MACD Calculator
Compute the MACD line, signal line, and histogram from any price series. Configurable fast, slow, and signal periods — all in your browser, nothing uploaded.
About this tool
The MACD calculator computes the Moving Average Convergence Divergence — one of the most widely used momentum indicators in technical analysis — from any price series. It returns all three MACD components at every point:
- MACD line — the difference between a fast and a slow exponential moving
average of the price:
MACD = fastEMA − slowEMA. The classic settings are a 12-period fast EMA and a 26-period slow EMA. - Signal line — an exponential moving average of the MACD line itself, by default a 9-period EMA. Crossovers between the MACD line and the signal line are the indicator's primary buy/sell triggers.
- Histogram — the gap between the MACD line and the signal line
(
histogram = MACD − signal). It visualises momentum: bars growing above zero show strengthening upward momentum, bars below zero the opposite.
Each EMA is seeded with the simple mean of its first window (the standard finance
convention), then advanced with the smoothing factor k = 2 / (period + 1).
Values are reported as null during the warm-up region — before enough data
points are available to fill the window.
How to use it
- Paste or type your price series (separated by spaces, commas, semicolons, or newlines), oldest value first.
- Optionally adjust the fast, slow, and signal periods — the defaults are the standard 12, 26, and 9.
- Read off the MACD line, signal line, and histogram arrays — one entry per input point — plus the latest value of each.
The fast period must be smaller than the slow period, and the slow period must not
exceed the number of data points. To fully warm up the signal line you need at
least slow + signal − 1 points (34 with the default settings).
How MACD is read
- MACD line crossing above the signal line is a common bullish signal; crossing below is bearish.
- The histogram flips sign at those crossovers and shows their momentum.
- MACD crossing the zero line marks the fast EMA crossing the slow EMA.
Common uses
- Spotting momentum shifts and trend changes in stock, crypto, or forex prices.
- Confirming entries/exits alongside other indicators in technical analysis.
- Smoothing and analysing any sequential numeric series where convergence and divergence of trends matter.
Privacy
Everything runs locally in your browser via WebAssembly. Your data is never uploaded to a server.
FAQ
Why are the first values in each series null?
That's the warm-up region. Each EMA is seeded with the simple mean of its
first window, so the MACD line only starts at the slow period's point (26 by
default), and the signal line needs a further signal MACD values — a full
warm-up takes slow + signal − 1 points (34 with the default 12/26/9).
How much data can I paste, and are the periods capped?
Up to 100,000 data points and periods up to 10,000. Two other rules apply: the fast period must be smaller than the slow period, and the slow period can't exceed the number of points you supply — otherwise you get a clear error instead of a partial result.
Why don't my numbers exactly match TradingView or my broker?
Check the seeding. This tool uses the standard finance convention — each EMA
starts from the simple average of its first window, then advances with
k = 2/(period + 1). Platforms that seed the EMA from the very first price
instead will differ slightly at the start of the series; the two converge as
more data arrives.
What order and format should the prices be in?
Oldest first, newest last — MACD is a running computation, so a reversed series gives meaningless output. Values can be separated by spaces, commas, semicolons, or newlines, and every entry must be a finite number.
Developer & Automation Access
Run it from the terminal
Same engine as this page, headless — via the gizza CLI:
gizza tool macd-calculator "22.27, 22.19, 22.08, 22.17, 22.18, 22.13, 22.23, 22.43, 22.24, 22.29"New to the CLI? Get gizza →
Open it by URL
Pre-fill and auto-run this tool with query parameters — the names match the API/CLI:
https://gizza.ai/tools/macd-calculator/?prices=22.27%2C%2022.19%2C%2022.08%2C%2022.17%2C%2022.18%2C%2022.13%2C%2022.23%2C%2022.43%2C%2022.24%2C%2022.29&fast=12&slow=26&signal=9Machine-readable descriptor: tool.json — title + parameters JSON Schema for agents.