TRIX Indicator Explained: Triple-Smoothed Momentum

TRIX is momentum with a triple filter: it takes an EMA of an EMA of an EMA of price (default 15 periods each), then measures the percentage change of that triple-smoothed line. The result oscillates around zero and ignores almost everything except genuine trend changes — noise gets smoothed away three times before it can reach your signal.

How TRIX Works

• Above zero: the triple-smoothed trend is rising — bullish.
• Below zero: falling — bearish.
• Signal line: an EMA of TRIX itself (default 9), giving MACD-style crossovers.

Because of the triple smoothing, TRIX turns later than raw momentum but produces far fewer false flips — a deliberate trade of speed for quality.

How to Trade It

1. Zero-line cross. The cleanest trend-change signal: long above zero, flat or short below. Suits swing bots on 4h–daily charts.

2. Signal-line cross. TRIX crossing its signal line fires earlier than the zero cross — a faster entry inside an established regime.

3. Divergence. New price high with a lower TRIX high warns momentum is thinning under the surface.

Building It in Setup.Cash

Add TRIX in the strategy builder with its period and signal settings, then condition on the zero cross or signal cross. It behaves like a slower, cleaner MACD — many builders run TRIX as the regime filter and a faster oscillator like RSI for timing.

Tuning

• 15 / 9: the standard pairing.
• Shorter (9–12): swing trading on intraday charts.
• Longer (18–30): position-trading regime filter that flips only a handful of times a year.

Related Reading

Compare with MACD (double-smoothed), TSI (double-smoothed of momentum), and the Schaff Trend Cycle in the extended library (MACD run through a stochastic). Backtest on your timeframe — smoothing depth should match your holding period.