TD Sequential · high-9 / low-9
How a TD Sequential 9 is counted
The “magic nine” comes from Tom DeMark’s TD Sequential. NineRadar counts that structure after the close. It is a count, not a buy or sell order.
The trigger
A bar counts when its close is higher (or lower) than the close four bars earlier. Nine such bars in a row make a high-9 or a low-9.
Labels start at 6
While the count is 6, 7, or 8, NineRadar paints 6 through the current number. 1–5 are counted and stay off the candles. When 9 completes, that finished run is painted 1 through 9.
A break resets
If bar 7 or 8 fails the trigger, the earlier numbers vanish. If bar 9 fails, 1–8 vanish and the 9 is not complete.
Only 9 confirms
The structure is complete only when bar 9 still meets the trigger. High-9 sits above the candle; low-9 sits below it.
Worked example: a finished low-9, and an equal close
These prices are teaching inputs so the count can be checked by hand. They are not a close scan and not an order. Every bar is treated as already closed. The index starts at 0. The first four bars have no close four back, so the count stays 0.
The comparison matches the app: a lower close adds 1 to the low count, a higher close adds 1 to the high count, and an equal close returns both to 0. Nine in a row completes the 9.
While the count is still 6 or 7, the chart paints only from 6 through the current number. Cut the first series at bar 10 and the low count is 7, with painted labels 9:6, 10:7. After 9 completes, that finished run is painted 1 through 9, which is why the first table shows every label.
| Bar | Close | Close four back | Comparison | Low count | High count | Painted label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 20 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1 | 19 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2 | 18 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 3 | 17 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| 4 | 16 | 20 | lower | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | 15 | 19 | lower | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | 14 | 18 | lower | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | 13 | 17 | lower | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | 12 | 16 | lower | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 9 | 11 | 15 | lower | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 10 | 10 | 14 | lower | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 11 | 9 | 13 | lower | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 12 | 8 | 12 | lower | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Bar | Close | Close four back | Comparison | Low count | High count | Painted label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 11 | 15 | lower | 6 | 0 | — |
| 10 | 10 | 14 | lower | 7 | 0 | — |
| 11 | 9 | 13 | lower | 8 | 0 | — |
| 12 | 12 | 12 | equal | 0 | 0 | — |
What it is
TD Sequential, in the form NineRadar implements, looks for nine closes on one side of the close four bars back. The count marks that structure. It does not measure how often price turns afterward.
An upside stretch prints a high-9 (sometimes called an “up 9”). A downside stretch prints a low-9 (a “down 9”).
How the formula runs
- High-9: nine consecutive closes above the close four bars earlier. Numbers plot above the candle.
- Low-9: nine consecutive closes below the close four bars earlier. Numbers plot below the candle.
- Display: While the count is 6–8, paint 6 through the current number. A finished 9 paints 1–9 on that run. A failed bar removes the unfinished labels.
- Completion: bar 9 must still qualify. Anything short of 9 is not a finished nine.
How the 9 is commonly read
A common reading treats a high-9 as a stretch into a possible top area, and a low-9 as a stretch into a possible bottom area. That is a reading of structure, not a signal to reduce or add.
A one-way market can print several 9s and never turn. NineRadar shows the count and closed-pair history. It does not tell you to buy, sell, add, or cut.
How NineRadar counts it
The app reads completed bars after the close. While a count is 6–8, labels on the candles start at 6. A finished 9 paints 1–9. Perfect, TDST, and the 13 are documented on the 13 page and the method page; some list details are Pro.
Nine is a price-structure count. History does not forecast the next bar.
Why not just the broker chart
A trading app can paint 9 on the symbol you opened. NineRadar is the after-close list of who finished a 9. The 13 list is Pro. Then a replay of finished pairs. Use it beside the broker, not instead of a quote screen.
Daily, 60-minute, and 120-minute
The same close-versus-four-bars-back rule can run on daily bars and on session bars such as 60 and 120 minutes. A 9 on a lower timeframe is still only a count on that timeframe. A finished 60- or 120-minute count can reach the lock screen only with Pro, permission, a registered push, and a rule on that timeframe.
FAQ
What is a TD Sequential 9?
Nine consecutive closes above or below the close four bars earlier. That prints a high-9 or a low-9. It is also called the magic nine in Chinese markets.
How do you count a TD Sequential 9?
Compare each close with the close four bars earlier. Nine in a row in the same direction finish the 9. While the count is 6–8, labels run from 6. A finished 9 paints 1–9.
Why four bars back, not yesterday?
That is the DeMark setup comparison. It asks whether the close is still extending versus a short lookback, not versus the previous bar alone.
When do the numbers appear?
While the count is 6, 7, or 8, the candles show 6 through the current number. 1–5 stay off the candles. A finished 9 shows 1 through 9 on that run.
What if the ninth bar fails?
1–8 vanish and the 9 is not complete. A break on bar 7 or 8 also clears the unfinished count.
What is the difference between a high-9 and a low-9?
High-9: nine closes above the close four bars back, numbers above the candle. Low-9: the inverse, numbers below. Neither is an order.
Is a finished 9 a trade?
No. A 9 marks structure. A trend can print several 9s and never turn. NineRadar does not issue buy or sell orders.
See it in the app
NineRadar counts the 9 after the close. Questions: support@nineradar.com.