Momentum indicators
Ultimate Oscillator
Momentum oscillator combining buying pressure across three time periods.
- Engine
- TA-Lib
- Function
ULTOSC- Input series
- high, low, close
- Outputs
- 1
How it works
ULTOSC compares buying pressure with true range over three windows, sorts the configured periods from shortest to longest, and combines their ratios with weights 4, 2, and 1 before scaling the result by 100.
Use case
Use the Ultimate Oscillator as a multi-horizon momentum feature for comparing short-, medium-, and longer-term buying pressure.
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Bounds or options | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time Period 1 | integer | 7 | 1…100000 | First configured averaging window; TA-Lib sorts all three periods before assigning weights. |
| Time Period 2 | integer | 14 | 1…100000 | Second configured averaging window; TA-Lib sorts all three periods before assigning weights. |
| Time Period 3 | integer | 28 | 1…100000 | Third configured averaging window; TA-Lib sorts all three periods before assigning weights. |
Outputs
| Output | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Oscillator | number | Weighted multi-period Ultimate Oscillator value for the bar. |
Reading the result
Ultimate Oscillator combines buying-pressure information across several horizons. The multi-horizon design aims to avoid depending on one short lookback, but the result is still sensitive to the selected period relationship and source history.
Use the continuous level and its change as context. Divergence or threshold rules are research hypotheses, not guaranteed signals.
Common mistakes
- Choosing period horizons without a meaningful short-to-long ordering.
- Treating a bounded extreme as an automatic reversal.
- Ignoring previous-close effects around missing periods or gaps.
- Assuming multi-horizon construction eliminates parameter sensitivity.
DataCat workflow notes
If the set already contains several single-horizon oscillators, test whether Ultimate Oscillator adds new information or merely summarizes the same movement with another smoothing profile.