Before We Dive In… Markets don’t always trend. They coil, surge, and then launch in one direction or another. The trick is being able to spot each phase and to use that information to act. A lone moving average can hint at direction, but it won’t tell you... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Every strong move begins with tension, a buildup of energy (sometimes hidden) before the next move. While most traders only notice the explosion, those who pay close attention to volatility are generally able to anticipate the big move before it happens. We covered this in part... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Every trader knows that strong breakouts tend to make money as long as you’re on the right side of the move. The tricky part? Knowing when that breakout is likely to happen. What I’m about to give you is a framework for measuring volatility,... READ MORE
Who This Article is For: This article is for the long-term investor who isn’t a full-on expert chartist but wants to know enough to use it to fine-tune their dollar cost averaging strategy. If this is you, read on. Before We Dive In… Not every long-term investor wants to... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Ever watch a stock take off and think, “I wish I had gotten in earlier”? You probably could have. It’s just that early leaders rarely look like leaders at first. The good news is that there are ways to spot and measure emerging strength before... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… The market isn’t one story. It’s a dozen stories fighting for the spotlight. And depending on the day, a different one steals the show. One of the cleanest ways to read those stories is through Market Factors—Value, Growth, Momentum, Quality, and more. Spot... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… After John Murphy’s 10 Laws, a nagging question remains: where do you actually begin once you’ve loaded your chart? Maybe you weren’t expecting it, but the answer isn’t an indicator or setup. Instead, it begins with a sequence of questions. You see,... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… John Murphy’s unofficial Law #11 (“Keep at it”) can easily be misread as a motivational statement or a clichéd “self-help” line. But if you read it closely, it may be the most technical law of them all. How so? It doesn’t explain a tool,... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Price can advance a bullish or bearish argument. But volume reveals the true conviction behind the case. That’s the core of John Murphy’s Law #10. A rally that isn’t attracting buyers? A selloff nobody’s committing to? A breakout nobody cares about? Those... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Is the market trending right now, or is it chopping sideways? More importantly, should you be riding a trend, trading a range, or standing aside altogether? There may be many ways to figure this out, but John Murphy leans on one tool in particular: the Average... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Markets don’t usually flip the other direction in one sure and sudden move. More often than not, they telegraph their intentions first. After that, momentum cools, trends soften, and the signals start blinking before the actual turn hits. John Murphy’s Law #8 is about... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Even when markets trend in a given direction, they still fluctuate. It’s as if price overshoots in one direction, stalls, snaps back, and continues in the same primary direction. These are like mini-cycles within a broad trend. And detecting these mini-cycles is where oscillators shine.... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… If trends are like the market’s storyline, then moving averages are the narrator that keeps the story straight. It smooths out the noise, revealing the market’s direction, and showing whether the trend narrative is strengthening, weakening, or just stuck. Welcome to John Murphy’s... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Every chart tells some kind of a story. Without structure, however, that story can feel like noise. Trendlines help you sense the rhythm underneath the often volatile surface, showing where buyers and sellers may draw their invisible battle lines and how long those lines can hold.... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… They say “buy the dip.” You hear it everywhere. But let’s be honest—it’s a lot easier said than done. How deep will the dip go before the trend resumes (if it resumes at all)? Where’s the bounce hiding, and why there? A... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… If you could spot where price is likely to bounce, stall, or reverse, you’d probably time entries and exits a lot better. That’s Law #3: find support and resistance—plus the polarity principle, where broken resistance often becomes support, and vice versa. The Core... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Hopefully, you’ve read our first article on mapping the trends (John Murphy’s Law #1). Once you’ve figured out how to do this, the next question is simple: What do you do with it? Welcome to our article on Law #2. This principle is... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… While the tools and strategies we use to analyze markets have evolved, human behavior has remained consistent (more or less). That’s why John Murphy’s Ten Laws of Technical Trading is as relevant today as it was during the long course of history from which... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Markets change. Principles don’t. More specifically, the way we deal with markets evolves, but the factors driving markets remain consistent. Famed technical analyst John Murphy distills these factors into 10 Laws. These are timeless lessons that cut through the market noise and reveal how price,... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Silver’s been making headlines lately, testing historic highs, and stealing a bit of gold’s shine. Might you have forecasted its rise? Some “old school” silver and gold bugs claim it is possible, using this one metric. Let’s explore what it is and unpack... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… For every story a chart tells, there are stories hidden from plain view. One story tends to repeat itself almost like clockwork, though it also comes with variations. That’s what seasonality is all about: odd months where stocks tend to shine, stumble, or stall. In... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… You’re about to see why traders obsess over 52-week highs, and why not all highs are created equal. I’ll break down what really happens when a stock hits (or hovers just below) that milestone. Even better, I’ll show you how to scan for... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… You’re about to learn something unique: how to gauge trend strength and seize market opportunities using two sets of eyes. The GMMA splits price action into short-term and long-term views, giving you two perspectives on the same market. With one eye on fast-money moves and... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Here’s today’s play: you’ll run the Entered Ichimoku Cloud scan to spot buy-the-dip candidates, use the SCTR to find the strongest stocks, and then you’ll flip to the charts to see which candidates may be worth pursuing. Plus, you’ll learn how... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Finding an “edge” in the markets can mean looking at tools that most overlook, or using a seemingly “common” tool from an uncommon angle. The ZigZag is a perfect example. It’s not the most popular tool. It’s not even an indicator. Yet it has... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Think “overbought” means it’s time to bail? Not always. Sometimes that 70+ RSI reading doesn’t signal weakness, but strength. In this Insider post, we’ll flip the script on RSI, show you why overbought often means “stay on board,” and give you the tools... READ MORE
There are countless tools and strategies for gauging market sentiment. When combined, sure, they give you a full picture. But they also take time. But what if you just need a quick vibe check? You plan to dig deeper later, but right now, you need a fast read to keep... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Ever wish you had a dashboard that flickers between “caution” and “go”? That’s what these Key Ratios are. Wall Street’s caution vs. go signal. They don’t offer trade signals, but they do give you a vibe check, helping you figure out if investors... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… If you haven’t spent much time exploring ChartSchool, we’re about to level up your capacity to learn and apply. First off, ChartSchool is massive. It’s one of the biggest technical analysis libraries out there, which is both a blessing and a curse. But... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Every index wears two faces. The first is performance—what you see on the surface. The second is breadth—what lies beneath. Price tells you where the money’s moving today. But breadth tells you if that move has legs, or if it may be running... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… You can do a lot with MarketCarpets—analyze sectors, spot outliers, gauge technical strength, the whole deal. But let’s cut the fat. You just want a fast, visual read on what’s happening now. So, let’s get to it. I’ll show you how.... READ MORE
Before You Click Around… Let’s be honest: most nav bars are just toolboxes. StockCharts’ new nav bar? It’s sleeker, smarter, and if you look closely, it’s also sneakier. Why? Hidden inside one of those tabs is a full-blown market analysis workflow. It’s a comprehensive top-down routine... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… If you’ve never checked whether your chart is set to log scale or arithmetic scale, you might be looking at a distorted picture without even knowing it. Not a great way to start your analysis. One small setting, one HUGE impact. Let’s make sure... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… How do you turn a quick morning scan into a market edge? With SCTR Reports. In this article, we’ll cover how SCTRs rank stocks, how to scan them fast, and how to spot leaders, laggards, and turnarounds in minutes. This is your quick-start guide to... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Have you ever wondered why the S&P 100, 400, and 600 show up in the Market Summary? They serve a purpose, mainly to give you a quick read on investor sentiment: whether Wall Street is favoring large-, mid-, or small-caps. Today, I’m going... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Should I start with a blank chart or one pre-loaded with indicators? It’s a good question. There are pros and cons to both, and it depends on what you’re trying to do. In this quick post, I’ll break everything down so that you... READ MORE
We’ve all been there: You're in the middle of analyzing a chart when suddenly everything freezes, and real-time data stops flowing. And now you’re wondering—is it my computer, my Wi-Fi, or... my charting service? Check the New System Status Page When Things Go Weird The... READ MORE
Before We Dive In… Sure, it’s a search tool, but what matters is how you use it. StockCharts’ new search digs deep into the archive and pulls up the most relevant content. I’ll show you how I optimize its use to find indicators, tutorials, market analysis, and explainers... READ MORE
What are the different ways you can use technical analysis in your trading? And which is the best one for you? Today's Insider Tip: Know your charting "style" and focus on its strengths.... READ MORE
Kicking off his new column, Karl Montevirgen introduces you to "The StockCharts Insider," your new guide to the ins and outs of StockCharts.... READ MORE