1.1.4.2 Weaknesses of Technical Analysis
Analyst bias
Technical analysis is not hard core science. It is subjective in nature and your personal biases can be reflected in the analysis. It is important to be aware of these biases when analyzing a chart. If the analyst is a perpetual bull, then a bullish bias will overshadow the analysis. On the other hand, if the analyst is a disgruntled eternal bear, then the analysis will probably have a bearish tilt.
Open to interpretation
Technical analysis is a combination of science and art and is always open to interpretation. Even though there are standards, many times two technicians will look at the same chart and paint two different scenarios or see different patterns. Both will be able to come up with logical support and resistance levels as well as key breaks to justify their position. Is the cup half-empty or half-full? It is in the eye of the beholder.
Too late
You can criticize the technical analysis for being too late. By the time the trend is identified, a substantial move has already taken place. After such a large move, the reward to risk ratio is not great. Lateness is a particular criticism of Dow Theory.
Always another level
Technical analysts always wait for another new level. Even after a new trend has been identified, there is always another “important” level close at hand. Technicians have been accused of sitting on the fence and never taking an unqualified stance. Even if they are bullish, there is always some indicator or some level that will qualify their opinion.
Trader’s remorse
An array of pattern and indicators arises while studying technical analysis. Not all the signals work. For instance: A sell signal is given when the neckline of a head and shoulders pattern is broken. Even though this is a rule, it is not steadfast and can be subject to other factors such as volume and momentum. In that same vein, what works for one particular stock may not work for another. A 50-day moving average may work great to identify support and resistance for Infosys, but a 70-day moving average may work better for Reliance. Even though many principles of technical analysis are universal, each security will have its own idiosyncrasies.
TA is also useful in controlling risk
It is Technical Analysis only that can provide you the discipline to get out when you’re on the wrong side of a trade. The easiest thing in the world to do is to get on the wrong side of a trade and to get stubborn. That is also potentially the worst thing you can do. You think that if you ride it out you’ll be okay. However, there will also be occasions when you won’t be okay. The stock will move against you in ways and to an extent that you previously found virtually unimaginable.
It is more important to control risk than to maximize profits!
There is asymmetry between zero and infinity. What does that mean? Most of us have very fi nite capital but infinite opportunities because of thousands of stocks. If we lose an opportunity, we will have thousands more tomorrow. If we lose our capital, will we get thousands more tomorrow? It is likely that we will not. We will also lose our opportunities. Our capital holds more worth to us than our opportunities because we must have capital in order to take advantage of tomorrow’s opportunities.
It is more important to control risk than to maximize profits! Technical Analysis, if practiced with discipline, gives you specific parameters for managing risk. It’s simply supply and demand. Waste what’s plentiful, preserve what’s scarce. Preserve your capital because your capital is your opportunity. You can be right a thousand times, become very wealthy and then get wiped out completely if you manage your risk poorly just once. One last time: That is why it is more important to control risk than to maximize profits!
How to know what to look for? How to organize your thinking in a market of thousands of stock trading millions of shares per day? How to learn your way around? Technical Analysis answers all these questions.
Conclusions
Technical analysis works on Pareto principle. It considers the market to be 80% psychological and 20% logical. Fundamental analysts consider the market to be 20% psychological and 80% logical. Psychological or logical may be open for debate, but there is no questioning the current price of a security. After all, it is available for all to see and nobody doubts its legitimacy. The price set by the market reflects the sum knowledge of all participants, and we are not dealing with lightweights here. These participants have considered (discounted) everything under the sun and settled on a price to buy or sell. These are the forces of supply and demand at work. By examining price action to determine which force is prevailing, technical analysis focuses directly on the bottom line: What is the price? Where has it been? Where is it going? Even though some principles and rules of technical analysis are universally applicable, it must be remembered that technical analysis is more an art form than a science. As an art form, it is subject to interpretation. However, it is also flexiblein its approach and each investor should use only that which suits his or her style. Developing a style takes time, effort and dedication, but the rewards can be significant.