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INDICATOR · BEGINNER GUIDE

3 MOVING AVERAGES

EMA 20, 50 and 200 on one chart, with Golden cross / Death cross labels when the 50 crosses the 200.

◆EMA 20, 50 and 200◆Golden and death cross labels◆6 average types to pick◆Optional trend cloud
3 Moving Averages on a live chart WHAT YOU SEE · GOLD 1H · EMA 20 / 50 / 200 123456
1Thin blue line (fast): EMA 20. Follows price closely.
2Orange line (middle): EMA 50. The medium-term trend.
3Pink line (slow): EMA 200. The big-picture trend.
4Lines in order: blue above orange above pink = strong uptrend. The reverse = strong downtrend.
5Golden cross label: the 50 has crossed above the 200. The longer trend may be turning up.
6Death cross label: the 50 has crossed below the 200. The longer trend may be turning down.

Use it in 5 steps

  1. Switch it onOpen Charts → Basic Indicators (ƒx) → tick 3 Moving Averages. Three lines appear: blue fast, orange middle, pink slow.
  2. Check the big trendPrice above the pink EMA 200? Favour buys. Below it? Favour sells. This is your trend filter.
  3. Look for the stackClean trends show blue above orange above pink (or the reverse), with space between them. Tangled lines mean no trend.
  4. Time entries on the fast linesIn an uptrend, wait for price to dip to the blue or orange line, then for a candle to close back up.
  5. Treat crosses as contextA Golden or Death cross is slow and comes late. Use it to know the bigger trend has changed, not as an entry on its own.

A golden cross

A golden cross

Gold 1H, 10–13 Oct. The orange EMA 50 crossed above the pink EMA 200 (Golden cross), then back below it a day later (Death cross). In a flat market, crosses can flip back quickly.

⚙ 3 Moving Averages
Fast / Middle / Slow MA
Fast MAEMA 20
Middle MAEMA 50
Slow MAEMA 200
Extras
Trend cloud between fast and middle MAOff
Arrows where fast crosses middleOff
Golden / death cross labels✓ On

Extras worth knowing

  • Trend cloud (off by default): shades green while fast is above middle, red while below.
  • Arrows where fast crosses middle (off): an arrow each time the 20 crosses the 50. Earlier than golden crosses, but noisier.
  • Golden / death cross labels (on): the 50 crossing the 200.
  • Type: each line can be EMA, SMA, WMA, Hull, RMA or VWMA. Untick Show to hide one.
  • Lengths 20, 50 and 200 can each be changed in the Fast, Middle and Slow groups.

Golden rules

  • Crosses come late. They are built from averages, so the move has usually started already.
  • Lines tangled? The market is going sideways. Stay out until they fan out again.
  • Never skip the stop loss. Risk 1% of your account or less per trade.
  • Practise first with the Replay button: play old candles forward and trade them for free.
🔔 Get told when it fires: click Alerts, choose 3 Moving Averages and tick “Golden cross: middle MA crosses above slow MA” and “Death cross: middle MA crosses below slow MA”.
BEYOND THE MARKETS
beyondthemarketstrading.com · Indicator guide 1: 3 Moving Averages
For education only, not financial advice. Golden and death crosses show what averages have done, not what price will do next. Trading carries risk.

For educational purposes only. The results in this guide come from testing on past prices. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and real spreads, slippage and delays can make results worse. Nothing here is financial advice, and trading carries a high risk of losing money. Read the risk warning.