Why does the TradingView percentage scale change when I zoom?

Zooming or panning can change the starting observation in the visible range. The same ending price then has a different denominator. Record a fixed starting timestamp and price if the result must remain comparable between screenshots.

Is Indexed to 100 different from percentage return?

With the same positive baseline and source series, it is the same price ratio with a different reference label. Indexed value equals 100 plus the percentage return. An index of 112 corresponds to a 12% increase.

Does the percentage scale include dividends or currency returns?

It reflects the input series and its settings. Record dividend adjustment and currency conversion separately. A local-currency price return excludes the effect of translating that price into another currency; an unadjusted price series does not add cash dividends.

Is the Baseline chart type the same as a zero-return baseline?

No. The Baseline chart type places a visual divider within the chart height. The Percent scale measures price change from a reference value. Changing the chart divider does not define a purchase price or a fixed-date return.

TradingView comparison workflow

Percentage scales on TradingView: baselines and comparable returns

The TradingView percentage scale expresses price changes relative to a starting value in the visible chart range. Moving that starting point can change the percentages even when the ending price stays the same. Percent starts at 0%; Indexed to 100 starts at 100. For a repeatable comparison, record an exact starting date and price for each symbol, then calculate 100 × (ending price / starting price - 1) using matching currency and dividend settings.

See the decision guide

Select the scale and identify its baseline

Open the price-scale settings menu and select Percent or Indexed to 100. Check the scale attached to the series you are reading. TradingView describes Percent as a linear percentage scale and Indexed to 100 as a rebasing of the first chart value. When the left edge moves to a different starting observation, the reference can change. Treat the displayed period as part of the measurement.

For an audit, use a line chart with Close as its source. Record the first visible observation, its timestamp and close, and a later closed-bar value from the Data Window. Avoid inferring a denominator from a candle high or low.
Record the endpoint, then move the left edge while keeping that same endpoint visible. Recalculate against the new starting close. A changed percentage can be a different measurement window rather than a new price move.
A daily-change label or watchlist change can use a previous-session reference. Do not expect it to match a percentage axis that begins elsewhere.
If the displayed percentage does not agree with your calculation, verify the source field, first available observation, assigned scale, and data adjustments before interpreting the discrepancy.

Percent and Indexed to 100 use the same ratio

For positive starting price P0 and later price Pt, the percentage change is R = 100 × (Pt / P0 - 1). The indexed value is I = 100 × Pt / P0, so I = 100 + R. The following hypothetical prices use one fixed baseline of 80 and the same source series throughout.

Switching between these two representations does not change the ordering of returns when each series retains the same baseline and observations.
Indexed to 100 is a normalized series, not a share price or an account balance. A value of 90 means a 10% decline from the baseline.
The Baseline chart type is a separate setting. Its base level positions a divider as a percentage of chart height; a 50% base level does not mean the asset returned 50%.

Price	Percent scale	Indexed to 100
80, the baseline	0%	100
88	+10%	110
72	-10%	90
160	+100%	200

Recalculate two symbols over fixed dates

Assume two invented assets, A and B, both quoted in USD. Use daily regular-session closing prices on January 2, January 16, and January 30, 2026. Assume both trade on every listed date, with no dividends or splits during the period. These are arithmetic fixtures, not historical quotes. Keep January 2 as the fixed baseline for this comparison.

At January 30, A returns 100 × (110 / 100 - 1) = 10%. B returns 100 × (52.50 / 50 - 1) = 5%. A leads by 5 percentage points over this period.
That 5-point gap is not a 5% relative increase in the price ratio. The normalized A/B ratio changes by (1.10 / 1.05 - 1) × 100 = 4.76%. Label which calculation you use.
For your own symbols, write down exchange-qualified tickers, baseline and endpoint timestamps, source field, actual prices, session, timezone, currency, and adjustment settings before calculating.

Close date	A price	A return / index	B price	B return / index
2026-01-02	100	0% / 100	50	0% / 100
2026-01-16	120	+20% / 120	45	-10% / 90
2026-01-30	110	+10% / 110	52.50	+5% / 105

Changing the start can reverse the apparent leader

Now keep the January 30 endpoint but start at January 16. A falls from 120 to 110, while B rises from 45 to 52.50. Their ending prices have not changed. The comparison now answers a different question.

B leads by 25 percentage points in the later window. The original January 2 comparison still shows A leading. Neither observation proves persistent outperformance.
Choose the measurement dates before evaluating the result. Selecting a convenient trough for one symbol after seeing the outcome biases the comparison.
To reproduce a fixed-date result after zooming, retain the recorded baseline prices in a worksheet or an explicitly anchored calculation. Do not rely on the current viewport to preserve them.

Asset	January 16 to 30 calculation	Return	New index
A	100 × (110 / 120 - 1)	-8.33%	91.67
B	100 × (52.50 / 45 - 1)	+16.67%	116.67

Record currency and dividend treatment separately

Normalizing both lines to zero does not put both assets in the same currency. A local-currency price return and a return measured in your account currency answer different questions. Dividend adjustment is another independent choice. Record both settings for every symbol.

The currency formula is (1 + local return) × (ending FX rate / starting FX rate) - 1, with FX quoted as account-currency units per local-currency unit. Match the valuation times. The EUR example assumes no fees or distributions.
The cash-dividend example assumes one share, no taxes or fees, and no dividend reinvestment. It is not a reconstruction of TradingView adjusted prices.
TradingView provides Adjust data for dividends for supported assets and describes the adjusted chart as a total-return view. Record whether it is enabled; do not add cash dividends again to an already dividend-adjusted series.
TradingView currency conversion recalculates chart values where supported. Its help page says converted-currency charts cannot create alerts or place orders. A percentage display is not a substitute for a defined currency conversion in an alert calculation.

Assumption	Hypothetical calculation	Meaning
A EUR asset rises from EUR 100 to EUR 110	110 / 100 - 1 = 10%	Local-currency price return
USD per EUR falls from 1.10 to 1.00 over the same dates	(110 × 1.00) / (100 × 1.10) - 1 = 0%	USD price return before conversion costs
A USD share goes from 100 to 98 and pays 3 in cash	98 / 100 - 1 = -2%; (98 + 3) / 100 - 1 = +1%	Price return versus holding-period return with cash retained

Stop the comparison when its inputs do not match

Use a common observation policy before comparing markets. A calendar date alone does not guarantee simultaneous prices: exchanges close at different times, and a continuous crypto market can move while an equity exchange is shut.

For example, -10 to -5 is a price increase of 5 but gives -50% under the ordinary ratio formula. Positive-price comparison rules should not be applied to it without qualification.
A price-return comparison also omits position sizing, cash flows, transaction costs, and execution. It does not measure your trading account performance.

Problem	Reproducible handling
One asset has no baseline bar	Choose a common available timestamp or mark the result unavailable. Do not silently start that asset later.
One endpoint is live and the other is closed	Compare completed observations under the same stated policy; label any stale price.
Baseline is zero	The ordinary percentage formula divides by zero. Report it as undefined.
Baseline is negative	Use signed price changes and explain the instrument. Ordinary percentage rankings can reverse the intuitive direction.
A split or distribution changes the series	Recheck adjustment settings and both recorded prices. Do not compare an adjusted series against an unadjusted one without explaining why.
Only a screenshot is available	Treat rounded axis readings as approximate. Obtain source prices before claiming an exact return.

Keep the comparison rule with its review record

If you want a chart helper, give the Pine Script AI Coding Agent a fixed timestamp, source field, currency and adjustment policy, and expected sample outputs. Ask it to show the baseline price and return together so that you can inspect the denominator. Review the generated code and verify closed-bar values in TradingView.

For a threshold alert, specify a fixed baseline and an explicit rule, such as a confirmed close crossing above a 10% price increase. Define what happens when baseline data is unavailable. A changed viewport must not quietly redefine the signal.
Save the hypothesis, exact dates, prices, and screenshot links in a Trading Journal diary entry. Record the original comparison before adding a later review and lessons learned.
A screenshot taken after the outcome cannot establish what was known when a signal occurred. Missing historical observations should remain unavailable; do not replace them with later prices.

Where Pineify fits

Pine Script AI Coding Agent

Describe a fixed-baseline calculation and its expected outputs, then draft an editable Pine Script chart helper for review.

Also useful: Trading Journal. Record comparison assumptions, screenshot links, and later observations in a dated diary entry.

Define a comparison rule with Pineify

Related resources

TradingView workflows Logarithmic versus linear charts Export chart data for calculation checks Chart timezone and bar timestamps

Frequently asked questions

Educational chart workflow, not investment advice. All numeric examples use invented prices and stated assumptions. Relative price changes do not predict future returns or represent executable trading results.

Sources and verification

Last verified: 2026-10-17

Published by Pineify. Pineify is an independent product and is not affiliated with TradingView. Sources support the technical explanations; examples do not establish trading performance.