Technical Analysis Can Help Investors Learn Stock Market Investing Techniques

Technical Analysis Can Help Investors Learn Stock Market Investing Techniques

by Chris Blanchet

Beginning investors who want to learn stock market investing techniques will gain a competitive edge by digging into the different types of technical analysis patterns and indicators. While technical analysis is never enough as on its own, it can certainly give investors an indication as to whether they should buy or sell stock.

In terms of the strongest and most popular technical analysis measurements, the following are three of the greatest technical formations that you will want to understand as you learn stock market investing techniques. While these three are not comprehensive by any stretch of the imagination, they provide a solid starting point:

Head-and-Shoulders. As one of the most reliable and strongest technical patterns, a head and shoulders formation tells investors where the stock is headed in the short-, medium- or long-term. A head-and-shoulders top, for example, has three distinctive peaks which are formed by successive stock rallies. The second rally (the head) will reach a higher peak than the first, and the third rally will fall short. This type of patter is easy to identify, even for investors who are just starting to learn stock market investing techniques. Volume, however, should also be considered, with the volume being strongest with the first rally than with the third rally.

Gaps. One of the easiest technical formations to spot, people who want to learn stock market investing techniques will automatically become drawn to gaps (up or down). Typically, gaps provide support or resistance to stock trends. Although trading on a gap up or down can become risky for people who are just starting to learn stock market investing, when a regular trend breaks through that previously formed gap, it is quite possibly a sign of a strong price movement.

Bollinger Bands. Used as a tool, Bollinger Bands are not stock price patterns. Instead, they are an oscillator, which tells investors about the probability of a stock trend. For people who want to learn stock market investing techniques, Bollinger Bands are a must. They give a buy or sell signal based on a stock’s volatility as it moves two or three standard deviations from its mean. When the stock price closes at or above the upper band, it triggers a sell signal (vice versa for the lower band).

For investors looking to learn about stock market investing techniques, much of the information on the topic of technical analysis can be found on-line. Likewise, theoretical textbooks can become costly. As an alternative, investors can purchase trading software that makes recommendations based on the very same data that technical analysts use when making their recommendations.

About the Author:

Chris Blanchet spent over 16 years as a Financial Advisor at one of the largest banks in the world. For investors who want to learn stock market investing techniques, visit Online Trader Today.com. Chris also maintains a Debt-Free Blog at How To Repay Debt.com

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