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Chaikin Oscillator
A MACD-style indicator applied to the Accumulation / Distribution Line instead of to price.
The Chaikin Oscillator, developed by Marc Chaikin, applies a MACD-style calculation — the difference between a shorter and a longer EMA — to the Accumulation / Distribution Line (see Kaavon's "Accumulation / Distribution Line" glossary definition), rather than to price directly.
This is intended to surface momentum shifts in the underlying accumulation/distribution trend earlier than watching the Accumulation / Distribution Line's raw value alone would. See Kaavon's dedicated Chaikin Oscillator article for the full calculation.
Examples
- The Chaikin Oscillator applies the same difference-of-two-EMAs structure MACD uses, but to the Accumulation / Distribution Line rather than to price.
- A Chaikin Oscillator crossing above zero signals the Accumulation / Distribution Line's short-term momentum has turned positive.