What is Williams %R? A plain-English guide
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
Williams %R, developed by trader Larry Williams, shows where the latest close sits within the range of recent highs and lows. It runs from 0 at the top of the range to −100 at the bottom.
How it is worked out
Over the last 14 periods (the usual setting), find the highest high and lowest low. Williams %R = (highest high − latest close) ÷ (highest high − lowest low) × −100. A close at the high gives 0; a close at the low gives −100.
Reading it
Readings from 0 to −20 are commonly called overbought and from −80 to −100 oversold. It moves the same way as the fast stochastic oscillator's %K, just on an upside-down scale: Williams %R equals %K minus 100.
The limits
Like other range-based indicators, it can stay near one end for a long time when a market is trending strongly, and it describes past prices only.
Where SendPay fits
SendPay doesn't offer trading. SendPay platforms let your customers hold GBP, EUR and USD and exchange between them at a fee you set, alongside transfers and branded Visa cards, powered by licensed partners.
Build it
Create your own financial platform.
Pick a template, name it, brand it, preview every page before you pay. Your brand, your users, your fees.
Build my platform →Questions people ask
How do I work out Williams %R?
Paste high, low and close prices into the free calculator.
Williams %R calculator →What is the stochastic oscillator?
A close cousin of Williams %R, on a 0 to 100 scale.
Stochastic oscillator →Read next
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. PayPal, Patreon and Substack are named as reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.