What TRIX is
TRIX (triple exponential average) is a momentum oscillator. It smooths price with an exponential moving average (EMA, an average that weights recent prices more), smooths the result again, then smooths that once more. It then plots the rate of change of this triple-smoothed line from one bar to the next.
The smoothing filters out most small price wiggles. TRIX therefore shows the direction and speed of the underlying move rather than individual candles. It moves around a centre line, where the smoothed average is flat.
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Formula and default settings
- EMA1 = EMA of the closing price over N periods
- EMA2 = EMA of EMA1 over N periods
- EMA3 = EMA of EMA2 over N periods
- TRIX = percentage change of EMA3 from the previous bar
Many traders add a signal line, which is a short EMA of TRIX itself. Your platform shows its default period and applied price in the indicator settings window. Keep the defaults while learning, then test changes on a demo account.
Parameter choices:
- Shorter N: reacts sooner, crosses the centre line more often, and shows more noise.
- Longer N: produces a smoother line with fewer crossings, but each turn appears later.
- Signal line period: a shorter one hugs TRIX closely, while a longer one separates from it less often.
Because the smoothing is applied in stacked layers, a small change to N shifts the lag more than it would on a single EMA.
How to add TRIX in MT4 and MT5
- MetaTrader 5: open Insert → Indicators → Oscillators and look for the triple exponential average. Set the period and the applied price.
- MetaTrader 4: the standard list does not include TRIX. You need a custom indicator file placed in the MQL4 → Indicators folder, which you can reach through File → Open Data Folder. Restart the terminal afterwards. Only use files from sources you trust.
For platform setup, see MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5.
How to read TRIX: a drawn example
This is a sketch, not real prices. Here is how to read it:
- Above the centre line: the smoothed average is rising.
- Below the centre line: the smoothed average is falling.
- TRIX crossing its signal line: momentum in the smoothed trend is changing.
- Slope flattening: the move is slowing, even if price is still drifting the same way.
- Divergence: price makes a new extreme but TRIX does not. See divergence.
Typical uses
- As a trend filter alongside market structure or support and resistance.
- To compare momentum across multiple timeframes.
- As a smoother alternative to the ROC or MACD.
None of these uses turns TRIX into a buy or sell signal on its own.
Where TRIX misleads
- Ranges: in sideways markets TRIX wanders near the centre line and crosses it repeatedly.
- Lag: triple smoothing means turns show up late. Sharp reversals and news spikes can be well underway before TRIX reacts. See leading vs lagging.
- Gaps and thin sessions: a single large bar distorts all the EMA layers for some time afterwards.
- No fixed extremes: TRIX has no bounded overbought or oversold levels. What counts as "high" differs by instrument and timeframe.
- Curve fitting: tuning N until past charts look perfect rarely holds on new data.
Leveraged forex and CFD trading can lose money fast. No indicator removes that risk. Read risk management before trading.
Frequent questions
Is TRIX the same as TEMA?
No. TEMA is a moving average plotted on price. TRIX plots the rate of change of a triple-smoothed EMA in a separate window.
What are the best TRIX settings?
No setting is best for every market. Start with your platform's default and test changes on a demo account.
Is there a reliable TRIX indicator strategy?
No indicator guarantees results. TRIX is usually combined with price structure and a fixed risk plan.
Does TRIX repaint?
On closed bars it does not. The value on the current bar changes until that bar closes. See repainting indicators.