Concept
Know Sure Thing
Know Sure Thing is a Momentum & Oscillators concept. The Library holds 2 implementations, each one a working definition you can pull into Quant.
KST
Top Know Sure Thing indicators
2 total
What is the Know Sure Thing?
The Know Sure Thing (KST) is Martin Pring's summed rate-of-change oscillator. It computes ROC over four lookbacks, smooths each with its own moving average, then adds the four with weights of 1 through 4, heaviest on the slowest. In the widely published daily version the ROCs are 10, 15, 20, and 30 periods, the first three smoothed with 10-period averages and the last with a 15-period average, and a 9-period average of the total serves as the signal line. Pring specified slower parameter sets for weekly and monthly charts.
The weighting is the point of the design: the longest, most heavily weighted component dominates, so KST tracks the primary swing, while the shorter components let it turn earlier than a single long ROC would. It is read much like MACD: signal-line crossovers for triggers, the zero line for regime, and divergence against price as a warning.
How traders use it
- Signal-line crossovers as the primary trigger: KST crossing above its signal after a sustained decline is the classic buy-side read, mirrored on the sell side; on monthly parameters these are infrequent, cycle-scale events.
- Zero-line position as a momentum regime filter: above zero, multi-horizon smoothed momentum is net positive and trend-direction setups get the benefit of the doubt; below zero, the reverse.
- Divergence between KST swings and price swings as an exhaustion warning, typically acted on only once price structure confirms.
Know Sure Thing vs related oscillators
Coppock Curve: The Coppock Curve is the narrower ancestor: two summed ROCs, one weighted smoothing, monthly charts, and a single canonical signal (the upturn from below zero). KST spreads the same summed-ROC idea across four weighted horizons and trades crosses in both directions.
MACD: MACD derives momentum from the distance between two EMAs of price; KST sums four smoothed rate-of-change series. Both are read through signal-line crossovers, zero-line position, and divergence, so they often agree; KST's multi-horizon weighting simply targets the primary swing more deliberately.
Related concepts · Rate-of-change cluster
Concept family
Momentum & Oscillators
91 concepts mapped · 72 in the Library
Know Sure Thing FAQ
What are the standard Know Sure Thing settings?
The commonly published daily set uses rate-of-change lookbacks of 10, 15, 20, and 30, smoothed by 10, 10, 10, and 15-period averages, weighted 1 through 4, with a 9-period signal line. Pring also published slower weekly and monthly sets, so defaults differ across platforms and timeframes.
Is the Know Sure Thing better than MACD?
Neither dominates. MACD builds momentum from the spread of two EMAs; KST aggregates four smoothed rate-of-change horizons, which makes it steadier but adds parameters and lag. Both whipsaw in ranges and both are usually paired with trend or structure filters, so the choice is preference, not proof.
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Quant writes, tests, and refines it with you — then it runs on LuxAlgo charting or ports to TradingView.