Analysis Concepts

Analysis Concepts

Each issue of this monthly publication focuses on a technical or fundamental analysis concept. The idea is explained and demonstrated, and each issue is loaded with graphics that help tell its story. In addition, each issue of Analysis Concepts is usually accompanied by workspaces, EasyLanguage, data and other files that you can download and use immediately on your own computer.

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A Comparative Study of Moving Averages: Simple, Weighted and Exponential

Date: 5/9/2012

The moving average may be the most universal of all technical analysis indicators. While it is tempting to dismiss the moving average as antiquated its staying power is testament to its utility.
Read More

Views: 951

Understanding and Using Correlation Analysis

Date: 4/11/2012

Correlation analysis is about observing the interaction of various securities and markets. Since these relationships are dynamic, it is useful to measure them historically and to monitor them in real time. Read More

Views: 3386

Strategy Impact: Trade-Size Formulas, Part 2

Date: 3/14/2012

In this paper, the Kelly Criterion and Fixed Ratio concepts will be introduced to the discussion. The inner workings of these approaches and the pros and cons of each method will be examined, while also assessing their effects on strategy performance-related attributes, such as the relationship between minimal risk and maximal return. Read More

Views: 1089

Analyzing Volume in the Pre-market Stock Session

Date: 2/8/2012

Traders of U.S. equities know that the conventional session for these securities is 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern Time. These hours have been in place on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ for many years.

Read More

Views: 389

Advance/Decline Strategies –
S&P 500 Market Breadth

Date: 1/11/2012

Most stock-market indexes, with the notable exception of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, are constructed using a market‑capitalization weighting method. Read More

Views: 510

Sector Rotation – Spotting the Turns

Date: 12/14/2011

Sector rotation is based on the concept that different sectors of the equity markets perform differently during various phases of an economic cycle. Read More

Views: 512

Inside the Oil Markets

Date: 11/9/2011

Crude oil and its distilled products are essential parts of our modern world. From transportation and agriculture to heating and cooling, petroleum fuels industry and so much of the way we live.

Read More

Views: 237

Time-Weighted Average Price (TWAP): A New Approach

Date: 10/11/2011

The Time-Weighted Average Price (TWAP) is defined as the average price of a security over the course of a specified period of time. Read More

Views: 689

Strategy Impact: Trade-Size Formulas

Date: 9/14/2011

Trade size is an integral and often overlooked element of strategy trading.  As part of money management, when properly applied, it may allow the strategy trader to address how much risk he or she takes by adjusting the size of a trading position. Read More

Views: 494

Flashpoint: Crude Oil Inventories and Price Reactions

Date: 8/9/2011

Every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, energy traders analyze and react to the headlines of the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Petroleum Status Report. Read More

Views: 327

Implied Volatility in 3-D

Date: 7/26/2011

An implied volatility surface is a three-dimensional plot that reveals implied volatility data for a number of different options series for a particular underlying security. Read More

Views: 305

Jensen's Alpha

Date: 7/12/2011

One of the basic tenets of finance is that riskier assets should have a higher expected return, as investors would not be willing to take on the additional risk unless they were rewarded appropriately.

Read More

Views: 306

Market-Neutral Pairs Trading

Date: 6/21/2011

Market-neutral equity trading is a relative value investment strategy that is designed to be unaffected by the returns of the overall market (S&P 500 Index). Read More

Views: 565

Identifying Periods of Financial Turbulence

Date: 6/7/2011

During the Great Recession, unusually high market volatility and financial turbulence affected the entire economy, surprising many buy-and-hold investors who have seen their portfolios greatly diminished in value. Read More

Views: 157

FX Volatility Part 2 - Introducing the Volatility Cloud Indicator

Date: 5/17/2011

The Volatility Cloud indicator utilizes 24-hour forex volatility maps to project potential amplitudes of hourly price movements. Read More

Views: 195

Anticipating Changes in the Federal Funds Rate

Date: 5/3/2011

In Economics 101, we are taught that the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (the "Fed") conducts monetary policy through open market operations. These open market operations – the buying and selling of government securities – are how the Fed ultimately controls the federal funds interest rate. Read More

Views: 130

FX Volatility - Part 1

Date: 4/19/2011

Very much like people, foreign exchange (forex or FX) pairs have unique behaviors and traits that can be observed and studied over time. Read More

Views: 273

Mapping Intraday Price Movement in the S&P 500 Index (IRSA) – Part II

Date: 4/5/2011

In IRSA – Part II, our testing will examine the dominant price patterns that drive the intraday session of the S&P 500 Index. Read More

Views: 247

A New Look at Overbought/Oversold: The OBOS Index

Date: 3/22/2011

In oscillating markets, support and resistance levels are often used to determine efficient entry and exit points. Read More

Views: 247

Mapping Intraday Price Movement in the S&P 500 Index

Date: 3/8/2011

What if you heard that the S&P 500 Index gained 1 percent today? Read More

Views: 276

RSI Unleashed Part 2: Introducing the rRSI Strategy

Date: 2/22/2011

Part 1 (Analysis Concepts #16 - January 25, 2011) showed advanced Relative Strength Index (RSI) concepts, such as the use of dynamic overbought/oversold levels, that have been discussed in technical analysis books yet are often underutilized by traders. Read More

Views: 245

Weekly Jobless Claims - A Look at Market Reaction

Date: 2/8/2011

New economic releases are always important to anticipate and analyze in helping to determine the current and future state of the economy. Read More

Views: 151

RSI Unleashed - Building on Forgotten Characteristics Part 1

Date: 1/25/2011

While the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is probably the most commonly known and used technical oscillator, the original intent behind the RSI is often unknown to traders. Read More

Views: 351

Testing the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX)

Date: 1/11/2011

The CBOE Volatility Index, also known to traders as implied volatility, or simply the VIX, represents future volatility expectations as expressed in the options markets. Read More

Views: 199

Contrarian Z-Score

Date: 12/14/2010

Standard deviation is a common statistical calculation that is often used in the world of finance to measure risk. Read More

Views: 175

2 Rivers Strategy

Date: 11/30/2010

Accounting for volatility helps filter unwanted signals from a trend-following system, since highly volatile markets are partially to blame for whipsaws in such trading systems. Read More

Views: 165

$TICK - Tock - Testing the NYSE TICK Index

Date: 11/16/2010

If you search for the words "NYSE Tick Index" on the Internet, you will find links to many articles touting the success of using the Index as a trading signal. Read More

Views: 338

Intraday Support and Resistance - Using Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP)

Date: 11/2/2010

This custom intraday Volume-Weighted Average Price (VWAP) indicator provides estimated current and historical intraday VWAP values. Read More

Views: 424

Bulls vs. Bears: The Market Breadth Score

Date: 10/19/2010

Volatile and oscillating markets can often make it difficult to discern broader investor sentiment and market direction. Read More

Views: 114

Conditional XMA Strategy

Date: 10/5/2010

Among the well-known shortcomings of trend following systems is that they usually experience frustrating whipsaws when the market is not trending and that they also tend to give back much open profit before reversing. Read More

Views: 128

RSI Volatility Spread

Date: 9/21/2010

Average true range is often used as an indication of a security's volatility. Read More

Views: 160

NDX100/S&P500 Relative Strength Strategy

Date: 9/7/2010

According to the Capital Asset Pricing Model, when the broad market begins to advance or decline individual stocks will outperform or underperform the market averages based on their beta component or systematic risk in relation to the market. Read More

Views: 106

GARP - Growth at a Reasonable Price

Date: 8/24/2010

GARP, or Growth at a Reasonable Price, is an investment strategy popularized by noted money managers like Peter Lynch, Mario Gabelli, and David Dreman. Read More

Views: 67

Increasing Positive Correlation and Momentum

Date: 8/10/2010

Correlation is often used as a statistical measure to determine whether two securities move in the same direction, move in the opposite direction, or have no relation at all. Read More

Views: 170

Rank Stocks Based on Fundamental Score

Date: 7/27/2010

The Fundamental Score Indicator is an analysis technique created to analyze stocks strictly based on certain financial ratios of the company. Read More

Views: 167

Equity Market Monthly Seasonality Part 2

Date: 7/13/2010

Part 1 of the series clearly demonstrated that seasonality-based rules can improve existing equity trading systems. Read More

Views: 88

Equity Market Monthly Seasonality Part 1

Date: 6/29/2010

While seasonality forces may seem powerful and untamed, they can be harnessed for a trader's advantage. Read More

Views: 122

Swing 5 – Relative Strength Index Strategy

Date: 6/15/2010

Psychologically, one of the hardest things to do as a trader is to buy the dips in the market. Read More

Views: 270