The Principle of The Composite Operator is central to why the other Principles exist and why they unfold...
Why ?
IT SWINGS..... But for why and for who ?
The CO has to sell on the way up and he has to buy on the way down.
( At least he starts to... 1- No turning points otherwise 2- The CO's volume is the volume of the mkt ...The CO is the one on the other side of the spread to "Mr Market" )
The pendulum swings Up and Down...
Each swing up is building a cause for the next swing down
Each swing down is building a cause for the next swing up
The CO uses the liquidity that is generated by those swings .
Liquidity created by emotions & by corners ( opes prime ?, poor FA & TA , broken investors, stupid investors greedy investors !)
Technical positions are being constantly created
People under water ( The press is full of it... ) Hold their breath for as long as they can , but until they stop , those waters will not recede..
( Risk risk RISK , Money is put at risk, always there is risk)
"It only goes up after you sell,
It only goes down after you buy"
Mkts can move in only three active ways ( they can also do nothing )
UP
DOWN
& SIDEWAYS
We define movement by a series of highs and lows
UP is a series of higher highs and higher lows
Down is a series of lower lows and lower highs
Sideways is a series Higher Highs & Lower Lows
or
A series of lower lows and lower highs
here defined are all possible patterns
trending , expanding . contracting ( dampening )
By measuring these swings
their thrust their duration & the Volume
In the context of position
We can identify the actions of the CO
and Hitch a ride on these swings
Keeping our heads above water
Riding waves not being smashed by them
The largest participation occurs at tops and bottoms
like moths to a flame or lemmings to a cliff
when trends are just about to enter Corners
( Just read through Saturday AFR , You name it it blows up ------The corner is always up ahead )
The action of the market unfolds by a series of waves
because action always gathers a following
We can measure this following
and so we can identify when the following meets opposition ( selling into the trend ) or simply wanes ..
how urgent , climatic etc
Price .... how far ( result )
Volume.... how much ( effort )
Time......how long ( duration )
backing and filling
information and manipulation , create following
The swings build causes
And in the context of STEP ONE ( That is why it is No-1 )
Are we coming or going ( what is the trend and what is the position in the trend )
Little swings build into bigger swings,, Same principles just different degrees
So The small trader can wait for those swings , those waves .
and ----->
Figuratively speaking, therefore the small trader should imagine himself as a hitch-hiker in the market. For the ordinary hitch-hiker, someone else supplies the car, chauffeur, oil and gas. When he thinks the car is about to go in his direction, he jumps aboard and rides as far as he thinks the car will go.
When he notices the machine has been stopped by a red light, or is about to turn a corner and go in some other direction, or that the car is running out of gas, or the brakes failing to work properly, he steps off and figures he has secured about as long a ride as he may expect.
All he has supplied in this transaction is a modest commission and whatever brains were necessary to observe and recognize the opportunity when to get on and off.
So it is with the market. The observer, whether a small trader or large operator, watches for his opportunity. When he sees a chance that offers reasonable odds in His favor, where the probability of profit far exceeds the risk, he buys, limits his risk and awaits developments.
So long as the stock behaves properly, in accordance with the technical action that confirms his original judgment, he maintains his position. As soon as he finds the stock has reached it's indicated objective....
Begins to waver in it's stride, or passes through a set of maneuvers that clearly indicate supply is increasing, and a reactionary movement seems imminent, he acts on the information thrust upon his attention and gets out.......
Richard D Wyckoff
Stock Market Technique ( vol 2 I think ~ 1934 )
http://www.wyckoffstockmarketinstitute.com/corner.htm
SMI is putting up some good material...eg all of The Five Steps
motorway