Smart Money Flow Oscillator [MarkitTick]💡This script introduces a sophisticated method for analyzing market liquidity and institutional order flow. Unlike traditional volume indicators that treat all market activity equally, the Smart Money Flow Oscillator (SMFO) employs a Logic Flow Architecture (LFA) to filter out market noise and "churn," focusing exclusively on high-impact, high-efficiency price movements. By synthesizing price action, volume, and relative efficiency, this tool aims to visualize the accumulation and distribution activities that are often attributed to "smart money" participants.
✨ Originality and Utility
Standard indicators like On-Balance Volume (OBV) or Money Flow Index (MFI) often suffer from noise because they aggregate volume based simply on the close price relative to the previous close, regardless of the quality of the move. This script differentiates itself by introducing an "Efficiency Multiplier" and a "Momentum Threshold." It only registers volume flow when a price move is considered statistically significant and structurally efficient. This creates a cleaner signal that highlights genuine supply and demand imbalances while ignoring indecisive trading ranges. It combines the trend-following nature of cumulative delta with the mean-reverting insights of an In/Out ratio, offering a dual-mode perspective on market dynamics.
🔬 Methodology
The underlying calculation of the SMFO relies on several distinct quantitative layers:
• Efficiency Analysis
The script calculates a "Relative Efficiency" ratio for every candle. This compares the current price displacement (body size) per unit of volume against the historical average.
If price moves significantly with relatively low volume, or proportional volume, it is deemed "efficient."
If significant volume occurs with little price movement (churn/absorption), the efficiency score drops.
This score is clamped between a user-defined minimum and maximum (Efficiency Cap) to prevent outliers from distorting the data.
• Momentum Thresholding
Before adding any data to the flow, the script checks if the current price change exceeds a volatility threshold derived from the previous candle's open-close range. This acts as a gatekeeper, ensuring that only "strong" moves contribute to the oscillator.
• Variable Flow Calculation
If a move passes the threshold, the script calculates the flow value by multiplying the Typical Price and Volume (Money Flow) by the calculated Efficiency Multiplier.
Bullish Flow: Strong upward movement adds to the positive delta.
Bearish Flow: Strong downward movement adds to the negative delta.
Neutral: Bars that fail the momentum threshold contribute zero flow, effectively flattening the line during consolidation.
• Calculation Modes
Cumulative Delta Flow (CDF): Sums the flow values over a rolling period. This creates a trend-following oscillator similar to OBV but smoother and more responsive to real momentum.
In/Out Ratio: Calculates the percentage of bullish inflow relative to the total absolute flow over the period. This oscillates between 0 and 100, useful for identifying overextended conditions.
📖 How to Use
Traders can utilize this oscillator to identify trend strength and potential reversals through the following signals:
• Signal Line Crossovers
The indicator plots the main Flow line (colored gradient) and a Signal line (grey).
Bullish (Green Cloud): When the Flow line crosses above the Signal line, it suggests rising buying pressure and efficient upward movement.
Bearish (Red Cloud): When the Flow line crosses below the Signal line, it suggests dominating selling pressure.
• Divergences
The script automatically detects and plots divergences between price and the oscillator:
Regular Divergence (Solid Lines): Suggests a potential trend reversal (e.g., Price makes a Lower Low while Oscillator makes a Higher Low).
Hidden Divergence (Dashed Lines): Suggests a potential trend continuation (e.g., Price makes a Higher Low while Oscillator makes a Lower Low).
"R" labels denote Regular, and "H" labels denote Hidden divergences.
• Dashboard
A dashboard table is displayed on the chart, providing real-time metrics including the current Efficiency Multiplier, Net Flow value, and the active mode status.
• In/Out Ratio Levels
When using the Ratio mode:
Values above 50 indicate net buying pressure.
Values below 50 indicate net selling pressure.
Approaching 70 or 30 can indicate overbought or oversold conditions involving volume exhaustion.
⚙️ Inputs and Settings
Calculation Mode: Choose between "Cumulative Delta Flow" (Trend focus) or "In/Out Ratio" (Oscillator focus).
Auto-Adjust Period: If enabled, automatically sets the lookback period based on the chart timeframe (e.g., 21 for Daily, 52 for Weekly).
Manual Period: The rolling lookback length for calculations if Auto-Adjust is disabled.
Efficiency Length: The period used to calculate the average body and volume for the efficiency baseline.
Eff. Min/Max Cap: Limits the impact of the efficiency multiplier to prevent extreme skewing during anomaly candles.
Momentum Threshold: A factor determining how much price must move relative to the previous candle to be considered a "strong" move.
Show Dashboard/Divergences: Toggles for visual elements.
🔍 Deconstruction of the Underlying Scientific and Academic Framework
This indicator represents a hybrid synthesis of academic Market Microstructure theory and classical technical analysis. It utilizes an advanced algorithm to quantify "Price Impact," leveraging the following theoretical frameworks:
• 1. The Amihud Illiquidity Ratio (2002)
The core logic (calculating body / volume) functions as a dynamic implementation of Yakov Amihud’s Illiquidity Ratio. It measures price displacement per unit of volume. A high efficiency score indicates that "Smart Money" has moved the price significantly with minimal resistance, effectively highlighting liquidity gaps or institutional control.
• 2. Kyle’s Lambda (1985) & Market Depth
Drawing from Albert Kyle’s research on market microstructure, the indicator approximates Kyle's Lambda to measure the elasticity of price in response to order flow. By analyzing the "efficiency" of a move, it identifies asymmetries—specifically where price reacts disproportionately to low volume—signaling potential manipulation or specific Market Maker activity.
• 3. Wyckoff’s Law of Effort vs. Result
From a classical perspective, the algorithm codifies Richard Wyckoff’s "Effort vs. Result" logic. It acts as an oscillator that detects anomalies where "Effort" (Volume) diverges from the "Result" (Price Range), predicting potential reversals.
• 4. Quantitative Advantage: Efficiency-Weighted Volume
Unlike linear indicators such as OBV or Chaikin Money Flow—which treat all volume equally—this indicator (LFA) utilizes Efficiency-Weighted Volume. By applying the efficiency_mult factor, the algorithm filters out market noise and assigns higher weight to volume that drives structural price changes, adopting a modern quantitative approach to flow analysis.
● Disclaimer
All provided scripts and indicators are strictly for educational exploration and must not be interpreted as financial advice or a recommendation to execute trades. I expressly disclaim all liability for any financial losses or damages that may result, directly or indirectly, from the reliance on or application of these tools. Market participation carries inherent risk where past performance never guarantees future returns, leaving all investment decisions and due diligence solely at your own discretion.
Indikator Pine Script®
