Average True Range - traditional general approach

The Average True Range (ATR) indicator is a measure of volatility. The ATR indicator measures the range of price movement for a particular price period. The ATR is a directionless indicator and it does not indicate the direction of the trend. ATR measures volatility, and this allows traders to set stops based actual market behavior. Low ATR values indicated extended periods of sideways price movement, such as those found at market tops and consolidation periods. Low ATR values are typical for the periods of sideways movement of long duration which happen at the top of the market and during consolidation. High ATR values indicated market bottoms after a sell off. Besides, the higher the value of the ATR indicator, the higher the probability of a trend change, and the lower the indicator’s value, the weaker the trend movement.