Friday, August 31, 2007

Tips for Using Indicators


Indicators indicate. This may sound straightforward, but sometimes traders ignore the price action of a security and focus solely on an indicator. Indicators filter price action with formulas. As such, they are derivatives and not direct reflections of the price action. This should be taken into consideration when applying analysis. Any analysis of an indicator should be taken with the price action in mind. What is the indicator saying about the price action of a security? Is the price action getting stronger? Weaker?
Even though it may be obvious when indicators generate buy and sell signals, the signals should be taken in context with other technical analysis tools. An indicator may flash a buy signal, but if the chart pattern shows a descending triangle with a series of declining peaks, it may be a false signal.
On the Rambus (RMBS) chart, MACD improved from November to March, forming a positive divergence. All the earmarks of a MACD buying opportunity were present, but the stock failed to break above the resistance and exceed its previous reaction high. This non-confirmation from the stock should have served as a warning sign against a long position. For the record, a sell signal occurred when the stock broke support from the descending triangle in March-01.

As always in technical analysis, learning how to read indicators is more of an art than a science. The same indicator may exhibit different behavioral patterns when applied to different stocks. Indicators that work well for IBM might not work the same for Delta Airlines. Through careful study and analysis, expertise with the various indicators will develop over time. As this expertise develops, certain nuances as well as favorite setups will become clear.
There are hundreds of indicators in use today, with new indicators being created every week. Technical analysis software programs come with dozens of indicators built in, and even allow users to create their own. Given the amount of hype that is associated with indicators, choosing an indicator to follow can be a daunting task. Even with the introduction of hundreds of new indicators, only a select few really offer a different perspective and are worthy of attention. Strangely enough, the indicators that usually merit the most attention are those that have been around the longest time and have stood the test of time.
When choosing an indicator to use for analysis, choose carefully and moderately. Attempts to cover more than five indicators are usually futile. It is best to focus on two or three indicators and learn their intricacies inside and out. Try to choose indicators that complement each other, instead of those that move in unison and generate the same signals. For example, it would be redundant to use two indicators that are good for showing overbought and oversold levels, such as Stochastics and RSI. Both of these indicators measure momentum and both have overbought/oversold levels.
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