DOW THEORY OR HOW TECHNICAL ANALYSIS EVOLVED
Sometimes it's useful to go back to the basics in order to fully comprehend the progress achieved. Today technical analysis is taken for granted, and very few people think about what is really behind the well-known market terms. The Dow Theory, and Charles Dow himself in particular, we can say, were at those very basics. In this case, at the present moment the postulates of the theory have not lost their relevance. How they can be applied in practical work on the market, particularly in Forex, is presented in today's post.
Dow Theory and Technical Analysis
At the beginning of the formation of financial markets there were no suitable automatic tools, and most of the work on the analysis was done manually for a long time. That's why you can notice a great attention to detail in the description of the theory, when nowadays many details are usually omitted.
A brief biography of Charles Dow
Dow's first job in the financial environment was as a reporter for the Wall Street news bureau. It was there that he met his partner, Edward Jones. Unlike most other journalists, their work was characterized by straightforwardness - Doe and his partner did not take bribes as a matter of principle. In 1882 Doe and Jones felt the need for a separate publication. So, they founded their own company, Dow Jones & Company, which at first issued daily financial reports.
Later the two-page booklet grew into a full-fledged newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, which is now one of the most authoritative publications in the financial environment. The publication's slogan stated that its main purpose was to tell the news, but not opinions. By 1893, there were many mergers taking place, which increased the proportion of speculation in the markets. At this time Dow saw the need for some indicator of market activity. Thus, he created the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which at that time was a simple arithmetic average of the prices of 12 companies (it now included the 30 largest U.S. companies). Dow drew attention to the fact that prices capture much more information than many people assume. That is, by analyzing prices alone, we can predict their future behavior with great probability, which eventually became the basis of his theory.
Principles of the Dow Theory
The Market Discounts Everything
Of course, the market cannot take into account events which, by definition, cannot be predicted. However, the price takes into account the emotions of participants, economic data of some companies and states, including inflation and interest rates, and even possible risks in case of unforeseen developments. This does not mean that the market or its participants know everything, even future events. This only means that all what has happened has already been recorded in the price, and any new information will also be taken into account.
On this basis, a huge number of technical indicators have been created, and today you can find an indicator for the analysis of literally anything. But while indicators are often used thoughtlessly, Dow analyzed the entire market, relying on the natural segmentation of market players.
An extreme reflection of his work is the industry and transportation indices. The very composition of the index plays an important role. It is not fixed and is periodically reconsidered taking into account changes of the situation on the markets. The essence is that shares of enterprises working in one field are analyzed. As a result, the index is in some way a closed system, where the major part of funds is distributed between the participants and does not go beyond the portfolio.
Three Market Trends
A straight-line market movement is a science fiction. In fact, price almost always moves in a zigzag pattern, forming characteristic ascending/descending highs/minimums. In other words, forming an uptrend or a downtrend. There is a major initial trend in the market. It is the most important to find out, because the basic trend reflects the real price movement direction, when all the lower trend levels depend on the basic one. The duration of the initial trend is from 1 to 3 years.
The most important thing is to determine the direction of the initial trend and trade in accordance with it. The trend remains in force, as long as there was no confirmation of its reversal. The price closing below the previous extremum, for example, can be a prerequisite for trend reversal.
So, the initial trend determines the main market direction. In turn, the secondary trend moves in the direction opposite to the main trend. In fact, it is a correction to the main trend. The secondary trend has one interesting characteristic - its volatility is usually higher than the initial movement.
The last, the smallest trend is nothing more than a secondary trend pullback. Such movement lasts no longer than one week. The classical representation pays the least attention to it. It is considered that there is too much price noise on this time period, and fixation on the smallest movements can lead to irrational trade decisions.
Trend phases
The next principle of the theory of Dow the phases of the trend formation:
The first phase is usually characterized by price consolidation. This is a period of market indecision, when the previous trend is at exhaustion. In other words, this period is marked by the accumulation of forces before the spurt and is also the most attractive entry point (although risky). As soon as the new direction is confirmed, the participation phase begins. This is the main trend phase, the longest of the three, which is also marked by a large price movement.
When the motivating conditions have been exhausted, the saturation phase begins. During this period, savvy players begin to exit positions as soon as there are signs of instability, such as increased corrections. This phase can be described as "irrational optimism", when the price may continue to rise by inertia, despite the lack of clear prerequisites.
Identification of trend movements
In order to identify both trends and reversals on a chart, it is necessary to understand the techniques used by Dow. The main technique in identifying reversals a sequential analysis of extremes. For example, in the picture, points 2, 4, and 6 mark the maximum of the upward movement, while points 1, 3, and 5 mark the minimum. An uptrend is formed when each successive top and trough is higher than the previous one.
A downtrend, on the contrary, is characterized by descending highs/minimums.
The Dow Theory states that until we get a clear signal for a reversal, the trend remains in force. Here we can draw a parallel with Newton's law of inertia, where a moving object tends to move in the intended direction until another force interrupts its movement. The formation of a lower minimum (5) within the upward movement is an obvious signal of the coming reversal.
In the case when the trend is directed downward, the situation is the opposite. If the price failed to form a lower low and still closed above the current high, it means that the market is influenced by a force opposite to the original movement.
Conclusion
The Dow Theory, as many hope, does not answer the question "how to enter the market at the stage of trend formation?" It is a long-term reversal strategy aimed at minimal risk. Nevertheless, the theory helps us better understand technical analysis in general, and why it works at all because price and is a derivative of all the factors affecting it.
Dow Theory and Technical Analysis
At the beginning of the formation of financial markets there were no suitable automatic tools, and most of the work on the analysis was done manually for a long time. That's why you can notice a great attention to detail in the description of the theory, when nowadays many details are usually omitted.
A brief biography of Charles Dow
Dow's first job in the financial environment was as a reporter for the Wall Street news bureau. It was there that he met his partner, Edward Jones. Unlike most other journalists, their work was characterized by straightforwardness - Doe and his partner did not take bribes as a matter of principle. In 1882 Doe and Jones felt the need for a separate publication. So, they founded their own company, Dow Jones & Company, which at first issued daily financial reports.
Later the two-page booklet grew into a full-fledged newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, which is now one of the most authoritative publications in the financial environment. The publication's slogan stated that its main purpose was to tell the news, but not opinions. By 1893, there were many mergers taking place, which increased the proportion of speculation in the markets. At this time Dow saw the need for some indicator of market activity. Thus, he created the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which at that time was a simple arithmetic average of the prices of 12 companies (it now included the 30 largest U.S. companies). Dow drew attention to the fact that prices capture much more information than many people assume. That is, by analyzing prices alone, we can predict their future behavior with great probability, which eventually became the basis of his theory.
Principles of the Dow Theory
The Market Discounts Everything
Of course, the market cannot take into account events which, by definition, cannot be predicted. However, the price takes into account the emotions of participants, economic data of some companies and states, including inflation and interest rates, and even possible risks in case of unforeseen developments. This does not mean that the market or its participants know everything, even future events. This only means that all what has happened has already been recorded in the price, and any new information will also be taken into account.
On this basis, a huge number of technical indicators have been created, and today you can find an indicator for the analysis of literally anything. But while indicators are often used thoughtlessly, Dow analyzed the entire market, relying on the natural segmentation of market players.
An extreme reflection of his work is the industry and transportation indices. The very composition of the index plays an important role. It is not fixed and is periodically reconsidered taking into account changes of the situation on the markets. The essence is that shares of enterprises working in one field are analyzed. As a result, the index is in some way a closed system, where the major part of funds is distributed between the participants and does not go beyond the portfolio.
Three Market Trends
A straight-line market movement is a science fiction. In fact, price almost always moves in a zigzag pattern, forming characteristic ascending/descending highs/minimums. In other words, forming an uptrend or a downtrend. There is a major initial trend in the market. It is the most important to find out, because the basic trend reflects the real price movement direction, when all the lower trend levels depend on the basic one. The duration of the initial trend is from 1 to 3 years.
The most important thing is to determine the direction of the initial trend and trade in accordance with it. The trend remains in force, as long as there was no confirmation of its reversal. The price closing below the previous extremum, for example, can be a prerequisite for trend reversal.
So, the initial trend determines the main market direction. In turn, the secondary trend moves in the direction opposite to the main trend. In fact, it is a correction to the main trend. The secondary trend has one interesting characteristic - its volatility is usually higher than the initial movement.
The last, the smallest trend is nothing more than a secondary trend pullback. Such movement lasts no longer than one week. The classical representation pays the least attention to it. It is considered that there is too much price noise on this time period, and fixation on the smallest movements can lead to irrational trade decisions.
Trend phases
The next principle of the theory of Dow the phases of the trend formation:
The first phase is usually characterized by price consolidation. This is a period of market indecision, when the previous trend is at exhaustion. In other words, this period is marked by the accumulation of forces before the spurt and is also the most attractive entry point (although risky). As soon as the new direction is confirmed, the participation phase begins. This is the main trend phase, the longest of the three, which is also marked by a large price movement.
When the motivating conditions have been exhausted, the saturation phase begins. During this period, savvy players begin to exit positions as soon as there are signs of instability, such as increased corrections. This phase can be described as "irrational optimism", when the price may continue to rise by inertia, despite the lack of clear prerequisites.
Identification of trend movements
In order to identify both trends and reversals on a chart, it is necessary to understand the techniques used by Dow. The main technique in identifying reversals a sequential analysis of extremes. For example, in the picture, points 2, 4, and 6 mark the maximum of the upward movement, while points 1, 3, and 5 mark the minimum. An uptrend is formed when each successive top and trough is higher than the previous one.
A downtrend, on the contrary, is characterized by descending highs/minimums.
The Dow Theory states that until we get a clear signal for a reversal, the trend remains in force. Here we can draw a parallel with Newton's law of inertia, where a moving object tends to move in the intended direction until another force interrupts its movement. The formation of a lower minimum (5) within the upward movement is an obvious signal of the coming reversal.
In the case when the trend is directed downward, the situation is the opposite. If the price failed to form a lower low and still closed above the current high, it means that the market is influenced by a force opposite to the original movement.
Conclusion
The Dow Theory, as many hope, does not answer the question "how to enter the market at the stage of trend formation?" It is a long-term reversal strategy aimed at minimal risk. Nevertheless, the theory helps us better understand technical analysis in general, and why it works at all because price and is a derivative of all the factors affecting it.
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