Category Archives: Technical Analysis

Do Not Short a Bull Market

Posted on August 21, 2012 by

The first and most important rule of trading is to always trade with the prevailing trend.  I have emphasized this rule in a number of my past posts.  It holds true in all market environments, but is especially crucial in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Economic Indicators, Fundamental Analysis, In-Depth Article, Market Commentary, Market Timing, Options, Risk Management, Summary Market Indicator Score, Technical Analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Market Timing with Relative Strength Revisited

Posted on August 1, 2012 by

Two months ago in an article titled “Use Relative Strength to Identify Market Trends,” I explained how to use the relative strength of two different indices, futures contracts, or ETFs to identify market trends.   This is one of my … Continue reading →

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Posted in In-Depth Article, Market Commentary, Market Timing, Relative Strength, Strategy Development, Technical Analysis | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Take the First Step Toward an Investment Process

Posted on June 15, 2012 by

Most investors do not use an investment process.  Instead, they ask their friends for stock tips, watch CNBC, read a few newsletters (or blogs), and hope for the best.  There is no consistent rationale behind their decision-making process, very little … Continue reading →

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Posted in Fundamental Analysis, In-Depth Article, Market Breadth, Market Commentary, Market Timing, Relative Strength, Risk Management, Seasonal Tools, Security Selection, Stock Screens, SWAMI Charts, Technical Analysis, Zacks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Use Relative Strength to Identify Market Trends

Posted on June 8, 2012 by

Relative strength rotational strategies have a proven track record of success, but the potential uses of relative strength extend much further than security selection.  One of my favorite techniques is to use the relative strength of two different indices, futures … Continue reading →

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Posted in Economic Indicators, Futures, In-Depth Article, Market Breadth, Market Commentary, Market Timing, Relative Strength, Technical Analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How to Draw Trendlines & Avoid Severe Losses

Posted on June 1, 2012 by

From the high in 2000 to the low in 2002, the NASDAQ 100 index lost 83% of its value.  It has never recovered its losses.   From 2008 to 2009, the S&P 500 index lost 57% of its value (peak … Continue reading →

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Posted in Futures, In-Depth Article, Market Commentary, Market Timing, Risk Management, Stocks & ETFs, Technical Analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Are the Seasonal Trends Working this Year?

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

Knowing the historical seasonal tendencies of our trading instruments can dramatically improve our returns, but how much weight should we assign to seasonal trends?  What should we do if our other indicators are bearish and the historical seasonal trend is … Continue reading →

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Posted in Futures, In-Depth Article, Market Timing, Options, Seasonal Tools, SWAMI Charts, Technical Analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A More Efficient Relative Strength Indicator

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

Relative strength investing has a proven track record of success.  Most traders have heard the term, but know very little about developing or trading strategies based on relative strength.  The concept is simple: buy the strongest securities and sell the … Continue reading →

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Posted in Economic Indicators, In-Depth Article, Market Breadth, Market Timing, Options, Relative Strength, Stocks & ETFs, SWAMI Charts, Technical Analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Harness the Power of the Seasons

Posted on April 26, 2012 by

As traders, there are very few things we know with certainty.  But there are several factors that we can forecast accurately – even years in advance: when domestic and international holidays will occur when economic data will be released when … Continue reading →

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Posted in Futures, In-Depth Article, Market Timing, Seasonal Tools, Stocks & ETFs, Technical Analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments