Using RSI to identify Elliott Waves – Elliott Wave basics

If you’re new to Elliott Wave, you may be asking: How do I tell if a wave is over when there’s so much price movement? One tool, in addition to trendlines, is to use Relative Strength Index (RSI).

Relative strength index

The relative strength index (RSI) is a momentum indicator used in technical analysis. RSI measures the speed and magnitude of a security’s recent price changes to evaluate overvalued or undervalued conditions in the price of that security.

The RSI is displayed as an oscillator (a line graph) on a scale of zero to 100. The indicator was developed by J. Welles Wilder Jr. and introduced in his seminal 1978 book, New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems.

The RSI can do more than point to overbought and oversold securities. It can also indicate securities that may be primed for a trend reversal or corrective pullback in price. It can signal when to buy and sell. Traditionally, an RSI reading of 70 or above indicates an overbought situation. A reading of 30 or below indicates an oversold condition.

Here is what RSI looks like:

RSI swinging from 70 and 30

​How to use RSI

We can use RSI’s movements up and down to identify waves by paying attention to the trends within it like so:

Waves moving with RSI

Clearly, in the above picture, you can see how RSI trends with price, and even proceeds it when breaking trend lines. You may be able to use these trend lines to tell when one wave ends and another begins. The key here is to draw your lines off of as many supporting lows as you can. Most lines here have 2-3 tests and encompass an entire downtrend. RSI trends are composed on higher highs, and higher lows, but downtrends are composed of lower lows, and lower highs.