TRIX (Triple Exponential Average Rate of Change)
TRIX smooths the average three times, then takes its rate of change: noise is ground away threefold, leaving zero-line crosses that are almost purely "real trend" — momentum built to kill jitter.
What it is
TRIX, published by Jack Hutson in the early 1980s, applies three consecutive EMA(14) smoothings to the close and then computes the percentage rate of change of that triple-smoothed line. The intent is extreme: grind short-term noise away three times — only sustained directional pressure moves the reading. TRIX oscillates around zero: positive = the triple average rising (trend strong), negative = falling. A 9-period signal line generates crosses.
Origin
TRIX first appeared in Jack Hutson's 1980 article in Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities (he co-founded the magazine). "Trix" stands for Triple Exponential. Its philosophy is "purity through smoothing" — a third noise-reduction school beside Kaufman's adaptivity (AMA) and Wilder's fixed smoothing (RSI/ATR): filter in layers rather than adjust dynamically. MT5's default period is 14.
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The computation chain:
Three chained EMA(14)s create an extremely long effective smoothing — a one-day spike must "leak through" three layers to touch TRIX, so it is nearly immune to single-bar events. The cost is visible lag: TRIX is the "slow but pure" archetype, built for mid/long-term confirmation, not short-term reflexes.
Worked example
A scenario for the "purity" of triple smoothing:
- Two weeks of range, then a one-day +3% spike: the first EMA ticks up, the second barely moves, the third does not budge → TRIX ≈ zero — the spike is classified as noise.
- A three-week trend start: closes push one-way → all three layers lift → TRIX turns positive and climbs — sustained pressure classified as trend.
- Trend late stage: price still high but gains narrow → EMA3 decelerates → TRIX rolls over before price — the exhaustion warning.
TRIX answers "is the triple average accelerating or decelerating" — faithfully tracking sustained structural pressure while ignoring isolated events. That is the design goal, not a flaw.
How to read it
Reading around zero:
| Range | Common interpretation |
|---|---|
| TRIX > 0 and rising | The triple average rising and accelerating — a healthy uptrend |
| TRIX > 0 but falling | The rally decelerating — trend or a resting pause |
| TRIX = 0 | The neutral point where the triple average is flat |
| TRIX < 0 and falling | A healthy downtrend |
| TRIX/signal crosses | Bullish/bearish crosses — highest quality aligned with the zero side |
The classic TRIX signal is "a signal-line cross aligned with the zero side": a cross above zero inside an uptrend = re-acceleration; the mirror below zero. The zero cross itself is a heavier but slower trend confirmation.
Common signals & usage
Golden cross above zero
TRIX crossing above its signal with both above zero — re-acceleration inside an uptrend, TRIX's highest-win-rate signal.
Zero-line confirmation
TRIX crossing 0 — the triple average switched direction: a heavyweight mid/long-term trend confirmation (slow, rarely fake).
Divergence
Price new highs without a TRIX new high — triple-smoothed momentum fading; heavier than single-average divergences.
Dual-TRIX system
A short TRIX (12) crossing a long TRIX (24) — Hutson's systematic suggestion, filtering yet another layer of noise.
Limitations & common mistakes
- Pronounced lag: the price of triple smoothing — reversal signals come late, later than RSI/MACD. Bottom-fishing with TRIX fails; it is a confirmation tool.
- Zero-line tangles in ranges: long boxes park TRIX near 0 — cross signals all fail (the old rule: call the regime first).
- Period sensitivity: 14×3 stacks enormous effective lag — an 8-period setting is snappier but re-admits noise; the trade-off is explicit.
- Do not confuse with TEMA: TEMA (Tillson) is a corrected triple EMA plotted as a lag-reduced average; TRIX is the rate of change of a triple EMA. Similar names, similar ingredients, completely different indicators.
- Not for intraday: on 15-minute charts TRIX lags by hours — the wrong tool for day traders.
TRIX in MT5
TRIX is a built-in MT5 oscillator (main + signal lines). The MQL5 function for programmatic use is iTRIX:
| MQL5 function | iTRIX() |
| Default period | ma_period=14 |
| Buffers | 0=TRIX main, 1=signal line (fixed SMA9) |
| Algorithm | Percentage ROC of EMA³(14) |
| Display window | Sub-window (around zero) |
The signal line is a fixed 9-period SMA (not separately tunable). ma_period is the period of each EMA layer — 14 is Hutson's original. Readings are percentage rate-of-change around zero with no fixed OB/OS lines.
Behavior across timeframes
15-minute
Lag runs into hours — effectively unusable for intraday; skip it
1-hour / 4-hour
Usable for swing confirmation: above-zero crosses are decent hold confirmations
Daily
The classic home: zero crosses and divergences maximize the "slow but pure" value on dailies
Weekly
A weekly zero cross is a quarter-scale trend confirmation — a heavyweight long-term reference
Indicator combinations
Common pairings for TRIX:
- With MA: the MA sets the macro direction; above-zero-aligned TRIX crosses confirm holding — a two-layer trend filter. MA
- With RSI: TRIX reads trend purity, RSI reads short-term extremes — one slow, one fast, complementary without overlap. RSI
- With ATR: TRIX signals enter, ATR stops — closing the loop between trend confirmation and risk. ATR
FAQ
Q Why does TRIX smooth three times?
Jack Hutson's intent was layered noise filtering: a single EMA still follows small wiggles; after three chained smoothings only multi-day sustained pressure moves the reading — TRIX is nearly immune to one-day spikes. The cost is real lag; it is a confirmation tool, not a trigger.
Q Are TRIX and TEMA the same thing?
No. Both use triple EMAs with opposite purposes: TRIX is the rate of change of a triple EMA (a momentum oscillator); TEMA (Tim Tillson) builds a corrected triple EMA plotted as a lag-reduced average on the main chart. Similar names and ingredients, entirely different math.
Q What counts as a high-quality TRIX signal?
A signal-line cross aligned with the zero side: a golden cross above zero (re-acceleration in an uptrend) or the mirrored death cross below — Hutson's original recommendation. The zero cross itself is slower and heavier for mid/long-term confirmation; crosses near zero are noise.
Q Is TRIX suitable for short-term trading?
No. Triple smoothing lags by hours on 15-minute charts — day traders using it are permanently half a beat behind. It was born for mid/long-term confirmation: daily and weekly zero crosses and divergences are its home turf. For short-term, use RSI/Stochastic/AMA.
Q How do I add TRIX in MT5?
Menu: Insert → Indicators → Oscillators → TRIX, or drag it from the Navigator onto a sub-window. Default period 14; the main and fixed 9-period signal lines draw automatically — add a 0 level for easier reading.
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