Moving Average Calculator
Calculate Simple (SMA), Exponential (EMA), and Weighted (WMA) moving averages from a list of closing prices.
Supports 5 to 200-period windows.
Moving Averages Explained
A moving average smooths out price data to reveal trends by averaging a set number of past closing prices. It is one of the most widely used tools in technical analysis.
Simple Moving Average (SMA):
SMA = (P1 + P2 + … + Pn) / n
Every period is weighted equally. Easy to calculate and interpret. Slower to react to recent price changes.
Exponential Moving Average (EMA):
EMA = Price × k + Previous EMA × (1 − k)
Where k = 2 / (n + 1) — the smoothing factor
Recent prices are weighted more heavily. Reacts faster to new information. Preferred by short-term traders.
Weighted Moving Average (WMA):
WMA = (P1×1 + P2×2 + … + Pn×n) / (1+2+…+n)
The most recent price gets the highest weight (n), linearly decreasing backwards. Falls between SMA (equal weights) and EMA (exponential weights).
Common period settings:
| Period | Common Use |
|---|---|
| 9 or 10 | Short-term momentum |
| 20 or 21 | Monthly trend (trading days) |
| 50 | Medium-term trend |
| 100 | Intermediate-term trend |
| 200 | Long-term trend (bull/bear market indicator) |
Classic signals traders watch:
- Price crosses above SMA → possible buy signal
- Price crosses below SMA → possible sell signal
- 50-day MA crosses above 200-day MA → “Golden Cross” (bullish)
- 50-day MA crosses below 200-day MA → “Death Cross” (bearish)
SMA vs EMA in practice: SMA is better for identifying long-term support/resistance levels. EMA is better for catching trend changes early. Most professional trading platforms offer both.
Enter prices below (comma-separated or one per line, most recent last):
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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