HalfTrend Bollinger Bands (HTBB)

The HalfTrend Bollinger Bands indicator combines the trend-following capabilities of the HalfTrend indicator with volatility-based Bollinger Bands to provide enhanced trend analysis with dynamic support and resistance levels. This indicator creates a sophisticated approach to trend identification by applying statistical bands around a trend-following baseline.

How It Works

The indicator operates in two main stages:

1. HalfTrend Calculation: Uses ATR-based trailing stops to identify trend direction and provide a dynamic trend line that follows price movements while filtering out minor fluctuations.
2. Bollinger Bands Application: Calculates standard deviation of the HalfTrend values and creates upper and lower bands around the trend line using a specified deviation multiplier.

The HalfTrend algorithm tracks trend direction by maintaining trailing stops based on ATR volatility measurements. When price breaks these trailing levels, the trend direction reverses, providing a smooth trend-following signal that adapts to market volatility.

Parameters

The indicator accepts the following parameters:

• AtrLength (default: 10) – Period for Average True Range calculation used in trend detection
• Amplitude (default: 2) – Multiplier for ATR values to determine trailing stop sensitivity
• Deviation (default: 2) – Standard deviation multiplier for band calculation around HalfTrend

Outputs

The indicator produces two outputs:

• Upper (Red) – Upper volatility band above HalfTrend line
• Lower (Green) – Lower volatility band below HalfTrend line

Implementation Details

The indicator calculates ATR using the traditional method:

TrueRange = Max(High-Low, |High-PrevClose|, |Low-PrevClose|)

The HalfTrend algorithm maintains two key tracking values:

• maxLowPrice: Trailing stop for uptrends (tracks highest low)
• minHighPrice: Trailing stop for downtrends (tracks lowest high)

Trend reversal occurs when:

• Uptrend to Downtrend: Close < (maxLowPrice – Amplitude × ATR)
• Downtrend to Uptrend: Close > (minHighPrice + Amplitude × ATR)

The Bollinger Bands are calculated as:

• Upper Band = HalfTrend + (Deviation × StandardDeviation)
• Lower Band = HalfTrend – (Deviation × StandardDeviation)

Parameter Sets

Five optimized parameter sets are included:

1. Fast: AtrLength=10, Amplitude=2, Deviation=2
2. Standard: AtrLength=14, Amplitude=2, Deviation=2
3. Balanced: AtrLength=20, Amplitude=3, Deviation=2.5
4. Conservative: AtrLength=30, Amplitude=4, Deviation=2
5. Long-term: AtrLength=50, Amplitude=5, Deviation=2

Usage

The indicator can be used to:

• Identify trend direction based on HalfTrend positioning and band interaction
• Determine dynamic support and resistance levels using the upper and lower bands
• Spot potential trend reversal points when price approaches or breaks through bands
• Assess trend strength based on the distance between bands (wider bands indicate higher volatility)
• Generate entry signals when price breaks above upper band (bullish) or below lower band (bearish)

The combination of trend-following HalfTrend with volatility bands provides a more comprehensive analysis tool compared to using either component independently, offering both directional bias and volatility context for trading decisions.

Indicator Availability:
This indicator is implemented for MT4, MT5, TradeStation, and MultiCharts.

Using Custom Blocks for Conditions:
You can easily define your own conditions in StrategyQuant X using Custom Blocks. This allows you to set up parameters such as periods or steps to fine-tune the indicator to your strategy. For more detailed information, refer to the following resources:

• StrategyQuant Documentation: Custom Blocks

• StrategyQuant Documentation: Strategy Templates & Custom Blocks

• StrategyQuant YouTube Tutorial: Custom Blocks Overview

Importing Custom Indicators into SQX:
To import custom indicators into StrategyQuant X, follow the step-by-step instructions provided here:
Import & Export Custom Indicators and Other Snippets