Technical Analysis
Technical Analysis
Dow Theory:
The Dow theory is a financial theory that says the market is in an upward trend if one of its averages (i.e. industrials or
transportation) advances above a previous important high and is accompanied or followed by a similar advance in the
other average.
• It was developed by Charles H Dow, with Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser
• Charles Dow died in 1902, and due to his death, he never published his complete theory on the markets
Components to the Dow Theory:
The Market Discounts Everything
There Are Three Primary Kinds of Market Trends
Primary Trends Have Three Phases
Indices Must Confirm Each Other
Volume Must Confirm the Trend
Trends Persist Until a Clear Reversal Occurs
Special Considerations:
Closing Prices and Line Ranges
Signals and Identification of Trends
Reversals
Types of Charts:
1. Line Chart 2. Bar Chart
2. Reversal Patterns:
• Double Tops/ bottoms
• Triple Tops/Bottoms
• Head-and-Shoulders Top/bottom
What is a Trendline?
Trendlines are easily recognizable lines that traders draw on charts to connect a series of prices together or show some
data's best fit. The resulting line is then used to give the trader a good idea of the direction in which an investment's
value might move.
Types of Trendlines:
The Standard Trend Line
Accumulation/Distribution Line
Aroon Indicator
MACD
Stochastic Oscillator
Elliott Wave Theory:
Elliott wave theory is a method of technical analysis that looks for recurrent long-term price patterns related to persistent
changes in investor sentiment and psychology. The theory identifies waves identified as impulse waves that set up a
pattern and corrective waves that oppose the larger trend.
CAPM formula:
Ra=Rrf+βa∗(Rm−Rrf)
where:
Ra=Expected return on a security
Rrf=Risk-free rate
Rm=Expected return of the market
βa=The beta of the security
(Rm−Rrf)=Equity market premium
Capital Market Theory: Arbitrage Pricing
Theory
• APT is a multi-factor technical model based on the relationship between a financial asset's expected return and its risk.
• The model is designed to capture the sensitivity of the asset's returns to changes in certain macroeconomic variables.
• Investors and financial analysts can use these results to help price securities.
APT Formula:
E(Rp)=Rf+β1f1+β2f2+…+βnfn
where:
E(Rp)=Expected return
Rf=Risk-free return
βn=Sensitivity to the factor of n
fn=nth factor price
Capital Market Theory: Utility Theory
• It refers to how much benefit investors obtain from portfolio performance.
• Risk and return are trade-offs and follow a linear relationship.
• High-risk investments present a high likelihood of an investor losing all his/her money.
Marginal Utility:
Marginal utility refers to how much incremental u an individual derives from obtaining one additional
unit of a certain good or service.
• Harry Markowitz pioneered this theory in his paper "Portfolio Selection," which was published in the Journal of
Finance in 1952.
• He was later awarded a Nobel Prize for his work on modern portfolio theory.
• Portfolio theory argues that an investment's risk and return characteristics should not be viewed alone, but should be
evaluated by how the investment affects the overall portfolio's risk and return.
• The expected return of the portfolio is calculated as a weighted sum of the individual assets' returns.
Capital Market Theory: Multi-factor
Model
• A multi-factor model is a financial model that employs multiple factors in its calculations to explain market
phenomena and/or equilibrium asset prices.
• A multi-factor model can be used to explain either an individual security or a portfolio of securities.
• Multi-factor models are used to construct portfolios with certain characteristics, such as risk, or to track indexes
• Models are judged on historical numbers, which might not accurately predict future values.