Five Pivot Types: Standard, Woodie, Camarilla, Fibonacci, Demark

Although all five pivot variants consume the same three inputs — prior-period high, low, and close — they produce noticeably different support and resistance grids. Understanding the math behind each clarifies when to deploy them and why their levels diverge.

1. Standard (Floor) Pivots

The original formula:

• P = (H + L + C) / 3
• R1 = 2P − L, S1 = 2P − H
• R2 = P + (H − L), S2 = P − (H − L)

The full range (H − L) is used for the outer levels, making R2/S2 sensitive to volatile sessions. Standard pivots are the most widely plotted levels globally, so they carry a self-fulfilling component.

2. Woodie Pivots

• P = (H + L + 2C) / 4

Woodie doubles the close's weight. In instruments where the close reflects a settlement or auction (index futures, FX daily closes), Woodie often tracks intraday action more tightly than Standard. The support/resistance formulas mirror Standard but pivot around the Woodie P.

3. Camarilla Pivots

Camarilla uses a multiplier applied to the prior range:

• R3 = C + 1.1 × (H − L) / 4
• R4 = C + 1.1 × (H − L) / 2
• S3 = C − 1.1 × (H − L) / 4
• S4 = C − 1.1 × (H − L) / 2

Levels cluster close to the close. The Camarilla thesis is that price tends to revert to the prior close until it breaches R3/S3, beyond which a breakout is likely. This makes it a favored intraday mean-reversion framework.

4. Fibonacci Pivots

• P = (H + L + C) / 3
• R1 = P + 0.382 × (H − L)
• R2 = P + 0.618 × (H − L)
• R3 = P + 1.000 × (H − L)

Fibonacci pivots apply the standard 0.382/0.618/1.000 retracement ratios to the range. Traders already anchored to Fib grids find these levels intuitive, and the spacing tends to be more even than Standard's quadratic spacing.

5. Demark Pivots

Demark is conditional on the open-close relationship:

• If Close < Open: P = (H + 2L + C) / 4
• If Close > Open: P = (2H + L + C) / 4
• If Close = Open: P = (H + L + 2C) / 4

Only one resistance and one support are derived from P. The asymmetry embeds a directional bias: a bearish prior session pulls P lower, anticipating follow-through.

Which to Use

There is no universal winner. Standard is the baseline because it is the most widely watched. Woodie suits close-weighted markets. Camarilla serves intraday reversion. Fibonacci aligns with Fib-based charts. Demark provides a single, directional reference. The advanced approach is to know which variant suits the session's character and to demand confluence between at least two when taking high-conviction trades.