Every Indicator Is Derived From Price

No new information

RSI, MACD, moving averages — every indicator is arithmetic on past price/volume. They reveal structure in what already happened; they predict nothing by themselves. An indicator "signal" is a description of recent price behavior with a name attached. This is why stacking five oscillators adds no information — they are all reading the same inputs and will agree/disagree together.

Lag is inherent

Averages and oscillators smooth data, so they turn AFTER price turns. That lag is the cost of filtering noise — useful for trend-following, fatal for bottom-ticking. When an indicator "predicts" a reversal, it is really noticing that price already reversed. Judge every indicator by what it filters and what it delays.

Use categories, not counts

One trend filter (MA), one momentum gauge (RSI/MACD), one volume measure — each category adds a different lens. Two of the same category just double the lag. Confluence across CATEGORIES is meaningful; agreement within a category is an echo.

Sources

• Technical IndicatorsInvestopedia
• Technical Analysis of the Financial MarketsJohn Murphy