From the Executive’s Desk
The primary objective of any successful Association is to ensure its membership receives value. The MTA is off to an excellent start in 2007 to providing that value. Over the course of the last month, the MTA has provided free seminars to its membership on the following topics:
- The value of the CMT designation in today’s market and the CMT accreditation process (both through a webinar led by Chris Ruspi, CFP, CMT and webcast NY Chapter meeting by David Keller, CMT).
- The MTA code of ethics by former MTA President Charles Comer, CMT
- Technology Tutorial – How to maximize this ongoing method of media transmission
In addition, through a combination of collaborative agreements with trade publishers, additional MTA purchases and ongoing donations from Members, we have considerably added to the depth and current nature of our library material. See some of the new additions in this publication or check in the library section of our MTA.org website. And, of course, we continue to provide local chapter meetings (with an increasing number on our website, our annual Journal and our monthly Newletters. In this publication you will see information from 3 MTA Presidents – Current President Phil Roth, CMT, Former President Ralph Acampora, CMT, and Former President Phil Erlanger, CMT.
Finally, we are in the process of planning for the May Annual Education Seminar, which will take place on May 18-19th in NYC. We are planning an Education Track and Advanced Lecture Track, a market forecast panel, etc. with some of the industry’s most notable speakers. Be on the lookout for information regarding this seminar and please join us. I am confident it will be a worthwhile event for all who attend.
Sincerely,
Tom Silveri
MTA Executive Director
What's Inside...
Philip B. Erlanger, CMT (Phil Erlanger Research Co. Inc.) “Market Seasonality Analysis Techniques”
by Brett Villaume, CMT, CAIAThe MTA was very privileged to have Philip Erlanger, CMT as a presenter at January’s MidWinter Retreat. Brett Villaume, CMT, the MTA’s Atlanta Chapter Chair, was able to provide us with a...
Thoughts On Volunteering
by Michael Kahn, CMTI had the honor of moderating a “walkabout” table at the recent MTA Mid-Winter Retreat in Miami Beach with the topic of “The MTA.” For those who do not know, the walkabout is a takeoff of the...
Meet the MTA Staff
Marie Penza joined the MTA as a Bookkeeper and Administrative Assistant in November of 2003. She is now the Administrative Coordinator for the CMT Program and Membership Services. Marie assists...
How They Do It (Part II
by Matthew Caruso, CFA, CMT & Phil Roth, CMTRecently, a member suggested that we feature interviews with successful technical analysis practitioners on how they apply technical analysis to make money in the real world. MTA member Matt Caruso,...
In Depth Part I: Ralph Acampora, CMT
by Molly Schilling & Ralph Acampora, CMTRalph J. Acampora, CMT, Managing Director and Director of Technical Research, Knight Equity Markets, L.P. Ralph J. Acampora is Knight’s Director of Technical Research. He joined Knight in 2005...
The MTA was very privileged to have Philip Erlanger, CMT as a presenter at January’s MidWinter Retreat. Brett Villaume, CMT, the MTA’s Atlanta Chapter Chair, was able to provide us with a synopsis of that presentation. Philip Erlanger, two-time past President of the MTA and renowned short-interest profiteer, revealed the details of his most recent work, “Trading Seasonality,” in a presentation given during the Mid-Winter Retreat. In his research, Phil emphasizes two mainstays of technical analysis with which I whole heartedly agree: prices are indicative of underlying influences which cannot be fully known and that a quantitative approach should be used to verify how effective an indicator works as a forecasting tool. In case you missed the presentation, here’s a recap. As an introduction, Phil stressed the idea that the presence of a strong seasonal pattern is only a “setup” condition – it is a necessary condition, but not sufficient evidence to
To view this content you must be an active member of the CMT Association.
Not a member? Join the CMT Association and unlock access to hundreds of hours of written and video technical analysis content, including the Journal of Technical Analysis and the Video Archives. Learn more about Membership here.
Contributor(s)

Brett Villaume, CMT, CAIA
Brett Villaume, CMT, CAIA, is Past President of the CMT Association, having served on the Board of Directors since from 2014 to 2023. Additionally, Brett is a Wealth Advisor at Dogpatch Capital, a registered investment advisor in San Francisco, CA. From 2015 to 2021, Brett...
I had the honor of moderating a “walkabout” table at the recent MTA Mid-Winter Retreat in Miami Beach with the topic of “The MTA.” For those who do not know, the walkabout is a takeoff of the Australian journey of discovery. At the seminar, attendees are guided from table to table to not only discuss various topics in technical analysis but to quickly meet dozens of colleagues in short order. Think of it as the MTA’s version of speed dating. One fact dawned on me as we pondered the things we liked about the MTA and the things we could do better. It was my own personal journey from Seminar Sponsor to Member to the Board of Directors. Along the way, I joined a few committees, ran the newsletter for four years and was part of numerous planning and management meetings. I was part of the marketing team that designed and purchased
To view this content you must be an active member of the CMT Association.
Not a member? Join the CMT Association and unlock access to hundreds of hours of written and video technical analysis content, including the Journal of Technical Analysis and the Video Archives. Learn more about Membership here.
Contributor(s)

Michael Kahn, CMT
Michael Kahn, who holds a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation, is a seasoned financial services strategist, analyst, columnist, educator and speaker. Michael has been working with charts and technical analysis since 1986. He is the author of three books on...
Marie Penza joined the MTA as a Bookkeeper and Administrative Assistant in November of 2003. She is now the Administrative Coordinator for the CMT Program and Membership Services. Marie assists candidates with the payment and scheduling of their exams and most importantly, helping them when they encounter problems when taking the CMT exam. Duties also include maintenance of the candidate’s records, posting their grades and monitoring their CMT Program deadlines. She also assists Brad Herndon, our Board Member, with the graders, arranges their accommodations and the delivery and retrieval of the exams. Once the exams have been graded she is the one who reviews the CMT 3 Exams for accuracy of points awarded and prepares the statistic spreadsheet. Besides assisting Brad Herndon with the CMT exams, Marie also assists in the coordinating of the CMT 3 Papers. Membership duties include the maintenance of member records, monthly e-mailing and postal mailing of
To view this content you must be an active member of the CMT Association.
Not a member? Join the CMT Association and unlock access to hundreds of hours of written and video technical analysis content, including the Journal of Technical Analysis and the Video Archives. Learn more about Membership here.
Recently, a member suggested that we feature interviews with successful technical analysis practitioners on how they apply technical analysis to make money in the real world. MTA member Matt Caruso, CMT interviewed MTA President Phil Roth, CMT, and we published Part I of that interview in the February issue of Technically Speaking. Below is the remainder of that interview. Matt Caruso: You have been in the business for along time. What do you feel you offer in particular as an analyst to your clients that other analysts, technical or fundamental, do not offer? Phil Roth: Well I guess my forte is that I follow many indicators; I follow more than one hundred and fifty, I counted them one time. I don’t have a mechanistic system, and I don’t have a favorite indicator, not from a long term stand point. In every cycle there are some indicators that work better than others. What
To view this content you must be an active member of the CMT Association.
Not a member? Join the CMT Association and unlock access to hundreds of hours of written and video technical analysis content, including the Journal of Technical Analysis and the Video Archives. Learn more about Membership here.
Contributor(s)

Matthew Caruso, CFA, CMT
Matthew Caruso is a respected figure in the financial arena, celebrated for his significant achievements and his dedication to advancing the field. Holding the esteemed titles of CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and CMT (Chartered Market Technician) charterholder, Matthew's...

Phil Roth, CMT
Philip J. Roth, who holds the Chartered Market Technician designation, was the Chief Technical Market Analyst at Miller Tabak + Co. from 2001 until April 2012. Phil was a Wall Street professional for 46 years, and has been in the industry for over half a century, having served...
Ralph J. Acampora, CMT, Managing Director and Director of Technical Research, Knight Equity Markets, L.P. Ralph J. Acampora is Knight’s Director of Technical Research. He joined Knight in 2005 after 15 years as Prudential Equity Group’s Director of Technical Analysis. Mr. Acampora is one of Wall Street’s most respected technical analysts and has been consistently ranked by Institutional Investor for more than 10 years. Prior to his employment at Prudential, Mr. Acampora worked from 1980 to 1990 at Kidder Peabody & Co. Before that, he was with Smith Barney, Harris, Upham & Co. from 1969 to 1980. His financial career began with Distributor’s Group, a mutual fund complex owned by US Life. He received his formal education at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York and St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York. He is the author of the book “The Fourth Mega Market: Now Through 2011” published by Hyperion in
To view this content you must be an active member of the CMT Association.
Not a member? Join the CMT Association and unlock access to hundreds of hours of written and video technical analysis content, including the Journal of Technical Analysis and the Video Archives. Learn more about Membership here.
Contributor(s)

Molly Schilling
Molly Schilling is an independent trader and freelance writer. Molly has been a member of the MTA since

Ralph Acampora, CMT
Ralph Acampora, CMT is a pioneer in the development of market analytics. He has a global reputation as a market historian and a technical analyst, providing unique insights on market timing and related investment strategy issues to a wide audience within the financial industry....
New Educational Content This Month
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September 13, 2023
Charting and Analysis in Today’s Equity Markets
Presenter(s): Anthony F. Esposito, CMT
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September 6, 2023
Market Trend Analysis
Presenter(s): Stephen W. Bigalow
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August 30, 2023
Two New Oscillators – Volume Zone and Price Zone
Presenter(s): David Steckler