CVD is the lie detector of your chart. When price does one thing and cumulative delta does another — one of them is wrong. CVD tells you which moves have real fuel under them.
What you're reading
CVD accumulates the net delta (ask volume − bid volume) bar by bar. In cumulative mode, it shows you the running score of who's winning the battle. In per-bar mode, it shows the delta of each individual candle.
CVD rising while price rises — confirmed uptrend. Buyers are genuinely aggressive. High conviction, ride the move.
CVD flat while price rises (bullish divergence warning) — price is moving up but buying isn't accelerating. Fragile move. Watch for reversal.
CVD declining while price rises (bearish divergence) — the most powerful warning. Sellers are dominating even as price climbs. High-quality fade setup.
Synthetic wicks — show the intrabar CVD excursion. A bar with a long synthetic wick to the downside but a positive close = intrabar selling absorbed. Reveals hidden battles.
Session reset — CVD resets to zero at session open. Lets you read the current session's directional commitment without prior overnight noise polluting the read.
Confluence — what to stack
CVD signal
Add this indicator
Result
CVD rising + price at VAL
Flow Volume Profile — VAL holding?
Confirmed bid at value — strong long setup
CVD bearish divergence at high
Flow Footprint — absorption visible?
Two-layer reversal signal — high quality fade
CVD declining through ORB break
Flow ORB — break of ORH with CVD down?
False breakout — skip or fade ORH break
CVD rising into Big Orders teal bubble
Flow Big Orders
Sustained buying with real size — trend continuation
CVD flat on imbalance zone touch
Flow Imbalance — first or repeat test?
Indecision at zone — wait for next bar to resolve
Trade scenarios
Bearish CVD divergence — fading a structurally weak high
SetupPrice has been trending up for several bars. You're approaching a known resistance level (supply zone, prior VAH, or ORB TP level).
TriggerPrice makes a new high but CVD makes a lower high (or turns flat). The directional delta is not confirming the price high.
ConfirmFootprint shows a bearish divergence signal on the same bar. Delta Grid shows weakening delta% (positive but shrinking). No new teal Big Orders bubbles appearing.
InvalidateCVD breaks to new highs with price. Or a large teal bubble appears at the level. The divergence resolved bullishly — don't fight.
CVD trend confirmation — riding a real impulse
SetupSession opens with a gap or strong directional push early. CVD is rising steeply from the session open.
TriggerFirst pullback to VWAP or prior bar VPOC. CVD holds above its prior swing low on the pullback — buyers still in control.
ConfirmFootprint absorption at pullback level. Volume Profile VAL holding if price dipped. Big Orders teal bubble on the pullback candle.
InvalidateCVD makes a new low on the pullback — sellers took over. Exit or don't enter. The momentum is broken.
Key settings
Mode — Cumulative vs Per-bar: Cumulative for trend context. Per-bar for bar-by-bar conviction reads. Most traders keep cumulative on the main panel and use Delta Grid for per-bar.
Session reset: Keep ON for RTH trading. Resets at 9:30 ET so your morning read isn't contaminated by overnight flow.
Synthetic wicks: Keep ON. The intrabar delta range is invisible without them. Wicks reveal absorbed pressure that closed bars hide.
Scale multiplier: Increase if CVD bars look too small vs price action. Keep it proportional — the amplitude matters for divergence reading.
Quick FAQ
Is CVD better in cumulative or per-bar mode? Both serve different purposes. Cumulative = session bias and divergence. Per-bar = individual candle conviction. Use both.
Does it lag? No. CVD is calculated in real time from live tick data. There's no smoothing or delay.
What's the difference between CVD and Delta Grid? CVD is running cumulative. Delta Grid shows raw volume, delta, and delta% per bar in a table format. They complement each other — CVD for trend, Delta Grid for bar quality.
