Pivot Point Calculator

Enter the previous session's high, low, and close to calculate the Standard floor-trader pivot point plus its resistance and support levels.

Quick Facts

Formula
PP = (High + Low + Close) / 3
The classic floor-trader pivot; every resistance and support level is derived from this central value.
First levels
R1 = 2·PP − Low, S1 = 2·PP − High
The most-watched intraday support/resistance pair, closest to the pivot.
Bias heuristic
Price above PP = bullish tone
Price below PP is read as bearish; it is a heuristic, not a guarantee.

Your Results

Calculated
Pivot Point (PP)
-
(High + Low + Close) / 3
Resistance 1 (R1)
-
First resistance above the pivot
Support 1 (S1)
-
First support below the pivot
R2 / S2
-
Second resistance / support levels

Ready

Enter the previous session's high, low, close, and the current price, then press Calculate.

How the Pivot Point Calculator works

Pivot points are a classic technical-analysis tool used by floor traders and day traders to gauge intraday support and resistance before a session opens. This calculator uses the Standard (classic floor-trader) method, the most widely used pivot formula, computed from the previous session's high, low, and closing price.

The formula

The pivot point itself is the average of the three prior-session prices:

PP = (High + Low + Close) / 3

From that central value, three resistance levels and three support levels are derived using the previous session's range (High − Low):

  • R1 = (2 × PP) − Low and S1 = (2 × PP) − High — the first, closest resistance/support pair.
  • R2 = PP + (High − Low) and S2 = PP − (High − Low) — the second pair, one full session range from the pivot.
  • R3 = High + 2 × (PP − Low) and S3 = Low − 2 × (High − PP) — the widest, least-frequently-reached pair.

Worked example

Take a previous session with a high of $105, a low of $98, and a close of $102. The pivot point is PP = (105 + 98 + 102) / 3 = $101.67. From there, R1 = (2 × 101.67) − 98 = $105.33 and S1 = (2 × 101.67) − 105 = $98.33. The wider band gives R2 = 101.67 + (105 − 98) = $108.67 and S2 = 101.67 − 7 = $94.67.

Reading the bias

Many day traders use the pivot point itself as a quick directional filter: if the current price is trading above PP, sentiment is read as leaning bullish for the session; if it is trading below PP, sentiment is read as leaning bearish. This calculator compares the current price you enter against the calculated PP to label that bias. It is a widely used heuristic drawn from where the prior session closed relative to its own range — not a prediction or trading signal, and it says nothing about how a security will actually move.

Limitations

Pivot points are a purely mechanical calculation from three prior prices; they do not account for news, volume, gaps, or broader trend. The Standard method shown here is one of several pivot systems in use — Fibonacci, Camarilla, and Woodie's pivots apply different multipliers to the same high/low/close inputs and will produce different levels. This tool performs the arithmetic only and is not trading advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the pivot point calculated?
The classic floor-trader pivot point is PP = (High + Low + Close) / 3, using the previous session's high, low, and closing price. Resistance and support levels are then derived from that central value: R1 = (2 × PP) − Low, S1 = (2 × PP) − High, R2 = PP + (High − Low), S2 = PP − (High − Low), R3 = High + 2 × (PP − Low), and S3 = Low − 2 × (High − PP).
What do R1, R2, S1, and S2 mean?
R1 and R2 are the first and second resistance levels above the pivot point, where price has statistically tended to stall or reverse downward. S1 and S2 are the first and second support levels below the pivot point, where price has tended to find a floor. Traders watch these levels as potential intraday turning points, not guarantees.
Is price above or below the pivot point meaningful?
Many day traders treat the pivot point as a simple bias line: price trading above PP is read as bullish for the session, and price trading below PP is read as bearish. This is a heuristic derived from where the previous session closed relative to its range, not a guarantee of future direction.
Does this work for any market or timeframe?
The Standard pivot point formula is timeframe-agnostic: feed it the prior day's high, low, and close for daily pivots, or the prior week's/month's range for weekly or monthly pivots. It is commonly applied to stocks, futures, forex, and commodities, and is one of several pivot methods (others include Fibonacci, Camarilla, and Woodie's, which use different weightings).

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