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Friday, April 26, 2024
Knowledge BaseGlossary

Glossary

Algorithmic Trading can be a complex subject. Keep your knowledge current with this glossary of key concepts, terminology, and technical indicators.

Andrew's Pitchfork

Andrew's Pitchfork

Andrew's Pitchfork

A technical indicator that uses three parallel trendlines to identify possible levels of support and resistance. The trendlines are created by placing three points at the end of identified trends. This is usually achieved by placing the points in three consecutive peaks or troughs. Once the points have been placed, a straight line is drawn from the first point that intersects the midpoint of the other two.

Arms Index - TRIN

Arms Index - TRIN

A technical analysis indicator that compares advancing and declining stock issues and trading volume as an indicator of overall market sentiment. The Arms Index, or TRIN (Traders Index), is used as a predictor of future price movements in the market primarily on an intraday basis.

Aroon Indicator

Aroon Indicator

A technical indicator used for identifying trends in an underlying security and the likelihood that the trends will reverse. It is made up of two lines: one line is called "Aroon up", which measures the strength of the uptrend, and the other line is called "Aroon down", which measures the downtrend. The indicator reports the time it is taking for the price to reach, from a starting point, the highest and lowest points over a given time period, each reported as a percentage of total time.

Aroon Oscillator

Aroon Oscillator

A trend-following indicator that uses aspects of the Aroon indicator ("Aroon up" and "Aroon down") to gauge the strength of a current trend and the likelihood that it will continue. The Aroon oscillator is calculated by subtracting Aroon down from Aroon up. Readings above zero indicate that an uptrend is present, while readings below zero indicate that a downtrend is present.

Ascending Channel

Ascending Channel

Ascending Channel

An ascending channel is the price action contained between upward sloping parallel lines. Higher pivot highs and higher pivot lows are technical signals of an uptrend. Trendlines frame out the price channel by drawing the lower line on pivot lows, and the upper line is the channel line drawn on pivot highs. Price is not always perfectly contained but the channel lines show areas of support and resistance for price targets. A higher high above an ascending channel can signal continuation. A lower low below the low of an ascending channel can signal trend change.

Ascending Tops

Ascending Tops

Ascending Tops

This refers to a series of peaks, each peak higher than the previous one on the stock's chart pattern. Ascending tops are created following a previous and subsequent trough. This may look like a mountain range in which each mountain top is higher than the last.

Ascending Triangle

Ascending Triangle

Ascending Triangle

A bullish chart pattern used in technical analysis that is easily recognizable by the distinct shape created by two trendlines. In an ascending triangle, one trendline is drawn horizontally at a level that has historically prevented the price from heading higher, while the second trendline connects a series of increasing troughs. Traders enter into long positions when the price of the asset breaks above the top resistance. The chart below is an example of an ascending triangle:

Autoregressive

Autoregressive

A stochastic process used in statistical calculations in which future values are estimated based on a weighted sum of past values. An autoregressive process operates under the premise that past values have an effect on current values. A process considered AR(1) is the first order process, meaning that the current value is based on the immediately preceding value. An AR(2) process has the current value based on the previous two values.

Average Directional Index - ADX

Average Directional Index - ADX

Average Directional Index - ADX

An indicator used in technical analysis as an objective value for the strength of trend. ADX is non-directional so it will quantify a trend's strength regardless of whether it is up or down. ADX is usually plotted in a chart window along with two lines known as the DMI (Directional Movement Indicators). ADX is derived from the relationship of the DMI lines.

Average True Range - ATR

Average True Range - ATR

A measure of volatility introduced by Welles Wilder in his book: New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems. The true range indicator is the greatest of the following: -current high less the current low. -the absolute value of the current high less the previous close. -the absolute value of the current low less the previous close. The average true range is a moving average (generally 14-days) of the true ranges.

Bar Chart

Bar Chart

Bar Chart

A style of chart used by some technical analysts, on which, as illustrated below, the top of the vertical line indicates the highest price a security traded at during the day, and the bottom represents the lowest price. The closing price is displayed on the right side of the bar, and the opening price is shown on the left side of the bar. A single bar like the one below represents one day of trading.

Basing

Basing

Basing

A period in which a stock or other traded security is showing little in the way of upward or downward movement. The resulting price pattern is a flat line. Often, 'basing' is a term used by technical analysts to describe an issue that is consolidating after a period of rapid growth or decline. A basing stock is one with equal amounts of supply and demand.
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