Technical Analysis Definitions

Micheal Covel wrote on the definition of technical analysis :

A definition of technical analysis seen recently:

"Technical analysis uses deviations from the efficient market hypothesis to make best guesses about future movements in the financial markets."

I have a different take in my book:

Now here is where the understanding of technical analysis gets tricky. There are essentially two forms of technical analysis. One form is based on an ability to "read" charts and use "indicators" to divine the market direction. These so-called technical traders use methods designed to attempt to predict a market direction. Here is a great example of the predictive view of technical analysis: "I often hear people swear they make money with technical analysis. Do they really? The answer, of course, is that they do. People make money using all sorts of strategies, including some involving tea leaves and sunspots. The real question is: Do they make more money than they would investing in a blind index fund that mimics the performance of the market as a whole? Most academic financial experts believe in some form of the random-walk theory and consider technical analysis almost indistinguishable from a pseudoscience whose predictions are either worthless or, at best, so barely discernably better than chance as to be unexploitable because of transaction costs." This is the view of technical analysis held by the majority—that it is some form of superstition, like astrology. Technical prediction is the only application of technical analysis that the majority of Wall Streeters are aware of as evidenced by equity research from Credit Suisse First Boston: "The question of whether technical analysis works has been a topic of contention for over three decades. Can past prices forecast future performance?" However there is another type of technical analysis that neither predicts nor forecasts. This type is based on price. Trend followers form the group of technical traders that use this type of analysis. Instead of trying to predict a market direction, their strategy is to react to the market’s movements whenever they occur. Trend followers respond to what has happened rather than anticipating what will happen. They strive to keep their strategies based on statistically validated trading rules. This enables them to focus on the market and not get emotionally involved.

Article source : http://www.michaelcovel.com/archives/cat_trading_101.html

Introduction To Trend Following Trading

The best tour of Trend Following trading you can find is the book Trend Following. However, even if you have not yet had a chance to read it, continue reading below to learn more about this still relatively unknown style of trading. What is Trend Following trading? A good definition:

Let's break down the term Trend Following into its components. The first part is "trend". Every trader needs a trend to make money. If you think about it, no matter what the technique, if there is not a trend after you buy, then you will not be able to sell at higher prices..."Following" is the next part of the term. We use this word because trend followers always wait for the trend to shift first, then "follow" it.

Trend Following (and the Turtle trading system) is reactive and systematic by nature. Trend Following does not forecast or predict markets or price levels. Prediction is impossible!

Trend Following demands that you have strong self-discipline to follow precise rules. It involves a risk management system that uses current market price, equity level in an account and current market volatility. Trend Followers use an initial risk rule that determines your position size at the time of entry. This means you know exactly how much to buy or sell based on how much money you have. Changes in price may lead to a gradual reduction or increase of your initial trade. On the other hand, adverse price movements may lead to an exit for your entire trade. Historically, Trend Following trader's average profit per trade is significantly higher than the average loss per trade.

Trend Following is not a Holy Grail. It is not some passing fad or hyped-up secret black box either. Beyond the mere rules, the human element is core to the strategy. It takes discipline and emotional control to stick with Trend Following through the inevitable market ups and downs. Keep in mind though, Trend Followers expect ups and downs. They are planned for in advance.

What must all trend followers consider?

Price: One of the first rules of Trend Following is that price is the main concern. If a market is at 60 and goes to 58, 57, 53 - the market is in a down trend. Despite what every technical indicator might predict, if the trend is down, stay with the trend. Indicators showing where price will go next or what it should be doing are useless. A trader need only be concerned with what the market is doing, not what the market might do. The price tells you what the market is doing.
Money Management: The most critical factor of Trend Following is not the timing of the trade or the indicator, but rather the determination of how much to trade over the course of the trend.

Risk Control: Trend Following is grounded in a system of risk control and money management. The math is straightforward and easy to learn. During periods of higher market volatility, your trading size is reduced. During losing periods, positions are reduced and trade size is cut back. The main objective is to preserve capital until more favorable price trends reappear. Cutting losses is the way to stay in the game.

Rules Rule: Trend Following should be systematic. Price and time are pivotal at all times. Trend Following is not based on an analysis of fundamental supply or demand factors. Trend Following does NOT involve seasonals, point and figure, Market Profile, triangles or day trading.

Trend Following answers these critical questions:

1. How and when to enter the market.
2. How many contracts or shares to trade at any time.
3. How much money to risk on each trade.
4. How to exit the trade if it becomes unprofitable.
5. How to exit the trade if it becomes profitable.

Conclusions

If you want in-and-out day trading, we can't help. Good Trend Following systems (including the Turtle trading system) average five or six trades per market per year. What do you need to get started?

1. An active mind, willingness to learn and passion to win.
2. No knowledge of what an Italian bond is worth or what companies comprise the S&P or FTSE index. The key is the price on the chart.
3. Discipline and common sense to do the right thing per all rules.
4. About an hour each day at the end of the day to check trades.
5. A PC and telephone line (or internet connection).

Trading is a zero-sum game. For every winner, there is a loser. What's the difference between winners and losers? Smarts and strategy. For every loser in the NASDAQ implosion there was a winner. Does this mean that there are traders with neither strategy nor smarts actively losing, effectively shifting their funds to the winners, armed with strategy and smarts? Yes, absolutely.

Article source : http://www.turtletrader.com/it.html