Information Technology ETF Vanguard (VGT) Hover Above Parabolic SAR

Shares of Information Technology ETF Vanguard (VGT) are on watch as they closed the most recent session above the Parabolic SAR line.  The current level of the shares currently stands at 176.75 at the time of writing. 

SAR stands for stop and reverse and it is a trend following indicator, designed to identify the turning point in price action. The parabolic SAR is shown on the charts as a series of small ‘dots’ that are placed either above or below the price. When the price is trending to the upside, the dots are below the price action and when the price is trending to the downside, the dots are above the price action.

When the share price closes above the upper Parabolic SAR, a trader could interpret a buy signal. The Parabolic SAR will move from being above price to below price and the trader would cover any existing short positions and reverse direction and buy long.

When the price closes below the lower Parabolic SAR, a trader could interpret a sell signal. The Parabolic SAR will move from being below price to above price and the trader would sell any existing long positions and reverse direction and go short.

Investors may be diving into the latest company earnings reports trying to scope out some quality stocks to add to the portfolio. Nobody knows for sure which way overall market momentum will sway as we near the close of the calendar year. Investors may be getting ready to do a portfolio review to see which stocks are worthy to hold, and which ones have underperformed a may need to be unloaded. Regularly monitoring stock investments may keep the investor ready for any big market changes that may occur.

After a recent look, Information Technology ETF Vanguard (VGT) has a 50-day Moving Average of 174.06, the 200-day Moving Average is 184.38, and the 7-day is noted at 172.91. A popular tool among technical stock analysts is the moving average. Moving averages are considered to be lagging indicators that simply take the average price of a stock over a specific period of time. Moving averages can be very useful for identifying peaks and troughs. They may also be used to help the trader figure out proper support and resistance levels for the stock.

Traders may be relying in part on technical stock analysis. Information Technology ETF Vanguard (VGT) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of 135.16. Despite the name, CCI can be used on other investment tools such as stocks. The CCI was designed to typically stay within the reading of -100 to +100. Traders may use the indicator to determine stock trends or to identify overbought/oversold conditions. A CCI reading above +100 would imply that the stock is overbought and possibly ready for a correction. On the other hand, a reading of -100 would imply that the stock is oversold and possibly set for a rally.

At the time of writing, the 14-day ADX for Information Technology ETF Vanguard (VGT) is 20.58. Many technical chart analysts believe that an ADX value over 25 would suggest a strong trend. A reading under 20 would indicate no trend, and a reading from 20-25 would suggest that there is no clear trend signal. The ADX is typically plotted along with two other directional movement indicator lines, the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI). Some analysts believe that the ADX is one of the best trend strength indicators available.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is one of multiple popular technical indicators created by J. Welles Wilder. Wilder introduced RSI in his book “New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems” which was published in 1978. RSI measures the magnitude and velocity of directional price movements. The data is represented graphically by fluctuating between a value of 0 and 100. The indicator is computed by using the average losses and gains of a stock over a certain time period. RSI can be used to help spot overbought or oversold conditions. An RSI reading over 70 would be considered overbought, and a reading under 30 would indicate oversold conditions. A level of 50 would indicate neutral market momentum. The 14-day RSI is currently sitting at 58.76, the 7-day is at 72.42, and the 3-day is spotted at 91.22 for Information Technology ETF Vanguard (VGT).

Active traders are often looking for the next great move to secure profits in the stock market. Traders might be tracking stocks that are primed for a breakout. When a stock suddenly breaks to the upside, it has the potential to bring the optimistic crowd along with it. The breakout may bring in traders who missed out on the beginning of a run trying to capitalize on the back end. The professional trader is typically one who is able to stand out from the crowd. Being able to separate fantasy from reality can mean big profits for the dedicated trader. Impulse buying or selling on good or bad news is common in the stock market. Being able to come to a reasonable conclusion about why stock prices are headed one way and not the other can be a tough proposition. Paying attention to all the headlines may lead some traders down the path of no return if trades are being made strictly on daily news or even perception or that news. Discerning between what is actually driving a stock and what is perceived to be driving a stock may end up being a large factor between future gains and losses in the equity market.