GARCH-CG Cyclic Momentum Strategy
Family: hybrid · Regime: trending · Complexity: medium · Asset classes: FX, Equities, Commodities · Timeframes: H1, H4, D1
Thesis
The strategy assumes that market efficiency varies based on volatility clustering (GARCH); by entering only when conditional volatility is stable and momentum (REI) aligns with the 'true' cumulative swing direction (ASI), we can exploit Ehlers' cycles (CG) with a higher probability of success. The Sunday Gap acts as a circuit breaker for extreme emotional imbalances.
Components
- Conditional Volatility (CV) (regime) — Filters out periods of extreme volatility clustering where GARCH(1,1) predicts risk levels that exceed technical signal reliability.
- Accumulation Swing Index (ASI) (direction) — Provides the 'true' cumulative trend direction, ensuring trades align with the long-term price action structure rather than local noise.
- Ehlers Center of Gravity (CG) (entry) — Identifies the balance point of the current cycle to pinpoint low-lag turning points for entry.
- Heiken Ashi (Standard MT5) (exit) — Smoothing price action for trend-following exits, preventing premature exits on minor counter-trend wicks.
- ATR SL Finder (risk) — Provides a volatility-adjusted floor (for longs) or ceiling (for shorts) to manage risk dynamically.
- Range Expansion Index (REI) (confirmation) — DeMark-style momentum filter that ensures the market is not in a 'stale' or noise-heavy range before entering.
- Sunday Opening Gap (volatility_filter) — Acts as a structural filter; excessive gaps represent emotional exhaustion that can lead to indicator failure early in the week.
Known failure conditions
- GARCH volatility remains persistently high (Beta > 0.9), leading to no-trade regimes for extended periods.
- The 'Limit Move' parameter T in ASI is set incorrectly for the asset, causing the index to flatline.
- The market enters a strong linear trend without cycles, causing the CG indicator to whipsaw continuously.
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