There are two ways to use Multi-Stops. First, it gives you a great reference point for placing trailing stops so you don’t get pipped out of the bigger moves. Rather than guess, Multi-Stops will give you a scientific guess based on recent volatility and calculated in one of five different ways. Secondly, Multi-Stops can be used as a supplementary trend tool. Looser stops will capture longer trends and avoid whipsaws but have larger drawdowns. Tighter stops will get whipsawed more often but will limit losses when the trend goes against you.

Multi-Stops will plot five different types of volatility stops. The input parameters for the stops are a volatility coefficient which is a multiplier (larger=looser stop) and the look-back length which is the distance the stop is looking backwards to compute volatility and other factors. The various methods are: Average True Range Stops, Wilder Average Stops, Chandelier Stops, Elder Safe Zone Stops and Fibonacci Stops. There is an option to allow stop expansion that is disabled by default but will allow the stop to “breathe” if you so choose otherwise you will only see the stop move in the direction of the current trend.

ThinkScripter Multi-Stops

Average True Range Stop Validation

# ATRSTOPS
# http://thinkscripter.wordpress.com
# thinkscripter@gmail.com
# Last Update 18 Jan 2009

input ATR_Multiple = 1.0;
input Desired_Stop_Loss = 1.0;
input ATR_period = 30;

def val = AvgTrueRange(high, close, low, ATR_period)*ATR_Multiple;

def tooVolatile = if(val>Desired_Stop_Loss,1,0);
def plotColor = if(tooVolatile,5,1);

plot LongStop = low-val;
LongStop.AssignValueColor(getColor(plotColor));
LongStop.setStyle(curve.SHORT_DASH);

plot ShortStop = high+val;
ShortStop.AssignValueColor(getColor(plotColor));
ShortStop.setStyle(curve.SHORT_DASH);