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Anchored VWAP (AVWAP)

The anchored vwap, also sometimes referred to as the “AVWAP” is a  technical analysis indicator that shows the volume weighted average price of a security from a specific starting point, or “anchor”.  It’s differs from the traditional VWAP (volume weighted average price) which is a common day trading tool that resets and starts its calculation at the beginning of each trading day.

Anchored VWAP is usually used on a longer than intraday timeframe by swing traders.  It is effective when a technically significant event or time is used as a starting point to begin the calculation.  This starting point is called the “anchor”, hence the name Anchored VWAP.  Typical anchors are swing highs and lows, earnings announcement days, starts of gaps, or beginnings of weeks, months, or years.

AVWAPs can be powerful supports or resistance areas for swing traders to take advantage of.  It is very typical for stocks that are rallying to set up pull back buys at the AVWAP calculated from the swing low where the rally began.  Conversely, bearish moves can often resume on bounces up to the AVWAP calculated from the swing high where the sell off started.  All of this makes sense from an inventory standpoint.   All moves in the market are a function of the inventory position and timeframe outlook of the various players.  When a strong stock pulls back to an AVWAP level, that is the exact point where the stock can no longer be considered “overbought” because the inventory position is no longer out of balance and overly long.