Kaufman Efficiency Ratio Metals Analysis & Kaufman Efficiency Ratio Trading Signals

Developed by Perry Kaufman. Described in his book entitled "New Systems and Methods".

The Kaufman Efficiency measures the ratio of the relative market speed in relation to the volatility. Kaufman efficiency is often used by Metals traders as a filter to help avoid trading when the metal market is "choppy" or flat ranging markets. The indicator also helps to identify smoother Metals market trends. This is an oscillator indicator that oscillates between +100 and -100, where zero is the center point. +100 is upward trending market and -100 is downwards trending markets.

Kaufman Efficiency Ratio

Efficiency indicator is calculated by dividing net change in metals price movement over an n number of periods by sum of all the bar-to-bar metals price changes taken as the absolute values over these same n periods.

Metal Analysis & How to Generate Trading Signals

The Kaufman is used to generate metals signals as follows:

The smoother the manner in which the metal market is trending then the greater the Efficiency Ratio shown by the indicator. Efficiency Ratio value readings of around zero indicate a lot of inefficiency or "choppiness" in the metal market trend movements (ranging metals markets).

• If the Efficiency Ratio shows a reading of +100 for metals, then metals is trending upward with perfect efficiency.
• If the Efficiency Ratio shows a reading of -100 for metals, then that metals price is trending downwards with perfect efficiency.

However, it is almost impossible for a market metals trend to have a perfect efficiency ratio since any retracement movement against the current metals trend direction during the time period being used to calculate the indicator would decrease the efficiency ratio.

Bullish/Buy Trading Signal

Efficiency Ratio values above +30 indicate a smoother upward metal trend.

Buy signal is generated above center-line mark.

Buy Trading Signal

Bearish/Sell Trading Signal

Efficiency Ratio values below -30 indicate a smoother downward metal trend.

Sell Metals Signal is generated below zero center-line mark.

Sell Trading Signal

However, it is good you experiment with other values to determine the most appropriate levels for metals being traded and the value that is the best for your metals technique that you are using.