Technically Speaking, January 2007

From the Editor’s Desk

We start the New Year with a new look for Technically Speaking. Tim Licitra has been working hard to make this newsletter more visually appealing, and in the coming months he’ll continue to lead this effort. If you have any suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact him. As you’ll read throughout this issue, the MTA is trying to actively engage all its members in the business of the Association. This theme is found in articles by Charlie Kirkpatrick, CMT about the MTA Educational Foundation, the letter from Executive Director Tom Silveri, and the short note from our newly appointed Volunteer Czar, Fred Meissner. CMT. I hope you’ll consider contacting Fred and getting more involved – we need your help.

Although we include a lot of MTA news, this month’s issue also presents some practical investment research and a brief article on trading psychology. Larry Connors from TradingMarkets.com recently completed some research on the best trading days of the month, and we are able to reprint that. This work could form the basis of a futures trading strategy or can help you time monthly mutual fund purchases. Without a doubt, it has applicability to all traders. Andy Ratkai, CFA, recently published an article reminding us to rely on our own work, and not to become overly invested in the opinions of others. It seems like a nice way to start trading this year, consciously resolving to ignore the talking heads on CNBC and in the press and doing our own work.

Finally, Dave Aronson, CMT, has written a book asking us to think about raising the bar in our research. Statistical significance would increase the credibility of technical research and should increase your trading profits, a true win-win outcome.

I conclude by quoting an old Wall Street adage, “May your best trade of last year be your worst trade of the New Year.”

Mike Carr, CMT
Editor, Technically Speaking

What's Inside...

From the Executive’s Desk

Happy New Year to everyone! 2007 will be an exciting year for the MTA, and the Headquarter staff is looking...

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Market Technicians Association Educational Foundation

Summary

The Market Technicians Association Educational Foundation formed as a nonprofit corporation in 1993. Its purpose is to encourage academia...

Read More

Meet the MTA Staff

Jeanne Farrelly has been with the Market Technicians Association (MTA) since August 2004....

Read More

The Fox, the Hedgehog, and the Economist

In a now famous 1953 essay on Russian author Leo Tolstoy, Isaiah Berlin resurrected the idea of dividing the world...

Read More

“Evidence-Based Technical Analysis” By David Aronson, CMT

In this thought-provoking work, David Aronson, CMT tests more than 6,400 technical analysis...

Read More

When Do Money Managers Like to Buy Stocks? Here’s the Answer...

Do money managers pile into the stocks at the end of the month in anticipation of 401k and savings money...

Read More

Market Technicians Association Technical Analysis Internship Program 2007 Applications Now Being Accepted

Currently, we are accepting applications for the next MTA Internship Program – tentatively scheduled for early 2007. The course of...

Read More

Internship Testimonial

Early in my career, I heard about the MTA’s internship program. I thought it could be the perfect launching point...

Read More

Volunteering for the MTA

The new Executive Director of the MTA, and the Board, have asked me to become a “Volunteer Czar” for the...

Read More

From the Executive’s Desk

Happy New Year to everyone! 2007 will be an exciting year for the MTA, and the Headquarter staff is looking forward to continuing to serve our Members and Affiliates with new and exciting improvements to service throughout this upcoming year.

Starting in January 2007, you will see an announcement each and every month in this Newsletter as to additions we will be making to our library. We are committed to staying current for you with new books/reference material which we will highlight on the “What’s Hot” list of reading material. Check each month on our website (library section) where we will highlight recent library additions.

In addition, we are re-introducing our Internship Program under the guidance of Fred G. Schutzman, CMT and Gregory F. Homayoon. We believe this program has huge benefits in Networking/Learning for professionals just starting out. Some, like our Board Member, Larry M. Berman, CTA, CFA, CMT, were interns at the start of their career, and I urge you to read about Larry’s experience in this issue.

This month, I also wanted to highlight the issue of “Volunteerism” and we have devoted a large portion of the newsletter to that topic. Every Association gains its strength through the active involvement of its Membership in the pursuit of the Associations’ goals. The MTA is no different. We are most fortunate to have, in my opinion, the world’s most talented cadre of intelligent market specialists – a position carefully nurtured for over 30 years. It would be a shame not to have those Members and Affiliates actively engaged in driving our mission and overall objectives. Who better to gain intelligence from if not this robust group of professionals?

With that objective in mind, we have put one of our very best, Past President, M. Frederick Meissner, Jr., CMT in charge of Volunteerism. His knowledge of the industry and the needs of our Association are unparalleled. He has agreed to assist us in ensuring that Volunteers are given the best opportunity to support the Association and match their skillset/desire to our needs. I urge you to write to Fred at Fred@mta.org if you are at all interested. I guarantee we will respond positively and he will be proactive in seeking a volunteer position that suits all.

Don’t forget that our Mid-Winter Retreat is scheduled for January 19th – 20th of this month. I hope to see you there but, if not, be on the lookout for material on our website that will highlight the events that have taken place at the Retreat.

Sincerely,
Tom Silveri
MTA Executive Director

Contributor(s)

Tom Silveri

Bio Coming

Market Technicians Association Educational Foundation

Summary

The Market Technicians Association Educational Foundation formed as a nonprofit corporation in 1993. Its purpose is to encourage academia and university students into the study and acceptance of technical analysis. It is funded by private donations and is operated by a Board of Directors, partially from the MTA Board and partially from professors who teach and are familiar with technical analysis.

Concept

The growth and acceptance of modern finance theory began in the 1960’s. It excluded technical analysis as unworthy of study or use. Indeed, Burton Malkiel (of A Random Walk Down Wall Street Fame) said that it “shared a pedestal with alchemy.” The theory of efficient markets and random prices precluded the usefulness of charts or any study of price behavior (as well as fundamental information), and as a result technical was not taught in any university finance department. That opinion is changing, however, as the efficient market hypotheses and belief in the random nature of stock prices has come under considerable criticism in the past ten years both from statisticians and from behaviorists.

Most of today’s investment portfolio managers received their MBA in the period when technical analysis was disregarded by the efficient market theories. The principal reason for their belief in efficient markets is that their finance education included nothing but those theories. It is the opinion of the Educational Foundation and the MTA that one way to reverse this strict emphasis on the old and dying investment theories is to educate academics and persuade them to accept and teach technical theory. Already, courses in behavioral finance have sprung up, and while behavioral finance has met considerable resistance from the founders of efficient market theories, the tide is beginning to change in favor of the reality we all know. If we can accept that human behavior is the source for most the technical indicators, then, hopefully, we can persuade these new believers to teach both behavior and technical analysis in investment classes.

The purpose of the Educational Foundation is to encourage universities to teach technical analysis in some form and to assist Professors who are interested in teaching the subject. Already, the Foundation knows of at least 40 universities that teach it in some form, either as a credit course or a section of an investment course. Many teachers are on the Board of the Foundation and teach in such schools as Fordham (Phil Roth, CMT, President of the MTA), Baruch, Rutgers and several  others (Bruce Kamich, CMT, MTA Board member), University of Richmond (John Earl, Professor), Fort Lewis College (Charlie Kirkpatrick, CMT, MTA Board member), Golden Gate University (Hank Pruden, MTA member and Professor), College of America (Michael Carr, CMT), and so on. In addition, the Foundation has emissaries at MIT (Mike Epstein, MTA member and past MTA President), and University of Texas (Julie Dahlquist, MTA member).

Endeavors

The Foundation attacks the problem of academic nonrecognition in many ways. First, it assists professors who express an interest in technical analysis. The Foundation has developed a basic course and lecture outline for them to use in developing their syllabi, guest lecturers for their classes, pamphlets on technical analysis, exams, reading lists, and advice from existing instructors. Second, members of the Foundation Board attend academic seminars and conferences, give speeches or papers at these meetings on technical analysis, and convene with finance faculty attending these meetings. Finally, in the future, the Foundation expects to develop, in conjunction with the MTA, DVD’s of lectures on important technical subjects, free seminars for students who are interested in technical analysis, to develop pressure on academics from below, and perhaps even a series of seminars for professors interested in teaching technical analysis.

Organization

The Foundation was first organized as a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation. The MTA had discussions with the Wharton School about establishing a professorship of technical analysis and was told it needed a certain amount of funds to do so. However, the MTA is a nonprofit 501(c)6 corporation that by its charter is not allowed to accept tax-deductible donations. It needed a tax-free charter to accept donations for the professorship and thus organized the Educational Foundation as a separate corporation able to do so. When the discussions with Wharton fell through, the Foundation had collected approximately $150,000 in donations and decided to pursue the present course of educating academia about technical analysis.

A Board of Directors, three of which must be Board members of the MTA, runs the Foundation and one must be the President of the MTA. Presently there are nine Board members. The Board meets periodically, and its fiscal year is the same as the MTA’s.

Because tax-deductible donations can be accepted, the Foundation became the owner of the MTA library when the pre-9/11 library was destroyed. Many members, publishers, and investment firms donated books to the library and received a tax credit from the Foundation. Presently, the Foundation is discussing with several universities the possibility of relocating the library to better protect, preserve, and administer the requests from MTA members for books. It does not intend to relinquish ownership of the books, and any agreement will provide preference for MTA members.

The Educational Foundation is located at MIT near the offices of Professor Andrew Lo (PO Box, 425127, Cambridge, MA, 02142). Mike Epstein is the President of the Board, Julie Dahlquist is the Secretary, and Svetlana Sussman (ssussman@mit.edu) from MIT is the administrator of the Foundation. www.mtaeducationalfoundation.org is the website.

Conclusion

The goal of the Educational Foundation is a long-term one. It is to encourage the teaching of technical analysis at universities with the intended consequence that more investment managers, private investors, and traders become knowledgeable and skilled in technical aspects of the trading markets. Hopefully, these students will also become members of the MTA.

Plea 

Anyone interested in helping the Educational Foundation, please let me know. We need money, of course, but also guest speakers at universities, assistance in such mundane projects as website monitoring, and especially information about universities. Would the university that you either graduated from or that is located nearby be interested in teaching a technical analysis course or having a lecture on technical analysis? If you do not wish to teach a course yourself, the Foundation may be able to find someone who will. One of the best experiences of my life has been the opening of students’ minds to the realities of the marketplace through technical analysis.

Contributor(s)

Charles D. Kirkpatrick

Charles Kirkpatrick, who holds the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation, is the president of Kirkpatrick & Company, Inc., and has been a featured speaker before such professional organizations as the New York Society of Security Analysts, Financial Analysts Federation, CMT Association, the...

Meet the MTA Staff

Jeanne Farrelly has been with the Market Technicians Association (MTA) since August 2004. She is the Web Presence Manager overseeing the functionality of the internal and external website. The internal website is a web based Association Management Software system which in includes modules where membership services such as customer relations, membership, committees, events, inventory, accounting, advertising, e-marketing, and certification are managed. Also included in the AMS package is the content management system module where the MTA’s external website (www.mta.org) is created and administered. The MTA is currently engaged in redesigning it’s website to improve information retrieval and personal user management. We encourage membership comments and suggestions on how to improve your user experience.

Jeanne also manages all webcast events such as the New York Region monthly meetings, MTA Seminars and special events, and the CMTi (CMT Institute). The use of this form of technology supports active communication and education of the MTA’s internationally membership base.

Additionally functioning as the MTA’s amateur in-house techie, she assists in computer software/hardware support issues where ever possible.

By trade, Jeanne worked in the Custom Commercial Printing Industry for a number of years. While raising her two sons, now 21 and 18, as a single parent, she went back to school and graduated in 1998 with an Associate’s in Graphic Design and further received a Bachelors in 2001 in Electronic Filmmaking and Digital Video Design, she worked for a multi-media company, creating html pages and promotional video productions. She continues her education by taking college level classes to augment her career and keep abreast of current technologies.

Feel free to contact her by e-mail at Jeanne@mta.org for any questions regarding www.mta.org and webcast events.

Contributor(s)

The Fox, the Hedgehog, and the Economist

In a now famous 1953 essay on Russian author Leo Tolstoy, Isaiah Berlin resurrected the idea of dividing the world into people who were more like foxes, and those who thought like hedgehogs. Originally found in Greek poetry, the hedgehog “concept” essentially said that the wily fox knows many things; the lowly hedgehog “knows one big thing.” Scholars have differed about the correct interpretation of these dark words, which may mean no more than that the fox, for all his cunning, is defeated by the hedgehog’s one defense.

Meet Your New Investment Analyst

Berlin expanded on this concept to figuratively include the world of writers (his main topic) and maybe humans in general. There exists a great chasm, he wrote “between those, on one side, who relate everything to a single central vision, one system less or more coherent or articulate, in terms of which they understand, think and feel – a single, universal, organizing principle” and others on the other side, those who pursue many ends, often unrelated and even contradictory.” The first view of the world is that of the hedgehog; the second, in all its complexity and confusion, represents the world of the fox.

Wall Street’s Foxes

The myriad economists that inhabit Wall Street are a lot like foxes. They pore over reams of data that pour in from government and private agencies. They analyze, they slice, they dice, and they correlate. They play an endless game of connect the dots in order to relate the past to the present, and weave the complex elements of the modern economy into a single forecast. Worst of all, they try to make predictions.

Unsurprisingly, they are often wrong. A correct prediction is often hailed as a rare event by the Wall Street Journal, and the lucky economist gets to wear the mantle of “guru of the day” until his or her next prediction (which is now required) comes to naught, and a new guru is crowned.

This past autumn, Colorado’s grande dame of economists, Tucker Hart Adams, made newspaper headlines by predicting the U.S. will be in a recession within a year, putting the odds of occurrence at three-in-four. She set a timeline for the downturn to start as the second half of 2007, attributing slower job growth and a stalled housing market as the catalysts. “This year, I am saying there are problems and giving you a date. We will have a negative quarter before the year [2007] is over,” she proclaimed to a business conference in Denver.

Well, foxes will be foxes no matter how many times their predictions go awry. The important question for investors is this: “So what?”

The One Big Thing

The stock market clearly outfoxed the learned majority on Wall Street this summer. Rather than nosedive on fears of a housing market collapse, the Iraq war, and inflation, stock markets rose through the summer and fall. Not even the Republican loss of their majorities in the U.S. House and Senate could shake stocks. By overanalyzing the potential “bad” events that could occur, many professionals were caught on the sidelines as the market rallied. So much for relying on the past as a guide to the future.

The one big idea is this: It’s What You Own That Counts. Good stocks (and mutual funds) will always help you, good market or bad. Poor stocks, on the other hand, will always hurt you, no matter what the market, economic, or political environment. Many will say this is simple to the point of being overly simplistic, but the truth remains. Predicting the market is not nearly as important as participating in the market.

One of the best tools for gauging whether you are participating in the market is “relative strength,” a measure of the relative performance between a stock (mutual fund) and the market (typically the S&P 500 is used). Relative strength is a directional tool; there is no magic number that indicates a “good” or “poor” value. A rising relative strength trend line indicates a stock is performing better than the market, while a falling line indicates an under performing stock.

The bell shaped curve of a “normal” distribution is a familiar sight. In investing terms, the market index is at the center, representing the average. Below-average performers will lie to the left of the market, while above-average performers are on the right side of the curve. Relative strength, simply put, makes it clear which side of the curve your stock lays. Rather than try to guess where the average will end up, doesn’t it make more sense to know where your portfolio is in the relative strength continuum?

Consider the example of two cars driving down the highway. The “market car” is a Volkswagen Beetle, and the “hot stock” car is a racy red BMW. Let’s say the market car is going 55 mph and the hot stock is going 85 mph. This is the speed in absolute terms, and can be likened to the dollar price movement of a stock. But in relative terms, the market car is going zero mph, and the hot car is going 30 mph. The hot car is on the right hand side of the curve; this relative difference is what relative strength analysis tries to capture. This would be plotted as a rising trend line.

If smoke suddenly trailed from the hot car and it slowed to 75 mph, then 65 mph, then 55 mph, it would have lost all it’s relative strength, and would now be equal to the market car in relative strength. As the hot car fell to 45 mph, the relative advantage shifts to the market car, and it moves to the below-average, left hand side of the curve.

Of course, we all know that speeding down the highway does us little good on a cross-town trip, as we only gain a few minutes, at best. But investing over a lifetime is more akin to a cross-country trip, from Los Angeles to New York. On that scale, the relative advantage of speed may add up to an entire day saved. Moreover, each year of investing can be viewed as an iteration of that nationwide trek, and the cumulative benefits of relative strength can provide an enormous advantage in material wealth, and the peace of mind that comes with following a simple discipline.

Like the fox (and the economist) we can expend a great deal of energy, time and worry analyzing an endless stream of always–changing (and often contradictory) data while trying to form a prediction of the future. Or, we can be more hedgehog-like and take comfort in a single simple concept that has stood the test of time: It’s What You Own That Counts.

Andre Ratkai, CFA
President
Praxis Advisory Group, Inc.

Contributor(s)

Andre Ratkai, CFA

Andre Ratkai, CFA is President and Chief Investment Officer of Praxis Advisory Group, Inc., an independent investment advisor providing portfolio management and asset allocation services for stock, bond, and mutual fund investors. Mr. Ratkai provides the investment management and research and is...

“Evidence-Based Technical Analysis” By David Aronson, CMT

In this thought-provoking work, David Aronson, CMT tests more than 6,400 technical analysis rules and finds that none of them offer statistically significant returns when applied to trading the S&P 500. This result, presented at the end of his work, is not disappointing to dedicated students of technical analysis who draw from the book not a new trading technique but instead take away a new, and more effective, approach to system development and trading. Those seeking the single best indicator or day trading pattern will be disappointed after reading Evidence-Based Technical Analysis, just as they will be disappointed in their trading until they advance beyond seeking the Holy Grail of Trading.

Most books and articles about technical analysis focus on applying a specific technique in pursuit of success in the markets. This one is different in that it outlines an entirely new process of thinking, and through the application of this new thought process, success can be attained. Part I of Evidence-Based Technical Analysis is called, “Methodological, Psychological, Philosophical, and Statistical Foundations” and Aronson uses this title as an outline to define the processes which should underlie system development.

The scientific method changed the world, and made the advances of modern society possible. Until now, technical analysis has been considered more of an art than a science to many practitioners and escaped the scrutiny of the scientific method. With recent advances in computing power and analysis software, it is now possible for virtually anyone to search through years of data and identify seemingly profitable trading rules. Aronson presents the scientific method, combined with the philosophy of science as explained by Karl Popper, as an antidote to this very real danger.

Well designed experiments in any scientific inquiry are based upon a verifiable hypothesis grounded in detailed observations. Popper contributed the concept of falsification to this framework, which readily lends itself to mechanical trading system design. As Aronson writes, “Popper’s central contention was that a scientific inquiry was unable to prove a hypothesis to be true. Rather, science was limited to identifying which hypotheses were false.”

In technical analysis, we can never prove that if the NYSE Advance-Decline Line reaches a new high, the Dow Jones Industrial Average will always be higher thirty days later. But, we can test this hypothesis to see if it is not true. This simple example illustrates the beginning of Aronson’s scientific approach to the markets.

Many of the dangers of data mining and curve fitting are grounded in psychology, and Aronson thoroughly explains many of the common problems that can contribute to inaccurate observations. Carefully studying his sections on logic and psychology should lead to better market observations, which should lead to profitable systems.

The chapters on statistical analysis are worth more than the price of the book in itself. Aronson presents a clear primer on statistics, and leaves the reader with all they need to understand how to design a statistically valid experiment. In what may very well be a publishing first, he presents clear, detailed and understandable descriptions of bootstrap and Monte Carlo randomization methods. Note: Readers can obtain a comprehensive paper on Monte Carlo Permutation Methods applied to trading system evaluation at Aronson’s web site (http://www.evidencebasedta.com/index.html).

This book is well-researched and presents actionable ideas to advance the study of technical analysis. Although none of the rules Aronson tested proved to be statistically significant, he helpfully devotes a section to explaining the limitations of his test results. Armed with this information and the knowledge provided in the rest of the book, the thoughtful analyst can develop better insights into the market and perform better backtests to identify profitable strategies.

Published by Wiley Trading, $95.00, 528 pages

Contributor(s)

Michael Carr, CMT

Mike Carr, who holds a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation, is a full-time trader and contributing editor for Banyan Hill Publishing, a leading investment newsletter service. He is an instructor at the New York Institute of Finance and a contributor to various additional...

David Aronson, CMT

David Aronson, CMT, is an adjunct professor of finance at Baruch College, City University of New York, where he teaches a graduate level course in quantitative market analysis and data mining. He is a Chartered Market Technician and has been involved in...

Market Technicians Association Technical Analysis Internship Program 2007 Applications Now Being Accepted

Currently, we are accepting applications for the next MTA Internship Program – tentatively scheduled for early 2007. The course of study will include Stocks, Bonds, Futures and Options; and will cover Traditional Charting, Point & Figure, Intermarket Analysis, Elliott Wave, Candlesticks and more. Tours of the NYSE (Stocks) and NYBOT (Commodities) will finalize this 2-week program.

The Internship Program is open to all MTA Members and Affiliates in good standing, who meet the following requirements.

  1. Have passed Level One (1) of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) Exam or can demonstrate the equivalent knowledge.
  2. Must spend 2 weeks visiting or commuting to their internship at their own expense.
  3. Intend to pursue technical analysis as a vocation.
  4. Agree to write a brief report for the MTA Board of Directors and a short article for the MTA Newsletter regarding their experiences.

Applicants will provide a resume and short cover letter explaining why they should be selected. The application deadline is December 29, 2006.

Gregory F. Homayoon 
Internship Program
c/o The Market Technicians Association, Inc.
74 Main Street, 3rd Floor
Woodbridge, NJ 07095

Contributor(s)

Internship Testimonial

Early in my career, I heard about the MTA’s internship program. I thought it could be the perfect launching point to my development as a professional technical analyst–as it turned out, it was one of the best forecasts I have ever made. I was initially promised a job at PaineWebber working with Jeffrey S. Weiss, CMT. Jeff is clearly one of the more colorful technical analysts on the Street and I was very excited about the opportunity. I recall the story like it was yesterday. I had taken leave from my job as a part-time junior technical analyst and full-time financial systems analyst. The part-time role was never really my job at the time, though I spent every free moment I had with the company’s Chief Technician, Keith Edwards. Keith is another colorful technician who was never afraid to tell the Chief Economist exactly what he thought at the morning meeting. Keith introduced me to the Canadian Society of Technical Analysts a few years earlier and I quickly signed up to edit the newsletter as a director of the group. The CSTA is a sister society of the MTA in Canada. I had just passed the first level of the CMT the previous year and was studying to write the CMT 2 in the spring of ’94. I had paid close attention to the MTA newsletter, Technically Speaking, for the past few years to clip any interesting ideas for the CSTA’s newsletter I edited. This is where I first found out about the MTA’s Internship Program.

I had met Dr. Alex Elder, the famous author and trading psychologist. He just published Trading for a Living, which stands today as one of the best books I ever read. Dr. Elder was looking for someone to code some TradeStation indicators he wrote about in the book, and I was up for the challenge. I did the work for free and Dr. Elder wrote a letter to the MTA as to why I would be an ideal candidate for the program. I remember the day when Fred Schutzman, CMT called and told me the committee selected my application.

I was going to New York in the Summer of 1994 to spend time learning from the best minds in the business. I was particularly excited about meeting my (now) good friend Ralph Acampora, CMT. I knew Ralph from his Wall Street Week fame and as frequent financial media personality. I could not wait to tell him that he lost me money on an options trade a few years earlier. I had been playing with technical indicators for a few years and developed something I called the Brandon Line, after my son Brandon Lyon. It was a tool I used to time OEX options. I’d basically look for deep oversold signals and backup the truck on some deep out of the money calls. It actually worked great for a while. One day Ralph had made a call across the news wires saying he was a bit nervous about the market rally getting overbought. Those of you who know Ralph, and see his smiling mug in the financial media, probably know that he is a Wall Street Bull. The way I figured it, Ralph knew way more than I did so I exited my long OEX position. I made a bit of money on the trade, 30% I recall, but left another 100% on the table. I spent a few days with Ralph during the internship in 1994 and told him that he cost me money. His answer was “You dummy, what are you listening to me for. Do your own thing and stick with it.” A life lesson I will never forget. We have been good friends sharing seats on both the IFTA and MTA Boards over the past decade.

The highlight of the internship had to be the 2 weeks with Alan Shaw, CMT. I mean really, I was getting to pick the brain of a legend in the business not to mention his talented staff like Louise Yamada, CMT and bond technical guru Ronald Daino, CMT. Alan taught me many life lessons on how to be successful in the business of TA and that lesson was keep it simple. Alan would host a quarterly meeting of Portfolio Managers, many of whom would become my clients a decade later. Alan put up a chart on the screen and covered the name. “The trend is bullish and momentum is strong he said. The group has strong leadership characteristics.” He had the buy tickets in the door after lunch. Keep it simple, what we do as technicians is often seen as a weak form of market analysis. I mean really, ABC, 123, head and shoulders, Jupiter aligns with Mars (ha!). Trend, momentum, relative performance. These are the building blocks of our language, the lesson has served me very well.

I spent the better part of a month with many other top practitioners and I’m proud to say we are good friends and colleagues now. Thanks MTA, you were there for me and now, as Vice-President, I am there for you. I encourage all CMT candidates to consider making applications for the MTA’s Internship Program. it is an invaluable part of my resume and has clearly been a value added to launching my career as a professional technical analyst.

Respectfully,
Larry M. Berman, CTA, CFA, CMT

Contributor(s)

Larry M. Berman, CMT, CTA, CFA

Larry M. Berman appears weekly on BNN’s Berman’s Call where he blends fundamentals with expert technical analysis to help Bloomberg viewers uncover opportunities in the marketplace. He is a Co-Founder of ETF Capital Management and The Independent Investor Institute — an organization...

Volunteering for the MTA

The new Executive Director of the MTA, and the Board, have asked me to become a “Volunteer Czar” for the membership, which would entail assisting Members and Affiliates who wish to volunteer to serve the Association.

I think this is a great idea and to put this in perspective I will give a little history. I have been involved in the MTA, in one way or another, since 1986, but really became involved in 1989 with the formation of the Atlanta Chapter of the MTA. My first committee was the Admissions Committee where I served with current Board Member Julia E. Bussie, CMT. I continued to serve as Regions Chair for several years, and my last job with the association was as President. Overall, my experience in working with the MTA has been one of the high points of my career, a big help to me professionally, and the contacts I developed have enriched my life. I would enjoy seeing others have similar experiences in their careers and life.

I was first asked to volunteer by an “old timer”, and that person mentored me through various committees. Otherwise, my volunteering could have been less successful. This has led to the idea of a “Volunteer Czar”, or really a Volunteer Coordinator. Over the years, the board has called for volunteers. However, the follow-up for the people that answered the call has been less than organized. What was done previously was committee heads were simply “assigned” volunteers as they came in. Many committee heads simply did not call all of the people due to time constraints or whatever. My goal is to coordinate with the committee heads, many of whom I know, and attempt to match up volunteers with the heads personally. I will also, of course, coordinate with the MTA staff and Executive Director Tom Silveri. For those of you who know me, Tom will certainly help to keep me organized!

To start the ball rolling, I have had an e-mail set up for me to receive indications of interest from the membership. E-mail me at Fred@MTA.org and let me know what committees you have interest in. We have special need for volunteers in Education, Seminars, Internship, Newsletter, Chapters/Regions, etc. Committee Chairs should also feel free to e-mail me with requests for people, and I will do what I can to match people up as they come in.

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year!

Contributor(s)

Fred Meissner, CMT

Fred Meissner, who holds a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation, is the founder and President of The FRED Report. His professional career spans 34 years in the investment business. Fred has a multifaceted background encompassing market analysis, trading strategies/portfolio management and business...