Technical Analysis Basic Education

An introduction to technical analysis, a method of tracking chart patterns to discern price and volume trends, evaluate investments and identify trading opportunities.
Two people sitting infront of computer monitors showing stock charts and having a discussion.
Master the Art of Reading Stock Charts For Your Financial Success
Paper Trade
What Is a Paper Trade? Definition, Meaning, and How to Trade
A trader uses a laptop to examine technical trading patterns shown on a candlestick chart.
5 Bullish Candlestick Patterns for Stock Buying Opportunities
Hands holding a shell which may show the Golden Ratio
Fibonacci and the Golden Ratio
New York Stock Exchange Announces Merger With Deutsche Borse
Understand Notional Value and Market Value in Contracts
Exponential Moving Average (EMAV)
How Is the Exponential Moving Average (EMA) Formula Calculated?
Arithmetic Mean
Arithmetic Mean: Definition, Limitations, and Alternatives
Average True Range
Average True Range (ATR) Formula, What It Means, and How to Use It
Bullish Engulfing Pattern
Bullish Engulfing Pattern: Definition, How It Works, and Example
Candlestick: A type of price chart used in technical analysis that displays the high, low, open, and closing prices of a security for a specific period.
Candlestick Chart: Definition and the Basics
Exponential Moving Average
Exponential Moving Average (EMA): Definition, Formula, and Usage
Fibonacci Retracement Levels
What Are Fibonacci Retracement Levels, and What Do They Tell You?
Head and Shoulders Pattern
Understanding the Head and Shoulders Pattern in Technical Analysis
Ichimoku Cloud
What Is the Ichimoku Cloud Technical Analysis Indicator?
MACD
What Is MACD?
Moving Average
Moving Average (MA): Purpose, Uses, Formula, and Examples
On Balance Volume (OBV)
On-Balance Volume (OBV): How It Works and How to Use It
Relative Strength Index (RSI) Indicator
Relative Strength Index (RSI): What It Is, How It Works, and Formula
Simple Moving Average (SMA): The average of a selected range of prices, usually closing prices, by the number of periods in that range.
Simple Moving Average (SMA) Explained: Definition and Calculation Formula
Stochastic Oscillator: A momentum indicator comparing a particular closing price of a security to a range of its prices over a certain period of time.
Stochastic Oscillator: What It Is, How It Works, How to Calculate
Trendline
Trendline: What It Is, How to Use It in Investing, With Examples
A person pointing at a large digital display with financial data and graphs
Support and Resistance Basics
Bear Trap: When a security or index appears to be in decline but is actually about to rise in value.
Understanding Bear Traps in Trading: What They Are and How to Avoid Them
Capitulation
Capitulation: What It Is in Finance and Investing, With Examples
Dead Cat Bounce
Dead Cat Bounce: What It Means in Investing, With Examples
Death Cross
Death Cross Definition: How and When It Happens
Goldencross
Golden Cross Pattern Explained With Examples and Charts
Price Target: An analyst's projection of a security's future price.
How to Understand and Calculate Stock Price Targets
An investor reviews calculations using laptop and calculator
Calculating Beta for Private Companies: Expert Methods Explained
A stock trader on the stock exchange floor watching trades on a computer
RSI Indicator: Buy and Sell Signals
Midsection View of Businessmen Analyzing Charts on Laptop in Office
Master Fibonacci Levels: Drawing Retracements and Extensions for Trades
Bid and ask chart on digital screen
Bid-Ask Spread: Definition and Calculation Guide for Investors
Understanding Retracements vs. Reversals: Key Differences in Trading
Bull and bear, by sculptor Reinhard Dachlauer, in front of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
Relative Strength Index vs. Stochastic Oscillator: What's the Difference?
Closeup image of people sitting at a table, with one person pointing to charts on a laptop screen
Understanding Moving Averages: Simple, Weighted, and Exponential Explained
Understanding 52-Week High/Low: Definition, Trading Role, and Examples
Backtesting: Evaluating the effectiveness of a trading strategy by running it against historical data.
Backtesting in Trading: Definition, Benefits, and Limitations
Darvas Box Theory: A trading strategy that favors buying into stocks that are trading at new highs on correspondingly high volumes.
Darvas Box Theory: Development, Definition, and the Insights of Nicolas Darvas
What a Descending Triangle Indicates in Trading: Definitions and Example
Trader looking at charts on laptop and mobile device
What Is Market Sentiment? Definition, Indicator Types, and Example
Money Flow Index
Money Flow Index (MFI): Definition and Uses
Momentum Investment: Meaning, Formula, Controversy
Pivot Point
Pivot Point: Definition, Formulas, and How to Calculate
Woman sitting at a desk writing in a notepad.
Rate of Change (ROC) Indicator: Definition and Formula
Understanding Resistance: Key Concepts and Trading Strategies
Photo and illustration composite of two people reviewing an investment portfolio on a tablet.
Unpacking the Smart Beta Strategy: What Investors Need to Know
Stochastic RSI
Mastering StochRSI: Definition, Strategies, and Market Impact
An investor reads financial data on a monitor after using software to chart the support level of a stock they follow.
Understanding Stock Support Levels: Definition, Trading Strategies, and Tips
Three Black Crows: A bearish candlestick pattern used to predict the reversal of a current uptrend.
Three Black Crows: Bearish Pattern for Trend Reversals Explained
A investor places an order with their broker after spotting a stock that is breaking out above resistance.
What Is a Triple Bottom Chart in Technical Analysis?
Japanese candlesticks chart with parabolic SAR and bollinger band included.
Master the Parabolic SAR: Trading Signals and Stop-Loss Strategy
Time Value of Money: Determining Your Future Worth
Futures traders on the floor of an Exchange.
How To Profit From the Bollinger Squeeze
The Difference Between Fast and Slow Stochastics
Trading Divergence and Understanding Momentum
Understanding Peak-and-Trough Analysis in Financial Markets
Woman checking stocks trading data via trading application on mobile phone
Logarithmic vs. Linear Price Scales: Understanding Key Differences
Are We in a Bull Market or a Bear Market?
How to Avoid Getting Creamed By a Falling Stock Market
Understanding Falling Knives: Risks and Strategies for Investors
Young woman using a laptop in a coffee shop.
Understanding Range Bar Charts: Analyzing Trends and Volatility
A close-up of a person's hand tapping a tablet displaying financial charts.
Sideways Trend: Definition, How Traders Profit, and Example