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Technical analysis is the process of paying attention to various stock movements to make smarter trade decisions when it comes to the stock market. Making these financially sound decisions comes down to paying attention to the price in a stock market investment, and the supply and demand of what is being traded is almost wholly dependent on technical analysis. There are many different kinds of charts that are used when it comes to technical analysis, but the four most common types that an investor should learn to read are bar charts, line charts, candlestick charts and point and figure charts.
What are the Best Technical Analysis Books to read?
With this technical analysis book buying guide, you can learn the ins and outs of technical analysis to help you make the wisest investment decisions possible. Advice from experts that have extensive trading careers are present in the pages of the 20 books shown here, leaving you with ample resources to train yourself to look for the right patterns, read the different graphs, make strategies and employ new trading methods that may help you enjoy a better return in your investments. In this buying guide, you are sure to find a book that best suits your goals and needs in the world of trading.
Best Technical Analysis Books: Our Top 20 Picks
Here are some of the best technical analysis books that you can consider to expand your knowledge on the subject:
1. Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets
A bestselling classic, the powerful resource Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets: A Comprehensive Guide to Trading Methods and Applications has been revisited and updated to provide traders of a new generation all of the tips and tricks that made those that came before them so successful. This reference book has been used by thousands to expand their ideas of trading through technical analysis to help plot strategies around the future of the stock market. It covers all of the most recent developments in technical tools, computer technology, indicators and more while also offering plenty of material on intermarket relationships, candlestick charts, stock rotation and more. Learn how to read charts with ease and get a better understanding of the indicators you need to look for to make the smartest investments with your money.
- Authors: John J. Murphy (Author)
- Publisher: New York Institute of Finance; SUB UPD EX Edition (January 4, 1999)
- Pages: 576 pages
2. Charting and Technical Analysis
Being able to trade or invest in stocks, mutual funds or Forex requires a total understanding of not just price but also the movements of the market. Fred McAllen, the author of Charting and Technical Analysis, assures the only way this can be learned is through technical analysis, and he promises to help you understand everything you need to know before diving in. Mr. McAllen has more than 25 years of experience in trading and passes his learned strategies and knowledge on to you to give you an in-depth look at the intricacies of trading that go well beyond the famous advice “buy low, sell high.” With this book, you can get a good understanding of price movements as well as how to employ technical analysis to keep an eye on stocks as they are actively forming.
- Authors: Fred Mcallen (Author)
- Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 6, 2012)
- Pages: 275 pages
3. Trading: Technical Analysis Masterclass: Master the financial markets
Many are of the belief that trading stocks is a complicated process that takes years to learn and master and therefore may not be an interest worth exploring, but Trading: Technical Analysis Masterclass: Master the Financial Markets sets out to prove that is simply not the case. The book puts focus on explanation and interpretations of various chart patterns and price movements in the market by teaching you how to effectively read and understand technical analysis charts. Beyond that, helpful strategies are presented for you to consider that go well beyond the usual technical analysis. Start from the beginning and learn the fundamentals of technical analysis and then build up your knowledge through the second section that puts more focus on trading patterns and the formation of charts to give you a thorough breakdown of what you are seeing in the real world.
- Authors: Rolf Schlotmann (Author), Moritz Czubatinski (Author)
- Publisher: Independently published (February 18, 2019)
- Pages: 181 pages
4. Technical Analysis Using Multiple Timeframes
In Technical Analysis Using Multiple Timeframes, author Brian Shannon helps his readers understand not just the structure of the market itself but the psychology behind price movements. He goes one step further and shows you how to anticipate the movement of price through technical analysis instead of leaving you to react after the fact by preparing you for any big surprises. The book also gives readers a larger picture of the stock markets and helps you understand how to enter into trends at a high-profit, low-risk level to make the most out of your investments and to do so as safely as possible. Not only this, but you will learn how to recognize and even control any expensive emotional decisions you might be prone to make so that you don’t stand in your own way.
- Authors: Brian Shannon (Author)
- Publisher: LifeVest Publishing, Inc (January 1, 2008)
- Pages: 184 pages
5. Technical Analysis For Dummies, 3rd Edition
Another helpful book in the “For Dummies” book series, Technical Analysis For Dummies, 3rd Edition breaks down everything you need to know about stock trading in a way that is so clear, concise and straightforward that even the most novice and inexperienced among traders can learn and start trading smartly immediately. The book takes a look at the different securities prices and what they are truly doing in real time opposed to what analysts and economists might be saying they are doing. Through this, you can rely on your knowledge and personal observations instead of depending on the thoughts of others. The updated book will show you how to pick out turning points and investment trends as well as determining just how markets are actively performing with the use of real-time data.
- Authors: Barbara Rockefeller (Author)
- Publisher: For Dummies; 3rd Edition (February 24, 2014)
- Pages: 360 pages
6. The Art and Science of Technical Analysis
If you’re looking to get serious about your stock trading and to navigate with a fuller understanding of the way things work, The Art and Science of Technical Analysis: Market Structure, Price Action, and Trading Strategies is a crucial read. The groundbreaking book connects the finer points of technical analysis with the more abstract academic view of markets and joins them together at the intersection of profitable trading. The book will show you why randomness tends to be a defining feature of the market but how technical analysis can be crucial in helping you anticipate and recognize patterns to stay ahead of the game. Also explored are the various buying and selling practices that influence market conditions such as buying and selling practices that you can then turn around and use to make the proper investment decisions.
- Authors: Adam Grimes (Author)
- Publisher: Wiley; 1st Edition (July 3, 2012)
- Pages: 480 pages
7. Study Guide to Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets
The perfect partner for the classic Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets: A Comprehensive Guide to Trading Methods and Applications, the Study Guide to Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets: A Comprehensive Guide to Trading Methods and Applications is your way to double up on the knowledge presented in the iconic resource and work through all of the information presented to make sure you fully grasp all of the various points that were explained. This companion book challenges you to practice reading graphs and to look at different indicators and decipher what they mean while also giving you plenty of figures and state of the art examples that will help the information really stick. In this way, you will be more than prepared to tackle real world challenges as you move through the real world life of stocks.
- Authors: John J. Murphy (Author)
- Publisher: Prentice Hall Press; 2nd Edition (January 1, 1999)
- Pages: 160 pages
8. Getting Started in Technical Analysis
In Getting Started in Technical Analysis, you can learn what is considered to be the art and science of technical analysis: a process that helps traders decipher and break apart the price activity and movement to better understand the behavior of the market as a whole and to understand and capitalize on the different trading opportunities available to you. In the book, you will learn important things including trading ranges, trends, stops, chart patterns, exit and entry and pyramiding. The plentiful examples in the book are easy to understand and comprehend with their simple nature, providing you with a sturdy foundation and framework for moving through your trading more confidently and wisely. You will also learn how to read different types of charts, such as candlestick, point and figure and bar charts as well as their patterns.
- Authors: Jack D. Schwager (Author)
- Publisher: Wiley; 1st Edition (February 4, 1999)
- Pages: 352 pages
9. Evidence-Based Technical Analysis
While there are many different approaches to trading stocks, Evidence-Based Technical Analysis: Applying the Scientific Method and Statistical Inference to Trading Signals approaches the subject using a scientific method that many feel is more secure than many other methods. The book will explore how you can use the scientific method with various statistical texts in an effort to see the actual effectiveness of various technical trading signals. An expert in stock trading, the author gives you a comprehensive and concise look at the various strategies employed through this type of methodology, which is designed to evaluate the performance and movements within the stock market, letting you train yourself to keep an eye out for important rules, indicators and signals that you can use to make smarter, more thought out stock investments.
- Authors: David Aronson (Author)
- Publisher: Wiley; 1st Edition (November 3, 2006)
- Pages: 544 pages
10. Technical Analysis of Stock Trends, 8th Edition
Considered to be a critical read and resource for investors everywhere, Technical Analysis of Stock Trends, 8th Edition is a book that tackles the modern challenges of trading. The first edition of this book is thought to be the first to create a methodology for profiting from and interpreting the predictable movement and behaviors of both the markets and other investors and has since become even more groundbreaking with the input of one of the most renowned technical analysis experts, W. H. Charles Bassetti. Also offered are plentiful graphs and charts that reflect the present day’s market conditions to allow you to safely and smartly navigate the world of trading with the knowledge you need to make wise decisions and overcome any sort of hiccups you might encounter, mitigating your risks with every move.
- Authors: Robert D. Edwards (Author), John Magee (Author), W.H.C. Bassetti (Author)
- Publisher: CRC Press; 8th Edition (May 29, 2001)
- Pages: 752 pages
11. Technical Analysis from A to Z, 2nd Edition
Technical analysis is the very foundation of stock trading, with any trader needing to be able to understand the trends of price and stock movements to truly understand their next move and make the smartest decisions possible. In Technical Analysis from A to Z, 2nd Edition, you get an updated look at trading through a modern-day lens with a detailed explanation of just what technical analysis is as well as exactly how to use it. Ample overviews, calculations, interpretations and examples of more than 135 indicators will help you see just how they perform when they are in real-time market conditions, so that you always feel comfortable in your understanding of what you’re looking at and how to capitalize on it. This complete summary should be in every trader’s bookcase as a reference for even the most experienced of traders.
- Authors: Steven Achelis (Author)
- Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education; 2nd Edition (December 13, 2013)
- Pages: 400 pages
12. Trading Price Action Reversals
It is widely thought that the key to becoming successful in stock trading is finding the best system for your trading style and faithfully sticking to it. In Trading Price Action Reversals: Technical Analysis of Price Charts Bar by Bar for the Serious Trader, the author Al Brooks has used his same tried and true method and gotten the profitable results he wanted and has now come to teach you how you can do the same. The book breaks down the different aspects of his unique trading system to the bare basics, including trading ranges, trend trading and reversals and transitions, which are the main focus of the book. Also included are insights on handling sharp reversals and other volatile settings while exploring how to deal with any emotions that may surface when trading.
- Authors: Al Brooks (Author)
- Publisher: Wiley; 1st Edition (January 24, 2012)
- Pages: 576 pages
13. Technical Analysis: The Complete Resource for Financial Market Technicians (2nd Edition)
Considered to be the field’s most reliable, comprehensive and objective book on technical analysis in stocks, Technical Analysis: The Complete Resource for Financial Market Technicians (2nd Edition) is the updated version that takes into account the various advances and changes in the field over the years. This updated edition explains systematically the theory surrounding technical analysis, looking at it in an objective way that presents academic evidence both against and in favor of it. Using hundreds and hundreds of illustrations, it is made clear how to analyze both individual issues and markets as a whole while teaching you the ins and outs of momentum indicators, flow of funds, seasonal affects, risk mitigation strategies, testing systems and many others. The book also covers topics like pattern recognition, system management and market analysis while introducing new strategies for you to consider.
- Authors: Charles D. Kirkpatrick II (Author), Julie A. Dahlquist (Author)
- Publisher: FT Press; 2nd Edition (November 25, 2010)
- Pages: 671 pages
14. Technical Analysis Explained, Fifth Edition
With the realities and the state of investing changing significantly over the last three decades since the first edition of Technical Analysis Explained, Fifth Edition: The Successful Investor’s Guide to Spotting Investment Trends and Turning Points, this book revisits all of the unchanging points of trading with updates for the modern day to help you make wiser trading decisions. In the book, you will learn how to make the most out of your profits by navigating the complex markets of the present day through the ability to interpret, understand and even predict and forecast specific moves in the markets and stocks to keep you ahead of the game. There is plenty of practical advice that you can turn around and use right away, including how to avoid false signals and how to identify the best profit-making opportunities.
- Authors: Martin Pring (Author)
- Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education; 5th Edition (January 8, 2014)
- Pages: 816 pages
15. Technical Analysis for Beginners Part One (Third edition – black & white version)
No matter what has prevented you from taking the dive into stock trading, the Technical Analysis for Beginners Part One (Third edition – black & white version): Stop Blindly Following Stock Picks of Wall Street’s Gurus and Learn Technical Analysis is there to ease you into the world of trading from the bottom up. The book offers a concise and comprehensive approach to stock trading with more than 100 examples, tables and figures that will give you a more practical look at how to understand investments in a visual way through technical analysis. Not only will you learn how to use the stock market charts to make your decisions, but you will also learn how to pick out market trends to get a better sense of what’s coming in order to invest your time and money more wisely.
- Authors: Charles G. Koonitz (Author)
- Publisher: Tripod Solutions inc. (August 17, 2018)
- Pages: 123 pages
16. Technical Analysis of Stock Trends
The very first book to create a practical methodology or interpreting and deciphering the behaviors and movements in the market, Technical Analysis of Stock Trends is a resource that many traders have depended upon over the years to help them make the wisest possible trading decisions. This is the ninth edition of the book, meaning it has been updated to reflect the changes in the market over the years, giving you a more modern approach to these timeless strategies that will help you navigate the modern market conditions with ease. Get a new perspective on future and short-term trading while enjoying a rich dissection of the Dow theory to build up a strong foundation on classic knowledge while also learning new material on important things such as commodity trading.
- Authors: Robert D. Edwards (Author), John Magee (Author), W.H.C. Bassetti (Author)
- Publisher: AMACOM; 9th Edition (February 26, 2007)
- Pages: 840 pages
17. Technical Analysis and Stock Market Profits
Considered to be a pioneer in technical analysis, Technical Analysis and Stock Market Profits author Richard W. Schabacker delivers one of the most comprehensive and easy-to-understand resources on technical analysis, so that any trader of any style can easily learn from and implement the strategies and tips that are outlined. In the book, topics presented include the different formations, trends, patterns, resistance areas, support areas and other technical details that are needed when it comes to engaging in technical analysis. Also presented are various reliable factors that a person can always look to predict the trends in the market as well as the flawed factors that need to be looked out for when reading various charts. This is a book that should be on any technical analyst’s personal bookshelf.
- Authors: Richard Schabacker (Author)
- Publisher: Harriman House (June 1, 2005)
- Pages: 472 pages
18. Mastering Technical Analysis
So long as you know how to read the markets using technical analysis, it is thought that you can effortlessly and easily move through the world of trading and make profits in the stock market. In Mastering Technical Analysis: Smarter, Simpler Ways to Trade the Markets, you will learn everything you need to know about the way that markets tend to work and exactly what the charts have to say to you. Not only will you learn how to interpret the various charts that are present in the world of technical analysis, you will also learn how to understand various technical indicators, including when you should buy and when you should avoid investing. The author provides a roadmap that shows you how to get a personal trading system together and stick to it, something that is also considered to be crucial.
- Authors: Alan Northcott (Author)
- Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st Edition (October 9, 2014)
- Pages: 474 pages
19. Beyond Technical Analysis
Beyond Technical Analysis: How to Develop and Implement a Winning Trading System is a classic book on technical analysis that has been used by thousands over the years to develop a great trading system suited to the ever-changing markets. This updated second edition reflects today’s market conditions while also putting emphasis on the importance of having a proprietary trading system that suits your specific needs as a trader and sticking to it. The book is full of timeless and ever-relevant principles, cutting-edge trading techniques, various practical guidelines and more to help you develop and then effectively implement your very own personalized methodology and system that will take you where you need to go to enjoy profiting by the time you turn the final page.
- Authors: Tushar S. Chande (Author)
- Publisher: Wiley; 2nd Edition (May 11, 2001)
- Pages: 336 pages
20. Technical Analysis: Trading Indicators and Charting
By using statistical forecasts and various laws of mathematics, technical analysis can be used to reliably predict what could be coming in the stock market. In Technical Analysis: Trading Indicators and Charting, you can learn the ins and outs of technical analysis as well as all of the secrets of the most successful professional traders to help you adopt similar effective strategies and systems to implement. After reading the book, you will be able to pinpoint and then take advantage of long and short term trends while also understanding the three types of market trends and the phases they go through. The different theories behind technical analysis are explored, giving you a greater, more in-depth look at how this process works and why it tends to be so successful.
- Authors: Danilo Schiavone (Author)
- Publisher: Independently published (September 25, 2019)
- Pages: 123 pages
Choosing the Best Technical Analysis Books
Technical analysis is a crucial skill for any stock trader to thoroughly understand and be able to implement to make the wisest decisions when trading, buying and selling on the stock market. In this book buying guide, you are given access to plenty of resources to help you navigate the world of trading, offering you everything you need from the skills to work with technical analysis to understanding how to create and implement your very own trading system. Browse the list and find the best books for you as you continue to make your trading decisions to ensure you are always making the best moves.
