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EMA Crossover Trading Strategy

Sep 5, 2025

Overview

This lecture explains how to set up and trade the 9/20 EMA (Exponential Moving Average) crossover strategy, both the conventional method and with RSI (Relative Strength Index) confirmation, on TradingView and MT5 platforms.

Chart Setup on Trading Platforms

  • Add two EMAs (periods 9 and 20) to your chart and use different colors for each.
  • Add the RSI indicator with default settings (period 14, close price).
  • On TradingView, use the Indicators menu to add EMAs and RSI.
  • On MT5, use Insert > Indicators > Trend for EMAs and Insert > Indicators > Oscillators for RSI.
  • RSI above 70 = overbought; below 30 = oversold.

9/20 EMA Crossover Strategies

Conventional 9/20 EMA Crossover

  • Buy when the 9 EMA crosses above the 20 EMA; sell when it crosses below.
  • Choose your entry on the crossover or after a pullback to EMAs.
  • Set stop loss at the previous swing low (for buys) or swing high (for sells).
  • Target a risk-reward ratio of at least 1:2 or exit on the next crossover.
  • Best used during high market activity (e.g., London/New York overlap for Forex).

9/20 EMA Crossover with RSI Confirmation

  • Enter trades only when EMA crossover aligns with RSI conditions (overbought/oversold).
  • Sell only when the 9 crosses below the 20 and RSI is above 70 (overbought).
  • Buy only when the 9 crosses above the 20 and RSI is below 30 (oversold).
  • Stop loss and profit targets use the same approach as the conventional strategy.
  • Offers potential for larger trend trades if you stay in until the next crossover.

Trade Management

  • Every trade requires: entry, stop loss (using swing highs/lows), and a profit target.
  • For strong trends, consider exiting only on new crossovers for bigger moves.
  • Avoid short time frames or flat/choppy markets, as these produce frequent false signals.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • EMA (Exponential Moving Average) — A moving average that gives more weight to recent prices.
  • 9/20 EMA Crossover — A strategy where trades are based on the interaction of 9-period and 20-period EMAs.
  • RSI (Relative Strength Index) — An oscillator indicating overbought (above 70) or oversold (below 30) conditions.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Practice setting up and trading the 9/20 EMA crossover (with and without RSI) on a demo account.
  • Focus on applying the strategies during active trading periods for your chosen market.
  • Review upcoming live streams at howtrade.com for real-time examples.