Technical Indicators are the often squiggly lines found above, below and on-top-of the price information on a technical chart. Indicators that use the same scale as prices are typically plotted on top of the price bars and are therefore referred to as "Overlays."
This section describes the various kinds of technical indicators and overlays that are available here at StockCharts.com.
Moving Averages - Chart overlays that show the 'average' value over time. Both Simple Moving Averages (SMAs) and Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) are explained.
Bollinger Bands - A chart overlay that shows the upper and lower limits of 'normal' price movements based on the Standard Deviation of prices.
Keltner Channels - A chart overlay that shows upper and lower limits for price movements based on the Average True Range of prices.
Moving Average Envelopes - A chart overlay consisting of a channel formed from simple moving averages.
Parabolic SAR - A chart overlay that shows good 'trailing stop' (i.e., sell) points graphically.
Price Channels - A chart overlay that shows a channel made from the highest high and lowest low for a given period of time.
Volume by Price - A chart overlay with a horizontal histogram showing the amount of activity at various price levels.
ZigZag - A chart overlay that shows filtered price movements that are greater than a given percentage.
Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) - Combines price and volume to show how money may be flowing into or out of a stock. Alternative to Accumulation/Distribution Line.
Chaikin Oscillator - Combines price and volume to show how money may be flowing into or out of a stock. Based on Accumulation/Distribution Line.
Force Index - A simple price-and-volume oscillator.