+DI (positive directional indicator)
The +DI measures the strength of upward directional movement in Welles Wilder's ADX system, by relating bullish price extensions to volatility.
The +DI (Positive Directional Indicator) is part of the directional system designed by J. Welles Wilder, alongside −DI and the ADX. Each period, positive directional movement (+DM) is measured: the advance of the high over the previous high, kept only if it exceeds the decline of the low. These +DM values are smoothed over 14 periods and divided by the Average True Range, normalising the measure by volatility: the +DI thus expresses the share of market movement happening to the upside.
How to read and use it
The +DI is always read against the −DI: when +DI is on top, buyers dominate directional movement; the +DI crossing above −DI is Wilder's historical buy signal, to be validated by a sufficiently high ADX confirming that a trend actually exists. A high +DI with a weak ADX signals a choppy market without an exploitable trend. In Screener.Trading, the ADX indicator and its directional lines can feed your screener rules, for example to keep only assets where +DI just crossed above −DI.
Use the full trio: +DI and −DI give direction, the ADX gives strength. A +DI/−DI cross without a rising ADX remains a fragile signal.
Keep exploring
- FeatureThe multi-indicator, multi-timeframe screenerCombine technical indicators, timeframes and comparison operators to keep only the assets that match your strategy exactly.
- IndicatorADX (Average Directional Index)The indicator that answers the question that comes before all others: is there a trend? Its +DI and -DI lines then reveal its direction.
- IndicatorATR (Average True Range)The reference indicator for measuring volatility: it tells you how much an asset moves per candle on average, saying nothing about direction.
- Glossary−DI (negative directional indicator)The −DI measures the strength of downward directional movement in Welles Wilder's ADX system, by relating bearish price extensions to volatility.
- GlossaryTimeframeA timeframe is the duration each candle on a chart represents (from one minute to several months) and sets the horizon of the analysis.
- GuideBuilding your first screener, step by stepHow to turn a strategy idea into objective rules, pick the right asset universe, read scan results and iterate until you get a genuinely actionable list of opportunities.