The smoothest line in the family. It shows the broad trend.
The short answer
- What is the triangular average (TRIMA)?
- Triangular average: an average of an average. The heaviest weight sits in the middle of the window.
- When does TRIMA get it wrong?
- Slower than all the others. Not suited to timing. Its current reading on the platform's symbols, at the latest daily close, is in the "Current reading" table on this page. See its current reading →
Reading now
| Ticker | Value | Five sessions ago | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPY | 769.23 | 765.98 | Price is 1.1% above the line |
| QQQ | 743.61 | 732.85 | Price is 0.0% below the line |
| IWM | 280.88 | 283.35 | Price is 1.5% below the line |
| DIA | 513.31 | 516.12 | Price is 0.6% above the line |
A description of where the number sits against its thresholds. It is not an entry or exit signal.
Indicator limit
Slower than all the others. Not suited to timing.
Read it with
Relative Strength Index: it draws the broad trend, and RSI measures how far the move extends inside it.
Answers: does the market have a trend?
What it actually does
The triangular average applies smoothing twice: a simple average of a simple average. The result is a triangle-shaped weight distribution, with the heaviest weight at the middle of the window, not at its newest end, which sets it apart from all its siblings.
Why it weights the middle
Because its aim is maximum smoothness, not responsiveness: weighting the middle reduces the effect of both ends, the newest candle (today's noise) and the oldest (the exit jump). The resulting line is among the smoothest in the family and the furthest from distortion.
When to choose it
When the need is a deep trend classification, not entry timing: a filter that asks "are we in an uptrend at all?" and screens the signals generated by faster tools. It is the tool of someone who trades over weeks, not hours.
Hypothetical example
An asset swinging hard inside a wide rising channel: the fast averages cross price back and forth twelve times in a month, while the triangular one keeps rising without a break and keeps the reader on the right side of the trend.
Where it errs and why
Its lag is among the largest in the family: it confirms a turn very late, and it can keep rising weeks after the trend has actually broken. It is never used for exits.
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.
