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Trend following
Does a rising ADX tell you to go long?
ADX and directional movement
What it bets
The directional indicators say long or short. ADX only answers whether that direction is strong.
How the rule is written
This is still Wilder's system. +DI above -DI leans long, and the reverse leans short. A rising ADX means the trend in that direction is getting stronger. It does not mean price is rising. A common way to write the rule is to follow DI only when ADX is above some threshold. 25 is a habit, not the definition.
When it fails
ADX can be very high during a decline. Reading it as a buy turns a downtrend into a long. Forcing trades while ADX is very low produces a lot of back and forth.
Do not confuse it with
A moving average already contains a direction. ADX does not. It fits better as a filter on some other trend rule than as a standalone entry and exit.