A MAMA/FAMA crossover signals a turn in the cycle.
The short answer
- What is the MESA Adaptive Moving Average (MAMA)?
- Mean adaptive moving average: measures the prevailing market cycle and adapts to it.
- When does MAMA get it wrong?
- It assumes a cycle that may not exist in a news-driven market. See its current reading on the platform's symbols, at the latest daily close, in the "Current reading" table on this page. See current reading →
Reading now
| Ticker | Value | Five sessions ago | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPY | 774.76 | 769.67 | Price is 0.4% above the line |
| QQQ | 746.85 | 745.51 | Price is 0.4% below the line |
| IWM | 279.35 | 280.49 | Price is 0.9% below the line |
| DIA | 515.56 | 513.16 | Price is 0.1% above the line |
A description of where the number sits against its thresholds. It is not an entry or exit signal.
Indicator limit
It assumes a cycle that may not exist in a news-driven market.
Read it with
Hilbert mode: Hilbert mode tells you whether a cycle dominates, which decides whether a MAMA crossover with FAMA counts.
Answers: does the market have a trend? Is it moving in a cycle?
What it actually does
The cycle-adaptive moving average sets its speed from the dominant cycle in the data, using a mathematical transform that estimates the length of the current cycle in real time. It is usually drawn with a slower follower line, and the crossover between them is the signal.
Where it comes from
It comes from a school of analysis that holds markets contain measurable cycles, and that signal-processing tools used in engineering can extract them. It is closer to a signal-processing tool than to a traditional moving average, and its names and parameters reflect that origin.
How it is read in practice
A crossover of the two lines signals a turn, and the gap between them measures its strength. Its advantage: it slows down on its own in sideways markets, where the estimated cycle gets longer, so it gives fewer false signals than a fixed-window average.
Hypothetical example
An asset with a clear cycle (such as a sector fund that follows seasonality): the indicator picks up its rhythm and tunes its speed to it, so its crossovers land near the turning points of the cycle. In an asset driven by sudden news with no rhythm, the assumption loses its footing and accuracy drops.
Where it errs and why
It assumes a dominant cycle, and many markets have no stable cycle and jump on events instead. Its math is fairly opaque, so it is hard to diagnose when it fails, and platforms support it less than its siblings.
Read it with
Don't read it alone. First classify the environment with the trend strength indicator to learn whether trend tools or range tools fit. Then confirm with volume, which separates supported moves from empty ones. Then place it on the structural levels from the gamma map, since a signal at a dense wall carries more weight than one in an empty price zone. This three-step order cuts the worst signals before they cost you anything.
Where to see it on the platform
The technical chart in the members area draws it on any symbol and timeframe you choose, and the scanner terminal shows its reading in the symbol card with the rest of its family.
