Hi Bruce, 

I am trying to create a OBV backscan that would show me a week over week improvement in the OBV.  I created this scan for Apr 3, 2011.  The problem I am having is the scan is giving me different numbers then what I see on diplayed on the chart.  The scan I am using is

OBV.23 > OBV5.23

OBV 23 days ago > OBV 5 day MA 23 days back

If I use the test symbol ANIK the numbers I get are

164200 > 81160   True

What is the difference between OBV1.23 and OBV.23

The numbers on the chart for 4/3/12 are 2.5 mil for OBV.23 and 2,386,160 for OBV5.23

I understand that OBV is cumulative but why does TC v12 return different  numbers.  

Buy the way, I am happy with the scan and the later performance of the stocks it returns but I not sure I should trust it.

Thanks for your help,

Glen

OBV1.23 and OBV.23 are theoretically the same thing. I greatly prefer the OBV1.23 syntax however as it explicitely specifies the 1-Period Simple Moving Average and is less ambiguous in its meaning as a result.

The values returned by the formula and the values on the chart are not comparable because they aren't using the same amount of data in their calculations.

Dealing with OBV & MS in PCF's - how to interp their "values"

Thanks, Bruce.

Thats what I thought about the OBV1.23 and OBV.23 but shouldn't a 1 period moving average return the same and not different numbers.  It would return the same for a 200 MA on Price, why not OBV? 

Again is it more data is being used to compute OBV1.23 then OBV.23?

Glen

If you are running a formula test, the exact same amount of data would be used to calculate OBV1.23 as OBV.23 if they are in the same formula.

If they are in different formulas, the amount of data being used to calculate them may or may not be the same and the values returned would be absolutely meaningless in making comparisons.

Thanks again, Bruce, for sharing your expertise.

Glen

You're welcome.