MMXM: Market Maker Models
Also known as: MMXM, MMBM, MMSM, market maker buy model, market maker sell model
What is it?
A market maker model is a four-phase roadmap of a complete move: accumulation, manipulation, distribution, and reversal - laid out as a single template you read a whole swing against rather than a single entry trigger. The buy model (MMBM) runs bearish first. Price grinds lower into a consolidation where longs are accumulated quietly, then makes one final push down that sweeps the obvious lows and traps sellers - the manipulation. From there the real move begins, distributing that inventory upward through a series of higher highs, until it reaches the target liquidity and reverses.
The sell model is the mirror image. On EUR/USD, a two-day grind from 1.0920 down to a 1.0840-1.0860 consolidation, a spike to 1.0812 that takes the lows, and then a run to 1.0985 is the buy model start to finish. The value of the model is orientation, not precision. Knowing which phase you are in tells you whether a sell setup is with the move or into the teeth of a reversal - and phases are only ever certain in hindsight.
Traders misuse it by labelling phases live and then holding a losing position because the model says distribution should follow. Your capital is at risk regardless of how neat the template looks.
Why it matters: The market maker model frames a whole swing in four phases, so you can tell whether a setup runs with the dominant move or straight into its reversal.
It governs directional bias across an entire swing, so misreading the phase puts every entry inside it on the wrong side of the move.
Real-world example
EUR/USD ground from 1.0920 into a 1.0840-1.0860 consolidation, spiked to 1.0812 to take the lows, then ran to 1.0985 - accumulation, manipulation and distribution in one buy model.
How SignalBots handles it
SignalBots publishes each signal with its own entry, stop and target, so a setup is judged on its stated levels rather than on a phase label applied after the fact. See /risk-warning.
Pro tip
Use the model to decide which direction to look for setups, and a separate entry rule to decide where - the model is a map, not a trigger.
Common pitfalls
Labelling the phase live and holding through losses because the model predicts a reversal. Phases are only reliably identifiable after the move has completed.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four phases in order?
Accumulation, manipulation, distribution, reversal. In the buy model the manipulation is a sweep below the lows; in the sell model it is a sweep above the highs. Everything after it runs in the opposite direction to the sweep.
How do I know which model I am in?
By which side gets swept. A sweep of the lows followed by a structure shift upward points to the buy model, and the reverse points to the sell model. Before the sweep happens, you do not know, and guessing is what makes the model expensive.
What timeframe does the model apply to?
Any, but it needs enough bars to show all four phases. On a daily chart a full model can span weeks; on a 15-minute chart it can complete inside a session. Mixing the two is where most confusion comes from.
How is this different from Wyckoff accumulation?
The structure is very similar - both describe quiet accumulation, a shakeout, and a markup. The ICT version leans on liquidity sweeps and fair value gaps for entries, while Wyckoff leans on volume and effort-versus-result readings.
Can I trade the model without waiting for the sweep?
You can enter during accumulation, but you are then guessing which side the manipulation will run and can be stopped out by the very move that confirms the model. Waiting costs price and buys evidence, and capital is at risk either way.
Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Historical and backtested results do not guarantee future performance. Read the full risk warning.
