TMA MACD Indicator for MT4 and MT5

Written by Dominic Walsh · Published 13 Jul 2026 · Last updated 24 Sep 2026

A triangular moving average is an average of an average, so it barely jitters. The TMA MACD indicator smooths price that way first, then runs a standard 12, 26 and 9 MACD on the smoothed line. The crosses come later than usual, but far fewer of them are noise.

This build ships as a compiled .ex4 for MT4 and .ex5 for MT5; the screenshots below come from EURUSD H1.

Platforms	MT4 (.ex4) + MT5 (.ex5)
Chart window	Separate window (levels 0)
Plots	5: TMA-MACD, Signal, Histogram, Buy, Sell
Alerts	popup, push notification, email, sound
Inputs	11

What the build actually draws

Two lines, a histogram and two marks in a pane.

`TMA-MACD` traces dodger blue at width 2.

`Signal` traces orange red at width 1.

`Histogram` fills silver around zero.

`Buy` prints lime just under the line.

`Sell` prints red just over it.

• TMA-MACD: line, dodger blue, width 2
• Signal: line, orange red, width 1
• Histogram: histogram, silver
• Buy: arrow, lime, width 2, arrow code 233
• Sell: arrow, red, width 2, arrow code 234

How a value appears

The triangular average

`TmaPeriod` `20` takes a simple average of closes, then a simple average of that. The result is a very smooth line.

The MACD

`FastPeriod` `12` and `SlowPeriod` `26` exponential averages run on the TMA. Their gap is the blue line.

The signal

`SignalPeriod` `9` smooths the gap into the orange line. A cross up prints a buy; a cross down prints a sell.

Reading the plots

Blue above orange means upward pace.

The histogram shows the gap from zero.

Crosses are slower than a plain MACD.

Marks never appear on the forming bar.

`ArrowGap` `0.15` places marks near the line.

Warm-up needs about seventy bars.

Alert channels in this build: popup, push notification, email and sound, one message per closed bar.

Signal-line crosses report as BUY or SELL with a short note. `EnableAlerts` controls them, and only the popup is active at the start.

Every TMA MACD Indicator input

Core settings

Setting	What it does	Default
TmaPeriod	Triangular MA length (double-smoothed). Triangular smoothing length, `20`.	20
FastPeriod	Fast EMA on the TMA. Fast average on the TMA, `12`.	12
SlowPeriod	Slow EMA on the TMA. Slow average on the TMA, `26`.	26
SignalPeriod	Signal EMA on the MACD line. Signal smoothing, `9`.	9

Display settings

Setting	What it does	Default
ArrowGap	Arrow offset (fraction of MACD range). Mark gap as a share of the MACD range, `0.15`.	0.15

Alert settings

Setting	What it does	Default
EnableAlerts	Switch for cross messages, `true`.	on
EnablePopup	Popup, `true`.	on
EnablePushNotify	Phone route, `false`.	off
EnableEmail	Email route, `false`.	off
EnableSound	Speaker, `false`.	off
SoundFile	(see inputs panel)	alert.wav

Markets that suit it

Double smoothing suits charts where plain MACD crosses too often. EURUSD H1 is the reference chart, with a cross every day or two. On M5 it calms a noisy chart. On D1 crosses are rare and late.

What to watch out for

The extra smoothing adds lag to every cross.

Crosses near zero are the weakest.

Flat markets still produce some whipsaws.

Messages start as popups and nothing more.

Copy the compiled TMA MACD Indicator file into your MQL4/Indicators folder, and the MT5 build into MQL5/Indicators, then restart the terminal and drag it onto a chart. The step-by-step guide with screenshots is at how to install MT4 and MT5 indicators.

Download the TMA MACD Indicator for MT4 and MT5

The zip holds the compiled TMA MACD Indicator build for MT4 and MT5, plus a short README. Compiled files only, no source. Enter your email below and the download link arrives in your inbox.

FAQ

What does TmaPeriod 20 do before the MACD runs?

It averages closes over twenty bars, then averages that result again. The MACD then measures a line that has already lost most short-term noise, which is why its crosses are calmer.

How is TMA-MACD different from a plain MACD?

Same arithmetic, different input. A plain MACD reads raw closes; this one reads the triangular average, so its crosses arrive later and far less often in choppy sessions.

Which TMA-MACD move counts as a Buy cross?

The closed bar where the blue line moves from at or below the orange signal to above it. The forming bar is never marked, so a cross must survive the close to print.

Can SignalPeriod be shortened for earlier crosses?

Yes. A shorter signal follows the blue line more closely and crosses sooner. The cost is more whipsaws when the market goes flat, so test it before relying on it.

Are results guaranteed?

No. Trading involves risk. Results are not guaranteed; past performance is not indicative of future results. Use the TMA MACD Indicator as one input. Always backtest before trading live.