What is Displaced Moving Average (DMA) in Stock Market?

What Is DMA In Share Market?

DMA in the stock market offers as a potential indicator for technical analysis, which is used in the stock market for identifying trends and smoothing out price data. The DMA attempts a calculation of the moving average of the data of a stock price, but instead of placing the average at the closing price of the current bar, it places it at a specific number of bars back. 

For instance, if you intend to plot a 15-day Displaced Moving Average, it will take the last 15 closing prices average and plot it 15 bars back, creating a lag effect. Here the DMA lags behind the action of the current price. 
 

Why Is DMA Used In The Stock Market?

The primary use of DMA in the stock market is to identify trends and the support and resistance levels. If the DMA is above the current price, it represents a potential level of resistance or a downtrend. In contrast, if the DMA is below the current price, it indicates a potential level of support or an upward trend.

Investors and traders use the DMA in stock market along with other price kinds of price analysis and technical indicators tools for making informed decisions concerning their trade. Just as with any technical indicator, it deems necessary to interpret the DMA in the context of other information in the market and not depend solely on it for trading signals. 
 

How DMA Works?

DMA in stock market works through the process of calculation of the average of a specific number of closing prices in the past and then plotting it at a specific number of bars back from the current price. The introduction of the time lag by DMA assists the traders in identifying potential market turning points, trends, as well as resistance and support levels in the stock market.

What Does DMA Tell You?

After securing a thorough idea about DMA meaning in stock market, it is essential to know in detail what DMA tells you. The DMA offers priceless insights to the investors concerning:

Directions Or Trends In The Market:

The identification of the direction of prevailing trends in the stock market can be well-identified by DMA. If the price sits above the displaced moving average, it displays an uptrend, whereas if the price ranges below the DMA, it represents a downtrend. It is through a thorough observation of the relationship between the DMA and the price that a trader can secure a better understanding of the momentum of the stock market. 

Resistance And Support:

The DMA in stock market can offer a dynamic resistance or support level on the price chart. Traders often follow instances where the price bounces off the DMA, offering them with potential options for selling or buying. The moment the price goes above DMA, it can switch from acting as a resistance to support and vice versa. 

Displaced Moving Average (DMA) vs. Exponential Moving Average (EMA)

Both Displaced Moving Average and Exponential Moving Average are used in technical analysis primarily for analyzing the trends in the stock market and identifying potential opportunities for trading. 

However, the main difference between them exists in the method of their calculation and the way of their response to price data. The key differences between DMA and EMA are listed below in detail:

Method Of Calculation:

The Displaced Moving Average being a variant of the Simple Moving Average, engages in the process of calculation by taking the average of a specific number of previous closing prices and plotting it at a specific number of bars backward from the current price. A time lag is typically introduced by DMA through the displacement of the moving average values.

On the other hand, Exponential Moving Average is a kind of weighted moving average that typically emphasises more on the recent data of price. It engages in a calculation of the average of previous closing prices, providing a higher preference for the most recent data points. Therefore the reaction to changes in price is more in the case of EMA as compared to DMA and SMA. 

Time Lag:

A time lag is introduced by DMA by plotting the moving values back to a specific number of bars which can assist in smoothing out short-term fluctuations in price and offer a more clear view of the overall trend. 

While the Exponential Moving Average provides a response immediately to price changes without the inclusion of an inherent time lag. It becomes more sensitive to recent movements in price, making it perfect for traders looking for short-term momentum or trends for taking trades.

Smoothing Effect:

Price data can be smoothened out by DMA but may not prove as effective as in the reduction of noise as EMA.

EMA provides more efficiency in the reduction of price noise and a more accurate representation of the current trend in the market.

Popular Cases Of Use:

The use of DMA in stock market typically encompasses the identification of resistance and support, the conformation of trend reversals as well as filtering out short-term fluctuations in price. 

In contrast, EMA is commonly used in strategies that follow trends as well as trading opportunities for the short term, as the reaction to price change is quicker.
 

Limitations Of Displaced Moving Average (DMA):

Although DMA serves as a valuable tool in technical analysis, it comes with some limitations which the traders must be aware of while making a decision or using it for analysis in the market. The key limitations of DMA are listed below:

Time Lag:

One of the most significant disadvantages of DMA is its inherent time lag which often results in delayed signals. This, however, makes the tool less effective for traders looking for confirmations on short-term strategies or capturing rapid changes in price.

Restricted Use For Volatile Markets:

In specific markets having a high range of volatility, the smoothing effect of DMA may not offer effectivity in reducing noise as the lag will eventually cause it to miss out on the price movements that are significant. In such market conditions, traders may find it challenging to depend only on DMA.

Doesn't Offer A Standalone Indicator:

The use of DMA must not be done in isolation before decision-making in trading. Reliance on DMA solely will lead to misinterpretation of various market trends or false signals. It is, therefore, essential to blend the use of DMA with other technical indicators, such as patterns of charts, and fundamental analysis, among many more.

Whipsawing In Sideways Market:

The lagging nature of the DMA may also lead to whipsawing, particularly in sideways or choppy markets. As the movement of the price is restricted to a narrow range, the displaced moving average may not reflect the current trend accurately, resulting in misleading signals. 

Susceptible to Outliers: 

DMA may be sensitive to outlines, which are extreme values entertaining the tendency to deviate significantly from the average. Outliners may distort the moving average and result in signals that are purely misleading.

Dependency On Historical Data:

In order to calculate the moving average appropriately, DMA requires an adequate amount of historical price data. Therefore in particulate cases where the historical data is limited, it may not offer a reliable DMA signal.
 

Points To Remember While Relying On DMA In Stock Market:

Thus, as you are well aware of the limitation of DMA, it is essential to keep the following points in mind to ensure the effective and efficient use of the indicator:

●    Being aware of the time lag is essentially vital, along with the consideration of its implications when interpreting DMA-generated signals.
●    Choose the correct value of displacement on the basis of the time horizon and market conditions of your trading.
●    Combine the use of DMA in stock market with other indicators to secure a more comprehensive market view. 
●    Ensure confirmation of the DMA signal with actual price action and other information about the market.
●    Limit your temptation of over-optimizing the setting of DMA to fit the historical data appropriately. 
●    Make use of proper risk-management practices such as position sizing and stop loss to protect your capital while making use of DMA.
●    Before engaging in the application of DMA into live trading, conduct thorough backtesting on historical data in order to validate its performance.
●    Resist emotionally biased decision-making on DMA signals. 
 

Conclusion

Therefore to conclude, the use of DMA must be done by considering all its nuances and limitations. Although it acts as a beneficial tool for analyzing market trends, it must be combined with other market indicators to avoid massive loss of capital. It is also crucial for traders to exercise discipline and prudence in its application.