Dow Theory

Dow Theory
The Key To Understanding

Stock Market Movement
Christopher M. Quigley
B.Sc.(Maj. Accounting), M.I.I. Grad., M.A.
The Dow theory has been around for almost 100 years. Developed by
Charles Dow and refined by William Hamilton, many of the ideas put
forward by these two men have become axioms of Wall Street.
Background:
Charles Dow developed the Dow theory from his analysis of market price
action in the late 19th. Century. Until his death in 1902, Dow was part
owner as well as editor of the Wall Street Journal. Even though Charles
Dow is credited with initiating Dow theory, it was S.A. Nelson and
William Hamilton who later refined the theory into what it is today. In
1932 Robert Rhea further refined the analysis. Rhea studied and
deciphered some 252 editorials through which Dow and Hamilton
conveyed their thoughts on the market.
Main Assumptions:
1.
Manipulation of the primary trend as not being possible is the
primary assumption of the Dow theory. Hamilton also believed that while
individual stocks could be influenced it would be virtually impossible to
manipulate the market as a whole.
2.
Averages discount everything. This assumption means that the
markets reflect all known information. Everything there is to know is
already reflected in the markets through price. Price represents the sum
total of all the hopes, fears and expectations of all participants. The unexpected will occur, but usually this will affect the short-term trend. The
primary trend will remain unaffected. Hamilton noted that sometimes the
market would react negatively to good news. For Hamilton the reason
was simple: the markets look ahead, this explains the old Wall Street
axiom "buy on the rumour and sell on the news".
Even though the Dow Theory is not meant for short-term trading, it can
still add value for traders. Thus no matter what your time frame, it always
helps to be able to identify the primary trend. According to Hamilton
those who successfully applied the Dow Theory rarely traded on too
regular a basis. Hamilton and Dow were not concerned with the risks
involved in getting exact tops and bottoms. Their main concern was
catching large moves. They advised the close study of the markets on a
daily basis, but they also sought to minimise the effects of random
movements and recommended concentration on the primary trend.
Price Movement:
Dow and Hamilton identified three types of price movement for the Dow
Jones Industrial and Rail averages:
A.
Primary movements
B.
Secondary movements
C.
Daily fluctuations
A.
Primary moves last from a few months to many years and represent
the broad underlying trend of the market.
B.
Secondary or reaction movements last for a few weeks to many
months and move counter to the primary trend.
C.
Daily fluctuations can move with or against the primary trend and
last from a few hours to a few days, but usually not more than a week.
Primary movements, as mentioned, represent the broad underlying

trend.These actions are typically referred to as BULL or BEAR trends.
Bull means buying or positive trends and Bear means negative or selling
trends. Once the primary trend has been identified, it will remain in
effect until proven otherwise. Hamilton believed that the length and the
duration of the trend were largely undeterminable. Many traders and
investors get hung up on price and time targets. The reality of the
situation is that nobody knows where and when the primary trend will
end.
The objective of Dow theory is to utilize what we do know, not to
haphazardly guess about what we do not. Through a set of guidelines.
Dow theory enables investors to identify the primary trend and invest
accordingly. Trying to predict the length and duration of the trend is an
exercise in futility. Success according to Hamilton and Dow is
measured by the ability to identify the primary trend and stay with
it.
Secondary movements run counter to the primary trend and are

reactionary in nature. In a bull market a secondary move is considered a
correction. In a bear market, secondary moves are sometimes called
reaction rallies. Hamilton characterized secondary moves as a necessary
phenomenon to combat excessive speculation. Corrections and counter
moves kept speculators in check and added a healthy dose of guess work
to market movements. Because of their complexity and deceptive nature,
secondary movements require extra careful study and analysis. He
discovered investors often mistake a secondary move as the beginning of
a new primary trend.
Daily fluctuations, while important when viewed as a group, can be

dangerous and unreliable individually. getting too caught up in the
movement of one or two days can lead to hasty decisions that are based
on emotion. To invest successfully it is vitally important to keep the
whole picture in mind when analyzing daily price movements. In
general they agreed the study of daily price action can add valuable
insight, but only when taken in greater context.
The Three Stages of Primary Bull Markets and Primary

Bear Markets.
Hamilton identified three stages to both primary bull and primary bear
markets. The stages relate as much to the psychological state of the
market as to the movement of prices.
Primary Bull Market
Stage 1.
Accumulation
Hamilton noted that the first stage of a bull market was largely
indistinguishable from the last reaction rally in a bear market. Pessimism,
which was excessive at the end of the bear market, still reigns at the
beginning of a bull market. In the first stage of a bull market, stocks begin
to find a bottom and quietly firm up. After the first leg peaks and starts to
head down, the bears come out proclaiming that the bear market is not
over. It is at this stage that careful analysis is warranted to determine if
the decline is a secondary movement. If is a secondary move, then the
low forms above the previous low, a quiet period will ensue as the
market firms and then an advance will begin. When the previous peak is
surpassed, the beginning of the second leg and a primary bull will be
confirmed.
Stage 2.
Movement With Strength
The second stage of a primary bull market is usually the longest, and sees
the largest advance in prices. It is a period marked by improving business
conditions and increased valuations in stocks. This is considered the
easiest stage to make profit as participation is broad and the trend
followers begin to participate.
Stage 3.
Excess
Marked by excess speculation and the appearance of inflationary
pressures. During the third and final stage, the public is fully involved in
the market, valuations are excessive and confidence is extraordinarily
high.
Primary Bear Market

Stage 1.
Distribution
Just as accumulation is the hallmark of the first stage of a primary bull
market, distribution marks the beginning of a bear market. As the "smart
money" begins to realise that business conditions are not quite as good as
once thought, and thus they begin to sell stock. There is little in the
headlines to indicate a bear market is at hand and general business
conditions remain good. However stocks begin to lose their lustre and the
decline begins to take hand. After a moderate decline, there is a reaction
rally that retraces a portion of the decline. Hamilton noted that reaction
rallies during a bear market were quite swift and sharp. This quick
and sudden movement would invigorate the bulls to proclaim the bull
market alive and well. However the reaction high of the secondary
move would form and be lower than the previous high. After making a
lower high, a break below the previous low, would confirm that this
was the second stage of a bear market.
Stage 2.
Movement With Strength
As with the primary bull market stage two of a primary bear market
provides the largest move. This is when the trend has been identified as
down and business conditions begin to deteriorate. Earnings estimates are
reduced, shortfalls occur, profit margins shrink and revenues fall.
Stage 3.
Despair
At the final stage of a bear market all hope is lost and stocks are frowned
upon. Valuations are low, but the selling continues as participants seek to
sell no matter what. The news from corporate America is bad, the
economic outlook is bleak and no buyers are to be found. The market will
continue to decline until all the bad news is fully priced into the stocks.
Once stocks fully reflect the worst possible outcome, the cycle begins
again.
Signals
Identification Of The Trend
The first step in the identifying the primary trend is to analyse the
individual trend of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Dow Jones
Transport Average. Hamilton used peak and trough analysis to ascertain
the identity of the trend. An uptrend is defined by prices that form a
series of rising peaks and rising troughs [higher highs and higher
lows]. In contrast, a downtrend is defined by prices that form a series
of declining peaks and declining troughs [lower highs and lower
lows].
Once the trend has been identified, it is assumed valid until proven
otherwise. A downtrend is considered valid until a higher low forms
and the ensuing advance off the higher low surpasses the previous
reaction high. Conversely, an uptrend is considered in place until a lower
low forms.
Averages Must Confirm

Hamilton and Dow stressed that for a primary trend or sell signal to be
valid, both the Dow Jones Industrial and The Transport averages must
confirm each other. For example if one average records a new high or
new low, then the other must soon follow for a Dow theory signal to be
considered valid.
Volume
Though Hamilton did analyse statistics, price action was the ultimate
determinant. Volume is more important when confirming the strength of
advances and can also help to identify potential reversals. Hamilton
thought that volume should increase in the direction of the primary
trend. For example in a primary bull market, volume should be heavier
on advances than during corrections. The opposite is true in a primary
bear market. Volume should increase on the declines and decrease during
the reaction rallies. Thus by analysing the reaction rallies and
corrections, it is possible to judge the underlying strength of the
primary trend.
Trading Ranges
In his commentaries over the years, Hamilton referred many times to
"lines". Lines are horizontal lines that form trading ranges. Trading
ranges develop when the averages move sideways over a period of time
and make it possible to draw horizontal lines connecting the tops and the
bottoms. These trading ranges indicate either accumulation or distribtion, but is was virtually impossible to tell which until there was a clear
break to the upside or the downside.
Conclusion
The goal of Dow and Hamilton was to identify the primary trend and
catch the big moves up and be out of the market the rest of the time. They
well understood that the market was influenced by emotion and prone to
over-reaction, both up and down. With this in mind, they concentrated on
identification and following the trend.
Dow theory [or set of assumptions] helps investors identify facts. It can
form an excellent basis for analysis and has become the cornerstone for
many professional traders in understanding market movement. Hamilton
and Dow believed that success in the markets required serious study and
analysis. They realised that success was a great thing, but also realised
that failure, while painful, should be looked upon as learning experiences.
Technical analysis is an art form and the eye and mind grow keener with
practice. Study both success and failure with an eye to the future.
[email protected]
www.wealthbuilder.ie
(C) 2007 Christopher M. Quigley

Dow Theory

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Dow Theory

The Key To Understanding

Primary movements, as mentioned, represent the broad underlying

Secondary movements run counter to the primary trend and are

Daily fluctuations, while important when viewed as a group, can be

The Three Stages of Primary Bull Markets and Primary

Primary Bear Market

Movement With Strength

Averages Must Confirm

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