Triple Exponential Average
TRIX · module 12 of 33 · momentum
The rate of change of a triple-smoothed EMA, designed to strip out short-term noise.
- TRIX
- Signal 9
- ▲/▼ where the rule triggers
A triple-smoothed rate of change. Zero-line crosses filter out most candle-to-candle noise.
How to apply it
- 1. Add it. Start with 15 with a 9 signal on 4h/1D (Swing).
- 2. Read the market first. TRIX above zero and rising indicates sustained upward momentum with minor swings filtered out.
- 3. Adjust for ranges. Hovers around zero; crosses are late and mostly meaningless.
- 4. Manage the trade. Place the stop at 1.5 × ATR and the target at 3.5 × ATR, and only act when the chart above shows the trigger.
How it is calculated
EMA1 = EMA(n) of close; EMA2 = EMA(n) of EMA1; EMA3 = EMA(n) of EMA2; TRIX = 100 × (EMA3 − EMA3prev) ÷ EMA3prev.
Inputs
- · Period (14 or 15)
- · Signal period (9)
Reading it correctly
In a trend
TRIX above zero and rising indicates sustained upward momentum with minor swings filtered out.
In a range
Hovers around zero; crosses are late and mostly meaningless.
Settings by style
| Style | Suggested values |
|---|---|
| Swing | 15 with a 9 signal on 4h/1D |
These are conventional starting points, not optimised values. Test any change on your own pair and timeframe before relying on it.
Worked example
EMA3 moves from 1.08400 to 1.08454: TRIX = 100 × 0.00054/1.08400 = 0.0498. Positive and rising, so the smoothed trend is still advancing even if the last two candles were down.
When it failed
Applied to 5m EUR/USD, the triple smoothing delayed every signal by roughly 20 candles. By the time TRIX crossed zero on a 30-pip move, 24 pips had already passed.
Limitations
- Triple smoothing means very substantial lag — unsuitable for fast timeframes.
- Long warm-up before the first valid value.
- Small values are hard to interpret without a reference scale.
Works well alongside
- · ADX / DMI
- · ATR
Redundant with
- · MACD
- · Momentum / ROC
Stacking these produces agreement by construction, which is not confirmation.
Practice exercise
On daily EUR/USD, measure how many candles pass between a TRIX zero cross and a MACD zero cross for the same move, across 10 moves.
Check your understanding
1. TRIX's triple smoothing mainly:
- · Removes lag
- ✓ Reduces noise at the cost of substantial lag
- · Adds volume data
- · Bounds the indicator between 0 and 100
Each smoothing pass adds delay. The trade-off is fewer false signals but much later ones.
2. TRIX is least suitable for:
- · Daily swing trading
- ✓ 1-minute scalping
- · Weekly analysis
- · 4-hour trend following
Accumulated lag makes it far too slow for very short timeframes.