How this calculator works
Pivot points are support and resistance levels calculated from the previous session's high, low and close. Traders use them as reference prices for the next session: the pivot itself is the centre, and the resistance and support levels above and below it are where price has often paused. The classic method, sometimes called the floor trader method, averages the high, low and close for the pivot, then projects levels one and two ranges away. The Woodie method weights the current open more heavily and is popular in futures markets. The Fibonacci method places the first two levels at 38.2% and 61.8% of the range. The Camarilla method produces much closer levels based on the close, with a fourth pair intended as extreme reversal points. Every method is simply arithmetic on the previous session, so each produces the same result every day for every trader using it. That is both their appeal and their limit: a level works because traders watch it and place orders around it, not because the formula foresees anything. Pivot levels are usually applied to intraday charts and reset each session. They work best in liquid markets with a clear previous session, and they break down around news events that overwhelm any technical level.
Formula
Classic: pivot = (high + low + close) / 3; R1 = 2 x pivot - low; S1 = 2 x pivot - high; R2 = pivot + (high - low); S2 = pivot - (high - low); R3 = high + 2 x (pivot - low); S3 = low - 2 x (high - pivot). Woodie: pivot = (high + low + 2 x open) / 4, with R1, S1, R2 and S2 as for the classic method. Fibonacci: pivot as classic, then R1 = pivot + 0.382 x range, R2 = pivot + 0.618 x range, R3 = pivot + range, with S1 to S3 mirrored below. Camarilla: pivot as classic, then R1 to R4 = close + range x 1.1 / 12, / 6, / 4, / 2, and S1 to S4 mirrored below the close.
Worked example
A session trades from a low of 95 to a high of 105 and closes at 102. The classic pivot is (105 + 95 + 102) / 3 = 100.667. Resistance 1 is 2 x 100.667 - 95 = 106.333 and support 1 is 2 x 100.667 - 105 = 96.333. Resistance 2 is 100.667 + 10 = 110.667 and support 2 is 90.667. With the Fibonacci method the same session gives R1 at 104.487, R2 at 106.847 and S1 at 96.847. With the Camarilla method and the same close, R1 is 102 + 11 / 12 = 102.917 and S1 is 101.083.
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Frequently asked questions
Which pivot method is best?
None is universally better. Classic and Fibonacci are the most watched, Woodie suits futures with a meaningful opening print, and Camarilla gives tighter levels for reversal trades. Test on the market and timeframe you trade.
Why does the Woodie method need the open?
Woodie weights the current session open at twice the close, on the view that the open carries more information for the day ahead. Without an open the method falls back to the close.
Do pivot points reset every day?
Yes for the standard intraday version. Weekly and monthly pivots use the previous week or month instead, and some traders also calculate a mid-pivot between the main levels.
What do the Camarilla R4 and S4 levels mean?
They are extreme reversal levels. Camarilla traders often treat a move beyond R4 or S4 as an exhaustion signal rather than a breakout, though the method gives no guarantee that price will turn.
Can pivot points be used for long-term investing?
They are a short-term trading tool. For long-term decisions, valuation measures matter far more than a level derived from one session of prices.