FinPile Momentum

📊 FinPile Momentum Indicator - User Guide

What Is This Indicator?**

A visual momentum histogram that sits below your price chart, giving you an instant read on whether momentum is bullish, bearish, or neutral. Designed for day traders who need to make fast decisions.


**The Basics: Grade System**

| Grade | Color | Score | What It Means | Action |
|-------|-------|-------|---------------|--------|
| **A+** | Bright Green | +60 to +100 | Everything aligned bullish | ✅ STRONG BUY |
| **A** | Green | +40 to +59 | Strong upward momentum | ✅ BUY |
| **B** | Light Green | +20 to +39 | Mild bullish momentum | ⚠️ MAYBE - be careful |
| **C** | Gray | -19 to +19 | No clear direction | ❌ NO TRADE - wait |
| **D** | Orange | -20 to -39 | Mild bearish momentum | ⚠️ Caution |
| **E** | Red | -40 to -59 | Bearish momentum | 🔴 AVOID longs |
| **F** | Dark Red | -60 to -100 | Strong downward momentum | 🔴 SHORT or stay out |

How to Read the Histogram**


A+ ──────── +60 ────────
A ──────── +40 ──────── ← GREEN ZONE = BUY
B ──────── +20 ────────
═════════ C ════════ 0 ═════════ ← GRAY = NO TRADE
D ──────── -20 ────────
E ──────── -40 ──────── ← RED ZONE = AVOID/SHORT
F ──────── -60 ────────


**Tall green bars above +40** = Strong momentum, look for long entries

**Bars near zero (gray)** = Choppy/no direction, stay out

**Tall red bars below -40** = Bearish momentum, avoid longs or short


### **Warning Symbols**

| Symbol | Meaning | What To Do |
|--------|---------|------------|
| ⚠️ | Exhaustion detected (climax top or bottom) | Expect potential reversal |
| ⚡ | Parabolic move | Too fast, pullback likely |



**The Info Table (Top Right)**

| Row | What It Shows |
|-----|---------------|
| **MOMENTUM** | Current grade (A+, A, B, C, D, E, F) |
| **Score** | Exact number (-100 to +100) |
| **Accel** | 🚀 ACCEL (speeding up) / 💨 DECEL (slowing down) / ➖ STEADY |
| **vs IWM/SPY** | 🟢 OUT (outperforming) / 🔴 UNDER (underperforming) |
| **Mode** | Current smoothing mode and EMA length |

**3 Smoothing Modes**

| Mode | Best For | How It Works |
|------|----------|--------------|
| **⚡ Quick & Clean** (Default) | Scalping, fast day trading | EMA(5) + threshold filter - responsive but no flickering |
| **🐢 Slow & Reliable** | Swing trading, patient traders | Longer lookback + EMA(8) - very smooth, fewer false signals |
| **🎯 Adaptive** | Volatile stocks, changing conditions | Adjusts EMA based on volatility - smart and automatic |

**How to change:** Settings → Smoothing → Smoothing Mode

---

### **Quick Decision Framework**

#### ✅ GO LONG when:
- Grade is **A+ or A** (green histogram above +40)
- Acceleration shows **🚀 ACCEL** (momentum increasing)
- vs IWM shows **🟢 OUT** (beating the market)
- No warning symbols (⚠️ or ⚡)

#### ❌ STAY OUT when:
- Grade is **C** (gray histogram near zero)
- Acceleration shows **💨 DECEL** while in a trade
- Score is bouncing between grades (indecision)

#### 🔴 GO SHORT or EXIT LONGS when:
- Grade is **E or F** (red histogram below -40)
- vs IWM shows **🔴 UNDER** (lagging market)
- Warning symbol ⚠️ appears at highs

---

### **Combining with Price Action**

| Momentum | Price Action | Decision |
|----------|--------------|----------|
| A/A+ rising | Breaking resistance | ✅ Strong buy |
| A/A+ but DECEL | At resistance | ⚠️ Wait for confirmation |
| B flat | Consolidating | ❌ No trade yet |
| C choppy | Ranging | ❌ Stay out |
| D/E falling | Breaking support | 🔴 Short or exit longs |
| F with ⚠️ | Capitulation low | 👀 Watch for bounce |

---

### **Settings Recommendations**

#### For Small Caps / Low Float:
```
Benchmark: IWM
Smoothing Mode: Adaptive
```

#### For Large Caps (AAPL, MSFT, etc.):
```
Benchmark: SPY
Smoothing Mode: Quick & Clean
```

#### For Volatile Meme Stocks:
```
Benchmark: IWM
Smoothing Mode: Adaptive
Adaptive High Vol EMA: 3
```

#### For Smoother Signals:
```
Smoothing Mode: Slow & Reliable
Slow Mode: Lookback Mult: 2.5
Slow Mode: EMA Length: 10
```

---

### **Pro Tips**

1. **Don't fight the color** - If histogram is red, don't go long hoping for reversal

2. **Watch for acceleration changes** - 🚀→💨 while price is rising = momentum fading, tighten stops

3. **Grade + Acceleration combo:**
- A + 🚀 ACCEL = Best setup
- A + 💨 DECEL = Momentum fading, be cautious
- C + 🚀 ACCEL = Potential breakout coming

4. **Use with the main indicator** - Momentum histogram for timing, main FinPile Institutional for levels and full analysis

5. **Background color** - When background turns green/red, momentum is strong (above +40 or below -40)

---

### **Example Trade**

```
You see:
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ MOMENTUM │ A │ ← Good grade
│ Score │ 52 │ ← Solid score
│ Accel │ 🚀 ACCEL │ ← Increasing!
│ vs IWM │ 🟢 OUT │ ← Beating market
│ Mode │ ⚡ QUICK │
└─────────────────────────┘

Histogram: Tall green bar above +40 line

Decision: ✅ LONG - All signals aligned
```

---

### **Quick Reference Card**

```
🟢 GREEN (A+/A) + 🚀 ACCEL + 🟢 OUT = BUY
⚪ GRAY (C) = NO TRADE
🔴 RED (E/F) + 💨 DECEL + 🔴 UNDER = SHORT/EXIT
⚠️ WARNING = Expect reversal