Weighted Moving Average

The weighted moving average can be computed easily with our simple efficient weighted moving average calculator. Weighted moving average or WMA is a technique used to smooth and analyze time series data by assigning different weights to each data point within a specified period. WMA allows for more flexibility by emphasizing some data points more than others. This method helps in highlighting trends and reducing the impact of noise or irregularities in the data.

Weighted Moving Average Formula

To calculate weighted moving average, multiply each value by its weight, sum these products, and divide by the total weights over the specified number of periods. You can also use the weighted moving average formula for this,
W M A = w 1 x 1 + w 2 x 2 + . . + w n x n w 1 + w 2 + . . + w n
WMA - Weighted moving average | x1, x2,..., xn - Numbers | w1, w2,..., wn - Weights | n - Time period

Applications of Weighted Moving Average

Here are some important applications of the Weighted Moving Average (WMA), highlighting its effectiveness in trend analysis, forecasting, quality control, and signal processing.
Trend Analysis: WMA helps in identifying and analyzing trends in data by giving more importance to recent observations, making it useful in various fields such as economics and finance.
Forecasting: Used in forecasting models to predict future values based on the weighted importance of historical data points, improving the accuracy of predictions.
Quality Control: Applied in quality control processes to monitor and analyze production data, with more recent data being weighted more heavily to detect issues promptly.
Signal Processing: Employed in signal processing to smooth signals and reduce noise by giving more weight to recent measurements.

Weighted Moving Average Examples

Here are weighted moving average examples to calculate weighted moving average (WMA), across different scenarios to provide a clearer understanding of trends within the data.
Example 1: Calculating Weighted Moving Average of Time Spent on Activities
Data: 2 hours on homework, 3 hours on sports, 1 hour on reading, 4 hours on leisure, 2 hours on hobbies
Weight: 4, 1, 5, 2, 3
Number of Consecutive Points to Average: 2
Weighted Average: 2.2 hours, 1.33 hours, 1.85 hours, 2.8 hours
Example 2: Weighted Moving Average of Weekly Temperatures
Data: 65°F, 70°F, 75°F, 80°F, 85°F
Weight: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1
Number of Consecutive Points to Average: 4
Weighted Average: 75°F, 77°F
Example 3: Weighted Moving Average of Monthly Expenses
Data: January: $200, February: $220, March: $240, April: $260, May: $280
Weight: 2, 3, 1, 4, 5
Number of Consecutive Points to Average: 3
Weighted Average: $216.66, $242.5, $268
Example 4: Weighted Moving Average of Daily Sales
Data: $100, $120, $90, $110, $130, $120, $125
Weight: 2, 3, 1, 4, 5, 3, 1
Number of Consecutive Points to Average: 5
Weighted Average: $116, $118.75, $118.92
Example 5: Weighted Moving Average of Daily Steps
Data: 8000 steps, 8500 steps, 9000 steps, 9500 steps, 1308 steps, 1000 steps
Number of Consecutive Points to Average: 2
Weight: 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3
Weighted Average: 8333.33 steps, 8800 steps, 9285.71 steps, 6769.33 steps, 1123.2 steps

Weighted Moving Average Calculator FAQ

How to calculate weighted moving average or WMA ?
To calculate WMA, follow these steps:
Choose the Period: Decide the number of periods or data points for the moving average.
Assign Weights: Assign weights to each data point within the period. Typically, more recent data points get higher weights.
Multiply and Sum: Multiply each data point by its corresponding weight, then sum these products.
Sum of Weights: Divide the total sum by the sum of the weights.
Can Weighted Moving Average be used with any time period?
Yes, weighted moving average can be applied to any time period depending on the analysis needs. The choice of period depends on the data and the specific application.
When should you use a Weighted Moving Average?
A weighted moving average is useful when you want to emphasize recent data points over older ones. It is commonly used in financial analysis (e.g., stock prices, to emphasize recent trends), demand forecasting in supply chain management, tracking economic indicators, analyzing time series data with a focus on recent developments.
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