When analysing financial markets many traders arbitrarily consider the benefits of fundamental analysis versus technical analysis. It is not unusual to find a technical analyst who will never look at the fundamentals behind a stock, and a fundamental analyst that believes technical analysis is worthless.
Ever heard of the saying "at the helm of every shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean is a chart room"?
Fundamental analysis
Fundamental analysis is the research and examination of a corporation's financial statements and balance sheets to predict the future price movements of their securities. Among other indicators, fundamental analysts study past records of assets, earnings, sales, products, management and markets to predict future trends.
Many research houses including those used by your full-service or discount brokers use fundamental analysis to determine buy/sell/hold recommendations on a myriad of stocks in the Australian market. These recommendations can often form the basis of whether we buy a new stock or exit an existing holding.
Technical analysis
Technical analysis is a method of evaluating investments by analysing technical market data, such as charts of price, volume, and open interest. Unlike fundamental analysis, the intrinsic value of an investment is not considered.
Technical analysts will use an endless range of charts from line to bar through to more exotic types in candlesticks. Their key aim is to look at price patterns and trends in financial markets to identify a recurring level or a clear change in price action, to position and predict future share price movements.
Two of these key patterns/trends are support and resistance levels. These levels are determined by a history of buying or selling activity that has been strong enough to interrupt a down or an up trend, therefore identifying a level that, once broken, signals a technical buy or technical sell opportunity.
Combing technical and fundamental analysis
By firstly using fundamental analysis to identify potential stocks that offer a buying opportunity, then using technical analysis to identify an entry point via a technical buy, traders may be able to earn that extra few percentage points in return.