Wilder’s Volaility System

Wilder’s Volatility System, developed by and named after Welles Wilder, is a volatility index made up of the ongoing calculated average, the True Range. The True Range is always positive and is defined as the highest difference in value among today’s daily high minus today’s daily low; today’s daily high minus yesterday’s closing price; and today’s low minus yesterday’s closing price. The consideration of the True Range means that days with a low trading range (little difference between daily high and low), but still showing a clear price difference to the previous day, do not enter into the calculation with an erroneously low volatility.

Interpretation

Wilder’s Volatility System determines market volatility by calculating a smoothed average of the market price’s true range. True Range, developed by Welles Wilder to deliver a more realistic method to calculate price activity, is an indicator that measures price activity and directional movement and is defined as the distance a price moves per increment of time, e.g. from the lowest price to the highest price in a day. This system measures the trend in volatility in the base instrument, according to the True Range concept. A rising trend line shows a volatility increase in the security. A falling trend line shows a reduction in the instrument’s volatility. The ordinate values are not relevant.

Wilder’s Volatility System alone cannot trigger any trade signals, which means it must be used in conjunction with other indicator systems. A popular use is, for example, the Volatility Breakout System. Average True Range (ATR) represents the foundation for this. The aim of this system is to open a long position, as soon as the base instrument rises above its usual fluctuation margin and a short position as soon as it falls below its usual fluctuation margin.

The Volatility assists the trader in determining the market’s risk potential, as well as buy and sell opportunities. More volatile markets offer a greater risk/reward potential. There are traders who readily take on the risk for the potential of a greater profit, while, at the same time, there are traders who do not want to take such a risk.