Technical Analysis

Trend

Identifying the market trend is crucial before diving into trading.

This means understanding the overall direction of price movements. Forget straight lines - markets, regardless of the chart or timeframe, tend to move in a series of ups and downs, forming peaks and troughs. By analyzing these highs and lows, you can determine whether the trend is upward, downward, or ranging.

An upward trend is identified by rising prices that create sequential peaks and valleys at increasingly higher levels.	A downtrend is characterized by declining prices that create sequential peaks and valleys at progressively lower levels.

When the price action moves sideways, forming highs and lows at roughly the same level, the market is considered to be in a trading range or consolidation

Trend Lines

Trend lines are a fundamental tool used by analysts and traders to visually represent the market's overall direction and identify potential support and resistance levels. Here's how they help us identify trends:

Connecting the Dots: Trend lines are drawn by connecting a series of price highs (for uptrends) or lows (for downtrends). These connected points highlight the prevailing direction of the price movement.
Support and Resistance: Trend lines act as boundaries for price action. In an uptrend, the trend line acts as support, indicating areas where prices might bounce back up after a pullback. Conversely, in a downtrend, the trend line acts as resistance, suggesting areas where prices might face selling pressure and potentially turn lower.
Trend Confirmation: The more times the price tests the trend line without breaking through it, the stronger the trend is considered to be. This repeated testing reinforces the support or resistance level created by the trend line.

By using trend lines, we can gain a clearer picture of the market's momentum and potential turning points, aiding decisions about entering or exiting trades.

Downtrend Line	Uptrend Line
To identify a downtrend, draw a downward sloping line that connects several swing highs (peaks) on the price chart.	For an uptrend, a trend line is drawn by connecting a series of swing lows (troughs), ideally not all of them but the most prominent ones that establish the overall upward direction.

This is how a downtrend would look like on a chart.	This is how an uptrend would look like on a chart.

The validity of a trend line increases with the number of peaks or troughs it connects. A line connecting at least two points is considered a trend line, but with only two points it's tentative. More connection points suggest a stronger trend.

A break of the trend line might indicate a trend change, but we'll discuss this further later. It's important to remember that a break, even for a valid trend line, could be a false signal. To confirm a potential trend reversal, waiting for at least two confirmed closes above or below the line is recommended.

Channels

Channel lines, a variation of trend lines, help visualize price movements within a range. Imagine two parallel lines forming a "channel" where the price bounces back and forth. The more these bounces occur without breaking the channel, the stronger the channel and the more likely prices are to stay within it in the future.

Beyond Straight Lines: Linear Regression Channels

Linear regression channels offer a more sophisticated way to identify trends. Here's how it works:

Center Line: A line is drawn that statistically best fits the price movements you're analyzing.
Channel Lines: Two additional lines are drawn parallel to the center line, typically two standard deviations above and below it. These create the upper and lower boundaries of the channel.
The strength of the trend is directly related to how long the price action stays within the channel. A channel that holds for a longer period indicates a stronger trend.

Upward Trend: The channel slopes upwards, starting from the lowest point (trough) and extending to the highest point (peak) on the chart.	Downward Trend: The channel slopes downwards, drawn from the highest peak to the lowest trough.