On-Balance Volume
Accumulates volume according to whether price closes up or down.
Start with the input, not the story.
Directional participation using the platform's available volume series.
The precomputed panel adds example tick activity after an up close and subtracts it after a down close. Keep the feed consistent when you study OBV: retail spot-FX data is not the total volume of the global market.
Most retail spot-FX platforms show broker tick volume. Keep the same feed throughout and always compare OBV with a price-only version.How traders commonly use On-Balance Volume
OBV can be tested as a secondary breakout-participation feature on one fixed broker feed.
Accumulate the platform's available volume according to completed up and down closes.
Keep this job separate from entry timing, stop placement and position size.
A useful counterexample
Retail spot-FX tick volume is feed-specific and does not represent total global currency-market volume.
Donchian for price structure, OBV for feed participation, ATR for scale
Each part has a different job. If two tools answer the same question, remove one and compare the result.
Defines the objective price breakout.
Describes participation on the selected feed.
Measures breakout distance and risk.
Follow the same order every time
- Record the broker, symbol and whether the platform supplies tick or real volume.
- Build the Donchian level only from completed candles.
- Define the OBV observation numerically, such as a completed-bar high or slope.
- Measure the breakout and invalidation distance in ATR units.
- Compare the price-only breakout with the same rule plus OBV on the identical feed.
The indicator is one part of the method
These strategy pages show the market conditions, entry, stop and exit around the indicator.
Donchian breakout
A rules-first breakout framework based on new lookback extremes.
- ENTRY
- Enter at the next H4 open after a completed close above the prior 20-bar upper channel for a long or below the lower channel for a short.
- STOP
- Initial stop is 2.0 × ATR(20) from the actual fill. Size to risk 0.50% of equity, rounded down to 0.01 lot; never add to or widen the position.
- EXIT
- Exit at the next H4 open after a completed close through the opposite 10-bar channel. The initial 2 ATR stop remains active until that exit.
Turtle-style breakout
An educational adaptation of channel breakout and volatility sizing principles.
- ENTRY
- Enter one unit at the next daily open after the qualifying channel close; there is no previous-winner skip rule.
- STOP
- Stop exactly 2N from actual fill. One unit risks 0.50% equity and is rounded down to 0.01 lot.
- EXIT
- Exit at next daily open after a completed close through the opposite 20-day channel; the 2N stop remains active.
Support and resistance rejection
A framework for testing reactions at levels that genuinely predate the trade.
- ENTRY
- Enter at the next H1 open after the first qualifying rejection close back above the prior-day low or below the prior-day high.
- STOP
- Place stop 0.20 × ATR beyond the rejection candle extreme. Risk 0.50% of equity and round down to 0.01 lot.
- EXIT
- Take profit at 2R. Exit after 12 completed H1 bars if neither stop nor target trades.
Set up On-Balance Volume on your platform
Match the lesson's period, price input, smoothing and candle timing. Similar names can still produce different values across feeds and platforms.
MT4
Built inAvailable in the standard MT4 indicator library. Names and default settings can differ.
MT4 technical analysisWickAtlas MT4 setup guideMT5
Built inAvailable in the standard MT5 indicator library. Names and default settings can differ.
MT4 and MT5 comparisonWickAtlas MT5 setup guideTradingView
Built inAvailable in the standard TradingView indicator library. Names and default settings can differ.
TradingView indicatorsWickAtlas TradingView guide“Built in” means the standard platform library contains the underlying indicator. It does not mean its defaults or calculation match every third-party version. Compare the platforms.
Plain-language formula
The same indicator can look slightly different across platforms because the price input, smoothing and rounding may change. Note your settings before comparing two charts.
Where it may help
Breakout confirmation research when feed-specific tick volume is understood.
Where it struggles
Spot FX is decentralised, so retail platforms usually show tick volume rather than total market volume.
What to pair it with
Pair it with something that answers a different question, such as volatility or market direction. Try the indicator on its own before adding more tools.
The shortcut to avoid
Calling broker tick volume the complete global FX volume.
Try this on a chart
Keep the same broker feed and test whether the feature adds value beyond price alone.