Elliott Wave Theory Rules Cheat Sheet

Aetna gapped up on October 31st (red circle) and kept on going, with that level marking the halfway point of the 3rd wave. This is vital information in our trade analysis because it raises odds even further that sideways price action at resistance will yield a breakout and even higher prices. Furthermore, impulse waves (1, 3, and 5) are each divided into five waves. On observation, one can notice that waves 1, 3, and 5 comprise smaller upward and downward movements that, upon counting, amount to five waves. The movements are identified as ((i)), ((ii)), ((iii)), ((iv)), and ((v)). At the end of wave 4, more buying sets in and prices start to rally again.

Conversely, in a downward trend, the impulse wave comprises three downward waves (1, 3, 5) and two upward waves (2 and 4). You can see there is a five-wave decline – that’s an impulse wave (there are some cases where a five-wave correction is possible). Also, there’s a three-wave advance, which we can consider a correction. Now that we’ve found an impulse and a correction, it’s time to look at the bigger picture. If these rules are abided, then it’s highly likely that the formation you see on the chart really is an impulse wave.

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This marks the third wave, which is the longest of the Elliott waves. The best way to trade this set up is to wait for the completion of the second wave. When price reverses from wave 2, traders can initiate long positions after the high of the first wave is breached.

Wave Counting Rules

Typically, the waves numbered 1, 3 and 5 are impulse waves and 2 and 4 are corrective waves. In Elliott’s theory, market prices alternate between an impulsive, or motive, phase, and a corrective phase on all time scales of trend, as the illustration shows. Corrective waves subdivide into three smaller-degree waves starting with a five-wave counter-trend impulse, a retrace, and another impulse.

In fact, many Elliott wave rallies subdivide higher and higher, especially during 5th waves, as buy signals go off and momentum traders pour into positions. After a quick slide to 76, the stock zoomed into resistance just above 85. It stalled at that level, carving out a potential 4th wave that found support near 82. So far at least, there is plenty of space between the two blue lines designating the top of the 1st wave and bottom of the 4th wave.

Dow Theory and Elliott Wave

As per our 6 rules, wave 2 should not retrace into the area where wave 1 started. As such, we wait for the wave to slow down and start reversing upwards. Now, with the confirmation that an old trend has ended and a new one is forming, we are ready to mark our wave 1. For a downtrend to end, paving way for an uptrend, the previous swing low should be broken and a higher high formed.

Motive waves move in the direction of the main trend and consist of 5 waves that are labelled as Wave 1, Wave 2, Wave 3, Wave 4 and Wave 5. But traders should take note that interpretation of the Elliot wave is subjective as investors interpret it in different ways. However, the Elliott Wave should not be considered as a technical indicator but a theory that helps in predicting the behaviour of the market. The Elliott Wave Patterns are formed according to the ongoing market sentiment, which alternates between bullish and bearish cycles. In addition to giving exemplary trade signals, it also gives professional stop loss and takes profit zones. As such, we can quantify it as an accurate, reliable, and all-round trading system that has made traders rich for decades and will continue doing the same for many more to come.

Elliott Waves Personality

In technical analysis, the modern forms of money include looks at long-term trends in price patterns and how they correspond with investor psychology. These price patterns or ‘waves’ depend on rules developed by Ralph Nelson Elliott in the 1930s. They identify and predict wave patterns within stock markets and help predict future movement. The psychological element of trading can often provide waves rather than simple straight lines, and these waves form one of the biggest features of Elliott’s theory.

For a trend to qualify as going down, it should break the previous swing high and form a swing low. For instance, if the market was going up and met a strong resistance level, we would expect it to either reverse and start falling or break the zone and continue rising. You should wait for a new trend to form and become validated before starting your count. This is one of the most important factors to consider when starting your wave count.

Below you can see  uptrend, interrupted by a running flat in wave (B). Wave A consists of a-b-c, wave B is made by an a-b-c to a new top, followed by wave C to the downside, which ends well above the bottom, left by wave A. You can use the concept of Elliott wave theory with other chart patterns such as triangles and diagonals. In chart pattern terminology, the ending diagonal is similar to a rising wedge. Typically, on a breakout of the high of wave 1 (or the low of wave 1 in a downtrend), traders can go long and book profits along the 127.2% and 168.1% of wave three. After wave 1 and 2 are formed, traders can anticipate the levels where the third wave will end.

Daily Accurate & Timely Forecasting of 78 Instruments

By the time the general trading community starts to pile into the trend, it is often towards the end of wave 3. As a practitioner of Elliott wave, identifying wave 3 in its initial stages can produce amazing results. Ralph Nelson Elliott developed the Elliott wave concept of trading in the late 1920’s. The theory proposed an alternative view to the notion that markets are random.

The five waves include three motive waves and two corrective waves. The Elliott wave cycle forms on smaller time frames as well giving its fractal nature. Impulse waves consist of five sub-waves that make net movement in the same direction as the trend of the next-largest degree. This pattern is the most common motive wave and the easiest to spot in a market.

• The expanded flat is more common in markets as compared to the normal flats as discussed above.
• The chart above shows this eight-wave structure in a declining market.
• The only difference between the regular and the expanding flat is the fact, that its wave B exceeds the length of wave A.
• By adhering to the rules, we can easily identify the perfect waves and use them in making our trading decisions.

This information can be used to make informed trading decisions and to anticipate future price movements. Elliott Wave Theory is a valuable tool for traders and investors who wish to analyze financial markets and make informed trading decisions. In this section, we will discuss some practical applications of the Elliott Wave Theory. The rule of alternation suggests that the corrective waves in a pattern should alternate in their form and complexity.

However, our wave 4 failed us since it retraced into the area where wave 2 ended. As such, our Elliott wave failed here although it went on to form a perfect wave 5 as well as a and b. In this article, we are going to look at the Elliott Wave Theory forex trading approach in the simplest details to make it an easy-to-grasp-and-trade concept. A financial professional will offer guidance based on the information provided and offer a no-obligation call to better understand your situation. Ask a question about your financial situation providing as much detail as possible. Your information is kept secure and not shared unless you specify.

Fibonacci extensions are used to determine the turning points in a primary trend. In a bull market, they indicate where a motive wave can go before a correction. Fibonacci extensions are used https://1investing.in/ to measure stock price levels at which profits can be realized. Elliott defined rules to identify, predict, and capitalize on wave patterns in books, articles, and letters summarized in R.N.

This raises odds that we’re looking at a 4th wave consolidation that will yield a 5th wave breakout and uptrend. Aetna (AET) topped out near 86 in July 2014, following a long rally. It corrected in a typical ABC pattern that ended at 72 in October. The stock jumped back to resistance at the summer high in early November, carving out two rally waves and stalling out into mid-month. Three EWT principles helped us predict what happened next because the buying spike into resistance showed the outline of waves 1 through 4 of an Elliott 5-wave rally set. Luckily, we don’t need to join a secret society or spend a decade memorizing a thousand rules and exceptions to take advantage of EWT’s great power.

Prices may meander sideways for an extended period, and wave four typically retraces less than 38.2% of wave three. This is a good place to buy a pull back if you understand the potential ahead for wave 5. Still, fourth waves are often frustrating because of their lack of progress in the larger trend. Motive waves move in the same direction of the primary trend, but in today’s time, we believe it doesn’t necessarily have to be in impulse. We instead prefer to call it motive sequence.We define a motive sequence simply as an incomplete sequence of waves (swings).

Deconstructing Motive Waves

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Elliott Wave practitioners stress that simply because the market is a fractal does not make the market easily predictable. Scientists recognize a tree as a fractal, but that doesn’t mean anyone can predict the path of each of its branches. In terms of practical application, the Elliott Wave Principle has its devotees and its detractors like all other analysis methods. Since Elliott waves are a fractal, wave degrees theoretically expand ever-larger and ever-smaller beyond those listed above. Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader.

In an upward trend, the triangle is formed by a series of higher lows and lower highs, while in a downward trend, the triangle is formed by a series of lower highs and lower lows. The theory also incorporates Fibonacci ratios to determine price targets and retracement levels. In the end, the trend is still moving upwards, and you can see the current wave count below.