<p id="isPasted">How the RSI Works</p><p>As a momentum indicator, the relative strength index (RSI) compares a security's strength on days when prices go up to its strength on days when prices go down. Relating the result of this comparison to price action can give traders an idea of how a security may perform.2 The RSI, especially when used in conjunction with other technical indicators, can help traders make better-informed trading decisions.3</p><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: SourceSansPro, "Source Sans Pro-fallback", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.05px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div data-right-rail-index="3" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br></div></div><p>Calculating RSI</p><p>The RSI uses a two-part calculation that starts with the following formula:2</p><p>RSIstep one=100−[1001+Average gainAverage loss]RSIstep one=100−[1+Average lossAverage gain100]</p><p>The average gain or loss used in this calculation is the average percentage gain or loss during a look-back period. The formula uses a positive value for the average loss. Periods with price losses are counted as zero in the calculations of average gain. Periods with price increases are counted as zero in the calculations of average loss.The standard number of periods used to calculate the initial RSI value is 14.4 For example, imagine the market closed higher seven out of the past 14 days with an initial average gain of 1%. The remaining seven days all closed lower with an initial average loss of −0.8%.</p><p>The first calculation for the RSI would look like the following expanded calculation:</p><p>55.55=100−[1001+(1%14)(0.8%14)]55.55=100−⎣⎢⎡1+(140.8%)(141%)100⎦⎥⎤</p><p>Once there are 14 periods of data available, the second calculation can be done. Its purpose is to smooth the results so that the RSI only nears 100 or zero in a strongly trending market.</p><p>RSIstep two=100−[1001+(Previous Average Gain×13) + Current Gain((Previous Average Loss×13) + Current Loss)]RSIstep two=100−[1+((Previous Average Loss×13) + Current Loss)(Previous Average Gain×13) + Current Gain100]</p><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: SourceSansPro, "Source Sans Pro-fallback", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.05px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></div><p>Plotting RSI</p><p>After the RSI is calculated, the RSI indicator can be plotted, usually beneath an asset’s price chart, as shown below. The RSI will rise as the number and size of up days increase. It will fall as the number and size of down days increase.</p><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: SourceSansPro, "Source Sans Pro-fallback", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.05px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><br></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; height: 371.1px; overflow: hidden; background: 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 596px; padding-bottom: 0px;" class="forexqa-img-container"><img width="2165" height="1349" data-sizes="750px" alt="Image shows a candlestick chart in the top panel, with RSI plotted in the lower panel." data-hi-res-src="https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/gufJESa9I9NdonROoWndoOST_88=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/AAPL_2025-09-12_10-34-35-1e7f3534e4744c72a6b19a0198b7f64b.png" data-img-lightbox="true" sizes="750px" srcset="https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/oXC__uUhthvFOMV_3QELjZUSWn4=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/AAPL_2025-09-12_10-34-35-1e7f3534e4744c72a6b19a0198b7f64b.png 750w" src="https://prod-forexqna.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/froala_editor/images/1760335474359.png" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; background-color: transparent; width: 730px; cursor: zoom-in;" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable forexqa-img"></div></div><p>TradingView</p><p>As you can see in the above chart, the RSI indicator can stay in the overbought region for extended periods while the stock is in an uptrend. The indicator may also remain in oversold territory for a long time when the stock is in a downtrend. This can be confusing for new analysts, but learning to use the indicator within the context of the prevailing trend will clarify these issues.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>
<p id="isPasted">How the RSI Works</p><p>As a momentum indicator, the relative strength index (RSI) compares a security's strength on days when prices go up to its strength on days when prices go down. Relating the result of this comparison to price action can give traders an idea of how a security may perform.2 The RSI, especially when used in conjunction with other technical indicators, can help traders make better-informed trading decisions.3</p><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: SourceSansPro, "Source Sans Pro-fallback", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.05px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><div data-right-rail-index="3" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br></div></div><p>Calculating RSI</p><p>The RSI uses a two-part calculation that starts with the following formula:2</p><p>RSIstep one=100−[1001+Average gainAverage loss]RSIstep one=100−[1+Average lossAverage gain100]</p><p>The average gain or loss used in this calculation is the average percentage gain or loss during …</p>