WHAT’S A TREND? To some it’s a resurgence of bell bottoms and big 80’s hair—both of which can be found on my colleagues here on a daily basis. To me, it’s something that happens in a similar way enough times so that one can, with a fairly low level of analysis, predict the general details […]

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Should I stay or should I go? It’s a common, chronic question gnawing at any investor who’s watched the market do what it does. Getting into a stock, sort of like falling in love, is easy – it’s the getting-out part that’s hard. We’ll let others tackle affairs of the heart. For the purposes of […]

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They say that even a six-year old can spot a market trend. Identifying and trading with the trend can be as simple as connecting the dots and making sure you color, er … trade between the lines. Technical analysis is a mixture of art and science. There are plenty of mathematical formulas driving the myriad […]

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Traders, are you looking only at the trees? It’s important to look at the forest, too. Multiple trading time frames can give your decisions the context they need. So unless you’re a day trader, don’t get mired in the ultra-short-term price movements of stocks.  Instead, consider looking at multiple chart views to help you understand […]

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I’m a longtime disciple of technical analysis and use it almost exclusively in my trading, which is why I am so glad it’s becoming a more mainstream tool for investors. But despite its growing popularity, there are still some misconceptions about which types of indicators work best in different market environments. Most technical indicators fall […]

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In the 30 years that markets have been in my life, I’ve met a lot of active traders. And yet I’m still impressed when I find one who can successfully trade with a deep roster of chart setups. The fact is, those types—the Michael Jordans of trading—are one in a million. Does that mean the […]

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Traders yearn for that magical moment when indicators line up to deliver a crisp buy signal. There’s nothing better than when the trading gods proclaim, “Back up the truck.” Once or twice a year this could happen with the Market Forecast indicator in thinkorswim® applied to the broader stock market. Fire up a chart in […]

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Traders have been debating the best way to identify a chart trend since Charles Dow first assembled his famous indexes. To say the least, it can be a tricky process. But once you’ve embraced a method, the trend can become your friend. Yet, trends—and friends—aren’t all created equal. Identifying peaks and troughs is a good […]

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Leading indicators on a price chart are much like a yellow flag on a racetrack. It’s a heads up that a change may be just around the bend. It readies you for the next signal, the one that may indicate it’s time to snap into action. Some traders find that the easiest way to read […]

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If you’re anything like me, the all-you-can-eat buffet is your Kryptonite. How in the world can you be expected to narrow down this delicious spread to a few choices? But if you don’t focus and prioritize, you may regret it real soon. The same thing can happen when trying to determine which technical indicators might […]

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