Qstick Indicator Explained

Tushar Chande's Qstick is candlestick analysis reduced to one number: the moving average of (close − open). Persistent green candles push it positive, persistent red ones negative — the color pressure of the tape, quantified.

How It Works

• SMA (or EMA) of close-minus-open over the window.
• Above zero: bodies have averaged bullish for the window.
• Zero crossings mark the tape's color flipping.

How to Trade It

Qstick zero-crosses confirm trend flips that candle-watchers sense visually. Its sharpest edge is divergence at range boundaries: price retesting a high while Qstick prints lower means the bodies are shrinking — the push is hollow.

Building It in Setup.Cash

Add Qstick in the strategy builder — the length input controls its sensitivity — and use its value in any entry, exit, or filter condition. You can also combine it with other tools in the Indicators Lab or via the AI indicator generator. Compare with RVGI, which normalizes the same body measure by range. For the full category overview, see the advanced momentum library guide.

Momentum signals are timing tools — combine them with a trend or regime filter and backtest the exact rules before going live.