OBV - On-Balance Volume
24 August 2009 @ 07:30 pm EDT
Chartists employ a two-dimensional approach to market analysis that includes a study of price and volume. Of the two, price is the more important. However, volume provides important secondary confirmation of the price action on the chart and often gives advance warning of an impending shift in trend. Volume is the number of units traded during a given time period, which is usually a day. It is the number of common stock shares traded each day in the stock market. Volume can also be monitored on a weekly basis for longer-range analysis. When used in conjunction with the price action, volume tells us something about the strength or weakness of the current price trend. Volume measures the pressure behind a given price move. As a rule, heavier volume (marked by larger vertical bars at the bottom of the chart) should be present in the direction of the prevailing price trend. During an uptrend, heavier volume should be seen during rallies, with lighter volume (smaller volume bars) during downside corrections. In downtrends, the heavier volume should occur on price selloffs. Bear market bounces should take place on a lighter volume.
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