Ch 6 · Indicator
Volatility Lagging

ATR (Average True Range)

Average of the true range (largest of today's H-L, |H − prev C|, |L − prev C|) over N bars. Pure volatility measure — no direction.

Formula

TR = max(H − L, |H − prev C|, |L − prev C|)
ATR = smoothed TR over N periods

What it's for

Position sizing (stop distance = 1.5-2× ATR), volatility-adjusted targets, filter for regime (rising ATR = expanding vol).

When it fails

Doesn't tell you direction. High ATR isn't inherently bullish or bearish.

On the chart

Nifty 50 daily bars with ATR (Average True Range) pre-loaded:

Where it's used on this site

No strategies on the site currently reference ATR (Average True Range) directly, but the technique is used across the discretionary trading landscape. Combine with a trend-following indicator or a volume filter for context.