AMT Balance
The core AMT framework for reading market structure across 9 timeframes
The foundational study of Analytical Market Theory. AMT Balance is the primary tool for understanding market structure, identifying balance and imbalance, and reading timing and location. Available across 9 timeframes — Scalp, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly, 4B, 12B, and Zone — so you can read structure at any resolution.
Origin
The AMT framework was developed over decades of research into market structure. It is built on the principle that time — not volume — defines the value area. The Balance level represents the market's equilibrium for a given period, and all price movement can be understood as rotation around or extension away from this level.
Core Principles
AMT describes market behavior through a set of core principles that govern how price moves between Balance, support, and resistance across every timeframe.
- All trends originate from Balance and push outward toward support or resistance
- All trends stop and reverse at timeframe highs or lows, rotating back toward Balance
- A breakout of support or resistance extends to the next timeframe's high or low
- Trends unfold in two-wave patterns within each timeframe
Timeframe Hierarchy
AMT operates across nine timeframes that layer together: Scalp, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly, 4B, 12B, and Zone. Each timeframe provides its own Balance, Upper Dyno, and Lower Dyno zones. When levels from multiple timeframes converge at the same price, the significance of that level increases. Reading structure means reading all relevant timeframes together.
Requirements
- Can only be used on charts with a chart data type of 'Intraday Chart'
- Settlement Price mode requires a separate reference daily chart with matching symbol
- Scalp (Range) mode opens a range reference chart and optionally a 30-minute chart for auto-adjustment
Input & Settings
| No. | Input Name | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Period Type | Selects the timeframe period for the balance calculation. Options: Year, Quarter, Month, Week, Day, 12B, 4B, Scalp. Each AMT Balance variant pre-selects this to its corresponding timeframe. |
| 2 | Auto Adjust Range | When enabled in Range mode, automatically adjusts the range period using a 30-period ATR calculated from a reference chart. Default: Yes. |
| 3 | Auto Adjust Frequency (Minutes) | How often, in minutes, the auto-adjusted range is recalculated. Range: 1–720. Default: 30. |
| 4 | Use Settlement Price | When enabled, uses the settlement price from a reference daily chart instead of the close price in the balance calculation. Not available when the chart data type is already daily. Default: No. |
| 5 | Reference Daily Chart (Historical) | Specifies the chart number of a daily reference chart for obtaining settlement prices. Required when 'Use Settlement Price' is enabled. The reference chart must use the same symbol. |
| 6 | Show Forward Balance at Last Bar Only | When enabled, the forward balance projection is only displayed at the last chart bar rather than across all bars. Default: No. |
| 7 | Forward Balance uses Current High/Low | When enabled, the forward balance calculation incorporates the current period's developing high and low values. Default: Yes. |
| 8 | Display Forward R1/R2 and S1/S2 | Controls whether forward resistance and support projections (Forward R1, R2, S1, S2) are displayed on the chart. Default: Yes. |
| 9 | Round Values to Tick Size | When enabled, all calculated balance, target, and forward values are rounded to the instrument's tick size. Default: Yes. |
| 10 | Set Subgraph Colors Automatically | When enabled, automatically applies the configured Subgraph Color and Forward Subgraph Color to all relevant subgraphs. Default: Yes. |
| 11 | Subgraph Color | Defines the primary color used for balance, target, and zone subgraphs when automatic coloring is enabled. Default: dark green. |
| 12 | Forward Subgraph Color | Defines the color used for all forward projection subgraphs when automatic coloring is enabled. Default: dark red. |
| 13 | Show Point Break Value | When enabled, displays the point break value (distance from balance to the nearest target breach) as text on the chart. Default: Yes. |
| 14 | Point Break Prefix | Text prefix displayed before the point break value on the chart. Default: 'Point Break:'. |
| 15 | Display Mode | Sets the unit for displaying the point break value. Options: Ticks, Points. Default: Ticks. |
| 16 | Horizontal Position | Sets the horizontal position of the point break text display on the chart. Range: 1–150. Default: 135. |
| 17 | Vertical Position | Sets the vertical position of the point break text display on the chart. Range: 1–100. Default: 95. |
Selects the timeframe period for the balance calculation. Options: Year, Quarter, Month, Week, Day, 12B, 4B, Scalp. Each AMT Balance variant pre-selects this to its corresponding timeframe.
When enabled in Range mode, automatically adjusts the range period using a 30-period ATR calculated from a reference chart. Default: Yes.
How often, in minutes, the auto-adjusted range is recalculated. Range: 1–720. Default: 30.
When enabled, uses the settlement price from a reference daily chart instead of the close price in the balance calculation. Not available when the chart data type is already daily. Default: No.
Specifies the chart number of a daily reference chart for obtaining settlement prices. Required when 'Use Settlement Price' is enabled. The reference chart must use the same symbol.
When enabled, the forward balance projection is only displayed at the last chart bar rather than across all bars. Default: No.
When enabled, the forward balance calculation incorporates the current period's developing high and low values. Default: Yes.
Controls whether forward resistance and support projections (Forward R1, R2, S1, S2) are displayed on the chart. Default: Yes.
When enabled, all calculated balance, target, and forward values are rounded to the instrument's tick size. Default: Yes.
When enabled, automatically applies the configured Subgraph Color and Forward Subgraph Color to all relevant subgraphs. Default: Yes.
Defines the primary color used for balance, target, and zone subgraphs when automatic coloring is enabled. Default: dark green.
Defines the color used for all forward projection subgraphs when automatic coloring is enabled. Default: dark red.
When enabled, displays the point break value (distance from balance to the nearest target breach) as text on the chart. Default: Yes.
Text prefix displayed before the point break value on the chart. Default: 'Point Break:'.
Sets the unit for displaying the point break value. Options: Ticks, Points. Default: Ticks.
Sets the horizontal position of the point break text display on the chart. Range: 1–150. Default: 135.
Sets the vertical position of the point break text display on the chart. Range: 1–100. Default: 95.
Subgraphs
| No. | Subgraph Name | Function & Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Balance High | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Displays the upper boundary of the Balance zone, forming a filled region with the Balance line. |
| 2 | Balance | Default: Point. The core Balance level for the period. Displayed with period labels. |
| 3 | Balance Low | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Displays the lower boundary of the Balance zone, forming a filled region with the Balance line. |
| 4 | Target R5 | Default: Ignore. Extended resistance target above Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display. |
| 5 | Target R4 | Default: Ignore. Resistance target above Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display. |
| 6 | Target R3 | Default: Ignore. Resistance target above Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display. |
| 7 | Target R2 | Default: Stair Step. Upper boundary of the Upper Dyno zone. |
| 8 | Target R2 Line | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Upper boundary of the Upper Dyno zone, forming a filled region between R1 and R2. |
| 9 | Target R1 Line | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Lower boundary of the Upper Dyno zone, forming a filled region between R1 and R2. |
| 10 | Target R1 | Default: Stair Step. Lower boundary of the Upper Dyno zone. |
| 11 | Forward Balance | Default: Line at Last Bar to Edge. Projects the developing Balance level forward from the current period, extending to the right edge of the chart. |
| 12 | Target S1 | Default: Stair Step. Upper boundary of the Lower Dyno zone. |
| 13 | Target S1 Line | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Upper boundary of the Lower Dyno zone, forming a filled region between S1 and S2. |
| 14 | Target S2 Line | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Lower boundary of the Lower Dyno zone, forming a filled region between S1 and S2. |
| 15 | Target S2 | Default: Stair Step. Lower boundary of the Lower Dyno zone. |
| 16 | Target S3 | Default: Ignore. Support target below Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display. |
| 17 | Target S4 | Default: Ignore. Support target below Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display. |
| 18 | Target S5 | Default: Ignore. Extended support target below Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display. |
| 19 | Forward R2 | Default: Stair Step to Edge. Forward projection of the R2 resistance target, extending to the right edge of the chart. |
| 20 | Forward R2 Line | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Upper boundary of the forward Upper Dyno zone. |
| 21 | Forward R1 Line | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Lower boundary of the forward Upper Dyno zone. |
| 22 | Forward R1 | Default: Stair Step to Edge. Forward projection of the R1 resistance target, extending to the right edge of the chart. |
| 23 | Forward S1 | Default: Stair Step to Edge. Forward projection of the S1 support target, extending to the right edge of the chart. |
| 24 | Forward S1 Line | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Upper boundary of the forward Lower Dyno zone. |
| 25 | Forward S2 Line | Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Lower boundary of the forward Lower Dyno zone. |
| 26 | Forward S2 | Default: Stair Step to Edge. Forward projection of the S2 support target, extending to the right edge of the chart. |
| 27 | Point Break Text | Default: Custom Text. Displays the Point Break value on the chart, showing the distance from Balance to the nearest breached target level. |
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Displays the upper boundary of the Balance zone, forming a filled region with the Balance line.
Default: Point. The core Balance level for the period. Displayed with period labels.
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Displays the lower boundary of the Balance zone, forming a filled region with the Balance line.
Default: Ignore. Extended resistance target above Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display.
Default: Ignore. Resistance target above Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display.
Default: Ignore. Resistance target above Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display.
Default: Stair Step. Upper boundary of the Upper Dyno zone.
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Upper boundary of the Upper Dyno zone, forming a filled region between R1 and R2.
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Lower boundary of the Upper Dyno zone, forming a filled region between R1 and R2.
Default: Stair Step. Lower boundary of the Upper Dyno zone.
Default: Line at Last Bar to Edge. Projects the developing Balance level forward from the current period, extending to the right edge of the chart.
Default: Stair Step. Upper boundary of the Lower Dyno zone.
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Upper boundary of the Lower Dyno zone, forming a filled region between S1 and S2.
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Lower boundary of the Lower Dyno zone, forming a filled region between S1 and S2.
Default: Stair Step. Lower boundary of the Lower Dyno zone.
Default: Ignore. Support target below Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display.
Default: Ignore. Support target below Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display.
Default: Ignore. Extended support target below Balance. Enable via subgraph draw style to display.
Default: Stair Step to Edge. Forward projection of the R2 resistance target, extending to the right edge of the chart.
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Upper boundary of the forward Upper Dyno zone.
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Lower boundary of the forward Upper Dyno zone.
Default: Stair Step to Edge. Forward projection of the R1 resistance target, extending to the right edge of the chart.
Default: Stair Step to Edge. Forward projection of the S1 support target, extending to the right edge of the chart.
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Top. Upper boundary of the forward Lower Dyno zone.
Default: Transparent Fill Rectangle Bottom. Lower boundary of the forward Lower Dyno zone.
Default: Stair Step to Edge. Forward projection of the S2 support target, extending to the right edge of the chart.
Default: Custom Text. Displays the Point Break value on the chart, showing the distance from Balance to the nearest breached target level.
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