What is Market Breadth?

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Market breadth indicators analyze the number of stocks advancing relative to those declining in a given index or stock exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or Nasdaq.

Positive market breadth occurs when more stocks are advancing than declining, suggesting that bulls are controlling the market’s momentum and confirming a price rise in the index.

Conversely, a greater number of declining securities confirms bearish momentum and a potential downside move in the stock index.

Understanding Market Breadth

Market breadth refers to how many stocks are participating in a given move within an index or stock exchange. For example, an index may be rising, but more than half of its stocks could be falling. This occurs when a small number of stocks with large gains push the index higher. Market breadth indicators can reveal this, providing traders insight into the true performance of the overall market, even when a rising index suggests otherwise.

Breadth indicators attempt to measure the underlying strength or weakness in an index. This information helps technical traders gain insight into the potential future moves of an index.

A large number of advancing stocks is a sign of bullish market sentiment and helps confirm a market uptrend. On the other hand, a large number of declining stocks signals bearish sentiment and suggests a downtrend.

Market Breadth Indicators and Uses

There are various market breadth indicators, each calculated differently to provide slightly different information. Some focus on the number of advancing or declining stocks, while others compare stock prices to benchmarks, and some incorporate volume. The main goal for most market breadth indicators is to confirm or warn of divergence between the indicator and the overall index.

Divergence occurs when an index moves in one direction, but the market breadth indicator moves in the opposite direction, which can signal a potential market reversal. However, market breadth indicators are generally poor for precise timing, as they may signal too early or fail to forecast a reversal.

Here are some common market breadth indicators:

• Advance-Decline Index (A/D Line): This indicator calculates a running total of the difference between advancing and declining stocks. Traders watch for divergence between the A/D line and a major market index, such as the S&P 500.
• New Highs-Lows Index: This compares stocks making 52-week highs to those making 52-week lows. A reading below 50% suggests more stocks are hitting lows and could signal bearish market conditions.
• S&P 500 200-Day Index: This shows the percentage of S&P 500 stocks trading above their 200-day moving average, indicating broad market strength when above 50%.
• Cumulative Volume Index (CVI): This measures whether volume is positive or negative by adding the volume of advancing stocks and subtracting the volume of declining stocks.
• On-Balance Volume (OBV): This indicator tracks volume based on whether the index rises or falls. Up days add volume, while down days subtract volume.

Example of Market Breadth Analysis

An example of market breadth analysis is shown through the SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) ETF chart. During an S&P 500 rise, the cumulative volume index confirmed the uptrend, while the on-balance volume remained flat, signaling underlying weakness. A steep price decline followed, confirming the warning from the breadth indicator.

What Is Meant by Market Breadth?

Market breadth refers to how broadly an index’s move is supported by the underlying stocks. It measures the strength of an index’s rise or fall by examining how many stocks are participating in the movement.

What Is Market Breadth and Depth?

Market breadth studies the strength or weakness of moves within an index, while market depth refers to a market’s ability to handle large orders without significantly impacting a security’s price.

Is Market Breadth a Good Indicator?

Market breadth indicators provide useful information about market sentiment, but like all indicators, they should be confirmed with price action. Using breadth indicators alone is not recommended.

Concluding Thoughts

Market breadth refers to a set of technical indicators that evaluate price movements in a given stock index.

These indicators provide insight into whether an index’s movement is supported by the broader market.

Market breadth is used to confirm the strength of a market trend and is valuable for understanding the overall market sentiment beyond just index levels.

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