Trading Insights

A head and shoulders chart pattern typically indicates a reversal at the end of an uptrend. It includes three peaks with troughs between them and can be followed by a significant breakdown. In this guide, we’ll highlight what traders need to know about head and...

If you've ever traded stocks, you've probably used a market maker. Market makers are the middlemen of the stock market, and in most cases, these are firms, individuals, and or large corporations that facilitate transactions. For example, if you wanted to buy shares...

Investors can hold onto long positions for years or even decades without running into problems. But most short positions are much shorter in duration – a few months to a few years at most. There are several practical limitations that limit how much time traders can...

Level 2 data is important for traders because it shows the full range of open orders for a stock, not just the current best bid and ask price. Using Level 2 data, you can identify potential trades before they become apparent on technical charts or get additional...

A Doji is a type of candlestick pattern that often indicates a coming price reversal. This pattern consists of a single candlestick with a nearly identical open and close. In this guide, we’ll explain what the doji candlestick is and how traders can interpret it. How...

Inflation can have a big impact on the stock market, leaving unprepared investors in for a bumpy ride. In this article, we’ll explain why inflation impacts the stock market and take a closer look at how the stock market has reacted to inflation in the past. What is...

An ascending triangle chart pattern is a bullish technical pattern that typically signals the continuation of an uptrend. They can signal a coming bullish breakout above an area of resistance after it has been tested several times. In this guide, we’ll explain what...

The ability to borrow stocks is essential for short selling. The process of borrowing a stock is distinct from the process of buying a stock and depends heavily on your brokerage. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how borrowing stocks works. Why Traders...

Most traders are aware of initial public offerings, but few fully understand secondary offerings. If you have been trading for awhile, you’ve likely seen their impact. It’s a typical sequence as shares in a stock spike up strong one day and then collapse in the...

Bear traps are price movements that can trick an unwary trader into losing money. They tempt short sellers to bet that the price of a stock will go down, when in reality it is going up. In this guide, we‘ll explain what bear traps are and how you can avoid getting...

When it comes to technical analysis, there are a number of patterns that traders watch for in order to identify potential trading opportunities. One such pattern is the bullish pennant pattern. In this guide, we will discuss what this pattern is, the psychology behind...

If you are an active stock trader, then you may have come across price action tools and indicators for technical analysis. From trading indicators and chart patterns to technical analysis theories, there are many strategies to choose from.  Candlestick patterns are...

The Short Sale Rule (SSR) is a rule imposed by the SEC that governs when stocks can be short sold. It’s designed to prevent short sellers from piling onto a down trending stock and causing the price to crater. The Short Sale Rule is very important for short sellers to...

Earnings reports provide important updates to investors about how a company is doing financially and what the company’s management expects the near future to look like. Earnings reports are often the catalyst for significant movements in a company’s stock price as...

A bull trap is a price movement that lures bullish investors into thinking that the price of a stock is about to rise. In reality, any upward movement is short-lived and quickly overtaken by bearish activity, causing traders who bought into the bull trap to lose...