R1
$110.00
Pivot Point Calculator
Calculate standard support and resistance pivot levels.
Pivot Point (P)
$100.00
S1
$90.00
R2
$120.00
S2
$80.00
R3
$130.00
S3
$70.00
How to use the Pivot Point Calculator
The Pivot Point Calculator is free and runs entirely in your browser — no sign-up, and nothing you enter leaves your device. It opens pre-filled with a realistic example, so you can see how it works before replacing any figure with your own; the results update as you type. Press Calculate to refresh the result panel, or Reset to return to the example.
The inputs it asks for:
- Previous High — a dollar amount.
- Previous Low — a dollar amount.
- Previous Close — a dollar amount.
The formula
Pivot points project intraday support and resistance from the prior session's high, low and close. The central pivot is their average, and the support/resistance levels step out from it using the prior range:
P = (High + Low + Close) ÷ 3
R1 = 2P − Low, S1 = 2P − High
R2 = P + (High − Low), S2 = P − (High − Low)- High, Low, Close
- the previous period's price extremes and closing price
- R1–R3 / S1–S3
- successive resistance and support levels
These are a mechanical charting tool, not a forecast — they mark price levels some traders watch, which can become self-fulfilling. They say nothing about direction, and work best combined with other signals rather than in isolation.
Worked example
Using the example values — Previous High $110.00, Previous Low $90.00, Previous Close $100.00 — the Pivot Point Calculator returns a Pivot Point (P) of $100.00. It also reports R1 ($110.00), S1 ($90.00), R2 ($120.00).
Prefer your own numbers? Change any field above and this recomputes instantly.
Key terms
- Pivot point (P)
- The average of the prior high, low and close — the central reference level.
- Support / resistance
- Price levels where declines or advances have tended to stall.
- Intraday
- Within a single trading day, the usual timeframe for standard pivots.
Frequently asked questions
What are pivot points used for?
Day traders use them to mark potential intraday turning points — levels where price might find support or resistance — and to set entries, targets or stops around them.
Do they predict price?
No — they're derived purely from the prior session's numbers. Any tendency for price to react at them is partly because many traders watch the same levels.
Which inputs do I use?
The previous period's high, low and close (usually the prior day for intraday trading). This uses the standard formula; variants (Fibonacci, Camarilla, Woodie) weight them differently.