Market Structures SMC [TradingFinder] BOS/CHoCH Major & Minor🟣Introduction
Understanding market structure involves analyzing market behavior. In other words, market structure encompasses how the market forms and evolves within trends.
Market structures are typically fractal and nested, so we categorize them into internal (minor) and external (major) structures. There are various definitions of market structure, with different approaches such as Smart Money and ICT providing their own interpretations.
🟣How to Use
The first step in identifying market structure is to analyze key highs and lows. An uptrend is formed when highs and lows are successively higher than previous ones. Similarly, in a downtrend, lows and highs are successively lower than previous ones.
Market trends consist of two types of movements :
•Impulsive movements
•Corrective movements
Impulsive movements align with the main trend and possess high strength and momentum. Conversely, corrective movements go against the main trend and have lower strength and momentum. The following example illustrates these concepts.
🔵 Identifying Break of Structure (BOS)
In a specific trend, for example in a downtrend, when the price breaks below the previous low and forms a new low (LL), a Break of Structure occurs. In an uptrend, a BOS (Market Structure Break or MSB) happens when the price rises and surpasses the last high.
We need at least one BOS to confirm a trend. Breaking above or below the previous high or low must be confirmed by closing at least one candle after that level.
🔵 Identifying Change of Character (CHOCH)
Change of Character (CHOCH) is a key concept in market structure analysis. A change in structure signals a trend change. In other words, a trend ends with a CHOCH (Market Structure Shift or MSS). For instance, in a downtrend, the price declines with BOS.
BOS indicates the strength of the trend, but when the price increases and surpasses the last high, a CHOCH occurs, signaling a shift from a downtrend to an uptrend.
This does not mean entering a buy trade; instead, we should wait for a BOS in the upward direction to confirm the uptrend. Unlike BOS, confirming a CHOCH does not require a candle to close; simply breaking above or below the previous high or low with the candle's wick is sufficient. The following examples show bearish and bullish CHOCH.
🔵 Range Market Structure
Besides uptrends and downtrends, a third structure often found in the market is the range or sideways structure. In this state, the power of buyers and sellers is almost equal, and the market lacks a clear trend.
Many traders believe that the Forex market ranges 80% of the time. Therefore, it requires a lot of patience to wait for a new trend to start.
🟣 Settings
Through the settings, you can customize the display, visibility, and color of each line as desired.
Marketstructureshift
MTF Market Structure - SMC IndicatorsThe Multi Timeframe Market Structure helps understand and identify bullish or bearish Market Structure by highlighting “KEY” Highs and Lows. It also identifies changes in market direction by identifying a “Shift in Market Structure” (See Point 2 below) or “Break in Market Structure” (See Point 3 Below).
What are Key Highs and Lows?
Not every high or low is a “Key” high or low. “Key” highs and lows are specific highs and lows that form the structure of the market and have significance in understanding the current trend in the market (see point 1 below).
The indicator identifies these “Key” highs and lows on multiple time frames, allowing the trader to keep a perspective of the Market Structure with multiple timeframes simultaneously (see point 5 below).
The key highs and lows identified by the indicator are as follows:
Key Lows : Identify significant Swing Lows, Short-term lows “STL”, Intermediate-Term Lows “ITL”, and Long-Term Lows “LTL”.
Key Highs : Identify significant Swing Highs, Short-term highs “STH”, Intermediate-Term Highs “ITH”, and Long-Term Highs “LTH”.
Significant Swing High : This is a price swing with one lower candle to the right and one lower candle to the left of it.
Significant Swing Low : This is a price swing with one higher candle to the right and one higher candle to the left of it.
Short-Term High “STH” is a price swing with one lower Significant Swing High to the right and one lower Significant Swing High to the left of it.
Short-Term Low “STL” is a price swing with one higher Significant Swing Low to the right and one higher Significant Swing Low to the left of it.
Intermediate-Term High “ITH” is a price swing with one lower STH to the right and one lower STH to the left of it.
Intermediate-Term Low “ITL” is a price swing with one higher STL to the right and one higher STL to the left of it.
Long-Term High “LTH” is a price swing with one lower ITH to the right and one lower ITH to the left of it.
Long-Term Low “ITL” is a price swing with one higher ITL to the right and one higher ITL to the left of it.
By identifying key highs and lows using the Market Structure Indicator, it can be used in multiple ways by using those reference points as follows:
1. Identifying Market Trends by Connecting Key Highs and Lows.
Bullish trend identification is when the indicator is making higher ITLs and ITHs.
Bearish Trend identification when the indicator is making lower ITLs and ITHs.
PS: it’s essential to understand the underlying market trend on multiple timeframes to use the next features correctly. Always use the Shifts and Breaks in Market Structures in line with the 1H or higher timeframes Market Trend for higher probability trade opportunities. This is because, generally, higher timeframes have more importance than lower timeframes.
2. Shift In Market Structure - SMS for Entries
A Shift in Market Structure “SMS” identifies potential reversal in short-term market trend relative to the timeframe where the SMS is identified.
This occurs after a run of any Significant Swing High or Low and then reversing, creating a Fair Value Gap “FVG”.
There can be Bullish and Bearish Market Structure Shifts.
When a Bullish Shift in Market Structure occurs, the indicator identifies an opportunity for the price to change from Bearish to Bullish, as seen in the image below.
When a Bearish Shift in Market Structure occurs, the indicator identifies an opportunity for the price to change from Bullish to Bearish.
3. Break In Market Structure - BMS for Entries
A Break in Market Structure “BMS” has a similar function to the Shift in Market Structure “SMS”; however, when it occurs, it identifies a potential longer-term trend reversal (compared to the SMS) relative to the timeframe where the BMS is identified.
Unlike “SMS”, the BMS occurs after a run only after a run on Key Highs or Lows.
Similar to the SMS, there can be Bullish and Bearish Breaks in Market Structure.
When a Bullish Break in Market Structure occurs, the indicator identifies an opportunity for a longer-term trend change from Bearish to Bullish, as seen in the image below.
The FVG must occur in the lower 50% of the impulse price leg (at Discount).
When a Bearish Break in Market Structure occurs, the indicator identifies an opportunity for a longer-term trend change from Bullish to Bearish.
The FVG must occur in the upper 50% of the impulse price leg (at Premium).
4. Inversion Break and Shift in Market Structure for Early Entries
Inversion “BMS” and “SMS” are similar to the normal SMS and BMS, but they occur:
Bullish: When the FVG of the Bearish BMS/SMS forms in the lower 50% of the impulse price leg (at Discount).
We use the FVG that forms from the Bearish SMS/BMS as an inversion FVG for potential entry after market trend change from Bearish to Bullish.
Bearish: When the FVG of the Bullish BMS/SMS forms in the upper 50% of the impulse price leg (at Premium).
We use the FVG that forms from the Bullish SMS/BMS as an inversion FVG for potential entry after market trend change from Bullish to Bearish.
5. Multi Time Frame analysis
The indicator allows multiple timeframe perspectives to be considered when using it.
The key Highs and Lows have significance not only on the current timeframe they are identified but also on lower or higher timeframes simultaneously.
This is because a ITL/ITH on the 1H means
It’s a LTL/LTH on one or more timeframes lower (15Min, 5M, and 1Min).
And at the same time, it’s a STL/STH on one timeframe higher (4H)
Also, it’s a Significant Low/High (marked with a dot) on two timeframes higher (Daily).
The same logic applies to all other Key Highs and Lows.
Another example is a Significant Low/High (swing marked with a dot below or above it) on the current timeframe (1D) means it’s a STL/STH on one timeframe lower (4H) and an ITL/ITH on two timeframes lower (1H) and a LTH/LTH on three timeframes lower or more (15M, 5M, 1Min, 30 Seconds, etc…).
This Multi-time frame analysis is a great way to help traders understand Market Structure and Market trend on multiple timeframes simultaneously, and it also assists in Top-down analysis.
PS: Note that this multi-timeframe analysis approach and logic can be applied to any timeframe and for any type of trading (swing trading, day trading, scalping, or short-term trading) because the price is fractal.
For example, if a trader is a swing trader, then it’s best to identify trader opportunities on the 1H or higher; however, lower timeframes Market Structure can still be used to help the traders refine their entries and target key highs and lows in the opposite direction.
If a trader is a day trader or a scalper, the trader could use Market Structure on 15M or lower to identify trader opportunities and target key highs and lows in the opposite direction.
6. Setting Targets
The indicator can also be used to identify potential targets after the SMS or BMS occurs. Targets can be chosen above Key Highs or Lows depending on the trade objective and timeframe where the trade idea is identified.
Bonus Features
Highlight Market Structure Trend
This feature is an excellent backtesting visual tool to look at changes in market trends highlighted in colours. These changes are based on the Shift or Break in of Market Structure depending on the selection option.
When "Shift/Break" in Market Structure" is selected, a Bullish trend is highlighted in blue when a Bullish Shift/Break in Market Structure Occurs and in Red when a Bearish Shift/Break in Market Structure Occurs.
Notifications
Sends notifications when there is a Shift or Break in Market Structure on the current timeframe of choice.
ICT HTF MSS & Liquidity (fadi)ICT HTF MSS & Liquidity provides higher timeframe view of where the liquidity may reside and when higher timeframe market structure shift has occurred.
In his 2022 mentorship, ICT has advocated used the 15m chart to watch for liquidity and looking for lower timeframes for entry (5m,4m,3m,2m,1m).
Liquidity will reside above pivot points and ICT pivot points are based on 3 candle formation for the short term, three short term formation for intermediate, and three intermediate formation for the long terms.
Options
Timeframe Timeframe to monitor
Use the Short, Intermediate, or Long Term highs and lows
Liquidity Styles
Open liquidity line style, size, and color
Claimed liquidity line style, size, and color
Extend the open liquidity line beyond the current candle
Number of lines to display, this includes claimed and open
Market Structure (Breakers) [LuxAlgo]The Market Structure (Breakers) indicator aims to detect "Breaker Market Structures", an original concept inspired by breaker blocks, and extend on the original concept of market structures by extending existing MS levels, providing supports/resistances as a result.
Various graphical elements are included that highlight the interactions between price and Breaker structures.
🔶 USAGE
Breaker structures occur when a market structure is confirmed (price breaking a previous swing level). The broken swing point is extended by a dotted line which can be used as potential support or resistance.
After a market structure, the price can eventually reverse and break one or multiple breaker structures at the same time, allowing for the detection of new trends in the price.
A market structure closer to the top/bottom of a trend can return Breaker structures breakouts more indicative of potential reversals.
Breakers MS breakouts can also be useful as exits for entries done using market market structures.
The script additionally highlights support/resistance events by highlighting candle borders, with a border using a green color indicating support events while a red color is indicative of a resistance event.
🔹 Breaker Structure Lifespan
The "lifespan" of Breaker structures, that is the amount of time the script will extend/evaluate them is determined by various user settings.
The Maximum Breaks setting determines the maximum amount of breaks a breaker structure can withstand before it is broken.
For example, a maximum amount of breaks of 3 for a bearish breaker structure would require the price to cross under that precise breaker structure level three times. Using higher values of this setting will also highlight more Breakers MS.
The Breaker Maximum Duration setting on the other hand determines how many bars a breaker structure can be evaluated without being broken. If a breaker structure is not broken after this amount of bars then it will stop being evaluated and will be removed.
🔶 SETTINGS
Swings Period: Period used for the swing detection, with higher values returning longer term markter structures.
Maximum Breaks: Amount of break required for a breaker block to be considered broken.
Breaker Maximum Duration: Maximum duration of a breaker block (in bars).
ICT Institutional Order Flow (fadi)ICT Institutional Order Flow indicator is intended to provide wholistic view to better analyze order flow and where price may go to next. The concept follows ICT principles.
ICT Market Structure
ICT breaks down Pivot points into three categories:
Short Term High/Low (STH/STL) is a 3 candle pattern with a low with higher low on each side (STL), or a high with lower high on each side (STH)
Intermediate Term High/Low (ITH/ITL) uses the calculated STH/STL and marks any STH that has lower or STH on each side, and STL that has higher STL on each side
Long Term High/Low (LTH/LTL) uses the calculated ITH/ITL and marks any ITH that has lower or ITH on each side, and ITL that has higher ITL on each side
Note: ICT also states that if a STH wicks into and closes (almost?) a FVG, he marks it as ITH even if it does not have STH on reach side. This scenario is not covered by this indicator
Liquidity
liquidity is usually present under pivot points. The more prominent the pivot point, the more likely higher values liquidity pools reside under/above it. Liquidity under ITL and LTL as an example, will have better indication of which liquidity the price may seek next.
Displacement
Displacement registers above average move in the price resulting in strong visible move. If requiring a FVG is enabled (in settings), then the displacement could possibly (but never guaranteed) be used to visually recognize a move as it develops.
Full Credit: The calculation for Displacement is derived from TFO's Visualizing Displacement
Imbalances
Imbalances can come in different forms. This indicator identifies three type of imbalances:
1. FVG
2. Volume Imbalance
3. Open Gaps
Imbalances completes the picture by help visualize strong moves, where possible pivot points may develop, and how to enter or manage a trade.
ICT SM Trades PREMIUMIndicator looks for ICT & Smart Money trades on any timeframe. These types of trades reveal how the big institutions, banks and hedge funds trade with big money. If they want their very big positions to be filled they need to find areas in chart where the majority of the money is sitting. Where is it? Where is the majority of orders placed? Right below supports or right above resistance, these orders are stoplosses or stop orders. So they need to push the price to these areas, take all the available stoplosses and trigger all the available stop orders in order to fill their positions and then push the price to the opposite side to make profit (and retail to lose).
Indicator looks for support or resistance (S/R) areas which are represented by dotted lines. This S/R areas are created by minimum of 2 pivot high/low (H/L). Every pivot H/L that creates the S/R area is marked with diamond label. This S/R area is called liquidity. After liquidity is created, indicator looks for liquidity grab (mostly represented by fast spike to this area - it is labeled with x-cross) and then price should go fast to the opposite side of the created structure. Indicator considers as a created structure everything that was created on the other side of the candles from the oldest pivot H/L which creates particular liquidity. For example, if liquidity is created with 3 pivot highs, indicator looks at the oldest pivot high and from there it is looking for the lowest low. Under this lowest low is dashed line which means that this level should be broken with closed candle. This action is called market structure shift (MSS), when the price shifted very fast from highs to lows. After MSS, when the price went fast to one direction, there were some imbalances in prices, in our example selling pressure was a lot bigger than buying pressure and there were created some long untested bearish candles. This untested areas in candles are called imbalances or gaps of fair value gaps (FVG). These are labeled with rectangles. It is expected that these gaps will be tested in near future to "balance the market".
We can put limit orders into these gaps (or into order blocks in PREMIUM indicator) and await some retracement after MSS to open our positions and after the positions are opened we can expect trend continuation in the direction where market structure shift was made (away from liquidity grab). So stoplosses can be placed above/below liquidity grab candle (marked with x-cross).
Alerts can be set for MSS to Long & Short and for liquidity grabs to Long & Short.
All settings of this indicator should be self-explanatory and most of them have tooltips for better understanding.
ICT SM Trades (liquidity find & grab, MSS, FVG, killzones)Indicator looks for ICT & Smart Money trades on any timeframe. These types of trades reveal how the big institutions, banks and hedge funds trade with big money. If they want their very big positions to be filled they need to find areas in chart where the majority of the money is sitting. Where is it? Where is the majority of orders placed? Right below supports or right above resistance, these orders are stoplosses or stop orders. So they need to push the price to these areas, take all the available stoplosses and trigger all the available stop orders in order to fill their positions and then push the price to the opposite side to make profit (and retail to lose).
Indicator looks for support or resistance (S/R) areas which are represented by dotted lines. This S/R areas are created by minimum of 2 pivot high/low (H/L). Every pivot H/L that creates the S/R area is marked with diamond label. This S/R area is called liquidity. After liquidity is created, indicator looks for liquidity grab (mostly represented by fast spike to this area - it is labeled with x-cross) and then price should go fast to the opposite side of the created structure. Indicator considers as a created structure everything that was created on the other side of the candles from the oldest pivot H/L which creates particular liquidity. For example, if liquidity is created with 3 pivot highs, indicator looks at the oldest pivot high and from there it is looking for the lowest low. Under this lowest low is dashed line which means that this level should be broken with closed candle. This action is called market structure shift (MSS), when the price shifted very fast from highs to lows. After MSS, when the price went fast to one direction, there were some imbalances in prices, in our example selling pressure was a lot bigger than buying pressure and there were created some long untested bearish candles. This untested areas in candles are called imbalances or gaps of fair value gaps (FVG). These are labeled with rectangles. It is expected that these gaps will be tested in near future to "balance the market".
We can put limit orders into these gaps and await some retracement after MSS to open our positions and after the positions are opened we can expect trend continuation in the direction where market structure shift was made (away from liquidity grab). So stoplosses can be placed above/below liquidity grab candle (marked with x-cross).
In settings of the indicator you can set whether only long or only short trades will be shown. Long trades are green and short trades are red. You can set if fair value gaps will be shown as well. The last thing in settings is session. You can set custom session which will be shown as background color on your chart.
