KAMA adaptive moving average IQ OptionMoving averages are tools very commonly used in technical analysis in trading. But have you ever heard about KAMA which is Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average? It will be the subject of today's article. So if it is new to you, or you want to systematise knowledge about it, I encourage you to continue reading.

What is an adaptive moving average?

Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average (KAMA) was designed by Perry Kaufman. It takes into account market volatility or noise. It follows the prices closely. You can recognise the overall trend with it, filter the movements of the price or identify time turning points.

Setting up the IQ Option chart with Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average

Log in to your trading account and go to the Chart Analysis icon. Find Moving Averages under the Indicators tab. Kaufman's Adaptive Moving Average will be among the other ones on the list on the right side. Click on it and it will be added to your chart.

How to insert Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average on IQ Option platform
How to insert KAMA on the IQ Option platform

Every indicator comes with its settings. You may, however, change them according to your needs. Perry Kaufman recommends setting the period at 10, the fast period at 2, and the slow period at 30.

change the default settings KAMA
Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average settings recommended by Parry Kaufman

How is Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average calculated?

The formula to calculate the Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average is complex and consists of 3 steps which we will discuss one by one.

Efficiency Ratio (ER)

The Efficiency Ratio oscillates between 0 and 1 and refers to the change in price in relation to its volatility within a given time interval.

ER = Change / Volatility

where:

  • Change = Absolute Value ( C – C(10 periods ago) )
  • Volatility = Sum of absolute values of the last 10 price changes (C minus Previous C)

Smoothing Constant (SC)

sci = [ERi x (fastest – slowest) + slowest]2

where:
fastest = 2 / (fastest moving average period + 1)
slowest = 2 / (slowest moving average period + 1)

Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average

The final formula is as follows:

KAMAi = KAMAi-1 + SCi x (Price – KAMAi-1)

Remember, you'll probably never have to count it. The platform itself counts the values for drawing the pointer line. We give the formula mainly so that you have a better understanding of the Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average.

How to trade with Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average

KAMA is a trend-following indicator. Similarly, as with a moving average, you can trade with crossovers. When the price crosses below or above Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average, you can expect a change in the direction of the trend. Naturally, there will be many whipsaws so apply an extra price or time filter. For example, you may wait until the cross is held for a couple of candles.

USDJPY chart with KAMA(10,2,30)
Adaptive moving average chart

KAMA serves well as the overall trend indicator. Just check whether it is declining and lower lows are developing on the chart or it is growing and higher highs are formed. Decreasing KAMA means there is a downtrend in the market. When the indicator increases, there is an uptrend.

Identifying a trend with KAMA
Identifying a trend with KAMA

Adding two KAMAs with different settings may bring interesting results. The one with the parameters at 10, 5, 30 can help to filter the trend. Once you recognise the downtrend or the uptrend, you will look at the second KAMA (10, 2, 30) to wait for the crossover with the price.

Comparison of KAMAs with different settings
Comparison of KAMAs with different settings

Consider the exemplary GBPUSD chart below. The uptrend was identified with the help of Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average with the settings 10, 5, 30. Now, observe the second shorter-term KAMA line (10, 2, 30). When the price crosses the indicator's line but then moves back, you can open a long position.

buy on pullbacks to KAMA(10,2,30)
With an uptrend on KAMA(10,5,30), you can try to buy on pullbacks to KAMA(10,2,30)

Analogically, you can go short when you were able to define the downtrend with the longer-term KAMA(10, 5, 30) and then noticed pullbacks to the second line (10, 2, 30).

sell on pullbacks to KAMA(10,2,30)
With a downtrend on KAMA(10,5,30), you can try to sell on pullbacks to KAMA(10,2,30)

Final word

Kaufman Adaptive Moving Average is a trend-following indicator. Add it to your chart and modify its settings. You can identify the overall trend with it. You can trade crossovers with the price. Moreover, you can add an extra KAMA line with different parameters and open a transaction on pullbacks.

I always recommend a little bit of practice before you invest your money. The IQ Option demo account is a place that will be perfect as a training field. You do get virtual cash and you can use it with no time limits.

I hope you found today's article useful.

I wish you high earnings!

GENERAL RISK WARNING

IQ option products like CFDs and options are investments that can be risky. This means that if you invest in them, you could lose your money quickly. In fact, 83% of people who invest in CFDs with this provider "IQ Option" lose money. You should make sure you understand how CFDs work and if you can afford to risk losing your money. Remember, this article is not giving you any advice about investing. Any information about what happened in the past or what could happen in the future is just an opinion and not guaranteed to be true. Including examples given in the content displayed.
Be warned!

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Bart Bregman

Author / IQ Option expert: "My name is Bart Bregman, I have 9 years of full-time professional trading experience. I've been trading with IQ Option for more than 7 years, mainly on the shorter time frames doing technical analyses, and have many experience with Binary Options, CFDs, Options, and Crypto trading. There is no such thing as a bad trade! As a digital nomad trader, I'm mostly traveling all over the world. Follow my journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bart_bregman/. "

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