MACD-V

What is MACD-V?

MACD-V is a volatility-normalized MACD proposed by Alex Spiroglou in a 2022 paper. The classic MACD line (12-period EMA minus 26-period EMA) is divided by a 26-period ATR and multiplied by 100, with a 9-period signal line applied to the result. Expressing the spread as a percentage of typical true range fixes raw MACD's core defect: its values are denominated in price, so they cannot be compared across instruments, timeframes, or even different eras of the same chart.

The payoff is a stable, universal scale. Because a given reading means the same thing on any symbol, MACD-V supports fixed reference levels that raw MACD never could: Spiroglou's formulation treats roughly -50 to +50 as a neutral zone and readings beyond ±150 as overextended, layered on top of the familiar zero-line and signal-line events.

How traders use it

• As a cross-market momentum rank: normalized readings can be compared across an entire watchlist to find which instruments carry the strongest momentum relative to their own volatility.
• As a lifecycle map: signal-line crosses are weighted by where they occur; a cross inside the neutral band is treated as noise-prone, while one unwinding from an extreme carries more information.
• As an overbought/oversold framework for a trend-following tool: beyond ±150 a move is stretched relative to its own volatility, which reads as exhaustion risk rather than an automatic fade.