D SMA index: the 20, 50 and 200-day averages of the index
D SMA20, D SMA50 and D SMA200 index are the 20, 50 and 200-day simple moving averages of the official index — for example the DAX or the S&P 500: the average of its last 20, 50 or 200 daily closing prices. They are the averages every market report refers to, and on a daily chart you see them as curves. Basics turns today's value into a horizontal line on your intraday chart, so you see at a glance where the averages lie. On CFD and index charts the lines sit at the index value itself; on futures (main, mini, micro, nano) they are converted with the current cash-future difference. This page explains what the lines show, why traders watch them and how to adjust them.
On this page
123
- 1Wednesday 30 September 09:00 — the DAX tops at 25,585 and falls more than 500 points that day.
- 2Thursday 1 October 10:00 — the sell-off stops at 24,828.50, on D SMA200 index (24,828.80). The candle closes 125 points higher, and by 14:00 the DAX trades at 25,204.
- 3Tuesday 6 October 10:00 — 25,523.50: almost 700 points above the low on the 200-day average.
Part of Basics
Free TradingView indicator with all session, week and month levels for index, futures and CFD charts.
Install Basics (free) →Part of Straydog Zones & Levels
TradingView indicator that draws the daily DAX zones and levels from Straydogtrading.com on index, CFD and futures charts.
Install Straydog →What the daily averages show
A simple moving average (SMA) of 20 days adds up the last 20 daily closing prices and divides by 20. Every new day the oldest close drops out and the newest comes in, so the average moves along with the market — slowly, and the more days it covers, the slower.
- D SMA20 — about one month of trading: the short-term trend.
- D SMA50 — about two and a half months: the medium-term trend.
- D SMA200 — about 40 weeks: the long-term trend. Above it, the market is generally seen as in an uptrend; below it, in a downtrend.
Today counts too: until the index closes, its current value takes the place of today's close, exactly as on TradingView's own daily chart of the index. So the lines move slightly during the day — D SMA20 by a twentieth of every move, D SMA200 by only a two-hundredth.
Why traders watch them
- Everyone sees the same lines. The 20, 50 and 200-day averages are the standard settings on every charting platform and in every market report. Because so many traders watch them, price often reacts when it gets there.
- Pullbacks stop there. In a rising market, dips often end at one of the averages — as on the DAX on 1 October in the example above.
- A break says something. A close below the 200-day average is news; a market that stays below it has changed character.
- Hard to see intraday. On a 5-minute or 1-hour chart a normal 200-period average covers 200 candles, not 200 days. Basics draws the daily value as a line, so you know where it is without switching to the daily chart.
Index or future?
Basics draws the averages twice: once from the closing prices of the official index (D SMA index, solid lines) and once from the daily closes of the main future (D SMA future, dashed). The index averages are the ones from the news and the daily chart of the index; the futures averages are what futures traders see on their daily chart. The two are often close in your chart's prices, but not always — especially in the weeks after a quarterly roll, when the futures average still contains prices of the old contract.
How Basics shows them
The index averages appear on every supported chart. On CFD and index charts they are the index value as it is; on futures (main, mini, micro, nano), for example ES or MNQ, they are converted with the current cash-future difference, so they sit exactly where the index average lies in futures prices.
| Default look | D SMA20 black · D SMA50 blue · D SMA200 red — solid, width 2 |
|---|---|
| Labels on the chart | D SMA20 index, D SMA50 index, D SMA200 index (renamable) |
| Switched on by default | Yes, all three |
| Value | The average of the last 20, 50 or 200 daily closing prices of the official index, with today's current value as today's close |
| Price on your chart | Futures (main, mini, micro, nano): converted with the current cash-future difference. CFD and index charts: the index value itself |
| Where the lines start | Each trading day gets its own line, starting before the stock market opens — on US futures at 18:00 New York the evening before; on an index chart at the first candle of regular trading hours |
| Timeframes | Charts from 1 minute up to the daily chart, on seconds charts too, unless the level needs more history than the chart loads; not on weekly or monthly charts |
| Markets | Nasdaq-100, S&P 500, Dow, Russell 2000, DAX, FTSE 100 and AEX — all tickers |
| Lookback | 1 — today only (up to 20 sessions, set in the indicator settings) |
The same moment on the daily chart
This is how most traders know the 200-day average: as a curve on the daily chart. On 1 October the DAX index found its low right on it. Basics puts exactly this value on your intraday chart, so you see it coming while the day unfolds.
The same averages on other markets
Two more indices, two other averages. Click a chart to enlarge it.
Why don't I see the lines?
- You are on a weekly or monthly chart, or a seconds chart.The lines are drawn on charts from 1 minute up to the daily chart. On a seconds chart, a level that needs more history than the chart loads is hidden.
- Price is far away from them.Lines are hidden while the level is more than 5 % from the current price, so they don't squeeze the chart. You can change this under General → Level visibility range.
- They are switched off.Check the D SMA20, D SMA50 and D SMA200 index boxes and the master switch Show all objects in 'Index SMAs' group in the indicator settings.
- Your ticker is not recognised.See the supported tickers — and if yours is missing, let me know: requests are very welcome.
What you can change
In the indicator settings (the gear icon next to Basics on your chart), under Index SMAs:
| Show / hide | D SMA20, D SMA50 and D SMA200 index checkboxes · Index SMAs |
|---|---|
| Colour, width, style | Any colour · width 1–5 · solid, dashed or dotted |
| Label text | Default D SMA20 index, D SMA50 index and D SMA200 index |
| Lookback | 1–20 sessions (default 1: today only) |
| Label size, line end, visibility range | Shared with all lines · General |
Charts and defaults on this page: Basics v11.72.8 · updated 21 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 200-day moving average?
The average of the last 200 daily closing prices. It covers about 40 weeks of trading and is the most widely watched measure of the long-term trend: above it, a market is generally seen as in an uptrend.
Why does the line move during the day?
Because today counts as one of the days. Until the index closes, its current value stands in for today's close, the same as on TradingView's daily chart. The effect is small: D SMA200 moves only a two-hundredth of every price move.
Is it the same as TradingView's SMA on the daily chart?
Yes. D SMA index is the same value that a 20, 50 or 200-period SMA shows on the daily chart of the index itself — Basics shows it as a line on your intraday chart, at the right price for your chart.
Can I see the S&P 500's 200-day average on ES or MES?
Yes. On ES, MES and other index futures Basics converts the index average to futures prices with the current cash-future difference. On a CFD such as US500 it sits at the index value itself.
What is the difference between D SMA index and D SMA future?
D SMA index averages the official closing prices of the index; D SMA future averages the daily closes of the main future. See index or future.
Related levels
See the daily averages on your own chart
Basics is free on TradingView. Add it to any supported chart — for example NQ or a GER40 CFD — and the 20, 50 and 200-day averages of the index appear without any setup.