On-Balance Volume tracks cumulative buying and selling pressure by adding volume on up days and subtracting volume on down days — it often leads price breakouts by showing institutional accumulation or distribution. OBV divergence is one of the strongest early-warning signals available, especially when confirming breakout setups in stocks and crypto. Pair OBV with the Volume Profile for a complete picture of where institutional money is flowing. Browse our indicators hub to discover more volume-based analysis tools.
If today's close > yesterday's close: OBV = previous OBV + today's volume. If today's close < yesterday's close: OBV = previous OBV − today's volume. If close is unchanged, OBV stays the same. The absolute value is less important than the trend.
The Chaikin Oscillator applies the <a href="/academy/indicators/macd" class="text-primary hover:underline">MACD</a> formula to the <a href="/academy/indicators/accumulation-distribution" class="text-primary hover:underline">Accumulation/Distribution</a> line, producing a momentum reading of money flow that leads price turns. It is particularly useful for validating breakout strength in <a href="/market/stocks" class="text-primary hover:underline">stocks</a> and spotting divergence before significant moves in <a href="/market/crypto" class="text-primary hover:underline">crypto</a>. Browse our <a href="/academy/indicators" class="text-primary hover:underline">indicator guide library</a> to pair the Chaikin Oscillator with trend-following tools.
The Positive Volume Index tracks price changes exclusively on days when volume increases, reflecting crowd-driven activity and retail sentiment. PVI works in tandem with the <a href="/academy/indicators/negative-volume-index" class="text-primary hover:underline">NVI</a> to contrast smart-money behaviour with public participation in <a href="/market/stocks" class="text-primary hover:underline">stock</a> and <a href="/market/crypto" class="text-primary hover:underline">crypto</a> markets. Explore our <a href="/academy/indicators" class="text-primary hover:underline">indicator guide library</a> for the full suite of volume-based analytical tools.
The Volume Weighted Moving Average weighs each price bar by its volume before averaging, so high-volume bars have more influence on the average than low-volume bars. VWMA gives traders a truer picture of the "agreed-upon" price compared to a standard <a href="/academy/indicators/simple-moving-average" class="text-primary hover:underline">SMA</a>. It is especially useful in <a href="/market/stocks" class="text-primary hover:underline">stock</a> and <a href="/market/crypto" class="text-primary hover:underline">crypto</a> trading on <a href="/tools/platforms/tradingview" class="text-primary hover:underline">TradingView</a>, and can be explored alongside other volume tools in our <a href="/academy/indicators" class="text-primary hover:underline">indicator guide library</a>.
Chaikin Money Flow measures the volume-weighted <a href="/academy/indicators/accumulation-distribution" class="text-primary hover:underline">accumulation/distribution</a> pressure over a set period, oscillating between −1 and +1 to show sustained buying or selling. CMF is one of the most reliable volume indicators for confirming breakouts in <a href="/market/stocks" class="text-primary hover:underline">stocks</a> and <a href="/market/crypto" class="text-primary hover:underline">crypto</a>. Use it alongside the <a href="/academy/indicators/on-balance-volume" class="text-primary hover:underline">OBV</a> for dual volume confirmation in your <a href="/strategies" class="text-primary hover:underline">trading strategies</a>.