What Is a Market Trend? A Beginner's Guide
Learn about uptrends, downtrends, sideways markets, and simple ways beginners can identify market direction.
Read the complete guide →A market trend describes the general direction in which prices are moving over time. Looking at the wider market context can help traders avoid treating every short-term price move as a new direction.
Learn about uptrends, downtrends, sideways markets, and simple ways beginners can identify market direction.
Read the complete guide →Learn how higher highs and higher lows form an uptrend, what can drive rising prices, and how traders study an upward market.
Read the uptrend guide →Learn how lower highs and lower lows can identify a downtrend, how bearish price structure works, and what traders watch for.
Read the downtrend guide →Learn how range-bound markets move between support and resistance, how to recognize them, and why breakouts need confirmation.
Read the sideways market guide →Compare bullish and bearish trends, recognize their price structures, and understand how uptrends and downtrends may change.
Read the bullish and bearish trends guide →Learn how overall market direction differs from short-term price movement, and how uptrends, downtrends, and ranges appear on charts.
Read the market direction guide →Learn how to identify uptrends and downtrends, distinguish continuation from reversal, and analyze common trend signals.
Read the trend analysis guide →Learn how to read an economic calendar, understand key reports, and prepare for possible market volatility around news releases.
Read the economic news and calendar guide →Learn what CPI measures, how inflation relates to interest rates, and why traders compare actual results with forecasts.
Read the CPI and inflation guide →Learn what Non-Farm Payrolls measures, how employment reports can affect forex and gold, and why traders compare actual data with forecasts.
Read the NFP and employment data guide →Understand how interest rates and economic growth are measured, and how announcements may influence forex, stocks, and gold.
Read the interest rates and GDP guide →Explore how economic reports can influence different asset markets, create volatility, and affect expectations and risk.
Read how economic news affects markets →Economic reports can affect market expectations, volatility, and prices. Beginners can start by checking an economic calendar and comparing actual results with forecasts.
Learn about CPI, employment reports, GDP, interest rates, and other key indicators in this guide.
Market sentiment is the overall attitude or expectation of market participants. It may be optimistic, cautious, or uncertain, and can shift as new information becomes available.
Learn what market sentiment means, how economic news and investor emotions influence it, and how traders study sentiment across markets.
Read the market sentiment guide →Learn the differences between bullish and bearish sentiment, what can influence each, and how traders assess market mood.
Read the bullish and bearish sentiment guide →Understand how longer-term investor outlooks differ from traders' shorter-term sentiment, and what influences both.
Read the investor and trader sentiment guide →Explore how fear, greed, and changing risk appetite can shape investor behavior and influence financial markets.
Read the fear, greed, risk-on, and risk-off guide →Technical analysis studies price charts and market data to understand possible direction and areas of interest. It can help organize observations, but it cannot predict future prices with certainty.
Learn how price action, market structure, and trend lines can help traders analyze uptrends, downtrends, and possible breakouts.
Read the price action and trend lines guide →