Technical analysis is concerned with price action, which gives clues as to the stock’s supply and demand dynamics – which is what ultimately determines the stock price. Patterns often repeat themselves because investors often behave in the same way in the same situation. Technical analysis differs from fundamental analysis, in that traders attempt to identify opportunities by looking at statistical trends, such as movements in a stock’s price and volume. The core assumption is that all known fundamentals are factored into price, thus there is no need to pay close attention to them.

Information is of a general nature only and does not consider your financial objectives, needs or personal circumstances. Important legal documents in relation to our products and services are available on our website. You should read and understand these documents before applying for any AxiTrader products or services and obtain independent professional advice as necessary. Depending on whether a country is classified as a developed or developing country, Central Bank interest rates will generally differ. For example, since the 2008 global economic recession most developed countries have had very low-interest rates while developing countries have largely maintained quite high interest rate levels. Interest rate levels are usually an indicator of the Central Bank’s confidence in a country’s economy.

What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative fundamental analysis?

AxiTrader Limited is a member of The Financial Commission, an international organization engaged in the resolution of disputes within the financial services industry in the Forex market. You should also expect geopolitical events to affect currency pairs, but these are often difficult to anticipate and are best handled through proper risk management. Examining a country’s GDP growth over the last four quarters lets you see if there is a pattern of consistent expansion or contraction. Consistent expansion of a country’s GDP is an indicator that its economy is doing well while declining GDP growth is a sign that the economy is underperforming. Finding an asset’s intrinsic value is one of the most important elements when performing a fundamental analysis of an asset. We introduce people to the world of trading currencies, both fiat and crypto, through our non-drowsy educational content and tools.

• Let us take a deeper dive into the details of how these two approaches differ, the criticism against technical analysis, and how technical and fundamental analyses can be used together.
• The end goal is to determine a number that an investor can compare with a security’s current price to see whether the security is undervalued or overvalued by other investors.
• It can be difficult to predict how the market will react in any given situation and it is not a guaranteed way of making money with any trading strategy.
• You can then begin to identify the releases that are likely to have a significant impact on a particular currency pair.
• But there are some principles and techniques that are applicable for many different types of investment objectives and growth strategies.

Fundamental analysis uses publicly available financial data to evaluate the value of an investment. The data is recorded on financial statements such as quarterly and annual reports and filings like the 10-Q (quarterly) or 10-K (annual). The 8-K is also informative because public companies must file it any time a reportable event occurs, like an acquisition or upper-level management change. 77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

Cons of fundamental analysis

It can determine what is the intrinsic value of a commodity asset and provide an outlook into its future value. Top-down fundamental analysis uses the market as a whole and looks at how it should change in order to achieve equilibrium with fundamentals. Since the top-down approach examines the overall market, it is more beneficial for short-term investors who are aiming to make a profit from swings in the market. Fundamental analysts look at the economic factors that affect how an asset performs which can highlight if it is trading higher or lower than its real price value. Public data is used to conduct the analysis from a macro-to-micro perspective. Two technical analysts can come to very different conclusions about the same stock by using different approaches.

Fundamental analysis tries to identify the true value, or intrinsic value, of a financial instrument. To do so, fundamental analysts have to follow economic indicators such as economic news, interest rates, various financial ratios and future growth prospects for an industry, to name a few. Stock indices generally depend on the macroeconomic conditions, but also individual conditions for specific stocks held within certain indices.

What Are the 3 Layers of Fundamental Analysis?

As well as being a trader, Milan writes daily analysis for the Axi community, using his extensive knowledge of financial markets to provide unique insights and commentary. Qualitative elements in the commodity market are much harder and more complex to assess than quantitative measures. There are a lot of factors that can impact the supply and demand of commodities like weather, industry regulations, trade agreements, and trade wars. Highlighted below are a few fundamental factors that you should consider when looking at any potential investment opportunity through a quantitative lens. Remember that different assets require research of different fundamentals.

• Fundamental analysts are concerned with the difference between a stock’s value, and the price at which it is trading.
• This gives the fund an edge by measuring market sentiment in real time and identifying profitable trades.
• Fundamentally focused investors often wait a long time before a company’s intrinsic value is reflected in the market, if at all.
• While fundamental analysis provides a more well-rounded view of the market, it is possible for negative economic, political or legislative changes to surprise markets.
• Often investors consider these estimates highly relevant because they want to buy stocks trading at prices significantly below these intrinsic values.

An easy way to isolate such events is to use an economic calendar to see whether they have been classified as high-impact releases. Fundamental analysis is time consuming – each company must be studied independently and in detail. Most of the information used in fundamental analysis is widely available. To gain an edge with fundamentals, you need to find unique datasets that aren’t available to most investors. The objective is not to predict the future, but to identify the most likely scenarios.

Applying fundamental analysis to your trading

Many fundamental analysts consider that both qualitative and quantitative analysis work together to provide a more in-depth analysis. All chartists use price charts – usually either line charts, bar charts or candlestick charts. Some analysts use indicators like moving averages and oscillators calculated from stock prices. Others use price patterns, and complex analysis frameworks like Elliott Waves and Market Profile.

Fundamental vs. Technical Analysis: An Overview

If you consider the fundamentals, from the broader economy to the company details, you are doing a fundamental analysis. Most fundamental analysis is used for evaluating share prices, but it can be used across a range of asset classes, such as bonds and forex. These products are not suitable for all clients, therefore please ensure you fully understand the risks and seek independent advice.

IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. The yield curve can provide insights into economic expectations for inflation, growth, and possibly changes in monetary policy. This investment technique can be used to research the underlying businesses that create a product or supply goods and services.