What is support and resistance in the stock market?

A new trader should understand the concept of support and resistance. Simply put, identifying the stock prices is a prioritised concern for traders when it comes to the stock market. So, are you a budding trader who wants to get an insight into price analyses? Welcome to this all-encompassing post, where you can learn about support and resistance in stock market. 

Support and resistance play a crucial role in trade analyses when the context is about the stock market. Understanding the price movements becomes evident for traders to recognise the ever-altering support and resistance levels. 

So, if you’re a budding expert in this trading world, you must get familiar with these two terms. Let’s read on and understand what is support and resistance in stock market.

A brief on support and resistance

Support is at the utmost level where the demand is strong. So the stock does not fall any further. Every time the price reaches its support level, it might impose difficulty at that level. Considering the basics, buyers will become more inclined to purchase if the price drops, so the demand rises. On the other hand, sellers will become less willing to sell, reducing the supply.

On the other hand, resistance is the utmost level where the supply tends to be strong. So, the stock does not move any higher. So, every time the price reaches its resistance level, it cannot increase any further. The point here is when the price increases and resistance is approached, the seller will be more inclined to sell. Hence, during this time, the supply increases. On the other hand, the buyer will become less willing to purchase, so the demand falls. 

Understanding support and resistance lines – the basics

When the forces of supply and demand meet, the support and resistance levels are significant points. Such levels are seen by analysts while determining the share market psychology as well as supply and demand. Now, when these levels are broken, the demand and supply forces creating the levels are anticipated to have moved. Then, new support and resistance levels are established. 

Support and resistance are found in charting time frames. So, it can be monthly, daily, or weekly. Traders can find resistance and support in time frames. They can find it in 1-minute or 5-minute charts. However, with a longer time period, the support and resistance will be more significant. 

You can identify them by looking back at the chart and finding a pause in the price rise or fall. Then, you should look forward to checking whether the price halts or/and reverses while it approaches the level. Multiple experienced traders can consider pasting support or resistance levels and place the traders in anticipation of a similar future reaction at the level. 

It is true that technical analysis isn’t a science. At times, the price may go below the support levels before it gets to the previous level. The same goes true even for resistance. Here, the price might reverse before it gets to the previous resistance level. In such circumstances, flexibility in interpreting the patterns might be important. That’s why these levels are known as “zones.” 

A majority of experienced traders share stories on how the price may halt when it reaches a specified level. 

Understanding the reliability factor of support and resistance

If you want to assess the reliability factor of support as well as resistance in the share market, they are based on the following parameters:

Trading volume

With trading volume, analysts can identify the critical price points with these levels. The price point becomes consistent after it tracks the selling and buying nature. When the price action makes traders sell specific stock classes, these investors can consider a shorter position. That’s evident when it reaches the next level. It highlights investors’ tendency to sell at a breakeven point that’s never before this time. 

Touch count

How many times the point attains support & resistance in the share market is important. It’s more evident before the rebounding marks the credibility. Suppose the support line is consistently preventing the stock prices from declining. In such circumstances, it might become more reliable than before. Thus, it might influence traders’ decisions. 

Traders, in the meantime, would not attend to details on the levels that don’t maintain the price actions’ consistency. 

Period

You can assess the reliability of support and resistance based on the duration, too. Both the levels become reliable when they hold on to the price actions for an extended period. 

Price moves 

Next comes the price moves that can also help you identify the reliability of these levels in the share market. Support and resistance depend on the price moves. An increased price movement will let more traders to join in. 

Concluding note

So, you have now understood the meaning and parameters of evaluating support and resistance. Now, you can better understand the instances that have led price actions to reach the levels. Using these levels as an investment strategy for traders is an excellent choice. You can manage risks and place stops. In addition, you might also determine market conditions and check for appropriate entry & exit positions. 

The best trading strategy with these levels is to purchase soon after the price closes in. One can sell right when the price moves closer to a resistance level. The breakout strategy is another significant method where traders need to wait for stock prices to move outside the level. Note that breakout is not only a minor movement. It is a rapid and sudden movement with rising momentum, creating profitable opportunities for traders. 

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