Flow · Trend · Momentum — combines four institutional flow indicators with trend and relative strength into a single A/D Score, firing color-coded entry, add, and exit labels on any ticker and timeframe.
All 11 signals. Entry and add signals appear below the bar; exit signals above. Priority when multiple fire at once: S1 → S2 → S3 → T1 → T2 → T3 → A1 → R1 → A2 → A3 → A4.
A composite accumulation/distribution score from four institutional flow indicators plus price-to-MA position. Higher = more institutional buying pressure.
Each trigger is boolean. The total count (0–5) determines whether T1, T2, or T3 fires. More triggers = stronger conviction.
| # | Trigger | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Score Gate | Composite flow is in the accumulation zone |
| 2 | CMF Crossover | Money flow just turned positive — fresh accumulation |
| 3 | OBV Strength | On-Balance Volume rising with or against price (divergence scored extra) |
| 4 | Relative Strength | Stock outperforming the benchmark over the lookback |
| 5 | Trend Gate | Price is above the intermediate trend line |
Each warning is boolean. The count (0–6) gates S3/S2/S1 alongside the crossunder conditions. Dashboard color: green → yellow → orange → red as warnings accumulate.
| # | Warning | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Score Softening | Composite flow leaving the accumulation zone — institutional interest fading |
| 2 | Money Flow Negative | Chaikin Money Flow flipped — net outflows on the candle range |
| 3 | OBV Stalling | On-Balance Volume no longer rising — buyers not committing volume to up-moves |
| 4 | Below Fast EMA | Short-term trend broken — stock under the fast moving average |
| 5 | Below Intermediate EMA | Intermediate trend broken — more serious structural breakdown |
| 6 | RS Off | Stock underperforming the benchmark — relative strength gone |
How the signals interact across a trade. With the Profit-Taking Overlay on (default), the exit is a two-step scale-out plus a trailing stop (the Scale-out path below); high-volatility names take the Trail-only branch instead. S1/S2/S3 still print as advisory heads-ups in parallel. A1/A2/A3/R1/A4 bypass the entry lock and can fire any time the stage is active.
When PT exit mode is on Auto (by ADR%) (default) and the name is high-volatility (ADR% ≥ 5), the overlay rides the whole position on one wider trail from entry — no PT1/PT2 banking — and exits in a single shot on the trail stop or the −30% floor. That's why those names show only the trail line. Calm, low-ADR names follow the scale-out steps. Set the mode to Scale-out to force the ladder on every name.
While locked, all five add signals still fire freely. A1 — squeeze breakout (Stage 1/2). R1 — ICT Phase 3 blast-off. A2 pocket pivots & A3 pullback bounces require Stage 2 + a healthy A/D Score. A4 — quiet trend-ride continuation. All five also fire when not in position, so a late entrant can use any A/R signal as an initial entry — which then activates the S-exit cycle.
A backtest-validated exit engine that scales out into strength and trails the rest. When enabled (default), it owns the exit and the S1/S2/S3 ladder becomes advisory. Built because testing showed EMA-cross exits left most of the move on the table.
A read of who is moving the stock — "banker" (strong-handed institutional money) vs the "retail" crowd — shown as a thin color strip along the bottom of the chart plus optional dashboard rows. A richer VIEW of flow, complementary to the A/D Score, not a separate trigger.
The live table (top-right by default) updates every bar. To stay compact, the four A/D component rows (MFI/CMF/OBV/U-D Vol) and the two MCDX rows are hidden by default (v3.4.8) — enable them in the Display group.
Based on the 150-bar SMA (≈30 weeks on daily). Determined by price vs the SMA and the SMA slope. Enable "No entry signals in Stage 4" to auto-block all T/A entries in downtrends.
Input groups below, each with sensible defaults and an in-app tooltip on every field. Most users only touch Signal Sensitivity, the Profit-Taking Overlay, and Display.
Real-world usage patterns and how to configure for different styles.
7.2x trim), take partial profits and tighten the stop — but don't full-exit just because it looks stretched. In strong momentum, extension persists: in testing the most-extended state had the highest forward returns. Reserve full exits for the trail stop or an S3→S2→S1 rollover. The overlay automates this.A MarketSurge-style CANSLIM workstation on your chart — IBD-style ratings, earnings power, RS line with new-high detection, and a 7-letter checklist gated by market direction. All ratings computed from daily data, so the panel reads right on any timeframe.
MarketMerge answers “is this a stock worth owning, and does the earnings power justify a longer hold?” — it builds the buy list and sets conviction. FTM handles the timing.
Stock ÷ benchmark ratio (default SPY), anchored 250 bars back and scaled into the lower price window. Rising = outperforming; falling = lagging even if price rises.
● NEW HI.Green = beat · Red = miss · Blue = no estimate
| Surprise | Gap | Vol | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beat | Up | 2x+ | Institutions endorsing — supports a longer hold |
| Beat | Fades / gaps down | High | Sold into good news — favor selling into strength |
| Beat | Flat | Low | Unimpressed — power not rewarded |
| Miss | Down | High | Thesis broken — exit discipline applies |
| Cell | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Vol / Avg | Today vs 50-day avg — confirm breakouts at 1.5x+ |
| Off Hi | % below 52w high (green ≥ −10%) |
| ATR | 21-day ATR % — the movement budget for stops & sizing |
| Cue | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Size | Position-sizing ladder from the M-gate cohort test: FULL ▲ (UPTREND, 0–2 dist days) · FULL (UPTREND, 3–4) · HALF (PRESSURE) · NONE (CORRECTION). Validated on small/mid-cap momentum; large-cap leaders may treat CORRECTION as a follow-through watchlist instead. |
| FTM PT | Suggested FTM "PT exit mode" for this name: EPS accel ✓✓ → TRAIL-ONLY (let the runner run) · DECEL ▼ → SCALE-OUT (bank into strength) · else AUTO. Set FTM's dropdown per position — indicators can't set each other's inputs. |
| Next ER / Pre-ER | Days to the next scheduled report. Inside 7 days: HOLD full size only if EPS is accelerating AND the last surprise was positive; otherwise TRIM ½ before the print. |
| Edge x/4 | The four signals MM adds beyond FTM's own gates: C, A, EPS acceleration, M. (L/S/N/I largely overlap FTM's triggers — judge incremental conviction on these four.) |
| Rating | Measures | Good |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | RS 35 + EPS 35 + SMR 15 + Acc/Dis 15 | ≥ 80 |
| RS Rating | 12-mo weighted perf vs benchmark (slow — durable leadership) | ≥ 80 |
| RS 1M / 3M | 1- & 3-month relative-strength ratings (1–99). Fast read; RS 1M > RS 3M = accelerating, < = fading even if RS Rating stays high | ≥ 80 |
| EPS Rtg | Latest quarterly EPS growth YoY | ≥ 80 |
| SMR | Sales + Margin + ROE | A / B |
| Acc/Dis | 50-day up/down volume | A · B+ · B |
| MA stack | Close vs 8 / 21 EMA (institutional short-term) + 50 / 200 DMA — ✓ above (green), ✗ below (red) | all ✓ |
| MM Trend | Minervini: price > 50 > 150 > 200 DMA · 200 rising · ≥30% off low · within 25% of high · RS ≥70 | PASS |
| RS Line | 20-bar direction / 52w high | ● NEW HI |
SPY daily trend + distribution days (SPY down ≥0.2% on higher volume, over 25 sessions — x/25, green 0–2 · yellow 3–4 · red 5+). Three of four stocks follow the market: M overrides everything.
| Letter | Pass condition |
|---|---|
| C Qtr EPS+Sales | Quarterly EPS ≥ +25% YoY and sales ≥ +20% YoY |
| A Ann EPS | Annual EPS growth ≥ +25% |
| N New Hi | Within 10% of the 52-week high |
| S Demand | U/D volume ratio ≥ 1.0 |
| L Leader | RS Rating ≥ 80 |
| I Quality | Composite ≥ 70 |
| M Market | Market status = UPTREND |
request.financial updates days after filings; TradingView uses GAAP EPS, IBD excludes non-recurring items. Verify C and A at the source before sizing up.The two indicators answer different questions. Run them together: MarketMerge for what to own and how long, FTM for when to enter and exit.
| MarketMerge says | FTM says | Play |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Accel ✓✓ · beat + gap up on volume · RS ● NEW HI | Above the PT trail, Stage 2, no warnings | Hold longer — let the trailing third run, ignore minor shakeouts, add on A3 pullbacks |
| EPS Accel ✓✓ | S3 advisory / EMA50 Ext red | Trust the overlay — bank the scheduled PT partials, keep the core. Strong earnings power earns the runner the benefit of the doubt |
| DECEL ▼ or beat-that-got-sold | Healthy (no warnings yet) | Sell into strength — scale out manually on up days; don't wait for the trail to be hit |
| DECEL ▼ or surprise miss | S2 / S1 advisory or PT Exit | Exit fully — fundamentals and flow agree |
| Anything | M flips to PRESSURE / CORRECTION | Tighten everything, no new buys, let the PT trail / S-exits run their course |
706 FTM signals (2021–2026, three universes) split by SPY's market-direction state at entry — same entries, same exits, one variable. If the gate has value, the UPTREND cohort must beat the rest on the very same trades.
| Universe | UPTREND | PRESSURE | CORRECTION | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-cap momentum (n=318) | +19.5% | +9.3% | +0.5% | Gate is real — p=0.003, monotone, repeats every year |
| Large-cap (n=231) | +11.6% | +8.4% | +20.7% | Gate unnecessary — corrections on leaders were buys, not vetoes |
| Loser basket (n=157) | +8.8% | +3.0% | −9.6% | Protection — directional (p=0.13), streaks 18→4 |
| Market state | Small/mid-cap momentum | Large-cap leaders |
|---|---|---|
| UPTREND · 0–2 dist days | Full size, lean in (cohort +36.7%) | Full size |
| UPTREND · 3–4 dd | Full size (+14.6%) | Normal |
| PRESSURE (5+ dd or < 50 DMA) | Half size / starters (+9.3%) | Normal — gate not needed |
| CORRECTION | No new buys (+0.5% = dead money) | Watchlist → buy the follow-through |
This ladder is what MarketMerge v2.1's Size cue prints. It keeps ~86% of small-cap trades (vs 31% under a strict UPTREND-only gate) while cutting the cohort that made nothing. Caveats: close-based fills, no costs, survivor-tilted baskets, one bear in sample — read direction, not decimals.