Article Archive For
George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
Seasonal Adjustment Of Time Series Data by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS ...Seasonal Adjustment
Of Time Series Data
by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
While time series data is the heart of most technical trading
systems, some have a tendency to reflect seasonal patterns;
for example, agricultural commodities tend to follow harvest
cycles. Here's how to adjust data to see nonseasonal patterns
more clearly.
Time series data, which is data
such as most price and volume
data collected sequentially over
time and usually at fixed inter-vals,
is the basic fuel for most
technical trading systems. As
new data becomes available, it
is used to recalculate the value
of technical ...
AUTHOR: George R. Arrington, Ph.D.DATE: JAN 1999SUBJECT: Statistics
A Duration Proxy For Stock Portfolios by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS ...Duration, used in fixed-income portfolios to measure risk associated with changes in interest rates, is applied here to measure the risk of a stock portfolio.
The duration statistic has proved
to be a valuable risk indicator
for fixed-income portfolios.
Duration gives an indication of
how sensitive a portfolio is to
changes in interest rates. A bond
portfolio with a five-year duration
would be expected to lose
5% of its value if interest rates
rise by one percentage point, or
gain 5% if interest rates fall by one percentage point. Dura-tion
also provides a benchmark for comparing the relativ...
AUTHOR: George R. Arrington, Ph.D.DATE: AUG 1998SUBJECT: Quantitative Analysis
The JSA Moving Average by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS ...The JSA Moving Average by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
Presenting the JSA, a unique moving average that could provide an early warning that other technical indicators may have an impending signal. In addition, comparing the JSA with other moving averages raises interesting questions about the information that moving averages in general provide.
Most traders use moving averages to identify underlying price trends and to help signal the timing of a
trade. In slow- moving markets, the three most common moving averages (simple, linear and
exponential) may do just fine. But in fast-moving markets w...
AUTHOR: George R. Arrington, Ph.D.DATE: OCT 1993
Guidelines For Risk Management by George R. Arrington
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS ...Guidelines For Risk Management
by George R. Arrington
Risk control is an essential part of trading successfully. Effective risk management requires not only the
careful monitoring of risk exposure, but a strategy to minimize losses as well . Understanding how to
control risk exposure allows the trader, beginner or veteran, to continue trading even when the inevitable
losses occur. S TOCKS & COMMODITIES contributor George R. Arrington offers guidelines for risk control.
While every trade involves a degree of risk, some general principles of risk management, if applied,
reduce the potential fo...
AUTHOR: George R. Arrington, Ph.D.DATE: FEB 1993
Markov Chains by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS ...Markov Chains
by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
A Markov chain, the concept of which was developed in 1906 by Russian mathematician A.A. Markov, is
a mathematical tool that traders might use to predict future price changes on the basis of past price
changes. STOCKS & COMMODITIES contributor George R. Arrington explains how.
A Markov chain is a mathematical tool that was developed in the early 1900s. It has been used in a
variety of applications, including but not limited to forecasting weather changes, voting patterns,
demographic trends, agricultural yields, insurance payout and even outcomes o...
AUTHOR: George R. Arrington, Ph.D.DATE: DEC 1993
The Basics Of Moving Averages by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS ...The Basics Of Moving Averages
by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
Moving averages are one of the most common technical tools that technicians, both veteran and novice,
may take advantage of. But for those novices, the concept may be somewhat confusing. What is a moving
average, anyway? And what about all those variations -- linear, stepweighted, exponential, even
triangular? George Arrington explains the basics of the moving averages. And for those veteran traders
out there, it never hurts to brush up on those basics.
The first maxim a trader learns is to ""buy low and sell high."" The trick, howev...
AUTHOR: George R. Arrington, Ph.D.DATE: JUN 1992
Measuring An Indicator's Forecasting Ability by George R. Arrington
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS ...Measuring An Indicator's Forecasting Ability
by George R. Arrington
Indicators are used to forecast a market. Traders have their favorite indicators. How can a trader
determine whether an indicator leads the market? How can we tell whether one indicator is superior to
another? Arrington explains how to measure a technical indicator's ability to forecast prices.
Many traders use a variety of technical indicators to forecast changes in the prices of stocks and
commodities, including such diverse indicators as stochastics, relative strength, on-balance volume,
sentiment index, weather patterns,...
AUTHOR: George R. Arrington, Ph.D.DATE: APR 1992
Building A Variable-Length Moving Average by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
ARTICLE SYNOPSIS ...Building A Variable-Length Moving Average
by George R. Arrington, Ph.D.
Of the tools in the technician's arsenal, the moving average is one of the most popular. It is used to
eliminate minor fluctuations in prices, filter data noise and identify any underlying trend. Ideally, a
moving average is sensitive enough to signal when a new trend has begun, yet able to ignore short-term
random price movements at the same time.
As long as the underlying trend continues, longer averages work well, but shorter averages do a better job
of indicating changes in trends. As a result, many technicians use t...
AUTHOR: George R. Arrington, Ph.D.DATE: JUN 1991