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It is important to note that the Technical Analysis Overview provided
does not attempt to be
a comprehensive treatment of Charting or
Technical Analysis methods. There are numerous,
well-written books on
Chart Interpretation and Technical Analysis. A brief and simplistic
review of some basic charting concepts are provided for reference, or to
stimulate further
study. Please contact your broker for a recommended
reading list on Charting and Technical Analysis.Technical Analysis makes the assumption that history repeats itself.
Any trading method or system that works well on a broad sample of
historical data, may have validity when applied
to future trading
environments. One should keep in mind that the markets are dynamic.
The
forces that motivate price movement are dynamic, and the participants
are dynamic.
Therefore any system which has performed well on past
historic data may decline in value
as the evolving dynamics of the
markets change over time.
The assumption is made that trading results can be improved when
trading skills are
improved. This requires practice! Surely any time
spent learning to trade on past historical
data, will not be wasted when
it comes to preparing to trade for the future.
Chart Formations:
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Inclining
Trend line
A straight line usually drawn to define
an uptrend against or through price bar lows. |
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Declining
Trend line
A straight line usually drawn to define
a downtrend against or through price bar highs. |
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Support
A horizontal floor where interest in buying a commodity
is strong enough to overcome the pressure to sell.
Therefore a decrease in price is reversed and prices rise once
again. Typically, support can be identified on a chart
by a previous set of lows. |
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Resistance
A horizontal ceiling where the pressure to sell is
greater than the pressure to buy. Therefore, an increase
in price is reversed and prices revert downward.
Typically resistance can be located on a chart by a previous
set of highs. |
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Inclining Channel
The inclining channel is a
formation with parallel price barriers along both the price
ceiling and floor. Unlike the sideways channel the
inclining channel has an increase in both the price ceiling and
price floor. |
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Declining Channel
The
declining channel is a formation with parallel price barriers
along both the price ceiling and floor. Unlike the
sideways channel the declining channel has a decrease in both
the price ceiling and price floor. |
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Horizontal
or Sideways Channel
A horizontal or sideways channel is a formation that features both
resistance and support. Support forms the low price bar,
while resistance provides the price ceiling. |
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Symmetrical Triangle
A formation in which the slope of price highs and lows are converging to a point so
as to outline the pattern in a symmetrical
triangle. To trade this formation place a buy order on a break
up an out of the triangle or a sell order on a break down and
out of the triangle. |
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Non-Symmetrical
Triangle
A formation in which the slope of price highs and lows are converging to a point so
as to outline the pattern in a
non-symmetrical
triangle. To trade this
formation, place a buy order on a break up an out of the
triangle or a sell order on a break down and out of the
triangle. |
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Ascending
Triangle
A formation in which the slope of price highs and lows come together
at a point outlining the pattern of a Right Triangle. The
hypotenuse in an Ascending Triangle should be
sloping from lower to higher and from left to
right. To trade this formation, place a buy order on a break up
and out of the triangle or a sell order on a break down and
out of the triangle. Ascending triangles, with a prior
downtrend, are anticipated to break down and out, rather than
up and out. |
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Descending
Triangle
A formation in which the slope of price highs and lows
come together at a point outlining the pattern of a Right Triangle.
The hypotenuse in an Descending Triangle should be sloping
from higher to lower and left to right. To trade this
formation, place a buy order on a break up and out of the
triangle or a sell order on a break down and out of the
triangle. Descending triangles, with a prior uptrend,
are anticipated to break up and out, rather than down and out. |
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Pennants
Similar to a Symmetrical Triangle but generally
stubbier or not as elongated. A formation in which the slope of price bar highs and lows
are converging to a point so as to outline the
pattern in a symmetrical triangle. To trade this formation, you
can place orders at both the break up and out of the pennant
and break down and out of the pennant. |
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Rising or
Inclining Wedges
This formation occurs when the slope of price
bar highs and lows join at a point forming an inclining
wedge. The slope of both lines is up with the lower line
being steeper than the higher one. To trade this
formation, place an order on a break up and out of the wedge
or a sell order on a break down and out the wedge.
Rising wedges, with a prior downtrend are anticipated to break
down and out, rather than up and out. |
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Falling or
Declining Wedges
This formation occurs when the slope of price
bar highs and lows join at a point forming an declining
wedge. The slope of both lines is down with the
upper line being steeper than the lower one. To
trade this formation, place an order on a break up and
out of the wedge or a sell order on a break down and out
the wedge. Falling wedges, with a prior uptrend,
are anticipated to break up and out, rather than down
and out |
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Bull Flag
A formation consisting of a small number of price bars
where the slope of
price bar highs and lows are parallel and declining. Bull Flags
are identified by their characteristic pattern
and by the context of the prior trend. In the
case of a Bull Flag the trend leading to the
formation of the Bull Flag is up. To trade this formation, place
orders on the break up and break down points, leaving your
unfilled order as your stop loss. |
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Bear Flag
A formation consisting of a
small number of price bars in which the slope of
price bar highs and lows are parallel and inclining.
Bear Flags
are identified by their characteristic pattern
and by the context of the prior trend. In the
case of a Bear Flag the trend leading to the
formation of the Bear Flag is down. To trade this formation,
place buy and sell orders on the break up and down of the
flag, leaving the unfilled order as your stop loss. |
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Top and
Bottom Formations: |
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1-2-3
(A-B-C) Top
Anticipates a change in trend from up to down on
a break below the number 2 point. |
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1-2-3
(A-B-C) Bottom
Anticipates a change in trend from down to up on
a break above the number 2 point. |
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Head and
Shoulders Top
Anticipates a decline on a break below the
Neckline. |
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Head and
Shoulders Bottom
Anticipates a rise in prices on a break above the
Neckline. |
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Double Top
Anticipates a change in trend from up to down. |
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Double
Bottom
Anticipates a change in trend for down to up. |
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Triple Top
Anticipates with an even greater chance for change,
(than a double top). in trend from up to down.
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Triple
Bottom
Anticipates with an even greater
chance for change, (than a double bottom), in trend from down to up. |
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Rounded
Top
Anticipates a change in trend from up to down. |
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Rounded
Bottom
Anticipates a change in trend from down to up. |
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Congestions
Generally refers to any type of chart pattern in
which prices are temporarily trapped in a trading
range. The range can be converging, expanding or
defined by parallel lines on the horizontal.
Congestions of shorter duration are usually found
to be a variation of a Flag, or some variation of
a converging or expanding triangle. Periods of
longer congestion are usually defined by a
variation of a converging or expanding triangle,
or may be an elongated parallel channel on the
horizontal. Such patterns are frequently referred
to being Continuation patterns if price break out
in the direction of the trend leading to the
formation of the congestion pattern. |
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Continuation
Patterns
Periods of longer congestion are usually defined
by a variation of a converging or expanding
triangle, or may be an elongated parallel channel
on the horizontal. Such patterns are frequently
referred to being continuation patterns if price
break out in the direction of the trend leading
to the formation of the congestion pattern. |
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Breakaway
Gaps
Occur when prices gap higher or lower out of a
congestion pattern in the direction of the
prevailing trend. |
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Measuring
or Running Gaps
Difficult to identify, but usually occur at the
midpoint in a price rally or decline. |
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Exhaustion
Gaps
Occur at the end of a market trend, usually after
steep accelerated uptrend or downtrend. The gap
can leave one price bar or a small number of
congestive price bars behind. |
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Fibonacci
Retracements
Fibonacci Retracement levels correspond
percentage retracements that occur in the ebb and
flow of a market trend. According to the Elliot
Wave Theory, market trends tend to occur in five
distinct waves: three waves that move in the
direction of the trend with the middle or third
wave being the strongest usually, alternating
against two counter-trend waves. Elliot asserted
that these counter-trend waves will usually
retrace against the trending waves by 38.2, 50
and 61.8 percent (also, less frequently by 24 and
76 percent). These Retracement Percentages
correspond to natural ratios discovered by the
Greeks called the Golden Ratio and rediscovered
by Fibonacci, a medieval, Italian Mathematician. |
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top.
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