Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP)
Candlefocus EditorVWAP is calculated as the quotient of the total traded value of a security/commodity divided by the total number of lots paid out during a given time period. It helps to demonstrate the average price of a security over a specific time frame, which can help traders infer intraday trends for trading decisions.
For example, if the VWAP is crossing the current price (which can be identified by the color either green to red or vice versa) then a trader can take a view of price increase or decrease in the security, providing the opportunity to trade in that specific direction.
The primary benefit of VWAP is as an objective measure of price and volume in a given market or security. By tracking the daily VWAP trend, traders are able to get a sense of how successful a particular trading day has been and assess how the market is responding to a particular security.
Essentially, VWAP is the combination of volume and price, and is generally used as a measure of intraday support and resistance. While VWAP is an average price for the day, if the stock price remains above the VWAP for a sustained amount of time, then it is viewed as a sign of bullish sentiment. In contrast, if the stock price falls below the VWAP level for a significant period of time, then it can be viewed as a sign of bearish sentiment.
Traders usually use VWAP for shorter-term trades, taking advantage of the support or resistance provided by the VWAP level. But it can also be used for long-term trading decisions as well, since the daily VWAP serves as a measure of the true or fair value of the share price and gives an indication of how the market will be trading in the near future. If a security were to free float too far away from the VWAP, it’d be a signal to enter or exit positions.
Overall, VWAP is an accurate and objective measure of price and volume action that traders should be aware of and use to inform their decisions. It is just like the security’s moving average, but smoother, making it easier to read and interpret. VWAP gives traders the opportunity to know what is going on with a security, including the levels of trading activity and the price-volume trend in the security, as well as objective indications of support or resistance levels.