01 — Chart Configuration
Layout & Display
Weekly position trading on equities demands a clean, low-noise environment. The chart should reinforce patience — weekly bars close once per week, and your analysis window should reflect that deliberate cadence.
Dual Layout Configuration
Set up two saved layouts in TradingView — Premium allows unlimited saved layouts. Switch between them with a single click.
Template Save — do this first
- Build the full indicator stack on one chart
- Go to Chart Settings → Templates → Save as Template
- Name it Pullback Weekly EQ and apply to every equity chart instantly
- Save separately as Pullback Daily Entry for the clean entry chart
02 — Pattern Detection
ABCD Auto-Detection
Search the Public Indicators library (flask icon in TradingView) for the following. Both are free Pine Script community indicators.
Primary
ABCD Pattern
By LonesomeTheBlue. The most reliable auto-detection available. Validates each leg using Fibonacci ratios and draws the full ABCD structure on-chart.
Secondary
Harmonic Patterns
Also by LonesomeTheBlue. Detects ABCD plus Gartley, Bat, Butterfly, Crab. On weekly equities, pullbacks frequently align with harmonic structures — this catches what ABCD alone misses.
Settings for Weekly Equities
Zigzag Depth = 10–13 // default is 5 — too sensitive for weekly
Fibonacci Validation = ON // BC must retrace 38.2%–78.6% of AB
Min Bars Per Leg = 5 // eliminates sub-week noise
Alert on Completion = ON // set to bar close on weekly
Show Failed Patterns = ON // failed pullbacks are data, not noise
03 — Trend & Mean
EMA Stack
The moving average stack serves two purposes: it identifies the dominant trend direction and marks the mean reversion zones where pullbacks are most likely to terminate. Only trade pullbacks that are aligned with all three EMAs.
| Indicator | Period | Colour | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMA | 21 | Blue | Short-term mean. Weekly pullbacks (BC) often terminate here on healthy trends. |
| EMA | 50 | Amber | Medium-term anchor. Primary reversion target and trend bias filter. |
| EMA | 200 | Red | Long-term trend. Only take pullbacks aligned with this direction — this is where big players are positioned. |
04 — Depth Measurement
Auto Fibonacci Retracement
Use TradingView's native Auto Fib Retracement indicator — found under Indicators → Built-ins. It auto-draws the retracement from the most recent swing high/low, which is exactly what is needed to assess pullback depth in real time without manual adjustment each week.
Levels = 0.236, 0.382, 0.5, 0.618, 0.764
Extend Lines Right = ON // zones stay visible as price approaches
0.236 / 0.382 colour = Green // shallow / strong trend signal
0.5 colour = Amber // neutral midpoint
0.618 / 0.764 colour = Red // deep pullback — weakness signal on equities
| Fib Level | Pullback Depth | Equity Signal | Expected Move After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23.6% | Very shallow | Very strong trend | Large, sustained continuation |
| 38.2% | Shallow | Strong trend | Strong continuation |
| 50.0% | Moderate | Neutral | Moderate continuation |
| 61.8% | Deep | Weakening | Weak or failing continuation |
| 76.4% | Very deep | Near failure | High probability of full reversal |
05 — Structure
Swing High / Low Detection
Add TradingView's built-in Pivot Points High Low indicator. This directly implements the swing H/L methodology from the pullback framework — it marks the points from which ABCD legs originate and terminate, making BC and D far easier to identify visually.
Right Bars = 5 // bars right of pivot required to confirm
Labels = H / L // show high/low labels on-chart
Add a second instance with Left: 10 / Right: 10 in a different colour. This gives you the macro swing structure simultaneously — so you can see both the micro pullback pattern and the dominant trend structure on the same chart without switching timeframes.
06 — Institutional Activity
Volume Configuration
On weekly equities, volume is the clearest proxy for institutional (big player) activity. A pullback on falling volume that resumes on rising volume is the textbook institutional accumulation signature.
Native
Volume Histogram
Display below the main chart. Colour bars: green when close > open, red when close < open. Watch for declining volume during BC and a surge on the first D bar.
Overlay
Volume MA (21)
Add a 21-period Simple Moving Average over the volume bars. Any bar exceeding 1.5× the MA is a significant institutional event — particularly meaningful when it coincides with a pullback terminal.
07 — Risk Sizing
ATR for Stop Placement
Add ATR (14) to a separate pane. On weekly equities, use 1.5–2× ATR beyond point C as your stop. This keeps the stop outside normal weekly price noise without giving too much room.
Use ATR to screen setups: if the ATR-based stop produces a risk-to-reward below 1:2.5 given your target (typically the prior swing high), skip the trade regardless of pattern quality. Position sizing discipline is where edge is preserved over time.
08 — Automation
Alert Configuration
Condition: Price crosses EMA 50 downward (in uptrend). Frequency: once per bar close. Flags when BC is reaching the primary mean reversion zone.
"{{ticker}} Weekly — BC approaching EMA 50. Assess pullback depth and volume."
Draw horizontal lines at 38.2% and 61.8% after each new swing. Right-click line → Add Alert → bar close. Triggers when price enters the key reversal zones.
"{{ticker}} Weekly — BC at 38.2% Fib. Check for reversal candle and volume."
Enable alert within the LonesomeTheBlue indicator settings. Set to bar close on weekly. This is your primary action alert.
"{{ticker}} Weekly ABCD complete — D leg confirmed. Review before next open."
Draw a horizontal line at point A after each swing. Alert on price closing below (uptrend) or above (downtrend) that level. Conviction of break required.
"{{ticker}} Weekly — Close beyond Point A. Possible failed pullback. Reassess."
Condition: Volume crosses above 1.5× the 21-period Volume MA while price moves in DTD. Confirms institutional re-entry on the D bar.
"{{ticker}} Weekly — High-volume D bar. Institutional resumption signal."
09 — Organisation
Watchlist Stages
Use TradingView Premium's Watchlist Groups to categorise every ticker by pullback stage. Review weekly, on the weekend, and move tickers between groups as setups develop.
10 — Noise Reduction
What to Remove
| Indicator | Why to Remove |
|---|---|
| RSI / MACD / Stochastic | Lagging derivatives of price. Weekly price action itself provides superior information. These add decision paralysis without edge. |
| Bollinger Bands | Redundant with EMA stack. Two volatility-band systems on one chart creates conflicting signals. |
| Repainting indicators | On weekly charts, a repainting indicator changes last week's signal after this week closes. This corrupts your historical pattern recognition. |
| Earnings overlays | Earnings events are already reflected in price by the weekly close. The calendar overlay creates confirmation bias — you see the candle differently. |
| Heikin Ashi (on entry chart) | Use standard candles on your daily entry chart. HA candles shift entry and exit prices — they should never be used for precise execution levels. |