These are lines, both up and down, that are formed by a stock?s price movement. In the simplest sense, trend lines are drawn between a stocks successive lows to find support, and successive highs to find resistance. The more times a stock?s price touches a trendline and holds, the better an indicator it is. Trend lines can be long term and short term, and, as noted, can be used to determine support and resistance. We often use trendlines to help determine when we should enter of exit trades. When we are in positions and following the trend, we do not like to see the stock break its trend for greater than one day. If a stock does that, it has changed its character, and the trendline is most likely no longer in force.
Archives
Trending Market
Price moves in a single direction and it usually closes on an extreme for the day.
Triple Witching
the third Friday of March, June, September and December is the day when index futures, index future options, and certain stock options all expire. Triple Witching Fridays are know for high volatility.
Underlying Interest
The specific security, commodity, index or financial instrument that an option or futures contract is traded.
Undervalued
A stock trading below its fair value.
Unlisted
A security not listed on a stock exchange, but traded on the over-the-counter market.
Upside Breakout
This occurs when a stock has consolidated, formed a base, or has been in a trading range, and then breaks above that level, surpassing resistance at the top of the range or base. Breakouts are suspect if they do not occur on high volume (compared to average daily volume). When playing a stock to buy on the upside breakout, we like to use a “buy stop” which calls for purchase when a stock rises above a certain price.
Uptick
A stock is said to be on an uptick when the last trade occurred at a higher price than the one before it.
Uptrend
Stock price is trending higher.
To Buy and To Sell
These are phrases used in placing orders to either buy or sell securities. If you are placing an order to purchase ten contracts of Dell October $40 calls at a limit of 4 5/8 for the day, you would tell your broker you were placing a day order for 10 contracts of Dell October $40 strike calls to buy at a limit of 4 5/8. This gives your broker all the information he or she needs to place the order.