Technical Analysis

Technical analysis is the examination of past price movements to forecast future price direction. Technical analysts are sometimes referred to as "chartists" because they rely almost exclusively on charts for their analysis.

Technical analysis is applicable to stocks, indices, commodities, futures or any tradable instrument where the price is influenced by the forces of supply and demand. Price refers to any combination of the open, high, low or close for a given commodity/security over a specific timeframe. The time frame can be based on intraday (tick, 5-minute, 15-minute or hourly), daily, weekly or monthly price data and last a few hours or many years. In addition, some technical analysts include volume and/or open interest figures with their study of price action.

Money managers, traders and investors who find ways to outperform the market must also remain flexible and innovative. A method that works today does not mean it will work tomorrow.