The Gator Oscillator is a technical analysis tool developed by Bill Williams. It is used to analyze price movements and determine trend changes. The Gator Oscillator is actually a histogram derived from the Alligator indicator (another Bill Williams indicator) based on price movements.
The Gator Oscillator consists of three different parts: the Jaws, the Teeth, and the Lips. These jaws represent the lines of the Alligator indicator. The Jaws represent a 13-period moving average shifted 8 periods forward. The Teeth represent an 8-period moving average shifted 5 periods forward. The Lips represent a 5-period moving average shifted 3 periods forward.
The Gator Oscillator is created by taking the difference between these three lines and plotting it as a histogram. The heights of the histogram represent the relative positions of the lines of the Alligator indicator. When the histogram is represented by positive values, it means that the lines of the Alligator indicator are moving close together and in a parallel manner. This indicates that a trend is forming and gaining strength. When the histogram is represented by negative values, it means that the lines of the Alligator indicator are moving apart from each other, indicating a weakening trend or a sideways movement.
The Gator Oscillator helps to identify trend changes by tracking the intersections and changes in the positive and negative values of the histogram. When positive values of the histogram turn into negative values, it may indicate the end of an uptrend and the beginning of a downtrend. Conversely, when negative values of the histogram turn into positive values, it may indicate the end of a downtrend and the beginning of an uptrend.
While the Gator Oscillator is a useful tool for identifying trend changes, it is recommended to use it in conjunction with other technical analysis tools and indicators for more reliable results. It is important to consider other indicators and analysis methods to analyze price movements and develop trading strategies alongside the Gator Oscillator.