Quote from billp:
5pillars,
I hope you don't mind sharing your knowledge on delta. Not trying to put down anybody or any strategy, just sharing some of my experience here in order to get some help. Thanks.
Simplified example. You have mentioned about the shifts in delta (eg from -ve delta to +ve delta) many times in other threads for you to take the long side. (of couse usually coupled with certain important levels such as MP levels and TSI, divergence)
Shifts from +ve delta to -ve delta and back to +ve delta from 1 period to the next is pretty common and certainly not necessary for it to occur at important levels only. It can be +ve delta for 1 period followed by -ve delta in the next period or the +ve/-ve delta can last for several periods at a time etc. One can see this from 1 minute to any number of minutes charts. Same goes if one is using tick charts (eg: 317 tick charts etc). Thus, just seeing the delta shift is insufficient IMHO.
Of course, one can add that, let's look at certain levels such as market profile levels etc, then from there look at the shift in delta.
For me, although I did not try that with market profile levels specifically as I was not subscribed to it at that time, I can still pick up significant support/resistance levels. Thus, I can 'test' these levels with the shift in delta. IMHO, the shifts in delta (eg: from -ve to +ve at important support levels that hold and which cause price to move up) does not necessarily ring true. As xxxskier has mentioned in his last paragraph, the big players can engage in being hitters or sitters or both. Usually in my experience, they will engage in both. Although, yes for the support to hold and price to move up, there will need to be some aggressive trades at the ask without a doubt, but whether that will always cause a shift in delta from -ve to +ve, I doubt it. I've seen at times(not rarely) where price rise up a fair amount and quickly on -ve delta.
Also, I've given an example below where the shift in delta would not work.
Say for example, the important support level is at $50
1 minute chart
Time Delta Price
10.58-10.59 -50 $49.9
10.59-11am -300 $49.95
11-11.01 am +400 $50.02
11.01-11.02 +50 $50.05
11.02-11.03 -300 $50.1
11.02-11.04 -50 $50.15
11.04-11.05 +100 $50.05
11.05-11.06 -70 $50
11.06-11.07 +200 $49.8
11.07-11.08 +50 $49.75
From the example, if just using delta and important support level, one will go long at 11.01am as price has gone above $50 and there is a shift from -ve delta to +ve delta. But as you can see, it did not really yield any real profits.
This is just an example of what I see from my experience.
IMHO, if one were to use this strategy of looking at shifts in delta at important levels, my feeling is that its more of an art rather than 'a simple strategy' that it is made up to be. Its just like level II, one cannot simply say that if there are more offers sitting at the bid side, then there are more passive buyers or if one were to assume that they are fake, then there are actually more sellers. Its not that simple!
Maybe you can share your experience on how you master this 'art'. Thanks. I've spent a fair bit of time on this and loath the idea of not getting anything out of this delta.