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The chance of whipsaw increases as the speed of the indicator increases. Conversely, lag increases as the speed decreases. Chartists are always searching for the sweet spot between speed and lag. As far as indicators and settings are concerned, there is no holy grail. Moreover, the market is constantly changing. What works in a trending market will not work in a flat market. What works in a volatile market will not work in a docile market. When it comes to moving average signals, we can reduce whipsaws by applying a filter. Of course, this comes at the expense of a little lag.
Filters can be based on specific levels, time or both. A moving average could be filtered by adding a percentage-cross requirement and a time requirement. For example, a cross would not be valid unless price exceeds the moving average by 2% and holds that crossover for at least three days.
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Chartists can measure this percentage cross using the Percent Price Oscillator (PPO). This indicator shows the percentage difference between two moving averages. A 1-day moving average would be equal to the close. Therefore the Percent Price Oscillator (1,50) would show the percentage difference between the 1-day EMA (close) and the 50-day EMA. Chartists can then add horizontal lines at +2% and -2% to identify crosses that exceed these levels. This article is not designed to show a winning system. Instead, it is just to show an example of how to apply a filter to moving averages.
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