Introduction
Many newcomers and novice traders believe that the market moves in a random direction. They think it is all about the fundamental factors that keep the market going. In reality, the market does move based on fundamental factors, but it doesn’t imply that the prices move in random directions. The prices on the charts move in a specific direction as they are nothing but the past transactions of the big institutional players.
Charts tell a lot about the market environment. It clearly determines who is in control of the market – the buyer or the sellers. Based on this, there are three states of the market:
- Trend
- Range
- Channel
Broadly speaking, in any market, be it Stock, commodity, currency, or cryptocurrency, the prices move only these three states. Let us understand each of them.
Of course, there are several types of chart patterns, but they all fall in one of the types on a bigger picture. All technical traders must have an understanding of the market environment. Whatever be the strategy, it will work applied in the right state of the market. Also, every type of market has its own concepts to trade.
Trend
The most evident type of market is a trending market. At the same time, it is one of the most confusing states to understand. A trending market is a type where the prices make Higher High & Higher Low sequences or Lower Low & Lower High sequences. In other words, in a trending market, the prices make a Higher High / Lower Low, retrace to the Support & Resistance, and continue with the same pattern.
A trending market is a type that can be found in any type of market. That is, even in ranges and channels, trends can be spotted (in a miniature picture).
Based on the direction of the market, we can divide trends into two types –
Uptrend (Bullish) – A market that faces upwards is an uptrend. The price makes Higher Highs and Higher Lows. It is a market where the buyers (bulls) are in control of the market. Note that a Higher High alone cannot be regarded as an uptrend.
Downtrend (Bearish) – A market whose trajectory is downwards is referred to as a downtrend. The price moves by making Lower Lows and Lower Highs. In this market, the sellers (bears) dominate the market.
Range
A ranging market is a type where the price does not create Higher Highs of Lower Lows. Thus, it moves sideways. There is a certain price shoots up and a price where it drops. It moves within these two prices. In this market, both buyers and sellers are strong. For example, if we say the market is ranging between 0.1200 and 0.2400, it means that the buyers are pushing up the market to 0.2400 from 0.1200, while the sellers are hitting it right back down to 0.1200.
Channel
A channel is basically a tilted channel. In other sense, a channel is a trend that is quite weak. In a channel, the price does try to make a Higher Highs or Lower Lows but retraces deeply before going for the next set. In a trend, the market respects the Support & Resistance, but the channel does not.
We hope you were able to get a gist on the states of the market. In the coming article, we shall elaborate on each of the types and understand how to trade them. [wp_quiz id=”81457″]
