Bagger:  Unit of 1, 100% gain

Bag Holder:  You chased it up and hoped it would keep running now you are responsible for everyone's profit.

Banging the Bull: It might be fun for some but it produces no offspring.  This was a runner and now your a bag holder, talking it up like it's still relevant.

Bid Whacker: The most annoying person in the world, they got close to their exit and instead of waiting for the price to come to you, you sold on the bid "dumb ass" dropping the bid.

Up Biggley: Your killing it and you want everyone to know it.

Black Hole:   You keep dumping money in this stock hoping to average down and make an exit but every time you get your average down the Price keeps dropping and best of all you get caught in an "Reverse Split" and the price still continues to fall and all you can do is guess where your money is at.

Channel Surfing: This is a great channel play and like the waves in the ocean it just keeps coming up and down over and over again.  

Chop Shop: A PR juggernaut, these guys get volume and they manipulate the stock to their advantage you can't win here, you only get lucky STAY AWAY.

Moooon Shot: When your green day after day with no slowing in stock often the result of a "TecNasty Deluxe"

Flipper: The name of a famous dolphin and TecTrader who gets in low and moves out high on a predefined schedule.

Fruit Punch: It's red and delicious to a short trader but, you should stay away  try a nice glass of Cognac.

Hitter: EpicStocks enough said!

Longs: Former "Bag Holders" who "married" their stock and tout its greatness for the sake of saving face.

Marry a stock:  When you get in a stock and stay in it.  Just like in real life a divorce is often ugly and costly

Newbie:  If you need the definition try looking in the mirror.  These guys will do anything for a hot tip most "Newbies" stay that way.  They hit early on a couple of good leads and follow their favorite TecTrader to the poor house because they never learn to trade on their own.  DO YOUR OWN DD AND TEC CHARTING.

Osman: This is the classic stock chaser, when they make it in, its time to get out because like the Titanic its going down.

Poor Mans Picnic: You found a delicious triple 0 stock you brought bologna to the meal and left eating steak.

Pound Salt: We aren't a charity, learn to trade or leave.  We are not your broker, thats how you got here in the first place.  If you need a broker or a charity Google it.  We are to busy making money.

Profit Trading: The method of using charts to determine a stocks chance of rise or fall, with this information you can make entry and exit points that result in profit.

Saturday Night Special:  It won't make you rich but these little pops get the job done and often keep you in the green at the end of the week they all can't be "Multi Baggers

Full Mooooon: When you look at your portfolio and its all green you know your in Shamrock Fields.

TecNasty Deluxe:  The chart brought you in and the PR made you a star this is the "Multi-Bagger" you love to pump.

Thunder: Tasty little tidbit you share with your friends, this is a stock you love like your favorite "Channel Surfing" stock.

Got some Tec Talk you think should make the list Hit Us Up and we'll put it up if its any good.  We will also credit you in the definition.

 Trading Terms To Know:

Above the Market: A limit order to buy or sell a security for a specified price that is higher than the current market price. If the market does not reach the specified price, the order will go unfilled.

Absolute Price Oscillator (APO): An indicator based on the difference between two exponential moving averages, and is expressed in absolute terms. Also known as the MACD indicator, the APO is calculated by subtracting the longer EMA from the shorter EMA. See ChartSchool article on Price Oscillators.

Accredited Investor: Term used by SEC in Regulation D of private placements. Concept: although 35 is the upper limit of persons who may purchase a private placement, accredited investors are not included in this number. General definition of accredited investors: institutional type accounts and persons of wealth (persons with a net worth of $1 Million or more, persons with annual income of $200,000 or more, persons who purchase $150,000 or more of the offering and this does not represent more than 20% of their net worth).

Accrued Interest: The amount of interest that has been earned since the last interest payment date. When a bond trades, the buyer pays the seller the accrued interest - a pro rata portion of the next interest payment, which will be paid to the buyer of the bond.

Accumulation: The act of buying more shares of a security without causing the price to increase significantly. After a decline, a stock may start to base and trade sideways for an extended period. While this base builds, well-informed traders and investors may seek to establish or increase existing long positions. In that case, the stock is said to have come under accumulation.

Accumulation Distribution Line: A momentum indicator that relates price changes with volume. It relates the closing price to the range of prices (H - L). The closer the close is to the high, the more volume is added to the cumulative total. See ChartSchool article on Accumulation Distribution Line.  

Advancing: A market stage of a stock that is characterized by an uptrend with subsequently higher highs and higher lows.

After Hours: Any trade posting, adjusting, or changes made by specialists or member firm after the official close of the market.

Against Actuals: A transaction generally used by two hedgers who want to exchange futures or cash positions.

Aggregate Exercise Price: Term in security options: the exercise (strike) price times the number of securities involved in the contract. For example, a call is purchased at $50 for 100 shares. The aggregate exercise price is $5000 ($50 x 100). Exception: GNMA options and T-Bill, T-Note, and T-Bond options, in which the aggregate exercise price is the strike price times the face value of the underlying contract.

All or None: A type of order issued to a broker by a buyer or seller to fill the order completely or not at all. There are no partial transactions.

AMEX: The term used for the American Stock Exchange.

AMEX Composite Index ($XAX): A weighted index of the stocks listed on the American Stock Exchange. The market capitalization of each company is used to construct the index.

Amex Index Options: The American Stock Exchange trades put and call options based on a number of sector, industry and international indices. These indices cannot be bought or sold like stocks, their price movements are simply used for trading options.

Amortization: The paying off of debt in regular installments over a period of time.

Analyst: A person with expertise in evaluating financial instruments; he or she performs investment research and makes recommendations to institutional and retail investors to buy, sell, or hold. Most analysts specialize in a single industry or business sector.

Andrew's Pitchfork: Developed by Alan Andrews, this concept that uses three parallel lines drawn from three points that you select. The points selected to begin the pitchfork are usually three consecutive major peaks or troughs. The three parallel lines extending out to the right are used as normal support and resistance points.

Announcement Date: The date on which a company first publicly announces an impending stock split.

Annual Report: Popular term for the yearly report made by a company to its stockholders. Federal law requires all registered corporations to make such reports. They usually contain a balance sheet, an income statement, a list of changes in retained earnings, and how income of the corporation was used.

Annualized: The translation of periods of less than a year into an annual rate for comparative purposes. To annualize quarterly figures, you multiply them by four.

Area Pattern: A pattern of sideways price movement that follows a stalled uptrend or downtrend of a stock or commodity. Some of these patterns (triangles, flags, wedges etc.) have good predictive value.

Arithmetic (Linear) Scaling: On an Arithmetic (Linear) scale chart, the spacing between each point on the vertical scale is identical. Thus the vertical distance between 10 and 20 is the same as the vertical distance between 90 and 100. See ChartSchool article on price scaling.

Arms Index (TRIN): A market indicator showing the ratio between the average volume of declining stocks and the average volume of advancing stocks. Generally, a rising TRading INdex is bearish and a falling TRIN is bullish. See ChartSchool article on Arms Index.

Aroon: An indicator system that can be used to determine whether or not a stock is trending and the strength of its trend. The Aroon Oscillator signals an upward trend when it rises above zero and a downward trend when it falls below zero. The farther away the oscillator is from the zero line, the stronger the trend. See ChartSchool article on Aroon.

Aroon Oscillator: An indicator called the Aroon Oscillator can be constructed by subtracting Aroon(down) from Aroon(up). Since Aroon(up) and Aroon(down) oscillate between 0 and +100, the Aroon Oscillator oscillate between -100 and +100 with zero as the center crossover line. See ChartSchool article on Aroon Oscillator.

Ascending Trend Channel: An ascending line that connects the bottoms of the down waves and is parallel to a trendline. The ascending channel line and the trendline form borders on an uptrend.

Ascending Triangle: A sideways price pattern between two converging trendlines in which the lower line is rising while the upper line is flat. This is generally a bullish pattern. See ChartSchool article on Ascending Triangle (Continuation).

Ask: Also known as the "offer", the price that the market maker guarantees to fill a buy order. A buy order placed at the market will usually be filled at the current asking (offer) price. The ask price is usually greater than the bid price.

Assets: Any possessions that have value in an exchange.

At the Money: An option whose strike price is equal to the price of the underlying security.

Average Directional Index (ADX): Part of the Directional Movement Indicator system developed by J. Welles Wilder, the ADX line is based on the spread between the +DI and -DI lines from that same system. See ChartSchool article on Average Directional Index.

Average True Range (ATR): An indicator that measures a security's volatility. High ATR values indicate high volatility and may be an indication of panic selling or panic buying. Low ATR readings indicate sideways movement by the stock. See ChartSchool article on Average True Range.

Bar Chart: A popular way to display and analyze financial price information in graphical form. The horizontal axis of a bar chart represents the passage of time with the most recent time periods on the right side while the vertical axis represents the stock's price.

Basing: A period where the stock or market is "catching its breath" after a decline, characterized by a flat trading range without any noticeable trend. It is common to see a basing period after a lengthy decline of the stock price. Basing may be a sign of accumulation.

Basis: The difference between cash prices and the futures contract prices.

Bear: A person who believes prices will decline and might be described as having a "bearish" outlook. Bear markets occur when roughly 80% of all stocks decline for an extended period of time. 1973-74 and 1981-82 have been referred to as bear markets.

Bear Market: A long period of time when prices in the market are generally declining. It is often measured by a percentage decline of more than 20%.

Bear Spread: An option strategy with maximum profit when the price of the underlying securites decline. In futures, short the nearby future and long the deferred in anticipation of a decline in the general level of prices.

Bear Trap: A situation that occurs when prices break below a significant level and generate a sell signal, but then reverse course and negate the sell signal, thus "trapping" the bears that acted on the signal with losses. A bear trap is another form of whipsaw and relates to the spring.

Below the Market: A limit order to buy or sell a security for a specific price that is lower than the current market price. If the market does not reach these prices, the order will go unfilled.

Beta: A measure of a security's systematic or market risk. While most stocks move in in the same direction as the stock market, the level of the beta indicates the degree of correlation between a security and the market. The market is the benchmark and has a beta of 1.

Bid: The price at which the market maker guarantees to fill a sell order. A sell order placed at the market will usually be filled at the current bid price. The bid price is usually less than the ask price.

Black Box: A proprietary computerized trading system whose rules are not disclosed or readily accessible.

Block: A purchase or sale of a large number of shares or dollar value of bonds. Although the term is relative, 10,000 or more shares, or any quantity worth over $200,000 is generally considered a block.

Blue Chip Stock: A well known, public company that is thought to be in good financial shape and have sound fundamentals (profitability, earnings). An investment in a blue chip is regarded as a safe investment. Examples include Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola and General Electric.

Bollinger Band Width: This is an indicator tool in StockCharts.com's charting service. It will display the width of Bollinger Bands as an indicator on your chart. See ChartSchool article on Bollinger Band Width.

Bollinger Bands: An indicator that allows users to compare volatility and relative price levels over a period of time. It consists of three bands designed to encompass the majority of a security's price action. Prices will often meet resistance at the upper band and support at the lower band. See ChartSchool article on Bollinger Bands.

Breakaway Gap: A price gap that forms on the completion of an important price pattern. A breakaway gap usually signals the beginning of an important price move.

Breakout: Price of a security emerging from a previous trading pattern. The new price "breaks out" above the high (or below the low) trading pattern lines that enclose all other prices for that security in the preceding period. Breakouts are used by technical analysts to predict substantial upside or downside movement.

Bull: A person who believes prices will advance and might be described as having a "bullish" outlook. Bull markets occur when roughly 80% of all stocks advance over an extended period of time. 1982-87 and 1995-99 have been referred to as bull markets.

Bull Bear Ratio: The Investor's Intelligence market sentiment indicator which shows the relationship between bullish and bearish advisors. It is interpreted as a contrary indicator, meaning that if it reflects extreme bullishness, the market is probably at a top.

Bull Market: A long period of time when prices in the market are generally increasing.

Bull Trap: A situation that occurs when prices break above a significant level and generate a buy signal, but suddenly reverse course and negate the buy signal, thus "trapping" the bulls that acted on the signal with losses. A bull trap is another form of whipsaw and relates to the upthrust.

Bullish Percent Index (BPI): A popular market breadth indicator that is calculated by dividing the number of stocks in a given group (an exchange, an industry, etc.) that are currently trading with Point and Figure buy signals, by the total number of stocks in that group. BPI can be used to determine overbought/oversold conditions and can generate buy/sell signals. It is important to note that the Bullish Percent Index is not something that can be applied to a single stock but rather an index that is calculated for a group of stocks. See ChartSchool article on Bullish Percent Index (BPI).

Bump and Run Reversal: A reversal chart pattern that forms after excessive speculation drives prices up too far, too fast. It is designed to identify speculative advances that are unsustainable for a long period. See ChartSchool article on Bump and Run Reversal.

Buy Signal: A condition that indicates a good time to buy a stock. The exact circumstances of the signal will be determined by the indicator that an analyst is using. For example, it's considered a buy signal when the MACD crosses above its signal line.

Buy Stop: A buy order usually placed above the current price, ensuring that a security would have to trade at the set level before the buy order would be activated. at 35. By placing a buy stop order just above resistance, a trader can ensure that the security will break resistance before going long. On the other hand, traders looking to catch a bottom or intraday low might place a buy stop below the current price, but near support.

Buyback: A company's repurchase of it's own shares of stock.

Buying on Margin: A risky short-term strategy where a buyer borrows money from a broker to make an investment. The buyer believes the stock price will rise and is trying to maximize profits by investing more money in the stock.

Call Option: The right to buy a stock or commodity future at a given price before a given date. The owner of the call option is speculating that the price of the stock will go up and is therefore bullish.

Candlestick Chart: A form of Japanese charting that has become popular in the West. A narrow line (shadow) shows the day's price range. A wider body marks the area between the open and the close. If the close is above the open, the body is white (not filled); if the close is below the open, the body is black (filled). See ChartSchool article on Introduction to Candlesticks.

Capital Gain: The the profit derived from the selling price exceeding its initial purchase price. A realized capital gain is an investment that has been sold at a profit. An unrealized capital gain is an investment that hasn't been sold yet but would result in a profit if sold. Capital gain is often used to mean realized capital gain.

Chaikin Money Flow (CMF): An oscillator that helps signal if a stock is undergoing accumulation or distribution. It is calculated from the daily readings of the Accumulation Distribution Line. The CMF is unlike a momentum oscillator in that it is not influenced by the daily price change. Instead, the indicator focuses on the location of the close relative to the range for the period (daily or weekly). See ChartSchool article on Chaikin Money Flow.

Chaikin Oscillator: This is a moving average of the Accumulation Distribution Line. It was developed by Marc Chaikin. It is created by subtracting a 10 period exponential moving average of the accumulation/distribution line from a 3 period exponential average of it.

Channel: When prices trend between two parallel trendlines, this is referred to as a channel. See ChartSchool article on Price Channel (Continuation).

Channel Line: A straight line drawn parallel to the basic trendline. In an uptrend, the channel line slants up to the right and is drawn above rally peaks; in a downtrend, the channel line is drawn below price troughs and slants down to the right. Prices often meet resistance at rising channel lines and support at falling channel lines. See ChartSchool article on Price Channel (Continuation).

Commodities: Raw materials such as gold, pork bellies, or orange juice. Traders in commodities buy and sell contracts (also called futures) for such materials.

 Confirmation: A subsequent signal that validates a position stance. Traders and investors sometimes look for more than one signal or require validation before acting. For example: confirmation of a trend change may entail an advance past the previous reaction high. For an indicator such as MACD, confirmation of a divergence may be a subsequent moving average crossover.

Continuation Pattern: A type of chart pattern that occurs in the middle of an existing trend. The previous trend resumes when the pattern is complete. Examples include the Rectangle and Pennant continuation patterns. For more continuation patters, see our Chart School article on Chart Analysis.

Correction: After an advance, a decline that does not penetrate the low from which the advance began is known as a correction. Also referred to as a retracement, a correction usually retraces 1/3 to 2/3 of the previous advance.

CRB Index: An unweighted geometric average of some important commodities. It averages prices across 17 commodities and across time. The index tracks energy, grains, industrials, livestock, precious metals, and agriculturals.

Crossover: A point on a graph where two lines intersect. Depending on which lines they are, a crossover may indicate a buy or sell signal. For example, the price line crossing above a moving average line may generate a buy signal. Oscillators such as MACD and Chaikin Money Flow experience centerline crossovers. See our Chart School article on Centerline Crossovers.

Cup with Handle: A bullish chart pattern that marks a consolidation period followed by a breakout. The "cup" part of the pattern resembles a rounding bottom, and is followed by a "handle" that acts as a final consolidation before a breakout. See our ChartSchool article on Cup With Handle (Continuation).

Cyclical Stocks: Shares of companies that are highly sensitive to economic performance. Cyclical stocks tend to perform well when the economy is growing and suffer when the economy contracts. Chemical (Dupont), transportation (FDX Corp), auto (General Motors), paper (International Paper) and steel (Nucor) represent a few cyclical industries.

Dark Cloud Cover: A bearish reversal pattern that continues the uptrend with a long white body. The next day opens at a new high then closes below the midpoint of the body of the first day.

Day Trading: A style of trading where all positions are cleared before the end of the trading day. Contrast this with position trading, where stocks or securities may be held for longer periods.

Declining: A market stage of a stock that is characterized by a downtrend with subsequently lower highs and lower lows.

Descending Triangle: A sideways price pattern between two converging trendlines in which the upper trendline is descending while the lower line is flat. This is generally a bearish pattern. See ChartSchool article on Descending Triangle (Continuation).

Directional Movement Indicator (DMI): An indicator that plots a positive +DI line measuring buying pressure and a negative -DI line measuring selling pressure. The DMI pattern is bullish as long as the +DI line is above the -DI line. The Average Directional Index line is derived from this system and is based on the spread between the +DI and -DI lines. For more, see our ChartSchool article on the Average Directional Index.

Distribution: The systematic selling of a security without significantly affecting the price. After an advance, a stock may start forming a top and trade sideways for an extended period. While this top forms, a security's shares may experience distribution as well-informed traders or investors seek to unload positions. A quiet distribution period is usually subtle and not enough to put downward pressure on the price. More aggressive distribution will likely put downward pressure on prices.

Divergence: A situation that occurs when two lines on a chart move in opposite directions vertically. People often look for divergences by comparing a stock's direction to the direction of its RSI, its MACD or its Stochastic Oscillator. There are two kinds of divergences: positive and negative. A positive divergence occurs when the indicator moves higher while the stock is declining. A negative divergence occurs when the indicator moves lower while the stock is rising.

Doji: A candlestick with a body so small that the open and close prices are equal. A Doji occurs when the open and close for that day are the same, or very close to being the same. See ChartSchool article on Introduction to Candlesticks.

Double Bottom: A bullish reversal chart pattern showing two consecutive troughs that are roughly equal, with a moderate peak in-between, concluding with a resistance breakout. See ChartSchool article on Double Bottom (Reversal).

Double Top: A bearish reversal chart pattern displaying two prominent peaks that are roughly equal, with a moderate trough in-between, concluding with a support break. See ChartSchool article on Double Top (Reversal).

Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU): The Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU) is a price-weighted average of 30 blue chip stocks published by Dow Jones & Co. Because it is price-weighted, stocks with the highest prices will have the most influence and those with the lowest, the least influence.

Dow Theory: One of the oldest and most highly regarded technical theories. A Dow Theory buy signal is given when the Dow Industrial and Dow Transportation averages close above a prior rally peak. A sell signal is given when both averages close below a prior reaction low. See ChartSchool article on Dow Theory.

Down Trendline: A straight line drawn down and to the right above successive rally peaks. The longer the down trendline has been in effect and the more times it has been tested, the more significant it becomes. A violation of the down trendline usually signals a reversal of the downtrend.

Downside Tasuki Gap: A continuation pattern with a long black body followed by another black body that has gapped below the first one. The third day is white and opens within the body of the second day, then closes in the gap between the first two days, but does not close the gap.

Dragonfly Doji: A Doji line where the open and close price are at the high of the day. Like other Doji days, this one normally appears at market turning points.

Elliott Wave Analysis: An approach to market analysis that is based on repetitive wave patterns and the Fibonacci number sequence. An ideal Elliott wave pattern shows a five wave advance followed by a three wave decline. See ChartSchool article on Elliott Wave Theory.

Energy Commodities Index ($GJX): The Energy Commodities Index ($GJX) charted by StockCharts.com is published by Goldman Sachs (http://www.gs.com/gsci/). The energy products listed include crude oil, heating oil, and natural gas.

Engulfing Pattern: A reversal pattern that can be bearish or bullish depending upon whether it is in an uptrend or downtrend. The first day is characterized by a small body, followed by a day whose body completely engulfs the previous day's body.

Envelopes: Lines that are placed at fixed percentages above and below a moving average line. Envelopes help determine when a market has traveled too far from its moving average and is overextended. See ChartSchool article on Moving Average Envelopes.

ETF - Exchange Traded Fund: Collections of stocks that are bought and sold as a package on an exchange, principally the American Stock Exchange, but also the NYSE, CBOE, and Nasdaq.

Evening Doji Star: A three day bearish reversal pattern similar to the Evening Star. The uptrend continues with a large white body. The next day opens higher, trades in a small range, then closes at its open (Doji). The next day closes below the midpoint of the body of the first day.

Evening Star: A bearish reversal pattern that continues an uptrend with a long white body day followed by a gapped up small body day, then a down close with the close below the midpoint of the first day.

Ex-Dividend Date: The first day of the ex-dividend period. If an investor does not own the stock before the ex-dividend date, they will be ineligible for the dividend payout. The exchanges automatically reduced the price of the stock by the amount of the dividend for all pending transactions that have not been completed by the ex-dividend date.

Exhaustion Gap: A price gap that occurs at the end of an important trend, and signals that the trend is concluding.

Exponential Moving Average (EMA): A moving average that gives greater weight to more recent data in an attempt to reduce the lag of (or "smooth") the moving average. See ChartSchool article on Moving Averages.
Falling Wedge: A bullish pattern that begins wide at the top and contracts as prices move lower toward a resistance breakout. See ChartSchool article on Falling Wedge (Reversal).

Fibonacci Numbers: The Fibonacci number sequence (1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144,…) is constructed by adding the first two numbers to arrive at the third. The ratio of any number to the next number is 61.8 percent, which is a popular Fibonacci retracement number. The inverse of 61.8 percent is 38.2 percent, also used as a Fibonacci retracement number. It is the ratio of the Fibonacci sequence that is important and valuable, not the actual numbers in the sequence.

Flag: A continuation chart pattern that generally lasts less than three weeks and resembles a parallelogram that slopes against the prevailing trend. The flag represents a minor pause in a dynamic price trend. See ChartSchool article on Flag, Pennant (Continuation).

Fundamental Analysis: A market analyst that relies on economic supply and demand information as opposed to focusing on charts and market indicators for a technical analysis. See Chart School article on Fundamental Analysis.

Futures: Futures contracts are forward contracts, meaning they represent a pledge to make a certain transaction at a future date. These exchange-traded contracts require the delivery of a commodity, bond, currency, or stock index, at a specified price, on a specified future date.

Gap: Gaps form when opening price movements create a blank spot on the chart. This occurs when the high of the day is below the low of the previous day or when the low of the day is above the high of the previous day. Gaps are especially significant when accompanied by an increase in volume.

Gap - Breakaway: Breakaway gaps signal a potential change in trend and are especially significant when accompanied by an increase in volume. A bullish breakaway gap forms when a security gaps up after an extended decline. Bullish breakaway gaps can also occur after an extended base or consolidation period. A bearish breakaway gap forms when a security gaps down after an extended advance. Bearish breakaway gaps can also form after an extended top or consolidation period.

Gap - Common: Common gaps occur within a trading range or shortly after a sharp move as a reaction. These gaps do not signify the beginning or continuation of a move, but rather represent anomalies. For instance, if a security has declined 20% in a week and gaps up, it would be considered a common gap and not likely to signify a change in trend. Or, if a trading range develops between 20 and 30, and a gap forms in the middle, it is probably a common gap.

Gap - Continuation: A continuation gap forms in the middle of a move and in the same direction as the current move. These gaps signal a continuation of the preceding trend and can mark good entry points. After a short or intermediate advance, a continuation up gap is usually considered bullish and signals a renewal of the uptrend. After a short or intermediate decline, a continuation down gap is usually considered bearish and signals a renewal of the downtrend. This gap is also called a measuring or runaway gap.

Gap - Exhaustion: After an extended or long move, a gap in the direction of the current move is called an exhaustion gap. For an exhaustion gap to be considered valid, prices should reverse soon after the gap and close the gap. After an extended decline, a gap down could signal that the downtrend is about to exhaust itself. An exhaustion gap is confirmed when prices reverse soon afterwards and move above (or "close") the gap. After an extended advance, an exhaustion gap would be confirmed when prices reverse soon afterwards and move below the gap.

Gap - Measuring: See Gap - Continuation.

Gap - Up/Down: An up gap forms when a security opens above the previous period's high, remains above the previous high for the entire period and closes above it. Up gaps can form on daily, weekly or monthly charts and are generally considered bullish. A down gap forms when a security opens below the previous period's low, remains below the previous low for the entire period and closes below it. Down gaps can form on daily, weekly or monthly charts and are generally considered bearish.

Head and Shoulders Bottom: A bullish reversal pattern marked by three (or more) prominent troughs with a middle trough (the head) that is lower than the other troughs (the shoulders). When the trendline (neckline) connecting the peaks at the top of the pattern is broken, the pattern is complete. See ChartSchool article on Head and Shoulders Bottom (Reversal).

Head and Shoulders Top: A bearish reversal pattern marked by three (or more) prominent peaks with a middle peak (the head) that is higher than the other peaks (the shoulders). When the trendline (neckline) connecting the troughs at the bottom of the pattern is broken, the pattern is complete. See ChartSchool article on Head and Shoulders Top (Reversal).

HOLDRs: These are HOLding Company Depository Receipts. Launched by Merrill Lynch, HOLDRs trade just like stocks on the American Stock Exchange. Each HOLDR is a basket of stocks designed to track the performance of a particular industry segment. For example, the Regional Bank HOLDRs (RKH) consist of stock from about 20 regional banks.

Horizontal Line: A price overlay consisting of a straight, horizontal line on the chart at a specified price level. Note that you can add multiple horizontal lines to a SharpChart by enter several price levels separated by commas.

Indicator: A value, usually derived from a stock's price or volume, that an investor can use to try to anticipate future price movements. Indicators are divided into two groups: trend following or lagging and momentum or leading. Lagging indicators tell you what prices are doing now, or in the recent past, so they are useful when stocks are trending. A moving average is an example of a lagging indicator. Leading indicators are designed to anticipate future price action and many come in the form of oscillators. RSI is an example of a momentum indicator. See ChartSchool article on Introduction to Technical Indicators and Oscillators.

 Industry: A grouping of companies in the same line of business. Industry groupings are more specific to the business than sector groupings. For example, the transportation sector includes airfreight, airline, trucking, railroad and shipping industry groups.

Initial Public Offering (IPO): The first offering of common stock to the public.

Inverted Hammer:  A one day bullish reversal pattern. In a downtrend, the open is lower, then it trades higher, but closes near its open, therefore looking like an inverted lollipop.

Limit Order: An order to buy or sell a security at a specific price. As opposed to a market order, limit orders might not be filled immediately if the market moves away from the specified price.

Line Chart: Price charts that connect the closing prices of a given market over a span of time that form a curving line on the chart. This type of chart is most useful with overlay or comparison charts that are commonly employed in intermarket analysis. It is also used for visual trend analysis of open end mutual funds.

Liquidity: The ease with which a stock may be bought or sold in volume on the marketplace without causing dramatic price fluctuations. A highly liquid stock is characterized by a large volume of trading and a large pool of interested buyers and sellers.

Long-Legged Doji: This candlestick has long upper and lower shadows with the Doji in the middle of the day's trading range, clearly reflecting the indecision of traders.

MACD (Moving Average Convergence/Divergence): An indicator developed by Gerald Appel that is calculated by subtracting the 26-period exponential moving average of a given security from its 12-period exponential moving average. By comparing moving averages, MACD displays trend following characteristics, and by plotting the difference of the moving averages as an oscillator, MACD displays momentum characteristics. See ChartSchool article on MACD.

MACD Histogram: A visual representation of the difference between the MACD line and the MACD signal line. The plot of this difference is presented as a histogram, making the centerline crossovers and divergences easily identifiable. See ChartSchool article on MACD histogram.

Market Capitalization: Also known as market cap, it is the total market value of a company (number of shares outstanding multiplied by the price of the stock). A company with 1 million shares outstanding and a stock price of $10 would have a market capitalization of $10 million.

Market Order: An order to buy or sell a security at the prevailing market price. Sometimes referred to as "at the market", these orders are usually filled immediately by the market maker. A sell order placed at the market will most likely be filled at the bid price and a buy order will be filled at the ask price.

Momentum: A leading indicator measuring a security's rate-of-change. The ongoing plot forms an oscillator that moves above and below 100. Bullish and bearish interpretations are found by looking for divergences, centerline crossovers and extreme readings.

Money Flow Index (MFI): A volume-weighted momentum indicator that measures the strength of money flowing in and out of a security. It compares "positive money flow" to "negative money flow" to create an indicator that can be compared to price in order to identify the strength or weakness of a trend. The MFI is measured on a 0 - 100 scale and is often calculated using a 14 day period. See ChartSchool article on Money Flow Index (MFI).

Morning Doji Star: A three day bullish reversal pattern that is very similar to the Morning Star. The first day is in a downtrend with a long black body. The next day opens lower with a Doji that has a small trading range. The last day closes above the midpoint of the first day.

Morning Star: A three day bullish reversal pattern consisting of three candlesticks - a long-bodied black candle extending the current downtrend, a short middle candle that gapped down on the open, and a long-bodied white candle that gapped up on the open and closed above the midpoint of the body of the first day.

Moving Average (MA): An average of data for a certain number of time periods. It "moves" because for each calculation, we use the latest x number of time periods' data. By definition, a moving average lags the market. An exponentially smoothed moving average (EMA) gives greater weight to the more recent data, in an attempt to reduce the lag. See ChartSchool article on Moving Averages.

Multicollinearity: Multicollinearity is a statistical term for a problem that is common in technical analysis. That is, when one unknowingly uses the same type of information more than once. One needs to be careful and not utilize technical indicators that reveal the same type of information. See ChartSchool article on Multicollinearity.

NASDAQ 100 Index ($NDX): The NASDAQ 100 Index ($NDX) tracks the 100 largest stocks listed by the Nasdaq Composite Index. It is the most widely traded Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) in the world, with 91 million shares moving each day. The NASDAQ 100 is often treated as an index of "tech stocks" simply because it's components are mostly new technology companies.

NASDAQ Composite Index ($COMPQ): The NASDAQ Composite Index ($COMPQ) is a market capitalization-weighted index of over 5000 stocks. Because it is weighted by market capitalization, large companies such as Microsoft, Intel, WorldCom, Sun Microsystems, Dell Computer and Oracle dominate the index. With such large portion of the index dominated by technology stocks, the NASDAQ Composite is more a barometer for the technology sector than the broader market. The name "NASDAQ" is derived from the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (System). For more information about the NASDAQ Composite, see the NASDAQ web site.

Net Asset Value (NAV): The dollar value of a single mutual fund share, based on the value of the underlying assets of the fund minus its liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding. Calculated at the end of each business day.

Net New Highs: Market breadth indicators that can be used to identify strength or weakness behind market moves. Net new highs are found by subtracting the number of new lows from the number of new highs and are usually calculated for the NYSE, Nasdaq and Amex.

New Highs and New Lows: New highs refers to the number of stocks recording their highest price level in 52-weeks. New lows are the number of stocks recording their lowest price level in 52-weeks. Lists of stocks making new highs and new lows are available for the NYSE, Nasdaq and Amex. As an indicator, new highs and new lows are usually shown as moving averages to smooth the results and are often plotted together for easy comparison.

NYSE Composite Index ($NYA): The NYSE Composite Index ($NYA) is an index that measures the market value of all common stocks listed on the NYSE adjusted to account for capitalization changes, new stocks added to the list, and stocks removed from the list. Over 200 years old, the New York Stock Exchange is one of the oldest continuously operating exchanges in the world. It is associated with large-cap, blue chip stocks and is often used as a surrogate for the market as whole.

On Balance Volume (OBV): One of the first and most popular indicators to measure positive and negative volume flow, the OBV was introduced by Joe Granville in 1963. The concept behind the indicator is that volume precedes price. OBV is a simple indicator that adds a period's volume when the close is up and subtracts the period's volume when the close is down. A cumulative total of the volume additions and subtractions forms the OBV line. This line can then be compared with the price chart of the underlying security to look for divergences or confirmation. See ChartSchool article on On Balance Volume (OBV).

Oscillator: An indicator that determines when a market is in an overbought or oversold condition. When the oscillator reaches an upper extreme, the market is overbought. When the oscillator line reaches a lower exteme, the market is oversold. See ChartSchool article on Oscillators.

Over The Counter (OTC): A securities market that is not geographically centralized like the trading floor of the NYSE. OTC securities are traded through a telephone and computer network.

Overbought: A technical condition that occurs when prices are considered too high and susceptible to a decline. Overbought conditions can be classified by analyzing the chart pattern or with indicators such as the Stochastic Oscillator and Relative Strength Index (RSI). A sharp advance from $15 to $30 in 2 weeks might lead a technician to believe that a security is overbought. Or, a security is sometimes considered overbought when the Stochastic Oscillator exceeds 80 and when the Relative Strength Index (RSI) exceeds 70. It is important to keep in mind that overbought is not necessarily the same as being bearish. It merely infers that the stock has risen too far too fast and might be due for a pullback.

Oversold: A technical condition that occurs when prices are considered too low and ripe for a rally. Oversold conditions can be classified by analyzing the chart pattern or with indicators such as the Stochastic Oscillator and Relative Strength Index (RSI). A sharp decline from 30 to 15 in 2 weeks might lead a technician to believe that a security is oversold. Or, a security is sometimes considered oversold when the Stochastic Oscillator is less than 20 and when the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is less than 30. It is important to keep in mind that oversold is not necessarily the same as being bullish. It merely infers that the security has fallen too far too fast and may be due for a reaction rally.

Paper Trade: A hypothetical trade that does not involve any monetary transactions. Paper trading is a risk-free way to learn the ropes of the market.

Parabolic SAR: An indicator that sets trailing price stops for long or short positions. Also referred to as the "stop-and-reversal indicator", Parabolic SAR is more popular for setting stops than for establishing direction or trend. If the trend is up, buy when the indicator moves below the price. If the trend is down, sell when the indicator moves above the price. See ChartSchool article on Parabolic SAR.

Pennant: A continuation chart pattern that is simliar to the flag, except that it is more horizontal and resembles a small symmetrical triangle. Like the flag, the pennant usually lasts from one to three weeks and is typically followed by a resumption of the prior trend. See ChartSchool article on Flag, Pennant (Continuation).

Penny Stock: A stock that usually sells for less than $1 per share, though the price may rise because of significant promotion. Penny stocks are very speculative and risky due to their lack of available information and poor liquidity.

Percent Investment Advisors Bullish: A measure of stock market bullish sentiment that is published weekly by Investor's Intelligence. When only 35% of professionals are bullish, the market is considered oversold. A reading of 55% is considered to be overbought.

Percentage Price Oscillator (PPO): An indicator based on the difference between two moving averages expressed as a percentage. The PPO is found by subtracting the longer moving average from the shorter moving average and then dividing the difference by the longer moving average. See ChartSchool article on Price Oscillators.

Percentage Volume Oscillator (PVO): The percentage difference between two moving averages of volume. The indicator is calculated with the following formula:

Piercing Line: A bullish two day reversal pattern. The first day, in a downtrend, is a long black day. The next day opens at a new low, then closes above the midpoint of the body of the first day.

Pivot Point: The point at which resistance disintegrates and the stock price begins to rise past the prior resistance level. This point can be considered the optimal time to buy as the bulls are gaining strength.

Point & Figure Chart: A type of chart consisting of columns of X's (showing price rises) and O's (showing price falls) arranged on a square grid. When the index increases, a rising column of black X's is created – a rally. When the index falls, a descending column of red O's appears – a decline. See ChartSchool article on Point & Figure Charts.

Point and Figure Buy Signal: P&F Buy and Sell signals are very simple patterns that should be confirmed before placing a trade. The P&F Buy signal is used when calculating the various Bullish Percent indices. When the last signal on the chart was a buy signal, that is, the last breakout was a column of Xs going higher than the previous column of Xs and no sell signal (no column of Os breaking below the previous column of Os) has happened since the buy signal.

PPO: See Percentage Price Oscillator.

Precious Metals Commodities Index ($GPX): The Precious Metals Commodities Index ($GPX) charted by StockCharts.com is published by Goldman Sachs (http://www.gs.com/gsci/). Gold, platinum, and silver are the listed metals.

Price By Volume: A horizontal histogram that overlays a price chart. The histogram bars stretch from left to right starting at the left side of the chart. The length of each bar is determined by the cumulative total of all volume bars for the periods during which the closing price fell within the vertical range of the histogram bar. See ChartSchool article on Price By Volume.

Price Channels: Similar to Bollinger Bands, price channels form boundries above and below the price line and can be used as indicators of volatility. Price channels are created by specifying a number of periods that will chart an n-period high or low around the price line. See ChartSchool article on Price Channels.

Price Momentum Oscillator (PMO): A proprietary indicator created by Carl Swenlin and featured on his website, DecisionPoint.com. This page has more information on the PMO. Note: StockCharts.com does not provide the PMO on its charts, however it is sometimes discussed in ChartWatchers articles.

Price Objective (P&F): Very simple calculations based on standard Point & Figure chart patterns. They are of questionable value but we include them on our charts because they have been used for such a long time. StockCharts.com makes no claim about their accuracy or usefulness whatsoever. For more on how they are calculated, see Point and Figure Price Objectives.

Price Oscillator (PO): An indicator based on the difference between two moving averages that is expressed as either a percentage or in absolute terms. The abbreviation PPO refers to the Percentage Price Oscillator, and APO refers to the Absolute Price Oscillator. See ChartSchool article on Price Oscillators.

Price Patterns: Patterns that appear on price charts possessing predictive values. Patterns are divided into reversal and continuation patterns. See ChartSchool articles on Chart Patterns.

Price Relative: A calculation that compares the performance of one security to another. It is often used to compare the performance of a particular stock to a market index, usually the S&P 500. See ChartSchool article on Price Relative.

Price/Earnings Ratio: The P/E ratio is figured by dividing the price of a stock by the company earnings per share. For example, a stock selling at $50, with earnings at $5 per share for the previous year, has a P/E ratio of 10 (50/5 = 10). This value is also called the multiple.

Proxy: A security or index whose correlation with another security or index is so strong that it is used as a substitute for the other. For example, General Electric has a very high correlation to the performance of the S&P 500. As GE goes, so goes the S&P 500. Therefore, GE can be used as a proxy for the S&P 500.

Range: The distance between the high price and the low price for a given time period. For example, the daily range is equal to the day's high minus the same day's low.

Rate-of-Change (percent): A momentum oscillator that measures the percent change in price from one period to the next. The plot forms an oscillator that fluctuates above and below the zero line as the rate-of-change moves from positive to negative. The oscillator can be used as any other momentum oscillator by looking for higher lows, lower highs, positive and negative divergences, and crosses above and below zero for signals. See ChartSchool article on Rate of Change and Momentum.

Relative Strength Index (RSI): A popular oscillator developed by Welles Wilder, Jr. and described in his self-published 1978 book "New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems". RSI is plotted on a vertical scale from 0 to 100. Values above 70 are considered overbought and values below 30, oversold. When prices are over 70 or below 30 and diverge from price action, a warning is given of a possible trend reversal. See ChartSchool article on Relative Strength Index.

Resistance: Resistance is a price level at which there is a large enough supply of a stock available to cause a halt in an upward trend and turn the trend down. Resistance levels indicate the price at which most investors feel that prices will move lower. See ChartSchool article on Support and Resistance.

Retracement: A decline that retraces a portion of a previous advance, or an advance that retraces a portion of a previous decline. Retracements typically cover 1/3 to 2/3 of the previous move, and a retracement of more than 2/3 typically signals a trend reversal.

Reversal - Inside Day: A two-period chart pattern that suggests a potential reversal or deceleration of the current trend. The relationship of the two periods has the follow characteristics:

Reversal - Outside Day: A two-period chart pattern that suggests a potential reversal or deceleration of the current trend. The relationship of the two periods has the follow characteristics:

Reversal Amount: In Point & Figure charts, the reversal amount is the number of boxes required to be retraced to cause a reversal, and thus, a move to the next column and opposite direction. When a smaller reversal amount is set for the same data, reversals will be more frequent, and longer-term price trends will be more difficult to identify. Increasing the reversal amount removes columns corresponding to less significant trends.

Reversal Pattern: A chart pattern that occurs before an existing trend reverses direction. For example, a Head and Shoulders reversal pattern marks a change in trend. A break below neckline support indicates that the H&S pattern is complete and the prior uptrend has reversed. For more reversal patterns, see the ChartSchool section on Chart Analysis.

Reversal Spike: Market turns that happen very quickly with little or no transition period. Spikes often occur when a market has become very overextended in one direction, when a sudden piece of adverse news causes a sudden reversal. Reversal spike highs (aka blowoffs) and lows (aka selling climaxes) can signal a reversal or deceleration of a trend, but unfortunately they are very difficult to forecast.

Reverse Stock Split: A stock split which reduces the number of outstanding shares and increases the per-share price proportionately.

Reward-to-Risk Ratio: A calculation equal to the potential reward divided by the potential risk of a position. A long position entered at 100 with potential reward estimated at 120 and potential risk of 90 would have a reward-to-risk ratio of 20:10, or 2 to 1. Generally, a higher reward-to-risk ratio is a more appealing trade. For a long position, potential reward might be based on breakout projections, resistance levels or retracement estimates. Potential risk might be based on support levels, stop or loss requirements.

Rising Three Methods: A bullish continuation pattern. A long white body is followed by three small body days, each fully contained within the range of the high and low of the first day. The fifth day closes at a new high.

Rising Wedge: A bearish pattern that begins wide at the bottom and contracts as prices move higher toward a support break. See ChartSchool article on Rising Wedge (Reversal).

Rounding Bottom: Also known as a saucer bottom, it is a reversal chart pattern representing a long consolidation period that turns from a bearish bias to a bullish bias. See ChartSchool article on Rounding Bottom (Reversal).

RSI: See Relative Strength Index.

Scan: A list of stocks, sorted and filtered according to criteria that vary with the scan. For example, Stockcharts.com currently publishes scans such as

Sector: A group of companies that generate revenue in similar ways, and tend to rise and fall with the economic cycle. Sectors are commonly broken down into smaller groups called industries. The sectors tracked by the Standard and Poors Index are Basic Industries, Financials, Technology, Industrials, Energy, Consumer Staples, Consumer Services, Utilities, and Transport/Cyclicals.

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): A federal agency created to regulate and monitor the securities industry. All U.S. companies with stock must abide by the SEC rules and regulations and are required to file quarterly status reports.

Sell Signal: A condition that indicates a good time to sell a stock. The exact circumstances of the signal will be determined by the indicator that an analyst is using. For example, it's often considered a sell signal when the RSI crosses down through the 50 level.

Selling Climax: See Reversal Spike.

Semi-Logarithmic (Percentage) Scaling: See Logarithmic Scaling.

Sentiment Indicators: Psychological indicators that attempt to measure the degree of bullishness or bearishness in a market. These are contrary indicators and are used in much the same fashion as overbought or oversold oscillators. Their greatest value is when they reach upper or lower extremes.

Shakeout: A situation where many scared investors exit their positions due to unfavorable news or uncertainty regarding the stock or industry. The dot-com bust was characterized by numerous shakeouts causing many to abandon their dot-com positions, often at great losses.

Shooting Star: A single day pattern that can appear in an uptrend. It opens higher, trades much higher, then closes near its open. It looks just like the Inverted Hammer except that it is bearish.

Short Selling: The process of selling a stock with the hope of buying it back at a lower price (sell high, buy low). Short sellers are bearish and believe the price will decline. Short selling involves borrowing stock (usually from the broker) to sell short and using margin to finance the borrowing. If the price of the stock in question advances too far, the short seller will receive a margin call and be required to put up more money. A short squeeze occurs when the price advances so fast that short sellers are forced to cover their positions (buy the stock back), which drives prices even higher.

Signal Line: Also known as a "trigger line", it is a moving average of another indicator that is used to generate simple buy and sell signals. Probably the most used signal line is the one that is built into the MACD Indicator display. The signal line is the exponential moving average of the MACD line. A buy signal is generated when the MACD line crosses above the signal line and a sell signal is generated when the MACD line crosses below the signal line.

Simple Average: A moving average that gives equal weight to each day's price data.

Size: The number of shares immediately available to buy (bid) or sell (ask). A bid of $54 with a size of 500 would indicate an order to buy 500 shares at $54. An ask of $55 with a size of 1000 would indicate an order to sell 1000 shares at $55.

Slope: The rise-over-run of an invisible line that is the "best fit" line through the previous n data points.

SPDR: Referred to as "spider", it stands for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipt. SPDRs have three letter symbols (e.g. SPY) and trade just like stocks on the AMEX. They offer a convenient means to buy and sell the S&P 500, S&P 400 and select S&P sectors. Three of the more popular SPDRs include:

Spinning Top: Candlestick lines that have small bodies with upper and lower shadows that exceed the length of the body. Spinning tops signal indecision.

Split: The division of a stock into multiple shares. In a 2-for-1 split, the stockholder's shares will double in quantity, though the value of each stock will be halved. A stock split is usually an attempt to make high stock prices seem more attractive to investors and generally occurs in the face of new highs.

Spread: The difference between the bid and the ask. Generally speaking, more liquid (heavy volume) stocks usually have smaller bid/ask spreads. Less liquid stocks (light volume) usually have larger spreads. See related: bid, ask and size.

Spring: A situation that occurs when prices break below support, but soon reverse course and move back above support. Prices are said to "spring" back from their support break and indicate that the bulls are still alive. A spring can also be referred to as a failed (bearish) signal and is considered bullish. Generally, the reversal should occur within 1-3 days of the support break for the failed signal to be considered valid. This is the opposite of an upthrust.

Standard Deviation (volatility): A statistical term that provides a good indication of volatility. It measures how widely values (closing prices for instance) are dispersed from the average. The larger the difference between the closing prices and the average price, the higher the standard deviation will be and the higher the volatility. The closer the closing prices are to the average price, the lower the standard deviation and the lower the volatility. See ChartSchool article on Standard Deviation (volatility).

Stochastic Oscillator: A momentum indicator developed by George Lane that measures the price of a security relative to the high/low range over a set period of time. The indicator oscillates between 0 and 100, with readings below 20 considered oversold and readings above 80 considered overbought. A 14-period Stochastic Oscillator reading of 30 would indicate that the current price was 30% above the lowest low of the last 14 days and 70% below the highest high. The Stochastic Oscillator can be used like any other oscillator by looking for overbought/oversold readings, positive/negative divergences and centerline crossovers. See ChartSchool article on Stochastic Oscillator.

StochRSI: An oscillator used to identify overbought and oversold readings in RSI. Because RSI can go for extended periods without becoming overbought (above 70) or oversold (below 30), StochRSI provides an alternative means to identify these extremities. StochRSI is found by applying the Stochastics formula to RSI readings – hence its name. As an indicator of RSI, it measures the value of RSI relative to its high/low range over a set number of periods. When RSI records a new low for the set period, StochRSI will be at 0. When RSI records a new high for the set period, StochRSI will be at 100. See ChartSchool article on StochRSI.

Stocks Above Their 200-day Moving Average: A market breadth indicator that represents the number of stocks in a given group that have closing prices that are currently above their 200-day simple moving average. Common techniques for using this indicator include locating overbought/oversold levels and finding positive or negative divergences between this indicator and the underlying group's composite index.

Stocks Above Their 50-day Moving Average: A market breadth indicator that represents the number of stocks in a given group that have closing prices that are currently above their 50-day simple moving average. Common techniques for using this indicator include locating overbought/oversold levels and finding positive or negative divergences between this indicator and the underlying group's composite index.

Stop Loss Order: An instruction to the broker to buy or sell stock when it trades beyond a specified price. They serve to either protect your profits or limit your losses.

Stop-And-Reversal Indicator: See Parabolic SAR.

Summation Index: A cumulative sum of all daily McClellan oscillator readings that provides longer range analysis of market breadth.

Support: A price level at which there is sufficient demand for a stock to cause a halt in an downward trend and turn the trend up. Support levels indicate the price at which most investors feel that prices will move higher. See ChartSchool article on Support and Resistance.

Swing Charting: A concept based on the use of a filter. Once prices have moved by the distance specified by this filter, a new line is drawn next to the previous one. In a nutshell, it is a chart that shows up and down price movement of a minimum size regardless of the time it takes. See our ChartSchool article on Swing Charting.

Symmetrical Triangle: A sideways chart pattern between two converging trendlines in which the upper trendline is declining and the lower trendline is rising. This pattern represents an even balance between buyers and sellers, although the prior trend is usually resumed. The breakout through either trendline signals the direction of the price trend. See ChartSchool article on Symmetrical Triangle (Continuation).

T-Bill: Also called Treasury Bills, they are short-term debt securities issued by the US government. Maturities are usually a year or less and typically run 13, 26 and 52 weeks. Trading in the secondary market, the price of T-Bills rises when interest rates fall and vice-versa.

Technical Analysis: The study of market action, usually with price charts, which includes volume and open interest patterns. Also called chart analysis, market analysis, and more recently, visual analysis. See ChartSchool article on Technical Analysis.

TED Spread: The difference between the three-month US Treasury rates and the three-month EuroDollar contract. Used to measure the strength of the credit markets.

Three Black Crows: A bearish reversal pattern consisting of three consecutive black bodies where each day closes near below the previous low, and opens within the body of the previous day.

Three White Soldiers: A bullish reversal pattern consisting of three consecutive white bodies, each with a higher close. Each should open within the previous body and the close should be near the high of the day.

TICK: Each individual move from one stock trade to another. An UP-TICK means the price moved up on the last trade and a DOWN-TICK means it moved down. If there is no change from the last trade, the TICK is considered neutral. The TICK statistic on the NYSE is the net of all UP-TICKs minus all DOWN-TICKs at a given point during the day. If 1000 stocks advanced on their last trade or TICK, 500 declined and 200 were unchanged, the TICK would be +500 (1000 minus 500 equals +500). The closing TICK is based on the last trade of the day. TICK statistics are available for the NYSE, Nasdaq and AMEX.

Top-Down Approach: An approach to market analysis used by both fundamental and technical analysts. It often begins with a more "macro" analysis of the overall market through major indices (S&P 500, Dow, NYSE etc.) before concentrating on the market at a more "micro" level. Strong and weak sectors of the market are analyzed before focusing on individual stocks within select groups.

Topping: A period where the stock or market is "catching its breath" after an advance, characterized by a flat trading range without any noticeable trend. It is common to see a topping period after a lengthy increase of the stock price. Topping may be a sign of distribution.

Trailing Stop: A stop-loss level set above or below the current price that adjusts as the price fluctuates. For a long position, a trailing stop would be set below the current price and would rise as the price advances. Should the price decline and reach the trailing stop, then a stop-loss would be triggered and the position closed. As long as the price remains above the trailing stop, the position is held. Indicators such as the Parabolic SAR or moving averages can be used to set trailing stops.

Treasury Bill: See T-Bill.

Trend: Refers to the direction of prices. Rising peaks and troughs constitute an uptrend; falling peaks and troughs constitute a downtrend. A trading range is characterized by horizontal peaks and troughs. Trends are generally classified into major (longer than a year), intermediate (one to six months), or minor (less than a month).

Trendlines: Straight lines drawn on a chart below reaction lows (in an uptrend) or above rally peaks (in a downtrend) that determine the steepness of the current trend. The breaking of a trendline usually signals a trend reversal. See ChartSchool article on Trendlines.

Triangles: Sideways price patterns in which prices fluctuate with converging trendlines. The three types of triangles are the symmetrical, the ascending, and the descending.

Trigger Line: See Signal Line.

TRIN: See Arms Index.

Triple Bottom: A price pattern with three equal lows followed by a breakout above resistance. See ChartSchool article on Triple Bottom (Reversal).

Triple Top: A price pattern with three prominent peaks, similar to the head and shoulders top, except that all three peaks occur at about the same level. See ChartSchool article on Triple Top (Reversal).

TRIX: A momentum indicator showing the percent rate-of-change of a triple exponentially smoothed moving average. Like other oscillators, TRIX oscillates around a zero line. Its triple exponential smoothing makes it an excellent filter of market noise and it functions well as a leading indicator of market trends. See ChartSchool article on TRIX

Typical Price: The typical price is the average of the high, low and close. Typical Price = (High + Low + Close)/3

Volatility: A measurement of change in price over a given period. It is usually expressed as a percentage and computed as the annualized standard deviation of the percentage change in daily price. The more volatile a stock or market, the more money an investor can gain (or lose!) in a short time.

Volatility (Implied): A key variable in most option pricing models, including the famous Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model. Other variables usually include: security price, strike price, risk-free rate of return and days to expiration. If all other variables are equal, the security with the highest volatility will have the highest option prices. Many Nasdaq and tech stocks (CSCO and AMGN ) have higher volatilities than NYSE and non-tech stocks (G and MRK ), and their options are also priced accordingly. One method of measuring volatility is by finding the standard deviation of the underlying security. However, the standard deviation cannot always explain the volatility that is implied by an option's price. Many times the price of an option will reflect more volatility than that measured by the standard deviation. This led to the notion of implied volatility, which is based on option prices. If the option price is known, then plugging in all variables and solving for volatility will yield the implied volatility.

Volatility Index ($VIX): The Market Volatility Index (VIX) measures the volatility of the market. A recent news story described it as "the options market's gauge of investor fear." Traders use VIX as a general inverse indicator of market volatility and sentiment. High numbers mean that there's excess bearishness, and low numbers indicate excess bullishness. The VIX is updated intraday by the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), using Standard & Poors 500 Index (SPX) bid/ask quotes. It was created in 1993. See ChartSchool article on Volatility Index.

Volume: The number of trades in a security over a period of time. On a chart, volume is usually represented as a histogram (vertical bars) below the price chart. The NYSE and Nasdaq measure volume differently. For every buyer, there is a seller: 100 shares bought = 100 shares sold. The NYSE would count this as one trade and as 100 shares of volume. However, the Nasdaq would count each side of the trade and as 200 shares volume

Washout Day: A selling climax or high volume decline that "washes out" all the sellers and paves the way for buyers to take over. This may also take the form of a high volume hammer after an extended decline.

Wedge: A reversal chart pattern characterized by two converging trendlines that connect at an apex. The wedge is slanted either downwards or upwards demonstrating bullish or bearish behavior respectively. See ChartSchool articles on Falling Wedge (Reversal) and Rising Wedge (Reversal).