COPPOCK Indicator: When to Enter or Leave the Market

13 April 2009

What is COPPOCK indicator?

The Coppock curve or Coppock indicator is a technical analysis indicator created by Edwin Coppock, first published in Barron's Magazine in 1962.
Edwin Coppock developed the Coppock Indicator with one sole purpose: to identify the commencement of bull markets. The indicator was devised for use on S&P 500 but is suitable for use on other market indices or averages.

How COPPOCK Indicator is Calculated?

The indicator uses a monthly time scale. It's the sum of a 14-month rate of change and 11-month rate of change, smoothed by a 10-period weighted moving average;

In formula:
COPPOCK= WMA[10] of (ROC(14)+ROC(11))

and in words:
1. Calculate the 14 month Rate of Change (of Monthly Price) for the index.
2. Calculate the 11 month Rate of Change (of Monthly Price) for the index. 3. Add the results of 1 and 2.
4. Calculate the 10 month weighted average of the results

Where Can I Find This Indicator For STI and DOW?

There is no known source that can give updates for COPPOCK indicator on STI and DOW. However, it is not too difficult to build this indicator in the metastock or similar kind of software using the following formula:

Mov((ROC(C,14,%)+ROC(C,11,%)),10,W)/100 (shown red in attached charts)

Another formula to express COPPOCK in smoothened mode

(Mov(ROC(Mov(C,14,S),11,%),10,E))/100 (shown blue in attached charts)

Interpretation of COPPOCK Curve

When the indicator was published in Barron’s (1962), it was suggested one should enter the market only when Coppock Curve started to reverse from an extreme low.
However, one will notice that market will reverse its trend whenever COPPOCK curve reverses from its extreme low or extreme high.
Other observations are:
a) The first COPPOCK reversal from extreme low is often followed by the highest COPPOCK reading (highest momentum); subsequent ones are usually followed by lower peak COPPOCK readings, indicating weakening or aging market.
b) The market will rise when the COPPOCK crosses above the COPPOCK smoothen curve; otherwise, the market will fall.

Best Time To Enter the Market?

According to the original interpretation, the best time to enter the market is when the COPPOCK curve (red) reverses from its extreme low. The DOW's COPPOCK curve is now suggesting that it is still not the right time to enter the market.

As for STI, the picture is about the same.

However, it is suggested that one should not just rely on one or two indicators to decide when to buy, sell, enter or leave the market. COPPOCK indicator may have given the correct signals so far but that does not always mean that COPPOCK curve will be able to give a precise timing.

Application of COPPOCK in Other Charts

COPPOCK suggested to use monthly charts for his COPPOCK curve. Many Analysts have attempted to use it for charts of different time scales such as weekly time frame.

UPDATED :  14 April 2009 & 15 April 2009

If one were to study the above DOW's weekly COPPOCK curve carefully, one could find that DOW will always rise when the red curve (COPPOCK) cross above the blue curve (the smoothened curve); similarly, the market will always fall when it crosses under.    The above chart shows clearly that the COPPOCK has a signal to enter the market on 21 Nov 08 (red curve about to cross blue cure);  however,  this did not happen and the market continued its fall until March 09.  

Update :  1 August 2018
If one has faithfully followed the coppock curve to invest in stock market,  one could reap a lot of profit by now.   For long term investors,  it will be simple just to use monthly chart to decide when to enter and when to leave the market as illustrated in the following chart

The above chart indicated that it is definitely not the right time for long term investors who have reaped all the earlier profit to give up and empty all  their holdings  without first checking the coppock curve in the weekly chart and also consulting other technical indicators.   However,  one would not expect the  stock market price to gain much i.e. not until coppock curve begins to turn up and move in the opposite direction.

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Disclaimer:
Information here is for sharing and learning. It is not intended to give any advice on any stock or movement or trend of any index. If a price or movement of a stock/index is given, it is only intended for illustration. The reader shall verify the information given here before using them.