Indicators to determine if a market is trending

Are there indicators available that suggest Trending or Ranging markets? Wouldn't they usually be lagging?

I think Bollinger Band can do the job.
When BB is squeezing, we may call a sideway period and when BB starts to open we may call trend time.

But nothing better than our

Thanks for your reply. Wouldn't BB give late signals. I mean when you see BB squeezed this would only mean there "has been" ranging market and not "from now on" the market is going to range...

Let me know your thoughts?

First we need to know your definition of trend, what would be an acceptable trend?

Can you show us? Then we will fit any indicator to that trend.

Or maybe you have never seen a trend but only heard about them?

We can help with that also

The only indicator we need to see whether the market is trending of ranging is a horizontal line.

Hmmm. Every indi is late.
As to BB - i think it squeeze narrow when ranging, and opens when trending.
But any indicator, like 2 BBs, or couple MA opening some distance etc can tell you when change in "trendiness".

Try looking at 25/55 MA?

exactly the case, it has no predictive value whatsoever. Bollinger squeeze can happen and the markets will keep on ranging... or start trending right away.

I like the comments about every indicator being late, think about it, this means that you want an indicator to tell you the trend is going to start even before there is a trend.

Even you can't tell this from price, or show me how.

So the real question is, how to tell a trend has started, is in place and possibly going to continue?

Yes, pure price can be used, indicators just give better visual confidence and in some cases an entry point eg. Fractals

I really think that there should be 2 names for things added on charts - Indicators and Tools

For instance, a vertical line that tells you the starting hour of London session, to me at least, is a Tool that I use to know the time.

Same for Fractals, they are simply a line drawn at a price level, it's when we give this level different names eg. Support & Resistance that it becomes subjective.

Have a great trading week guys & gals, I see some trends developing......... don't ask me how