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Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA)

Install and import#

bash
npm install fintech-algorithms
ts
import { volumeWeightedMovingAverageVwma } from "fintech-algorithms/technical-indicators/trend-smoothing/volume-weighted-moving-average-vwma";

Signature#

volumeWeightedMovingAverageVwma(input)

Averages close over a rolling period-bar window using each bar's volume as its weight, so heavily traded bars pull the line further than quiet ones.

Parameters#

NameTypeNotes
inputTopicInputbars is a non-empty array of OHLCV records with strictly increasing timestamp, finite open, high, low, close and non-negative volume, all sharing one adjustment basis. The volume field is load-bearing here rather than merely validated. From parameters this topic reads only period, an integer of at least 2, default 14.

Returns#

TopicResult

series and latest carry a single key, value. The first period - 1 entries are null while the window fills, so with the default period ready_at is 13, and any later window whose volumes sum to zero is also null rather than a division by zero.

Warm-up#

The first period - 1 bars (13 at the default period of 14) positions are null. The first weighted average lands at index period - 1, which is ready_at. Nulls can also reappear after the warm-up on any window of entirely zero-volume bars, so callers should not assume the series is dense once it starts.

Errors#

  • When a bar carries a negative volume — throws Error
  • When parameters.period is not an integer of at least 2 — throws Error
  • When bars is empty or a bar violates the OHLCV contract — throws Error

Complexity: time O(n * period), space O(n).

Worked example#

executed Captured by running this function on the input its own test provides. Real output of real code — but not asserted against a published figure.

Input#

input
{
  "bars": [
    {
      "timestamp": "2024-01-02",
      "basis": "synthetic-unadjusted",
      "open": 100,
      "high": 101.45,
      "low": 98.695,
      "close": 100,
      "volume": 750000,
      "benchmark": 200
    },
    {
      "timestamp": "2024-01-03",
      "basis": "synthetic-unadjusted",
      "open": 101.49111452,
      "high": 103.38381693,
      "low": 100.05480022,
      "close": 101.78791214,
      "volume": 795117,
      "benchmark": 200.56326135
    },
    {
      "timestamp": "2024-01-04",
      "basis": "synthetic-unadjusted",
      "open": 102.45519048,
      "high": 104.6701838,
      "low": 100.91147007,
      "close": 102.9549389,
      "volume": 840234,
      "benchmark": 201.11020913
    }
  ],
  "parameters": {}
}

Call#

volumeWeightedMovingAverageVwma(input)

Returns#

object with 9 fields: topic_id, title, state, ready, ready_at, series, latest, parameters, …

{
  "topic_id": "D07-F01-A20",
  "title": "Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA)",
  "state": "calculated",
  "ready": true,
  "ready_at": 13,
  "series": {
    "value": [null, null, null, null, null, null]
  },
  "latest": {
    "value": 104.80335290167793
  },
  "parameters": {},
  "diagnostics": {
    "causal": true,
    "input_count": 96
  }
}

Diagrams#

Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA) — article hero
Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA) — concept map
Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA) — decision comparison
Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA) — worked example

Calculation flow#

Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA) calculation flow 
flowchart LR
    A["an oldest-to-newest finite price series, declared price so"] --> B["Validate order, basis, and finite values"]
    B --> C["Apply the selected Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA) convention"]
    C --> D["Emit value, readiness, and diagnostics"]
    D --> E["Interpret descriptively; test outcomes separately"]
    B -->|invalid or insufficient| X["Withhold output with a reason"]
Volume-Weighted Moving Average (VWMA) readiness and evidence states 
stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Waiting
    Waiting --> Ready: enough valid causal observations
    Waiting --> Rejected: malformed or unsupported input
    Ready --> Calculated: selected formula applied
    Calculated --> Interpreted: diagnostic and limitation retained
    Interpreted --> Ready: next observation arrives
    Rejected --> Waiting: corrected input and deterministic reset

How it works#

This page states the contract — how to call it correctly. The article explains the concept: why it works, and where it breaks.

Read the article →

References#

  • TA-Lib function groups — see linked primary or authoritative record
  • TA-Lib C/C++ API — see linked primary or authoritative record
  • TA-Lib maintained source — see linked primary or authoritative record
  • Evidence decision
  • Level 1 evidence map

The rest of the Trend Smoothing family#