Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund (CSQ) Technical Analysis

What it isA score from 0 to 100 for how one-sided recent trading has been.

How it's calculatedCompares the average size of gains with the average size of losses over the last 14 periods.

What it means for youAbove 70 is called overbought and below 30 oversold. On this page the row scores Buy below 30 and Sell above 70; in between it is Neutral. In a strong trend RSI can sit above 70 for weeks, so treat the score as a warning that a move is stretched, not on its own as a reason to trade against it.

What it isShows where the current price sits inside its recent range.

How it's calculatedTakes the highest high and lowest low of the last 14 periods, scores the close between them from 0 to 100, and smooths the result over 3 periods.

What it means for youNear 100 means price is closing at the top of its range, near 0 the bottom. The row scores Buy below 20 and Sell above 80. It reacts faster than RSI, which makes it useful for timing an entry and unreliable as a reason to trade on its own.

What it isMeasures how far price has moved away from its own average.

How it's calculatedThe gap between the current price and its 20-period average, scaled by how volatile that period was.

What it means for youReadings above +100 or below -100 mark unusually strong moves. The row scores Buy below -100 and Sell above +100, reading an extreme as a stretched move. CCI has no upper or lower limit, so a reading can go much further before price turns.

What it isCompares recent momentum with the medium-term momentum behind it.

How it's calculatedThe difference between a 5-period and a 34-period average of each bar's midpoint.

What it means for youAbove zero the short term is stronger than the medium term, so the move is speeding up. The row scores Buy when the reading is positive and rising, Sell when it is negative and falling, and Neutral otherwise. Traders watch the crossing of zero, which marks momentum changing hands.

What it isThe simplest momentum measure. How much price has changed over a fixed look-back.

How it's calculatedThe current price minus the price 10 periods ago.

What it means for youThe row scores Buy when the reading is positive and Sell when it is negative. Positive but falling means price is still up while the push behind it fades — that gap is the main thing traders watch here.

What it isTracks whether short-term momentum is pulling away from long-term momentum.

How it's calculatedThe 12-period EMA minus the 26-period EMA, plotted against a 9-period average of itself.

What it means for youAbove zero the short-term average sits above the long-term one, which is an uptrend. The row scores Buy when the MACD line is above its signal line and Sell when it is below — so a negative MACD can still score Buy while it is rising. Size matters as well as sign: a small reading means a real but weak trend.

What it isThe Stochastic calculation applied to RSI instead of to price.

How it's calculatedScores the current RSI against its own high and low over the last 14 periods.

What it means for youThe fastest indicator on this page. The row scores Buy when the fast line crosses above the slow line and Sell when it crosses below. It changes direction often, so treat it as an early hint that momentum is shifting and wait for a slower indicator to agree.

What it isWhere the closing price sits in the recent range, measured from the top down.

How it's calculatedScores the close between the highest high and lowest low of the last 14 periods, from 0 to -100.

What it means for youAbove -20 is overbought and below -80 oversold; the row scores Sell above -20 and Buy below -80. It is Stochastic inverted and moves very quickly, so it confirms that a short-term extreme has been reached rather than pointing to direction.

What it isMeasures how much power sellers had in the latest candle, relative to the recent trend.

How it's calculatedThe candle's low minus a 13-period exponential average of closes. Negative means the low dipped below the average.

What it means for youBelow zero and rising, sellers are losing their grip and the row scores Buy. Below zero and falling, they are gaining and it scores Sell. At or above zero the row is Neutral. Traders watch the reading turning while price keeps going the other way, which often comes before a reversal.

What it isA momentum reading that blends three look-back lengths on purpose.

How it's calculatedCombines buying pressure over 7, 14 and 28 periods, weighting the shortest most heavily.

What it means for youIt exists to cut the false signals that single-period oscillators produce. The row scores Buy below 30 and Sell above 70. Because all three horizons have to agree, it reaches an extreme far less often than RSI.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 10 periods.

How it's calculatedAdds up the last 10 closing prices and divides by 10. Every period counts the same.

What it means for youPrice above the line scores Buy. Because every period is weighted equally the line is slow to turn, which makes it steadier than an EMA but later to react.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 10 periods, weighted towards recent prices.

How it's calculatedAverages the last 10 closes but gives newer prices more weight, so the line responds sooner than a simple average.

What it means for youIt turns faster than the SMA of the same length, which gets you in earlier and produces more false signals when price is choppy.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 20 periods.

How it's calculatedAdds up the last 20 closing prices and divides by 20. Every period counts the same.

What it means for youPrice above the line scores Buy. Because every period is weighted equally the line is slow to turn, which makes it steadier than an EMA but later to react.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 20 periods, weighted towards recent prices.

How it's calculatedAverages the last 20 closes but gives newer prices more weight, so the line responds sooner than a simple average.

What it means for youIt turns faster than the SMA of the same length, which gets you in earlier and produces more false signals when price is choppy.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 30 periods.

How it's calculatedAdds up the last 30 closing prices and divides by 30. Every period counts the same.

What it means for youPrice above the line scores Buy. Because every period is weighted equally the line is slow to turn, which makes it steadier than an EMA but later to react.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 30 periods, weighted towards recent prices.

How it's calculatedAverages the last 30 closes but gives newer prices more weight, so the line responds sooner than a simple average.

What it means for youIt turns faster than the SMA of the same length, which gets you in earlier and produces more false signals when price is choppy.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 50 periods.

How it's calculatedAdds up the last 50 closing prices and divides by 50. Every period counts the same.

What it means for youPrice above the line scores Buy. Because every period is weighted equally the line is slow to turn, which makes it steadier than an EMA but later to react.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 50 periods, weighted towards recent prices.

How it's calculatedAverages the last 50 closes but gives newer prices more weight, so the line responds sooner than a simple average.

What it means for youIt turns faster than the SMA of the same length, which gets you in earlier and produces more false signals when price is choppy.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 100 periods.

How it's calculatedAdds up the last 100 closing prices and divides by 100. Every period counts the same.

What it means for youPrice above the line scores Buy. Because every period is weighted equally the line is slow to turn, which makes it steadier than an EMA but later to react.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 100 periods, weighted towards recent prices.

How it's calculatedAverages the last 100 closes but gives newer prices more weight, so the line responds sooner than a simple average.

What it means for youIt turns faster than the SMA of the same length, which gets you in earlier and produces more false signals when price is choppy.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 200 periods.

How it's calculatedAdds up the last 200 closing prices and divides by 200. Every period counts the same.

What it means for youPrice above the line scores Buy. Because every period is weighted equally the line is slow to turn, which makes it steadier than an EMA but later to react.

What it isThe average closing price over the last 200 periods, weighted towards recent prices.

How it's calculatedAverages the last 200 closes but gives newer prices more weight, so the line responds sooner than a simple average.

What it means for youIt turns faster than the SMA of the same length, which gets you in earlier and produces more false signals when price is choppy.