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Methodical Madness: Technical Analysis and the Irrationality of Exchange-Rate Forecasts

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Author Info
Chang, P H Kevin
Osler, Carol L

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Abstract

Substantial empirical research documents that exchange-rate forecasts are not formed rationally. This paper identifies a common technical trading signal, the head-and-shoulders pattern, as a potential source of departures from rationality in exchange-rate forecasts. Forecasts based on this pattern are evaluated for daily dollar exchange rates over 1973 to 1994, using two criteria for rationality: profitability and efficiency. Resulting profits, replicable in real-time, are tested for statistical significance using a bootstrap technique. We find that the rule is profitable, but not efficient, since it is dominated by simpler trading rules.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Royal Economic Society in its journal The Economic Journal.

Volume (Year): 109 (1999)
Issue (Month): 458 (October)
Pages: 636-61
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Handle: RePEc:ecj:econjl:v:109:y:1999:i:458:p:636-61

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  1. Stephan Schulmeister, 2007. "Performance of Technical Trading Systems in the Yen/Dollar Market," WIFO Working Papers 291, WIFO. [Downloadable!]
  2. Stephan Schulmeister, 2007. "The Interaction Between the Aggregate Behaviour of Technical Trading Systems and Stock Price Dynamics," WIFO Working Papers 290, WIFO. [Downloadable!]
  3. Carol L. Osler, 2001. "Currency orders and exchange-rate dynamics: explaining the success of technical analysis," Staff Reports 125, Federal Reserve Bank of New York. [Downloadable!]
  4. Christopher J. Neely & Paul A. Weller, 2001. "Intraday technical trading in the foreign exchange market," Working Papers 1999-016, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. [Downloadable!]
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  5. Marcelo Cunha Medeiros & Álvaro Veiga & Carlos Eduardo Pedreira, 2000. "Modelling exchange rates: smooth transitions, neural networks, and linear models," Textos para discussão 432, Department of Economics PUC-Rio (Brazil). [Downloadable!]
  6. Nguyen, James, 2004. "The Efficient Market Hypothesis: Is It Applicable to the Foreign Exchange Market?," Economics Working Papers wp04-20, School of Economics, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. [Downloadable!]
  7. Thomas Gehrig & Lukas Menkhoff, 2006. "Extended evidence on the use of technical analysis in foreign exchange," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(4), pages 327-338. [Downloadable!]
  8. Stephan Schulmeister, . "Profitability and Price Effects of Technical Currency Trading," WIFO Working Papers 140, WIFO. [Downloadable!]
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