MACD Divergence

How to identify MACD divergence

• Bullish divergence: price makes a lower low while the MACD makes a higher low.
• Bearish divergence: price makes a higher high while the MACD makes a lower high.
• Compare the MACD line or histogram at the same swing points as price.
• The standard settings are 12- and 26-period EMAs with a 9-period signal line.

Is MACD divergence bullish or bearish?

Both. Bullish divergence forms at lows; bearish divergence forms at highs. Each recent detection on this page is labelled with its direction.

Price target

There is no measured-move target. MACD divergence flags weakening momentum; confirmation usually comes from price, such as a break of a trendline or a recent swing point, or a MACD signal-line cross.

When the pattern fails

In a strong trend the MACD can diverge repeatedly while price keeps going. The divergence fails when price extends in the original direction and the MACD follows.

How has this setup performed historically?

20-day figures: 233 settled signals detected from 2026-02-13, scored through 2026-10-28; 90 more still inside the window. Every one is listed in the track record.

Win rate = share of occurrences where the stock beat SPY over the window in the direction the signal predicted — for a bearish setup, a win means it underperformed. Measured on our own detections, which puts the coin-flip line at 50%. Sample sizes are small; treat these as context, not as an edge.

Recent MACD Divergence detections

From our daily published list over the past 12 months, newest first. Past detections, not recommendations — open a symbol for its chart and current status.

US stocks that have formed the MACD Divergence most often

Counts are past detections by our scanner, not signals firing today. Follow a symbol through to its own page for the current reading.

Frequently asked questions

What is bullish MACD divergence?

Price makes a lower low but the MACD makes a higher low — downside momentum is shrinking even as price falls, which is read as a possible bottom forming.

What is the difference between MACD divergence and RSI divergence?

Both compare price with momentum. MACD is derived from moving averages and is slower, so its divergences tend to cover longer swings; RSI is bounded and reacts faster.

What is the success rate of MACD divergence?

Across 233 scored detections, the MACD Divergence moved the way it predicts relative to SPY 56% of the time over the next 20 trading days, with a mean excess return of +1.93%. A coin flip scores about 50%.

Further reading

• Backtest: we tested 1,643 of our own pattern calls against SPY
• Browse every symbol we cover

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