The concept of comparing the **Day Open** to the **Previous Day Close** is used frequently in technical analysis to gauge the sentiment or momentum at the start of a new trading day.
### Key Terms: - **Day Open**: The first traded price of an asset when the market opens for the day. - **Previous Day Close**: The last traded price of an asset when the market closed on the previous day.
### Importance of Day Open vs. Previous Day Close 1. **Market Sentiment Indicator**: - If the **Day Open** is **higher** than the **Previous Day Close**, it suggests **bullish** sentiment (buyers are willing to pay more than yesterday's closing price). - If the **Day Open** is **lower** than the **Previous Day Close**, it suggests **bearish** sentiment (sellers are driving prices down compared to the last price from the previous day).
2. **Potential Gaps**: - A **gap** occurs when there is a significant difference between the Day Open and Previous Day Close, often due to events or news released after the market closed. This gap can indicate strong momentum in either direction. - **Gap Up**: Open > Close (bullish). - **Gap Down**: Open < Close (bearish).
3. **Trend Continuation or Reversal**: - If the market opens above the previous day’s close and continues to rise, it often signals a **continuation of an upward trend**. - Conversely, if the market opens below and keeps falling, it suggests **downward momentum** is still strong.
4. **Trading Strategies**: - **Opening Range Breakout**: Traders may look for the price to break above or below the opening range (the price range between the Day Open and the first few candles) to confirm a strong bullish or bearish move. - **Reversals**: Some traders look for price reversals if the price spikes far above or below the previous day's close, expecting that the market might correct itself and return towards the previous day’s closing levels.
In the context of your **Opening Range Indicator**, the concept of the Day Open sweeping and closing above or below the Previous Day Close is used to identify whether the new day is setting up for a **buy (bullish)** or **sell (bearish)** opportunity.