Imbalance Detector

Dec 20, 2022

Static chart image
Price Action Based
Works on the following platforms:
tradingviewSymbolTradingView
For free use on the TradingView platform
ninjatraderNinjaTrader
For free use on the NinjaTrader platform
metatrader4MetaTrader 4
For free use on the MetaTrader 4 platform
metatrader5MetaTrader 5
For free use on the MetaTrader 5 platform
thinkorswimThinkorswim
For free use on the Thinkorswim platform

This trading indicator is designed to identify and showcase market imbalances that can present lucrative opportunities for traders. By highlighting Fair Value Gaps (FVG), Opening Gaps (OG), and Volume Imbalances (VI), it provides a comprehensive tool for analyzing potential price movement and market behavior. The incorporation of a detailed dashboard enhances the utility of this tool, offering insights into the frequency of imbalances and their fill percentage, making it ideal for traders seeking to improve their strategies.

Market imbalances, often seen as key indicators within price action trading strategies, prominently display where supply and demand discrepancies exist. Traders can use these highlighted zones as pivotal support and resistance levels or as potential targets for trades.

Key Features of the Market Imbalances Indicator

Imbalances Settings

  • Imbalance Detection: Choose to enable or disable the detection for each specific imbalance type.
  • Min Width Requirement: This option allows users to set a minimum width for imbalance areas, helping filter out less significant imbalances. This can be expressed in points, percentages, or ATR multiples.
  • Extend Imbalances: Traders can opt to extend identified imbalances by a desired number of bars to better visualize potential impacts.

Dashboard Features

  • Display Dashboard: Opt to display or hide the dashboard directly on your trading chart.
  • Dashboard Positioning: Flexibly position the dashboard anywhere on the chart where it is most visible and useful.
  • Dashboard Size: Customize the dashboard size for easy readability and reduced chart clutter.

How to Trade with the Market Imbalances Indicator?

Market imbalances can indicate where trading opportunities may lie as price often gravitates back to these zones. Here’s how each imbalance can be interpreted:

Fair Value Gaps

Fair Value Gaps are unique three-candle formations showcasing a price gap. A bullish FVG occurs when there's a gap observed between the current low and the high of the pair bar before it, signaling bullish momentum. Conversely, a bearish FVG shows a gap between the current high and the low two bars prior, indicating bearish trends.

Opening Gaps

These gaps are particularly indicative of inactivity within certain price ranges—a bullish OG is identified when the current price low is higher than the preceding high, whereas a bearish OG is when the price high is lower than the previous low.

Opening Gaps are less prevalent in continuously trading markets like cryptocurrencies, yet their occurrence can still signal significant momentum shifts.

Note: The indicator prioritizes Opening Gaps over Fair Value Gaps when detected together to maintain clear and concise chart visuals.

Volume Imbalances

Volume Imbalances (VI) capture the discontinuity between an opening price and its preceding close without empty price ranges. Identifying bullish and bearish VIs can aid in assessing market strength and momentum. Additional filtering conditions help in discerning the most impactful VIs when they occur frequently in markets with frequent gaps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How can I access the Market Imbalances Indicator?

You can get access on the LuxAlgo Library for charting platforms like TradingView, MetaTrader (MT4/MT5), and NinjaTrader for free.

Can alerts be set for imbalance occurrences?

Yes, alerts are available for when market imbalances appear, enabling proactive trading decisions.

By employing this comprehensive tool, traders will be better equipped to navigate market volatility, leveraging imbalances as strategic components in their broader trading strategies.

Trading is risky and many will lose money in connection with trading activities. All content on this site is not intended to, and should not be, construed as financial advice. Decisions to buy, sell, hold or trade in securities, commodities and other markets involve risk and are best made based on the advice of qualified financial professionals. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Hypothetical or Simulated performance results have certain limitations. Unlike an actual performance record, simulated results do not represent actual trading. Also, since the trades have not been executed, the results may have under-or-over compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, including, but not limited to, lack of liquidity. Simulated trading programs in general are designed with the benefit of hindsight, and are based on historical information. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profit or losses similar to those shown.

Testimonials appearing on this website may not be representative of other clients or customers and is not a guarantee of future performance or success.

As a provider of technical analysis tools for charting platforms, we do not have access to the personal trading accounts or brokerage statements of our customers. As a result, we have no reason to believe our customers perform better or worse than traders as a whole based on any content or tool we provide.

Charts used on this site are by TradingView in which the majority of our tools are built on. TradingView® is a registered trademark of TradingView, Inc. www.TradingView.com. TradingView® has no affiliation with the owner, developer, or provider of the Services described herein.

This does not represent our full Disclaimer. Please read our full disclaimer.

© 2025 LuxAlgo Global, LLC.