Concept
TD Sequential
TD Sequential, also known as Setup 9 / Countdown 13, setup perfection, TDST levels, aggressive variant, is a Momentum & Oscillators concept. The Library holds 3 implementations, each one a working definition you can pull into Quant.
Top TD Sequential indicators
3 total
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What is TD Sequential?
TD Sequential is Tom DeMark's exhaustion-counting framework, built from two counts. Setup counts nine consecutive closes, each lower than the close four bars earlier for a buy setup (higher for a sell). Countdown then tallies thirteen qualifying closes, each at or below the low two bars earlier for a buy (at or above the high for a sell), and countdown bars need not be consecutive. Completed counts flag a trend that may be running out of fuel, not one that has already reversed.
The framework carries its own refinements. A setup is 'perfected' when bar eight or nine trades beyond the extremes of bars six and seven. The extreme end of a completed setup (in DeMark's definition, the true high or low of the setup's first bar) projects a TDST level that behaves as support or resistance; holding or breaking it is DeMark's test of whether the trend deserves to continue. An aggressive variant qualifies countdown bars on highs and lows instead of closes.
How traders use it
- To anticipate trend exhaustion: completed 9s and 13s mark places where a persistent move is vulnerable, usually traded with a confirming price flip rather than blind.
- As objective levels: TDST lines drawn from setup extremes give a rule-based read on continuation versus reversal when price returns to them.
- As a filter on other signals: many traders use the nine-count alone (a TD9) as a caution flag against chasing late entries rather than as a standalone trigger.
Related concepts · Exhaustion-count cluster (DeMark)
Concept family
Momentum & Oscillators
91 concepts mapped · 72 in the Library
TD Sequential FAQ
Is a TD9 a buy or sell signal on its own?
Not in DeMark's method. A completed nine-count setup flags potential exhaustion; the fuller framework waits for perfection, a price flip, or the thirteen-bar countdown before acting. In strong trends, setups complete repeatedly while price keeps running, which is why most practitioners treat counts as context or timing filters rather than standalone entries.
What is the difference between TD Setup and TD Countdown?
Setup is the first phase: nine consecutive closes, each beyond the close four bars earlier, and the count resets if the streak breaks. Countdown begins only after a completed setup and tallies thirteen closes at or beyond the low or high two bars earlier. Countdown bars do not need to be consecutive, so a countdown can take far longer than nine bars to finish.
Build TD Sequential your way.
Quant writes, tests, and refines it with you — then it runs on LuxAlgo charting or ports to TradingView.