In the chart below, the little blue circles form the Parabolic SAR.
- Buy Signal: When the price closes above the upper Parabolic SAR, this is a buy signal.
- Sell Signal: When the price closes below the lower Parabolic SAR, this is a sell signal.
This tool is useful for traders who want to prevent losses and protect profits with a stop loss order. A stop loss order is placed below the purchase price or above a selling price to minimize losses or protect profits should the price movement not turn out as expected/projected.
Once a position is entered, the preceding dot on the Parabolic SAR serves as the stop loss order.
Let’s take a look at how it’s used in the charts below: