Investor's Guide to Charting, 2nd Edition
Analysis for the Intelligent Investor

By Alistair Blair
Financial Times / Pearson Education
September 2003
ISBN: 0-273-66203-1
256 Pages, Illustrated, 6 1/4" x 9 1/4"
$49.50 Paper Original


Charting is a complex and sometimes derided world, but one that nonetheless commands an enormous following. Some basic knowledge of charting is essential for any keen investor, and this fully revised and updated edition of Alistair Blair's Guide to Charting is the independent, introductory overview of technical analysis for the private investor. Guide to Charting is packed with purpose-drawn charts and worked examples, and explains in detail how charting theories work. Written with the private investor's viewpoint in mind the book's coverage will give you all that you need to start practicing technical analysis and, unlike other books on the subject, will also interest the more sophisticated, experienced practitioner by:

Comparing technical analysis with fundamental analysis; Examining the records of some of charting's most renowned exponents; Applying technical analysis to recent FTSE company price charts; Providing alternative interpretations of 'live' charts; Identifying both successful and failed recommendations by professional chartists. An insight into the world of charting, this text includes information on where to start, timescales, basic components of a price chart and different types of chart. It should be of interest to investors who are less than fully conversant with technical analysis.

Contents
1. The art of the chart fundamental analysis technical analysis patterns and profits options, futures and indexes chartists do it up and down buyers, sellers, greed, fear and psychology
2. The trend is your friend: basic components of any price chart trends trend lines moving averages scales
3. The head and shoulders and friends words of warning on the classic patterns reversal patterns - tops reversal patterns - bottoms continuation patterns
4. The supporting cast: secondary signals to support the main conclusion volume relative strength or share price relatives breadth and the advance / decline line momentum welles wilder's RSI stochastic moving average convergence-divergence (MACD)
5. The technique from Japan: an introduction to candlestick charting bodies and shadows candlestick patterns windows jack schwager's tests
6. Is the price moving? Really moving?: point and figure charts how to compile a point and figure chart trend lines and trading signals the count
7. A quick guide to chartist gospels fibonacci elliot wave theory gann coppock
8. Whoever made money from charting? jesse livermore victor sperandeo monroe trout stanley kroll anthony bolton crispin odey
9. A modest grapple with real life (a look at real charts) not a scientific test a sprinkling of expert views a sympathetic hearing how to use this chapter randomness is restricted get a system and look twice
10. Will it work for you? two charts what works for the professionals just the gold-plated signals or dime-a-dozen not needing to understand but needing to change should professional chartists be rich? and fundamentalists? and you? 11. Net gains for Charting: what the internet can do for chartists obliging online brokers community offerings gold standard breathless in the US - platinum standard net advice Glossary Further Reading Index

Author Alistair Blair is the No Free Lunch columnist for the Investors Chronicle magazine and writes about business and investment for many other publications. In 1999, he was voted the Periodical Publishers' Association’s Business Writer of the Year. After reading PPE at Oxford and completing an MBA at Manchester Business School, Alistair gained practical experience of the City by working at Hill Samuel and Fidelity. top Reviews "A thought-provoking book. If you're interested in investment you should read it whether you bracket chartism with astrology or not." Sir Christopher Hogg, Chairman, Reuters "Alistair Blair makes charting make sense. You'll soon discover why chartists believe 'the trend is your friend' and why this book should be your constant companion." Matthew Vincent, Editor, Investors Chronicle

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