Technical indicator empowered intelligent strategies to predict stock trading signals

Abstract

Technical analysis is widely employed in stock trading, relying on popular indicators such as MACD, DMI, KST etc. to predict stock trends. Despite their common use, these lagging indicators can occasionally generate misleading signals. In the literature, machine learning researchers developed many intelligent strategies for predicting stock trading signals using these indicators as inputs. However, significant differences exist in how these indicators are applied by technical analysts and machine learning experts. Building on this knowledge, this study developed intelligent stock trading signal prediction strategies using MACD, DMI, and KST indicators, and implemented these strategies with LSTM and GRU networks due to their ability to manage long-term dependencies and maintain context. The proposed intelligent trading strategies were assessed using ARR, SR, and win rate metrics, based on historical trading data from 18 stocks—six each from NEPSE, BSE, and NYSE—leading to four key insights. (1) For predicting stock trading signals, a 5-day lookback period is optimal for intelligent strategies based on MACD and DMI, while a 10-day period is best for the KST-based strategy. (2) Intelligent trading strategies implemented with GRU networks demonstrated superior performance compared to those implemented with LSTM. (3) The intelligent trading strategies based on MACD, DMI, and KST indicators outperform their peer classical stock trading methods. (4) Among the three proposed intelligent strategies, the MACD-based approach is found to be the safest and most effective.