Trend-Wave Trading Harnessing the Power of the Elliott Wave Principle with the Discipline of Trend Following
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Technical Analysis Trend-Wave Trading Harnessing the Power of the Elliott Wave Principle with the Discipline of Trend Following June 2011 Murray Gunn CFTe Head of Technical Analysis HSBC Bank plc +44 20 7991 6797 [email protected] View HSBC Global Research at: http://www.research.hsbc.com Issuer of report: HSBC Bank plc Disclosures and Disclaimer This report must be read with the disclosures and the analyst ABC certifications in the Disclosure appendix, and with the Disclaimer, which forms part of it Global Research1 The Elliott Wave Principle – A Basic Guide 1 Elliott Wave Principle A Fractal Design (5) Ralph Nelson Elliott (3) (B) Price action occurs in regular patterns Long 5 moves (or waves) in the direction of the primary Term 2 (4) 5 (A) trend 2 (1) 3 C 4 2 (C) 3 moves (or waves) when the price action is 1 A 4 correcting against the primary trend 5 1 3 B 1 4 (2) B 5 Repeat at every time frame or fractal Medium 3 Term 3 A 2 1 5 Mass human psychology is patterned C 1 4 5 B (5) Ratio analysis/natural mathematics (Phi, the golden 3 5 (B) 2 2 C ratio, 1.618, Leonardo Fibonacci) 1 4 A C 3 4 2 (3) 1 A 2 5 1 4 4 Elliott heavily influenced by Charles Dow Short B 3 B 1 Term 5 Wave Principle is the purest form of TA 3 A 2 (A) 3 (1) 5 The 1 C 5 4 (C) Full 3 B (4) Putting it all Cycle 1 A 2 together 2 4 C 2 (2) 2 Waves Are Self Similar in FORM… …but they do NOT have to be self similar in TIME or depth (AMPLITUDE) (5) Much more like REALITY 5 (3) 3 1 5 3 B 4 D 4 2 1 E (4) (1) 5 C 3 4 B 2 A 1 A 2 C 3 (2) Elliott’s Wave Principle is technical analysis Elliott heavily influenced by Charles Dow Empirical observations confirmed Dow’s Theory Refined Dow’s work into more detail Price and volume = pure technical analysis Edwards & Magee pattern recognition a derivative of Dow and Elliott 4 Dow Theory • Charles Dow’s editorials in his Wall Street Journal around 1900 • Analysis of price action of the market averages (Dow Industrials, Transports, Utilities) Distribution • Markets have 3 “movements” (value, primary and phase secondary movement). Concept of stock market “value” Source: istockphoto was important to Dow’s analysis. • Trends have 3 phases (accumulation, public participation, distribution) Participation phase Increasing Confirmed end of bull volume trend. Previous low point broken. No more higher lows. Accumulation • The stock market discounts all news • Stock market averages must confirm each other. If it’s a Primary bull phase market the Industrials must be making higher highs along with the Transports etc and vice versa. • Trends are confirmed by volume (an uptrend on declining volume is an unconfirmed uptrend) • Trends exist until definitive proof that they have ended (defined by a lower high and a lower low after an uptrend) 5 Distribution from strong Cycles Of Psychology hands to weak hands Mania, euphoria, complacency Relief, hope, Reference: Frost & Prechter “Elliott Wave Principle”, 1978 5 denial, lack of Bubble, speculation, Broad, breadth narrow breadth best destructive B “fundamentals” / 3 decline, news flow “fundamentals” / news flow 3 turn negative Strongest, broadest move, A “fundamentals” / news flow turn Shock, denial, positive 4 “buy the dips” mentality Consternation, impatience 1 C “Fundamentals” Despair, fear / news flow still negative 2 Denial, comfort that Despair, fear bear is back Accumulation by strong hands from weak hands 6 Elliott’s Wave Principle is technical analysis Head & Shoulders = Elliott A B C correction or truncated fifth Flags = Elliott flats Pennant = Elliott triangle Double tops / bottoms = Elliott flat or truncated fifth Rising / Falling Wedge = Elliott ending diagonal 7 The Elliott Wave Principle – A Basic Guide Rules & Guidelines Elliott’s empirical observations led to his conclusion that there were various rules and guidelines that wave formation held to. It is the existence of these rules that makes the Wave Principle relatively objective compared with other forms of market analysis. The rules must be respected. Guidelines point to tendencies. Three (of many) cardinal rules of Elliott’s Wave Principle are: Wave 2 Can Never Retrace More Than 100% Wave 3 Is Never The Shortest Wave Wave 4 Can Never End In The Price Of Wave 1. 5 5 Territory Of Wave 1. 11 3 3 3 3 1 4 1 1 1 4 4 2 2 4 2 2 2 Incorrect 2 Correct Incorrect Correct Incorrect Correct 2nd waves of a motive wave can be very deep but 3rd waves are usually the most powerful. They can be The end of the 4th wave must never overlap the end of wave 1. they cannot move beyond the start of wave 1. shorter than 1 or 5 but they must never be the shortest Note that if wave 4 is a flat or a triangle the first corrective of 1,3 and 5. waves could overlap wave 1 so long as the ending wave does not. Three (of many) guidelines of Elliott’s Wave Principle are: Alternation: Wave 4 Will Usually Be A Different When Wave 3 Is Extended, Waves 1 And 5 Will Wave 4 Usually Terminates Near The Corrective Pattern From Wave 2 Tend To Equality Or A Fibonacci Ratio Previous Wave 4 Of Lesser Degree 5 (3) 5 5 5 5 3 3 3 3 100% 161.8% 3 1 4 1 4 (1) 1 4 1 4 (4) 1 4 100% 100% 2 2 (2) 2 2 2 Zig Zag then Triangle Flat then Zig Zag When wave 3 is extended, wave 5 will tend to end when it equals A 4th wave will tend to finish in the price zone of wave 4 of the the size of wave 1 or a ratio such as 1.618 times the size of wave 1. just ended wave 3. 2nd waves tend to be zig zags and 4th waves tend to be triangles or flats. 8 The Elliott Wave Principle – A Basic Guide (5) (5) (9) 5 (3) 3 (7) Motive Waves 5 1 (3) Motive (or impulse) waves are the trending 3 (5) part of the cycle. These waves are relatively (8) 4 straightforward to identify due to their (3) dynamic, thrusting nature and volume 1 4 (4) 2 normally increases during wave three (1) (6) (4) (1) indicating a market where the participants (1) are motivated to participate. These 2 (4) examples show bull market motive waves. Bear market motive waves are simply the (2) reverse. (2) (2) Extensions Extension (Nine Wave) Ending Diagonal Extensions occur when one of the motive waves Quite rarely an extension will occur where Also known as a rising or falling wedge, the ending is prolonged and subdivides into amplified each subdivided wave is of roughly equal diagonal is a 5th wave that can subdivide into five waves. Frequently occurring in the wave 3 amplitude. This results in the entire motive overlapping waves of 3 waves each (zigzags). It is a position, normally only one wave within a motive wave looking like a nine wave move. sign of an exhausted trend. wave will be extended. (5) (5) (5) 5 (3) (5) 3 3 5 (3) (3) 1 (3) 1 4 2 (1) (1) (4) (4) 5 (4) 5 4 3 2 (1) 3 (4) (1) 1 1 4 4 (2) 2 (2) (2) 2 (2) Leading Diagonal Leading Diagonal Expanding Diagonal Truncated Fifth th Added to Ellliott’s original work after The leading diagonal can also subdivide into five A 5 wave that subdivides into fives waves of Sometimes the trend is so exhausted by the time th observations by Frost & Prechter, a diagonal overlapping waves of the normal 5 motive 3 three. The expanding nature of the price action the 5 wave comes that the wave does not even can also occur in the wave 1 position and corrective waves. Divergence between price and points to increasing volatility that can signal the move past the wave 3 top or bottom. It is a sign subdivides into five waves of three moves. oscillators are normal characteristics of diagonals. end of a trend. of a very tired market trend. 9 The Elliott Wave Principle – A Basic Guide (B) Corrective Waves (B) C (B) C 2 2 Elliott observed a number of ways that prices C B 2 A consolidate. Zig Zags and Flats have three wave B movements with the final wave C being an impulse A 2 A 4 4 or motive. The powerful nature of this C wave is a 4 1 1 1 B result of a crowd psychology panicking in either 4 A B B A closing shorts or bailing out of longs. It clears the 1 weak hands out of the market out so that the trend 3 3 C 3 can continue. Triangles on the other hand exhibit C 5 (A) 5 five wave movements. 3 (A) 5 (A) (C) (C) 5 ZigZag (5-3-5)(C) Flat (Regular) (3-3-5) Flat (Expanded) (3-3-5) A sharp correction consisting of two motive A sideways correction where wave (B) Also known as an Irregular Flat, this is a waves (A) and (C) separated by a corrective retraces close to 100% of wave (A) followed sideways correction where wave (B) wave (B). by a motive wave (C) sharp move. retraces more than 100% of wave (A) followed by a motive wave (C) sharp move.