is called bullish divergence.

RSI Trading Strategy | Best RSI Setting for Day Trading (4)

NOTE: Bearish divergences should normally happen at the end of an uptrend, while bullish divergences happen at the end of an downtrend. The divergence should ideally take place from an overbought or oversold level on the relative strength index.

How do you use RSI strategy?

Wilder advocated RSI indicator trading strategies complementing the use of oversold and overbought levels with the concept of divergence. The choice of indicator settings is best found through experience by each individual trader. Try different settings to see which work for your trading strategy or trading system.

Here is one example of an RSI trading strategy to consider as a guideline for how to go about developing your own trading system.

RSI (2-period) (90/1)

This RSI trading strategy was developed by Larry Connors and the idea is to find periods when the short term trend is deeply oversold within an overall price uptrend or when the short term trend is hugely overbought in an overall downtrend.

Because it is intended for entry point within a trend, Connors uses a much more sensitive lower timeframe - 2 periods on the RSI. Because 2 is such a short timeframe, Connors attempts to filter out the false signals by using the 90 and 10 levels instead of the 70 and 30 levels for overbought and oversold.In essence this a trading method to buy the dip and sell the rip.

Here are the steps to using this RSI strategy:

  1. Plot a 200-period simple moving average (SMA) to determine the overall price trend.
  2. Add the RSI indicator and change the settings to 2 periods.
  3. Adjust the levels for overbought and oversold to 90 and 10.

RSI Buy signal = When price > 200 SMA & RSI(2) < 10

RSI Sell signal = When price < 200 SMA & RSI(2) > 90

The below chart shows a picturesque bull market in the Nasdaq index, Connors’ RSI trading strategy only has one false signal and six strong signals.

RSI Trading Strategy | Best RSI Setting for Day Trading (5)

Of course, in different trading environments the trading system will perform differently. For example, in a choppier trend or sideways price range, the 200 SMA will be less reliable as a trend indicator.

Conclusion: Is RSI a good indicator?

The RSI is one of the most popular indicators for forex traders, cryptocurrency traders, stock traders and futures traders. But it is not the indicator itself that makes users of the RSI successful in trading.

Traders must spend the time to back test an RSI trading strategy to make sure it has worked in the past and then test that strategy in a live trading environment with good trading discipline to have the best chance for a profitable trading strategy that works in the future.

Jasper Lawler

RSI Trading Strategy | Best RSI Setting for Day Trading (7)

RSI Trading Strategy | Best RSI Setting for Day Trading (2024)

FAQs

RSI Trading Strategy | Best RSI Setting for Day Trading? ›

Short-term intraday traders (day trading) often use lower settings with periods in the range of 9-11. Medium-term swing traders frequently use the default period setting of 14. Longer-term position traders often set it at a higher period, in the range of 20-30.

What is the best RSI setting for day trading? ›

The common levels to pay attention to when trading with the RSI are 70 and 30. An RSI of over 70 is considered overbought. When it below 30 it is considered oversold. Trading based on RSI indicators is often the starting point when considering a trade, and many traders place alerts at the 70 and 30 marks.

What should RSI be set to for 5 minutes? ›

Periods between 9 and 11 are favored by day traders and scalpers, including those who trade in 5 min, 15 min chart, and so on up to hourly timeframes. The default RSI setting of 14 is widely used by medium-term swing traders. Periods between 20 and 30 are chosen by long-term traders and investors.

What is RSI 2 strategy for day trading? ›

The RSI(2) strategy gives traders a chance to partake in an ongoing trend. Connors states that traders should buy pullbacks, not breakouts. Conversely, traders should sell oversold bounces, not support breaks. This strategy fits with his philosophy.

What is the best RSI setting for 1 minute chart? ›

The best RSI settings for a 1-minute chart will depend on the trader's preferred trading style and market conditions. However, a common RSI setting for a 1-minute chart is 14 periods with oversold and overbought levels set to 30 and 70, respectively.

How to use RSI for day trading? ›

One RSI trading strategy used in trending markets would be to wait for the indicator to signal an overbought condition during an uptrend. The trader then waits for RSI to drop below 50, which signals a long entry. If the trend remains in place price will typically recover off this level and move to new highs.

What is the 5 star RSI strategy? ›

The 5-Star Relative Strength Index (RSI) Strategy-Short

If a bearish candle is formed at the 60 RSI level, the prices may bounce back from there, and one can enter the stock for shorting. The stoploss can be placed at the high of that bearish candlestick, and the target can be the 40 Relative Strength Index levels.

How many periods should RSI be? ›

The RSI was designed to indicate whether a security is overbought or oversold in relation to recent price levels. It's calculated using average price gains and losses over a given period of time. The default time period is 14 periods, with values bounded from 0 to 100.

What is the ideal time frame for RSI? ›

The RSI is most typically used on a 14-day timeframe, measured on a scale from 0 to 100, with high and low levels marked at 70 and 30, respectively. Short or longer timeframes are used for alternately shorter or longer outlooks.

What is ideal RSI? ›

Description. The Relative Strength Index (RSI), developed by J. Welles Wilder, is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements. The RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Traditionally the RSI is considered overbought when above 70 and oversold when below 30.

How do you use 14 day RSI? ›

The default RSI setting for the RSI indicator is 14-periods. That means the indicator is calculated using the last 14 candles or last 14 bars on the price chart. Using a shorter timeframe, for example 5-periods will cause the RSI reach extreme values (above 70 or below 30) more often.

Is MACD or RSI better for day trading? ›

While both are considered momentum indicators, the MACD measures the relationship between two EMAs, while the RSI measures price change in relation to recent price highs and lows. These two indicators are often used together to provide analysts a more complete technical picture of a market.

What is the triple RSI strategy? ›

This strategy is commonly used both in forex and stock markets for reversal trading. when the rsi line reaches and crosses simultaneously at 3 rsi setups i.e at 7, 14, and 21, a signal is generated. This strategy works best in 1-hour timeframe.

What is a profitable 1 minute scalping strategy? ›

A 1-minute scalping strategy refers to a situation where a trader uses the 1-minute chart to conduct analysis and execute trades. In a 1-minute chart, each bar usually represents 1 minute period, meaning that you will be seeing the bars move in real-time.

What does RSI 14 mean? ›

Relative Strength Index / RSI (14)

The Relative Strength Index (14) – RSI is a momentum indicator that measures the magnitude of recent price changes to analyze overbought or oversold conditions. RSI (14) uses 14 periods to calculate values. RSI values range from 0 to 100.

Is RSI daily or hourly? ›

To reach the best evaluation, experts generally chart the RSI on a daily time frame rather than hourly. However, sometimes shorter hourly periods are charted to indicate whether it is a good idea to make a short-term asset purchase.

What is the formula for RSI trading? ›

RSI oscillates on a scale of zero to 100. It is usually depicted graphically. The formula to calculate RSI is: RSI = 100 – [100 ÷ ( 1 + (Average Gain During Up Periods ÷ Average Loss During Down Periods ))]

What is the RSI 8 trading strategy? ›

This RSI strategy involves changing the default RSI setting of 14 periods to 8 periods. This makes the indicator more sensitive to price changes. The overbought and oversold settings remain the same at 70 and 30 respectively. Also, we will take a 15-mins line chart based on closing prices.

What is better than RSI indicator? ›

While relative strength index was designed to measure the speed of price movements, the stochastic oscillator formula works best when the market is trading in consistent ranges. Generally speaking, RSI is more useful in trending markets, and stochastics are more useful in sideways or choppy markets.

What is RSI 40 60 strategy? ›

The RSI 60/40 strategy is a plunge protection long trend system. I have written, tested, and tweaked literally thousands of indicator systems. Yet, this really simple concept has been one of the most profitable when you find the right chart to apply it to.

What is the RSI 50 50 strategy? ›

50-crossover

Traders could use the RSI 50 level (the centreline) to confirm that a price trend is occurring. According to this strategy, a downward trend is confirmed when the RSI crosses from above 50 to below 50. Similarly, an upward trend is confirmed when the RSI crosses above 50.

What is the most accurate indicator of overbought oversold? ›

Two of the most common charting indicators of overbought or oversold conditions are relative strength index (RSI) and stochastics. Developed by J. Welles Wilder Jr. and introduced in the 1978 book New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems, RSI is a measurement of stock price change momentum.

What is the best indicator for a 5 min chart? ›

Therefore, the exponential moving average may be considered the best moving average for a 5 min chart. A 20-period moving average will suit best. The MACD indicator is based on the exponential moving averages. Usually, it consists of two lines and a histogram.

Is RSI leading or lagging indicator? ›

The relative strength index​​​ (RSI) is a technical indicator that can act as both a leading and lagging indicator. In its absolute sense, it is a lagging indicator, because the price has to move first for the indicator to start moving in that direction. It basically moves with the price, with a slight delay.

Is RSI simple or exponential? ›

How are RSI and Wilder's RSI different? In RSI, RS uses a simple average of the up and down closes. In Wilder's RSI, RS uses Wilder's smoothing which is a different form of exponential averaging.

What are the best chart times for day trading? ›

The opening 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) period is often one of the best hours of the day for day trading, offering the biggest moves in the shortest amount of time. A lot of professional day traders stop trading around 11:30 a.m. because that is when volatility and volume tend to taper off.

What MACD settings do day traders use? ›

MACD Indicator Settings | Intraday Trading

The MACD can be used for intraday trading with the default settings (12,26,9). However, if we change the settings to 24,52,9, we can construct a system with one of the best MACD settings for intraday trading that works well on M30.

Which MACD period is best for intraday? ›

Best MACD settings

MACD default settings used by the majority of traders while entering trades are 12-day EMA, 26-day EMA, and 9-day EMA. The MACD can be used for intraday trading with the default 12, 26, 9 settings.

What is the 9 30 strategy? ›

The 9 30 trading strategy is a trend-following strategy that uses two moving averages — a 9-period EMA (exponential moving average) and a 30-period WMA (weighted moving average) — to spot trading opportunities when there is a pullback.

What is the RSI setting for scalping? ›

Scalp trading using the RSI

Dips in the trend are to be bought, so when the RSI drops to 30 and then moves above this line, a possible entry point is created.

What is the win rate of RSI strategy? ›

Triple RSI trading strategy backtest

The 78 trades since 1993 are few, but the average gain is a solid 1.4% per trade. The win rate is 90%, and the profit factor is 5. It is a trading strategy with a high win rate.

What is the best RSI strategy for swing trading? ›

RSI is best used in swing trading to detect oversold and overbought conditions. Generally, when the RSI moves over 70, the market is considered overbought. When the RSI moves under 30 it is generally considered oversold. Traders use to buy at oversold levels, and sell at overbought levels.

What is the most common RSI? ›

You can get repetitive strain injury (RSI) in many parts of the body, but it most often affects the:
  • shoulders.
  • elbows.
  • forearms and wrists.
  • hands and fingers.

What is the most successful scalping indicator? ›

The EMA indicator is regarded as one of the best indicators for scalping since it responds more quickly to recent price changes than to older price changes. Traders use this technical indicator for obtaining buying and selling signals that stem from crossovers and divergences of the historical averages.

Is scalping harder than day trading? ›

In most cases, a scalper can hold a trade for even two minutes. Day traders, on the other hand, can hold trades for several hours. Second, scalping requires opening tens or even hundreds of trades per day. This is simply because the overall profits per trade will be relatively low.

Which hour is best for scalping? ›

In the Forex market, the highest levels of volume and liquidity tend to occur in the London (08:00 - 17:00 GMT/BST) and New York (13:00 - 22:00 GMT/BST) trading sessions, which make them particularly attractive for most Forex scalpers.

What if RSI is 20? ›

This implies that stock may rebound. Some traders, in an attempt to avoid false signals from the RSI, use more extreme RSI values as buy or sell signals, such as RSI readings above 80 to indicate overbought conditions and RSI readings below 20 to indicate oversold conditions.

What is a 14 day RSI at 80? ›

The RSI is typically based on a 14-day time frame with high values being 70 or above, and low values being 30 or below. Levels such as 80 or 20 indicate a stronger trend in upward or downward momentum, respectively.

What is RSI 6 14 24? ›

3 timeframes of RSIs: 6, 14 and 24 days. This is the extended version of the "standard" RSI script. How to use it: It has 3 upper bands and 3 lower bands. The 6-day RSI (orange line) corresponds to 80 and 20 bands, which means if 6-day RSI is over 80, it is an indicator of overbought for short term.

What is the best RSI ratio? ›

In an uptrend or bull market, the RSI tends to remain in the 40 to 90 range with the 40-50 zone acting as support. During a downtrend or bear market the RSI tends to stay between the 10 to 60 range with the 50-60 zone acting as resistance.

Should I sell at RSI 70? ›

The relative strength index (RSI) provides short-term buy and sell signals. Low RSI levels (below 30) generate buy signals. High RSI levels (above 70) generate sell signals. The S&P 500's RSI suggests the recent rally has room to continue.

What is the best settings for RSI oscillator? ›

the standard setting on the CCI indicator is 14, meaning it will measure recent price changes against average price changes over 14 time periods. … a setting of less than 14 results in a more reactive average that oscillates between the +100 and -100 levels more frequently and does not stay in either cycle very long.

Which timeframe is best for RSI? ›

The best timeframe for RSI lies between 2 to 6. While the default 14 periods are fine for many situations, intermediate and advanced traders can decrease or increase the RSI timeframe slightly depending on whether the position they are entering is long-term or short-term.

Is RSI 20 80 or 30 70? ›

The most common settings that traders tend to watch are: 80/20 where 80 is an overbought level and 20 is an oversold level. 70/30 where 70 is overbought and 30 is oversold.

Is RSI below 30 buy or sell? ›

Low RSI levels, below 30, generate buy signals and indicate an oversold or undervalued condition. High RSI levels, above 70, generate sell signals and suggest that a security is overbought or overvalued.

What is a 14 day RSI at 70? ›

For a 14-day period RSI, the upper and bottom levels will be: RSI = 70, meaning that the stock is overbought for any RSI above this level, and the upward price trend is about to reverse, causing losses if you do not sell.

What is a typical price for RSI? ›

During a bull market, RSI values normally sit in the 40 to 90 range, with the 40-50 range seen as support. In a bear market, the reading typically stays within the 10 to 60 range, with the 50-60 zone signaling resistance.

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