Oscillator
Intermediate5 min2026-05-14Members only

Williams %R

A fast oscillator built as a vertically flipped Stochastic. It plots the close's position within the recent range on a 0 to −100 scale.

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Overview

Williams %R (Williams Percent Range) was introduced by Larry Williams in 1973. It measures how far below the recent n-period high today's close sits, expressed on a scale from 0 to −100.

Structurally it is almost identical to the Fast Stochastic, but the scale is inverted. A reading of 0 means the close is pinned to the recent high; −100 means it is pinned to the recent low. Visually, %R is a Stochastic chart turned upside down.

Its responsiveness has made it popular with short-term traders. The same responsiveness, however, brings the standard weakness of any high-sensitivity oscillator — a steady stream of false signals when used alone.

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Williams %R · Chart Psychology Lab