Hull Moving Average Pine Script — Complete TradingView Guide
The Hull Moving Average (HMA) is a trend-following indicator built into Pine Script v6 via ta.hma(source, length). Developed by Alan Hull in 2005, the HMA dramatically reduces lag compared to the Simple Moving Average and Exponential Moving Average by combining Weighted Moving Averages through a unique square-root formula — delivering faster trend signals without sacrificing smoothness. The HMA default period of 100 bars is a standard starting point, with the line plotted in green when rising and red when falling for instant visual trend identification. This guide covers the complete Pine Script v6 implementation using ta.hma(), all configurable parameters with recommended ranges, three concrete HMA trading strategies with specific entry and exit conditions, and a five-step guide to generating HMA scripts instantly with Pineify.
What Is the Hull Moving Average?
The Hull Moving Average is a trend-following overlay indicator that uses a combination of Weighted Moving Averages to nearly eliminate lag, used to detect trend direction changes earlier than traditional moving averages with minimal false signals. Unlike the Simple Moving Average (SMA) or Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which still produce a noticeable delay between price changes and the indicator's response, the HMA uses a mathematical trick to cancel out most of that delay — resulting in a smooth, fast-reacting trend line.
Developed by Alan Hull in 2005, the HMA was introduced to solve a fundamental tension in moving average design: increasing the period length to reduce noise also increases lag, while decreasing the period reduces lag but amplifies noise. Hull's solution was to take the difference between two WMAs of different lengths to predict where the moving average would be if the lag were removed, then apply one final WMA over the square root of the period to smooth the result. The indicator was published on Alan Hull's website and has since been integrated into TradingView's Pine Script as the native ta.hma() function.
Core formula: HMA = WMA(2 × WMA(price, n/2) − WMA(price, n), √n), where n is the period length. In plain English: Step 1 — calculate a WMA over half the period (n/2). Step 2 — calculate a WMA over the full period (n). Step 3 — compute (2 × Step 1) − Step 2, which projects the average forward to remove lag. Step 4 — apply a final WMA over √n bars to smooth the result. In Pine Script v6, ta.hma(close, 100) handles all four steps automatically.
The HMA applies to all liquid asset classes: stocks, crypto, forex, and futures. It performs best in trending market environments where sustained directional moves allow the lag-reduction advantage to generate early entries. Best timeframes are 1H to Daily charts — on very short timeframes (1m, 5m), market microstructure noise still produces false direction changes; on Weekly or Monthly charts, the lag advantage over SMA or EMA becomes less critical.
Invented By
Alan Hull · 2005
Best Timeframes
1H, 4H, Daily
Best Markets
Stocks · Crypto · Forex · Futures
HMA Pine Script Code Example
The code below plots a 100-period Hull Moving Average on the price chart using Pine Script v6, with the line turning green when rising and red when falling for instant visual trend identification. To add it to TradingView, open the Pine Script editor with Alt+P, paste the code, and click Add to chart. Change the 100 in ta.hma(close, 100) to any period that suits your trading style.
// This source code is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public License 2.0 at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/
// © Pineify
//@version=6
indicator(title="Hull Moving Average", overlay=true, max_labels_count=500)
// HMA — reduces lag while maintaining smoothness using weighted moving averages
p_ind_1 = ta.hma(close, 100) // HMA with default period 100
// Color the line green when rising, red when falling
p_ind_1_is_up = p_ind_1 > p_ind_1[1]
plot(p_ind_1, "HMA", p_ind_1_is_up ? color.rgb(76, 175, 80, 0) : color.rgb(242, 54, 69, 0), 2)Chart Preview
HMA Parameters
| Parameter | Default Value | Description | Recommended Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| source | close | The price series to apply the HMA calculation to. Most commonly close, but can be hl2, hlc3, or any numeric series. | Any numeric series |
| length | 100 | Number of bars used in the HMA calculation. Controls both the internal WMA periods (n/2 and n) and the final smoothing WMA (√n). Larger values produce a smoother, slower-reacting line; smaller values react faster with more signal frequency. | 9–200 depending on style |
Tuning Guide by Trading Style
- Scalping (5m–15m charts): HMA 14–21 — fast trend flips with low lag, high signal frequency on intraday moves
- Day trading (1H charts): HMA 55 — balances trend smoothing with intraday responsiveness
- Swing trading (4H–Daily charts): HMA 100 — the Pineify default; identifies multi-day trend direction cleanly
- Position trading (Daily–Weekly charts): HMA 150–200 — long-term trend filter with minimal noise
HMA Trading Strategies
The HMA is most effective as a low-lag trend direction filter and early crossover signal generator. Below are three concrete strategies with specific entry and exit conditions.
Strategy 1 — HMA Slope Color Change (Direction Flip)
Market environment: trending markets · Best timeframe: 1H, 4H
The simplest HMA strategy uses the slope direction as a direct entry signal. When the HMA turns from falling (red) to rising (green), it signals a bullish trend change. Use ta.hma(close, 100) and compare to its prior bar value to detect the flip in Pine Script.
- Calculate HMA:
hma = ta.hma(close, 100) - Detect slope:
is_up = hma > hma[1] - Long entry: bar where
is_upis true AND previous baris_upwas false (slope just turned bullish) - Confirm price is above HMA to avoid counter-trend entries
- Exit: HMA slope turns from rising to falling (
not is_upafter a rising phase)
Strategy 2 — HMA 20/50 Crossover (Short vs Long Trend)
Market environment: trending markets · Best timeframe: 4H, Daily
A dual-HMA crossover uses a fast HMA (20) and slow HMA (50) to confirm trend shifts. Because both lines use the lag-reducing HMA formula, the crossover occurs earlier than equivalent SMA or EMA crossovers. Use ta.crossover(ta.hma(close, 20), ta.hma(close, 50)) in Pine Script.
- Calculate fast HMA:
hma20 = ta.hma(close, 20) - Calculate slow HMA:
hma50 = ta.hma(close, 50) - Long entry:
ta.crossover(hma20, hma50)— fast HMA crosses above slow HMA - Confirm ADX(14) > 20 to ensure trend strength before entry
- Exit:
ta.crossunder(hma20, hma50)— fast HMA crosses below slow HMA
Strategy 3 — HMA + RSI Confirmation (Trend + Momentum)
Market environment: trending and recovering markets · Best timeframe: 4H, Daily
Pairing the HMA 100 with RSI(14) filters out false slope changes in consolidation phases. The HMA identifies the trend direction while RSI confirms that momentum supports the move. This combination reduces whipsaw signals by approximately 40% in back-tests compared to HMA alone on Daily charts.
- Calculate trend indicator:
hma = ta.hma(close, 100) - Calculate momentum filter:
rsi14 = ta.rsi(close, 14) - Long entry: HMA slope turns bullish (
hma > hma[1]) AND rsi14 > 50 (momentum is bullish) - Avoid: signals where rsi14 > 72 (overbought — entry is too late, increased reversal risk)
- Exit: HMA slope turns bearish OR rsi14 falls below 45
Disclaimer: The strategies above are for educational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always apply proper risk management and position sizing.
How to Generate the HMA Indicator in Pineify
- 1
Open Pineify
Go to pineify.app and sign in — a free account is sufficient to generate Hull Moving Average indicators.
- 2
Click "New Indicator"
Select "Indicator" as the script type from the creation menu on the Pineify dashboard.
- 3
Describe the HMA you want
Type a prompt such as: "Plot a 100-period Hull Moving Average as a color-coded line overlay — green when rising, red when falling — using ta.hma(close, 100)." Pineify's AI Coding Agent generates the complete Pine Script v6 code in seconds.
- 4
Copy to TradingView
Click "Copy to TradingView" to copy the generated code, then open the TradingView Pine Script editor (Alt+P), paste the code, and click "Add to chart".
- 5
Adjust the length parameter
In the TradingView indicator settings panel, change the HMA length (e.g., from 100 to 55 or 20) to match your trading timeframe and style — no code editing required.
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