Top Down Approach

Company Analysis Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Introduction

Two major types of analysis for predicting the performance of a companys stock
fundamental technical

Technical
looks for peaks, bottoms, trends, patterns, and other factors affecting a stocks price movement makes a buy/sell decision based on those factors

Technical Analysis Introduction (Continued)

The world of technical analysis is huge Hundreds of different patterns and indicators investors claim to be successful

What is Technical Analysis?

Method of evaluating securities by analyzing statistics generated by
Market activity Past Prices Volume

Do not attempt to measure intrinsic value Instead look for patterns and indicators on charts to determine future performance

What is Technical Analysis? (Continued)

Technicians believe that securities move in very predictable trends and patterns Trends continue until something happens to change the trend Until that change takes place, price levels are predictable

What is Technical Analysis? (Continued)

Most agree that technical analysis is much more effective when combined with fundamental analysis

The Bar Chart

The Bar Chart (Continued)

Some of the most popular type of charts Advantage is that it show the high, low, open and close for each day

The Bar Chart (Continued)

Candle Stick Charting

Candle Stick Charting (Continued)

Been around for hundreds of years Often referred to as Japanese Candles because the Japanese would use them to analyze the price of rice contracts Similar to bar chart, but uses color to show if stock was up (green) or down (red) over the day More than 20 patterns are used by technicians for candlestick charting. Some of the most popular include the following.

Candle Stick Charting (Continued)

Candle Stick Charting (Continued)

Green is an example of a bullish pattern, the stock opened at (or near) its low and closed near its high Red is an example of a bearish pattern. The stock opened at (or near) its high and dropped substantially to close near its low

Candle Stick Charting (Continued)

Top example is called a hammer and is a bullish pattern only if it occurs after the stock price has dropped for several days.
Theory is that pattern indicates a reversal

Bottom is an example of a star, typically indicating a reversal and/or indecision.

Point and Figure Chart

Somewhat rare Plots day-to-day increases and declines in price. A rising stack of XXXXs represents increases A rising stack of OOOOs represents decreases. Typically used for intraday charting If used for multi-day study, only closing prices will be used

Point and Figure Chart

Point and Figure Chart (continued)

Helps to filter out less-significant price movements allowing analyst to focus on most important trends Used to keep track of emerging price patterns
No time dimension

Two attributes affecting the appearance of a point & figure chart

Box size Reversal amount

Using the Moving Average

Shows the average value of a securitys price over a period of time
Using compared or used in conjunction with EMA (see discussion below)

The most commonly used averages are of 20,30,50, 100 and 200 days
The longer the time span, the less sensitive the moving average to daily price changes Moving averages are used to emphasize the direction of a trend and smooth out price and volume fluctuations (noise).

Moving Average

Moving Average (Continued)

Notice in April when the stock price dropped well below its 5-day average (the green line).
Bearish signal

February it rose above its 50-day average and continued to rise for several weeks
Bullish signal

Typically, when a stock moves below its moving average it is a bad sign, above it is a good sign

Moving Averages (Continued)

What do the different days mean?
20 days - choppy line. It isn't the most accurate, but is probably the most useful for short term traders. 30 day - similar to 20 day but provides a bit more certainty for the trend. 50 day - moving averages provide a much less volatile, smooth line. This can be used to detect somewhat longer term trends. 100 day - similar to the 50 day, it is less volatile, and one of the most widely used for long term trends. 200 day - even less volatile, more of a rolling chart or smooth line. It doesn't react to quick movements in the stock price therefore it is rarely used.

Strategies for Moving Averages

Filters
Used to increase confidence about an indicator
No set rules or things to look out for when filtering, just whatever makes you confident enough to invest your money For example you might want to wait until a security crosses through its moving average and is at least 10% above the average to make sure that it is a true crossover.
Remember, setting the percentile too high could result in "missing the boat" and buying the stock at its peak.

Another filter is to wait a day or two after the security crosses over, this can be used to make sure that the rise in the security isn't a fluke or unsustained.
Again, the downside is if you wait too long then you could end up missing some big profits.

Strategies for Moving Averages (Continued)

Crossovers
Not as easy as filtering Several different types of crossover's, but all of them involve two or more moving averages.
In a double crossover you are looking for a situation where the shortest MA crosses through the longer one. This is almost always considered to be a buying signal since the longer average is somewhat of a support level for the stock price. For extra insurance you can use a triple crossover, whereby the shortest moving average must pass through the two higher ones. This is considered to be an even stronger buying indicator. Notice this happened in May for APPX

Exponential Moving Averages (EMA)

Calculated by applying a percentage of today's closing price to yesterday's moving average value. Use an exponential moving average to place more weight on recent prices.

Relative Strength Index (RSI)

A comparison between the days a stock finishes up against the days it finishes down. Big tool with momentum trading Ranges from 0 to 100
Stock considered overbought around the 70 level Stock considered oversold around 30

The shorter the number of days used to calculate the more volatile

Relative Strength Index (RSI)

Money Flow Index

Measures the strength of money flowing into and out of a stock Difference between money flow index and RSI is that RSI only looks at prices, Money Flow also looks at volume Ranges from 0 to 100
Overbought at 70 Oversold at 30

Money Flow Index

Bollinger Bands
Three lines used for Bollinger band indicator: the upper, lower, and the simple moving average that is between the two
Upper/lower bands are plotted two standard deviations away from a simple moving average Bands widen when markets are more volatile and contract during less chaotic periods

Closer price moves to upper band, the more overbought Closer to lower band, the more oversold

Bollinger Bands

Resistance and Support

Price levels at which movement should stop and reverse direction.
Act as floor and ceiling Different strengths (major and minor)

Support
Price level below the current market price at which buying interest should be able to overcome selling pressure and thus keep the price from going any lower

Resistance
Price level above the current market price, at which selling pressure should be strong enough to overcome buying pressure and thus keep the price from going any higher

Resistance and Support

One of two things can happen when stock approaches resistance/support

Can act as a reversal point

When price drops to a support level, it will go back up When price rises to a resistance level, it will go back down

Support/Resistance reverse roles once penetrated.

Market price falls below a support level, then the former support level becomes a resistance level when the market later trades back up to that level

Resistance and Support

Resistance

Resistance/Support Support

Charting Patterns
Cup and Handle
Pattern on bar chart as short as 7 weeks or as long as 65 weeks Cup in the shape of a U; Handle has a slight downward drift Right hand side of pattern has low trading volume As the stock comes up to test old highs, the stock will incur selling pressure by the people who bought at or near the old high Selling pressure will take the stock price sideways for 4 days to 4 weeks, then it takes off

Charting Patterns

Head and Shoulders

Resembles an M in which a stocks price
Rises to a peak and then declines, then Rises above the former peak and again declines, and then Rises again but not the second peak and again declines

The first and third peaks are shoulders, and the second peak forms the head. Very bearish indicator

Head and Shoulders

Double Bottom
Occurs when a stock price drops to a similar price level twice within a few weeks or months The double-bottom pattern resembles a W Buy when the price passes the highest point in the handle. In a perfect double bottom, the second decline should normally go slightly lower than the first decline to create a shakeout of jittery investors The middle point of the W should not go into new high ground. This is a very bullish indicator

Double Bottom

Resources
www.barchart.com www.sixer.com www.stockcharts.com www.equis.com