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Marc Rivalland on Swing Trading

A guide to profitable short-term investing

By Marc Rivalland

Paperback £39.99 / $41.99
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Marc Rivalland on Swing Trading

A guide to profitable short-term investing

By Marc Rivalland

Jacket text

The proactive approach to the stock market – don’t be a victim – there is something you can do about it.

Swing trading is an approach to the stock market which is concerned less with value (a moveable feast as many have found out), and more with exploiting short-term upswings and downswings in share prices and market indices. Although the ranks of swing traders swell daily, not many traders know that there is a type of chart, a swing chart, which is designed specifically for swing trading.

In this ground-breaking book, Marc Rivalland, author of ‘The Trader’ column in Investors Chronicle, shows how swing charts can be used to perfect market timing. Moreover, Marc reveals his hitherto secret modifications to Gann swing charts which make them even more effective for stock market traders. W. D. Gann said “a study of swings in active stocks will convince a man that he can make far greater profits in swings than in any other way of trading”. With this book, you get Gann and more.

In addition, Marc uses his two decades of experience with point & figure charts to bring to readers an up-to-date and thoroughly modern evaluation of the best point & figure signals to use when trading individual equities. Point & figure is enjoying an enormous resurgence. Readers of this book will discover new insights into this proven and popular 100+year old method of charting share prices.

Marc reveals his proprietary method of integrating swing charts and point & figure charts to further increase the chances of success. There is a chapter on the vital RSI indicator and a chapter devoted solely to those more passively inclined – long-term buy-and-hold investors.

In every case, the best trading tactics are discussed. Each technique is critically examined. The advantages are highlighted but the disadvantages are not glossed over. In all, the reader will receive a uniquely informative evaluation of the best, most disciplined way to approach the markets.

The style of the book is highly practical. Over 100 colour charts of real-life trading situations are used to illustrate the points being made. The charts are carefully annotated, and accompanied by clear and thoughtful commentary. The exact point where buy and sell signals occurred is shown.

‘Marc Rivalland on Swing Trading’ is THE essential book for stock market investors and traders.

About the author

Marc Rivalland is an active trader of futures,options and CFDs. Between 1975 and 1978, Marc was a share analyst for one of South Africa's leading merchant banks. In 1979 he emigrated to the UK and worked in the futures industry. He was team leader for Conticommodity on the LIFFE floor when it opened in September 1982.

Later, after a stint as a floor trader and arbitrageur, he was called to the English Bar in 1987 and he remains a practising barrister. Marc used to write articles on point & figure charts for London's Evening Standard. Marc writes The Trader column for Investors Chronicle.

Reviews

“Just a quick thankyou for your reply re. my queries regarding points & figure box sizes, etc. ,your comments were very helpful. Your methods have nicely captured the recent falls on the FTSE 100 and Dow,which has given me a nice return!! Once again many thanks for the book and your advice.Your methods have already improved my trading drastically and given me a logical and profitable way of trading the markets.”

R.S.

“Mark Rivalland bring amazing new insight, clarity and refinement to age old Gann swing charts. His methodology of combining Gann swing charts and point and figure charts is consistent with the principle of confluence in technical analysis.” – Ashwani Gujral, author of How to Make Money Trading Derivatives

The following comments were all received by Marc Rivalland without being solicited by either him or the publisher:

“I am largely a self taught private investor in equities for 10 years, and turned to the Liffe option market 18 months ago mainly selling calls and puts on about 20 stocks. Whilst I have been on technical analysis courses and read the books, the section on RSI in your book has rung a big bell with me, and I would have saved several thousand if your points had been with me over the last few years. It is the way you prented and RSI concept giving precise examples which helped clarify the importance of this indicator!! Thus I consider the price of your book a bargain. I am thus very motivated to get to grips with the other sections of the book.”

P.R.

“The book itself is very accessible and well written.”

P.R.

“What has really impressed me with swing is how easy clients find it to understand – one remarked to me that it was “obvious” once pointed out (referring to the underlying psychology of the market).”

E.C.

“I would just like to say thank you for publishing your Swing Trading book and updating your web site with the latest trends. I have found this particularly useful in understanding the concepts outlined in the book, which I have read approximately four times now and is a constant companion.”

I.O.

“After several weeks reading you have succeeding in converting me from a LTBH diehard to a person whose quest has become a proficient swing trader over time. Some of the reasons why
– the degree of frankness that permeates your book.
– refreshing omission of investment-environment clich’s.
– lucid with select sprinklings of humour
– subjectively now : the lovely, tasteful print, quality of paper and overall feel of the book
How you ever found time to write your book, delivered to its readers with panache, I do not know. You deserve success from it.”

S.G.

“I have read your book a few weeks ago and it’s great, congratulations. It really helps me and changed the way I look to a chart.”

P.V.

“Your swing-trading method as outlined in your book, which I admit I rushed through, is exactly the kind of simple, structured approach I am looking for. I got the book on Tuesday, finished it on Friday and now I’m going through it again at a slower pace. I wanted to thank you for the excellent book and the beautifully simple approach that you have outlined.”

J.S.

Media coverage

From Trader's Nest:

If you missed last week’s email we’re working through a batch of trading books I’ve been asked to review. We put the titles out to vote and Swing Trading by Marc Rivalland won by a nose. So this is the first one we’ll be examining. I’ve completed my first reading. Now let’s see what treasures… Read more »

Read More…

Contents

PREFACE
Exploiting swings
Why swing trade?
Swing charts and point & figure charts
Audience
Structure of this book

1. INTRODUCTION
Early lessons
What is a swing trade?
What is the point of swing trading?
What makes a swing trader?
Who swing trades?
Swing trading and charts
The logic underlying the use of charts

2. SWING TRADING IN PRACTICE
Selling short
Normal service
Linear phases and how to spot them
My approach
The tooled up swing trader

3. GANN SWING CHARTS
W.D. Gann's secret
Standard Dow theory compared to Gann
Changes of trend and intermediate swings
Construction of a Gann swing chart

4. MODIFIED SWING CHARTS
Definitions
Faults with the Gann swing chart
Modification 1 - 'Get in Early'
Modification 2 - 'If the third day is an outside day, it is part of the correction'
Modification 3 - 'Relax the requirement for three consecutive days'
Modification 4 - 'Count trading days only'
Buy and sell signals
Change of trend signals
Continuation of trend signals
Problem areas
Tailpiece

5. SWING CHARTING TACTICS
My approach
Profit maximisation techniques
stop losses
setting profit targets
linear phases
Trading all the swings

6. POINT & FIGURE CHARTS
Introduction
Ethos

7. POINT & FIGURE SIGNALS
Introduction
The double top and double bottom
The bullish signal
The bearish signal
The bearish signal reversed
The bullish signal reversed
Triangles
The triple top
The ascending triple top
The spread triple top
The triple top with long tail
The bull trap
The catapult
The triple bottom
The descending triple bottom
The spread triple bottom
The triple bottom with long tail
The long tail down
The high pole
My evaluation
My favourite point & figure signals
- The triple top with rising lows
- The bearish or bullish shakeout
The whipsaw

8. POINT & FIGURE TACTICS
Choose the right security
When to take profits
Reliability of point & figure charts
Tailpiece 1
Tailpiece 2

9. INTEGRATING POINT & FIGURE AND SWING CHARTS
Integrating p&f charts and swing charts when trading indices
Integrating p&f charts and swing charts when trading individual equities
Tailpiece

10. RSI
Explanation of RSI
Weekly RSI
Moving averages
The Coppock Indicator
Bullish Percent charts
Candlesticks
Relative strength

11. TACTICS FOR LTBHs
Limited use of swing charts
Using options and charts to enhance returns
Tailpiece

12. SUMMATION
My approach - a summary
Mistakes to avoid
Final word

Appendices
Glossary
Index



Published: 01/11/2002
Edition: 1st
Pages: 214
Formats: paperback - ISBN 9781897597194
Media enquiries

If you’d like to get in touch with the author for interview or comment, or you’d like a review copy of this book, please contact us at pr@harriman-house.com or call +44 (0)1730 233870.

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