Though silver has various industrial uses, it is also used purely as an investment like gold. Silver prices, like those of any other commodity, are driven by speculation, as well as supply and demand.  Silver prices are much more volatile than gold prices, primarily because of lower market liquidity and demand fluctuations. These prices, however, often track the gold price due to store of value demand.

Investors can gain exposure to silver in a number of ways. Exchange Traded Funds based on silver prices are one of the most popular ways to gain exposure to silver. Investing in shares of silver mining companies is also another option. Trading in silver futures is another way to play the silver market.

Silver futures are traded on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Comex futures for silver are traded under the ticker symbol SI and in U.S. cents per troy ounce. These futures on the Comex division of NYMEX are delivered every month of the year. The size of a contract on the Comex is 5,000 troy ounces.

At Barchart, traders can view up to date information about these and other futures. Traders can use the Most Active Futures page available on Barchart to get information about futures. The Most Active Futures page includes the list of commodity contracts with the greatest volume for the day. The page is updated with every refresh.

The Most Active Futures Page on Barchart includes three standard views, which include the main view, technical view, and performance view. To get more information about the futures market for silver, traders can also use the Futures Momentum page on Barchart. The Futures Momentum page includes the list of the strongest futures contracts, which are ranked by weighted alpha over the past year.

Traders can also track the performance of silver futures with the help of the Performance Leaders page on Barchart. Barchart’s Performance Leaders page includes commodities contracts with the highest and lowest percent change. The page helps investors determine the commodities with the most price movement from the close of the market the previous day.

There are also other online resources that traders can use to receive dependable and accurate information about silver prices and futures. Bloomberg is a reliable resource online to track futures. Traders can also track futures on the website of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Sign up today to experience the full benefits of your free membership at www.barchart.com.

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Corn is one of the most important grain crops in the world. Corn is a staple in the diets of people throughout the world and it is also used to feed many different species of animals.  Corn prices have risen greatly in the past decade for two major reasons. As China has continued to grow strongly, the diet of the average person has become richer. The demand for pork has especially increased significantly. This has indirectly increased demand for corn as the grain is used as animal feed. Another major reason behind rising corn prices is the increasing use of biofuels. In 2011, 40% of the United States corn crop was used to make fuel, topping the amount used in animal feed for the first time ever.

According to a report by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), inventories of corn in the United States, which is the world’s top producer of corn, may total 846 million bushels before this year’s harvest. This is 12% more than analysts originally estimated.

These futures are traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). The ticker symbol for futures of corn on CBOT is C. For electronic trading, the ticker symbol is ZC. The size of this futures contract is 5,000 bushels. The deliverable grades are No. 2 yellow at par, No. 1 yellow at 1.5 cents per bushel over contract price, and No. 3 yellow at 1.5 cents per bushel under contract price.

The contract months for corn futures are March, May, July, September, and December. The daily price limit for these futures on CBOT is $1,000 per contract above or below the previous day’s settlement price.

With the help of Barchart, traders can play the corn futures market. Barchart offers Futures News/Commentary to members.

Barchart offers news from the USDA, which includes daily feed prices, grain reports, and more. Barchart also offers InsideFutures Commentary, leading market research, commentary and analysis from industry firms and trading experts. Traders can use InsideFutures Commentary to not only gain insight into the corn market, but also other futures markets.

Traders can also find the best futures to buy with the help of Barchart’s Futures Performance Leaders page. The Futures Performance Leaders page includes commodities contracts with the highest and lowest percent change. The page helps traders identify the commodities with the most price movement from the close of the market the previous day and spot emerging trends.

Become a member to start trading today at www.barchart.com.

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The supply and demand of agricultural commodities such as wheat depends on factors like temperature, precipitation, and the changing needs of consumers.  In the last few years, prices for agricultural commodities have risen sharply and one major contributing factor for this has been the demand from emerging economies, especially China. All these factors make the market for agricultural commodities very interesting. However, in this article we will focus only on the wheat futures market.

Wheat has a number of uses. It is used for production of flour for breads, pastas, and more food products. It also used as animal feed. Wheat prices, like prices for any other commodity, depend on supply and demand factors. Traders looking to speculate on wheat prices can trade these futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT).

The size of a contract for wheat on the CBOT is 5,000 bushels. The price is quoted in cents per bushel. The contract months for these futures include July, September, December, March, and May. The trading symbol for wheat futures on CBOT is W. For electronic trading sessions, the ZW symbol is used.

The deliverable wheat grades for a futures contract on CBOT at the contract price are No. 2 Soft Red Winter Wheat, No. 2 Hard Red Winter Wheat, and No. 2 Dark Northern Spring Wheat.  These futures are also traded on the Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT) under the ticker symbol KW in cents per bushel. The symbol for wheat futures in electronic trading sessions is KE.

According to a recent report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), global wheat supplies may total 210.02 million tons, the most since 2000. This is due to major wheat producers, including Australia and Russia, raising production. A number of analysts believe that there is a surplus of wheat right now. All of these factors mean that wheat prices are expected to slip.

Traders looking to play this market can benefit from the services of Barchart. With the help of Barchart’s Futures News/Commentary page, traders can stay informed about the latest developments in the agricultural commodities futures market.  Barchart uses a number of sources to provide news and commentary on the futures market. Traders can view the Brugler Agricultural Commentary on the Web site, which offers daily overviews on three times a day at open, mid-day, and close of the Agricultural markets. The commentary on the agricultural markets is by Alan Brugler, who has significant experience in the commodity markets.

For more information, visit www.barchart.com.

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Gold prices rose nearly 10% in 2011 despite falling sharply in the fourth quarter. Gold has now posted annual gains for 11 straight years. Though gold briefly entered bear market territory in December 2011, the fundamentals for the precious metal remain intact and most analysts say that gold prices will continue to rise in 2012.

Considering the volatility in global markets, worries about the Euro Zone, global economic growth, and negative real rates in most of the developed world, gold is an attractive investment option.

There are a number of ways investors can gain exposure to gold. The most popular method is to buy physical gold. Another way investors can gain exposure to gold is through gold exchange traded funds, which track gold prices. Investors can also buy shares of gold mining companies. In this article, though, we will focus on futures for gold.

Gold futures are traded on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). The NYMEX gold futures are priced in dollars and cents per ounce. The size of a gold futures contract is 100 troy ounces. The ticker symbol for NYMEX is GC. Trading on NYMEX is conducted for delivery during the current calendar month and the next two calendar months. Also, during any February, April, August, and October falling within a 23-month period, and any June and December falling within a 60-month period starting with the current month.

Using technical analysis is one of the best ways to spot emerging trends in the gold market. With the help of charts, which are available online, traders can anticipate the direction in which the gold market is likely to move. Martin Pring has explained in his book, “Technical Analysis Explained,” how a trader can analyze gold prices by employing trend-determining techniques such as moving averages and rates of change.

At Barchart traders can access different futures charts, including gold. The Futures Momentum page can also help if you are looking to trade in these futures. The Futures Momentum page consists of a list of the strongest futures contracts, which are ranked by weighted alpha over the past year. The Futures Momentum page is an excellent way to spot emerging trends in this market.

The Futures Momentum page is updated every 10 minutes, giving traders up to date information. During active trading hours, traders can see the latest price data when on the main, technical and performance views pages.

For more information, go to www.barchart.com and become a member to receive free tips for trading on the stock market.

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The natural gas industry is a crucial segment of the United States economy. Additionally, it provides one of the cleanest burning fuels to all parts of the economy.

Natural gas is a significant global commodity. According to the International Energy Agency’s Key World Energy Statistics booklet, natural gas supplies the fuel for 21.3% of worldwide electricity generation, second only to coal. Still the natural gas market is growing. The United States is currently the largest producer of natural gas in the world, followed by Russia.

Natural gas prices, just like prices for other commodities, are dependent on supply and demand. These prices reflect the ability of a supply to meet demands at any given time.

Fluctuations in natural gas prices can have significant impact on producers. Though natural gas and crude oil are energy commodities, the market has witnessed that natural gas prices are much more volatile than crude oil prices. Producers hedge this price risk through futures. Traders also use the futures market to speculate on prices.

These futures are traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange under the ticker symbol NG. Natural gas futures are priced in U.S. dollars and cents per mmBtu. Futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) are delivered in all months. The delivery point for these futures is Henry Hub in Erath, Louisiana. The size of a futures contract for natural gas on the NYMEX is 10,000 million mmBtu.

Traders looking to trade in these futures can use a number of resources online to track prices. Bloomberg is one of the best resources online to track prices of NYMX futures.

At Barchart, members can seek resources to learn more about natural gas futures. Barchart offers a snapshot of this market daily. Traders can use Barchart’s Futures Markets Quoteboards to track natural gas prices.

In addition, Barchart offers daily end-of-day and intraday quotes on futures, including natural gas. Traders can access charts and technical analyses of the natural gas futures market on a daily basis on the Futures Markets Quoteboards page.

The Futures Market page includes the lead contracts of the major North American futures markets and all futures pages are updated every 10 seconds throughout the trading day. This way a trader can stay up to date with the futures market at all times.

To learn more, please visit www.barchart.com. Sign up to begin your free membership today.

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When looking at stock charts while searching for the best stocks to buy, you might notice that stock charts are constantly evolving. When you want to find the best stocks to buy, you have to search extensively. When it comes to stock charts, you will want to find the best stocks to buy as quickly and as painlessly as possible. If you cannot find these stocks easily, you may become frustrated or find yourself in a serious spot of trouble. After all, finding great stocks can be the difference between retiring in your 60s and retiring in your 40s.

When you search through charts for the best stocks to buy, you need to be careful.  Are they actually worth buying in the first place? After all, this is a game that is dominated by some very serious power players. If you are a novice, then it you can quickly begin to feel like a guppy in a shark tank. If you do not find the most relevant information you can, your stock market career may only last as long as your savings. The odds increase in your favor through increased and more thorough research practices.

The good news is that there are excellent tools available for your use. Charts, graphs, and stock screeners will go a very long way towards helping you to find the best stocks to invest your hard earned money in. The real trick remains, however, where can you find all of these things in a fairly convenient place? As great as it is to surf the Internet and find everything you want,  it can often be a serious pain if you must surf from site to site to find information. Fortunately, there are some great sites that provide all the relevant information in one area.

For example, Barchart.com is one of the best sites you can visit to access an overview of charts, graphs, and other stats that will help you find reliable and profitable stocks to purchase. Though Barchart cannot guarantee any returns on investments, the information they provide will help your chances instead of going it alone. Signing up is free and members can create their own portfolio. In their portfolio tracker, which is accessible to all members, traders can easily track the performance of their individual stocks. Visit www.barchart.com today and begin building your fortune in the market.

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The economy has indeed dealt a bad hand to investors who were previously, heavily invested in stocks. Falling stock market prices have left even the most experienced traders wondering whether there is a better way to find the best stocks to buy.

Fortunately, the market is beginning to show some healthy signs. The indices reveal an uptrend but there are still many sectors that are not showing any signs of recovery. The housing market, for one, is still in the doldrums despite government efforts to revive it. However, the trend is that the recession is on the way out and it is only a matter of time before things improve. It is good news for investors, as well as traders, but the problem remains: How do you find the top stocks to buy?

Identifying the top stocks to buy is not difficult if you are sure of your time window, which is the amount of time you are prepared to wait for your investment to yield a profit. In simple language, this determines whether you are a day trader, a short-term trader, or a long-term investor. Let us explore each category further.

The best stocks to buy for a day trader are those that show some momentum. To identify top stocks to buy, a day trader needs access to technical charts. He must understand how to read meanings in moving averages, analytic charts, and stay current with the latest business news.

On the other hand, if you are a long-term investor, the best stocks to buy are often from fundamentally strong companies. If you do not know how to read balance sheets, the best indicator of strong fundamentals is a long history of uninterrupted dividends.  Short-term traders are placed somewhere in between. As an investor looking for short-term profits, you need to strike a balance between technical analysis of price movement and fundamentals.

However, it is the trader who is usually more concerned about identifying the best stocks to buy. For a day trader it makes no difference whether the price of the stock is going up or down as he is sure to square up the position at the end of the day. Most day traders trade in futures, options, and other derivative products. These products allow a short period, usually a month, for squaring up long (buy), as well as short (sell) positions.

Regardless of your time window, Barchart provides access to every type of information that will help you identify top stocks with a profit potential. Visit www.barchart.com for access to technical charts, market news, and company results.

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When an investor pursues the best stocks to buy, he wants the top stocks. Often the hottest stocks one day may not be the best stocks to buy the next day, but there is a window in which an investor can find top stocks while they are still the best stocks to buy. This method is made possible by tracking technical information. With a detailed technical analysis, a trader can do a lot more to make sure he chooses the stocks that will create a serious profit if he decides to sell them later on. Get the stocks you need for a serious profit when you decide to sell them later. No matter what kind of trader you may be, anyone can benefit from the Chart of the Day.

Have you been in situation where you were unsure which stocks were the best stocks to buy? We all want to identify and then buy the top stocks, but finding them can be a serious challenge. You might spend an hour looking in one particular area and studying a handful of charts, all while the motion of the market is in a completely different sector. This involves some very serious and intense research, which is very unforgiving for even the tiniest oversights. This is the main reason why so many hardworking traders are unable to reach their performance goals.

Thankfully the innovations of technology are able to help people just like you keep up with the ever-changing stock market. The Internet provides endless amounts of resources and live updates so you will not miss a beat. It is now easier than ever to check out stocks as they change. Additionally, it is important to know which charts to look at to follow stocks. The Chart of the Day is one chart that allows traders to easily determine where the next big moment will likely occur. Though nothing is foolproof or guaranteed, traders may have a greater chance of success by using this chart.

While every kind of chart has its merits, the best charts are available from Barchart. Their Chart of the Day is one of the best because it offers more information than the others. It displays the resistance and support of some of the most successful stocks that are available to buy. Barchart provides traders an overview of the hottest areas of the market at the moment. On top of that, Barchart is completely free. You can’t beat a deal like that, so check it out; your portfolio will thank you.  Visit www.barchart.com today!

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Crude oil is one of the most important commodities. Crude oil prices, like those for any other commodity, are affected by demand and supply issues. For example, crude oil prices rose sharply in the early part of 2011, as traders were worried that the turmoil in the Middle East & North Africa would have a significant impact on supplies from the region. On the other hand, before the financial crisis of 2008, crude oil prices soared due to demand from emerging economies like China and India.

There are a number of ways in which traders can gain exposure to crude oil. One of which is buying shares of oil exploration companies. Another popular way of gaining exposure to crude oil is through the futures market. In this article, we will focus on the crude oil futures market.

Traders looking to gain exposure to crude oil through the futures market can either trade in crude oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) or Brent futures, which are traded in London.

The NYMEX crude oil futures trade under the ticker symbol CL. The size of a NYMEX contract is 1,000 U.S. barrels. The contract is traded in all months. The deliverable grades are specific domestic crudes with 0.42% sulfur by weight or less, not less than 37 degrees API gravity or more than 42 degrees API gravity.

Traders looking to trade in these futures can utilize Barchart’s Futures Momentum page. The Futures Momentum page includes the strongest futures contracts, which are ranked by weighted alpha over the past year.

The Futures Momentum page on Barchart is initially displayed using the chart view. The green bars indicate bullish momentum and the red bars indicate bearish momentum on the chart view. The Futures Momentum page on Barchart is updated every 10 minutes.

Traders can also use the Futures Commodity Quoteboard to receive the latest updates on oil futures. The Current Prices page on the Futures Commodity Quoteboard includes the most current prices available. The page is updated every 10 seconds throughout the trading day and is an excellent tool to track crude oil prices.

The Futures News and Commentary page helps traders make informed decisions that can yield profits. News and commentary on Barchart is provided by a number of sources, including InsideFutures Commentary. InsideFutures Commentary provides leading market research, commentary and analysis from industry leading firms and trading experts.

Become a member today at www.barchart.com and learn more.

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The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index is a market index that provides investors with a snapshot of the United States’ equity market. The S&P 500 is an index of 500 stocks trading on U.S. exchanges. The stocks are chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group.

The S&P 500 is seen as a benchmark index and is designed to be a leading indicator of United States equities. Stocks included in the index are selected by the S&P Index Committee, a team of analysts and economists at Standard & Poor’s. The index is calculated by weighted average market capitalization.

S&P futures are used by traders to get an idea of how the overall equity market will perform at open and throughout the trading day. S&P 500 futures are part of the financial futures, which compared with the commodities futures market is a recent innovation. However, financial futures have become extremely popular instruments to hedge risk.

Financial newsletters, Web sites, and news sites such as Bloomberg always provide quotes for the S&P futures every day before the United States’ market opens. Generally, if these futures are higher on a given day before market open, the actual S&P 500 Index rises in the early part of the day. These futures give an early indication to traders how the market is likely to behave on a given day.

The S&P 500 futures trade under the ticker symbol SP. The size of a futures contract is $250 x S&P 500 futures price. At Barchart, traders receive the latest updates about S&P 500 futures on a daily basis. Traders can use the Most Active Futures page on Barchart to view information about futures and market commentary.

The Most Active Futures page is classified by Futures Grouping, which includes currencies, energies, financials, grains, indices, meats, metals, and softs. The Most Active Futures page is updated with every refresh. The page consists of three standard views: Main view, technical view, and performance view.

The main view includes the name, contract, last price, change, percent change, volume, and time of last trade. The technical view page consists of contract, last price, today’s opinion, 20-day relative strength, 20-day historic volatility, 20-day average volume, 52-week high and 52-week low. Finally, the performance view page includes contract, last price, weighted alpha, YTD moving average, YTD percent change, 1-month, 3-month, and 1-year percent change.

For more information, please visit www.barchart.com and sign up for your free membership.

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Technical analysis refers to the study of market action. In fundamental analysis, analysts evaluate the reasons for prices going up or down. However, in technical analysis, analysts study the effect of price movement itself. In other words, technical analysis is the forecasting of future financial price movements based on a study of past price movements.

Technical analysis is based on three important assumptions: The futures market discounts everything, prices move in trends, and history repeats itself. Technical analysts use models and trading rules, which are based on price and volume transformations. Technical analysis is particularly popular among day traders, market making firms, and pit traders.

Technical analysis can be an excellent tool if you are looking to trade in the futures market.  By analyzing futures charts, traders can identify patterns, spot emerging trends and make informed decisions. Let us take a look at some indicators that may be useful if you are analyzing futures charts.

Commodity Channel Index (CCI)

CCI is most useful for commodity futures contracts which have cyclical or seasonal tendencies. CCI has been designed to identify when a cycle begins and when it ends through the use of statistical analysis. This includes a moving average and a divisor reflecting the possible and actual trading ranges.

Commodity Selection Index

Commodity Selection Index is another important indicator if you are looking to analyze future charts. The Commodity Selection Index is utilized to rate items in a more volatile short-term period.

CCI and Commodity Selection Index are just some of the indicators that can be used during futures chart analysis. At Barchart, traders can access tips on a number of technical indicators, which can give them an edge when trading in the futures markets.

Traders can use Barchart’s, “Tips on Technicals,” and view free PDFs that are available for download to site members. Barchart provides free PDFs about candlesticks, support, and resistance, as well as reversal and continuation patterns, and Elliot Waves.

There are also numerous online articles that provide tips about technical information such as CCI, Bollinger Bands, Bar Chart Patterns, Fibonacci Retracements, Directional Movement Index, Cycles, and Gann Analysis among others.

Traders can also use the Futures Markets Quoteboards on the Web site to receive the latest information on futures markets. The Futures Market Quoteboards has three standard views: Main view, technical view, and performance view. The Technical View page includes contract, last price, opinion, 20-day relative strength, 20-day historic volatility, 20-day average volume, 52-week high, and 52-week low.

To view more about the 52-week high and low for a market, please visit www.barchart.com and become a member.

Commodity markets refer to markets where raw or primary products are exchanged. Commodities have certain characteristics which make it feasible to trade them in markets. In the last few years, commodity prices have risen sharply primarily due to demand from emerging economies like India and China. This has generated significant interest in this marketplace. Commodities are, in fact, seen as a great way to diversify a portfolio. The main appeal of commodities is that they are a natural hedge against inflation.

Now that we have established the importance of including commodities in an investment portfolio, we will look at how you can access them. Of course, one way is to buy physical commodities, but this is impractical. Buying shares of miners, oil, or gas companies are other ways to gain exposure to commodities. Commodity ETFs is also an option, but we will focus on commodity futures.

Commodities futures are an agreement to buy or sell a commodity at a specified date in the future at a specified price. Commodities futures are traded on regulated exchanges. Commodities futures prices depend upon the price of the underlying commodities.

Trading in commodities futures is a very easy and convenient way to gain exposure to the commodities market. The commodities futures market can be classified into three main categories: Agricultural Products, Metals, and Energy. Where do you start if you are looking to trade commodities futures? Barchart can help you trade in the commodities futures market.

Barchart offers traders commodity charts and futures prices, which can be used to make informed decisions and spot emerging trends. Barchart’s commodities trading signals summary serves as a complete guide of the day’s opinions. The commodities trading signals summary page is linked to a detailed page for each indicator’s buy, sell, or hold rating. On the summary page, the first category is the overall opinion, which includes commodity contracts that are at a 100% buy or a 100% sell configuration.

Barchart also offers the end-of-day futures prices by Exchange. Traders can use this page to view end-of-day prices by exchange. On the first page, traders can select the futures exchanges carried on the Web site. Once an exchange is selected, the detailed page shows traders end-of-day futures prices with the contract name and month, last price, change, open, high, low, volume, and open interest. End-of-day prices for futures are updated at approximately 7 P.M. CST for the day’s session. To learn more about commodity charts and learn how to become a member, visit www.barchart.com today.

Unlike a bond or a stock, futures contracts do not represent a long-term investment with income potential. In fact, a futures contract does not pay any interest or dividends. Investors use futures markets for two purposes; hedging and speculation.

Hedging

Speculation

Although futures markets were developed to hedge risk, a lot of trading in the market is done with the intention of profiting from changes in the prices of futures of contracts.

With the help of Barchart, www.barchart.com, traders can spot longer-term or emerging trends in the futures market to get an edge. Traders can review free futures charts on Barchart to spot the trends in the future market.

Barchart offers news and commentary on the futures market. Traders can access Inside Futures Commodity, which includes leading market research, commentary, and analysis from industry leading firms and trading experts. Traders also receive market news for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Futures Performance Leaders page on Barchart.com includes a list of commodities contracts with the highest and lowest percent change. The Futures Performance page includes four standard views. The Chart View includes free futures charts. The page displays a graph that shows Performance Leaders as green bars. There is also a Technical View, which includes Contract, Last Price, Today’s Opinion, 20-Day Relative Strength, 20-Day Historic Volatility, 20-Day Moving Average Volume, 52 week high and 52 week lows.

Traders can choose from a number of time frames, which include 5-day, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 12-month, and year-to-date. Thus traders can spot longer-term or emerging trends.

The Hot Futures page on Barchart.com includes a list of the most volatile futures contracts. The contracts are ranked by Standard Deviation and then compared to their data in the past 20-periods. The Chart View for Hot Futures includes free futures charts. The Chart View includes a graph that shows bullish movers as green bars and bearish movers as red bars. The Performance View includes Contract, Last Price, Weighted Alpha, YTD Moving Average, YTD Percent Change, 1-month, 3-month, and 1-year Percent Change. The Technical View consist of Contract, Last Price, Today’s Opinion, 20-day Relative Strength, 20-day Historic Volatility, 20-day Average Volume, 52 week High and 52 week Lows.

A futures market refers to an auction market in which participants are engaged in buying and selling commodity or future contracts for delivery on a specified date. These markets generally see higher volumes when the stock market outlook is uncertain. Now that we have established what these markets are, it is time to find out how Barchart can help you in trading in these markets.

Barchart includes a Futures Momentum page, which includes a list of the strongest contracts. Though momentum has been examined very widely in equity markets, not a lot is mentioned about momentum in this market. In a paper about momentum in this area, Craig Pirrong of the University of Houston noted that these momentum portfolios earn positive average returns even after adjusting for risk employing CAPM and the Fama-French three factor models.

On Barchart’s futures Momentum page, the contracts are ranked by weighted alpha over the past year. The page also includes four standard views: Chart view, main view, technical view, and performance view.

The momentum is initially displayed on the chart view, which displays a graph. On the chart, bullish momentum is represented by green bars, while bearish momentum is represented by red bars. There is also the main view that includes name, contract, weighted alpha, last price, change, high, low, and the last trade. The technical view consists of the 20-Day Relative Strength, 20-Day Historic Volatility, 20-Day Average Volume, and the futures and Low.

With Barchart.com’s weighted alpha indicator, traders can spot commodities that have built strong momentum over the past year and which may continue to build momentum. This is an excellent tool for traders, who are looking to bet on price movements in the markets.

Alpha measures how much a contract has risen or fallen over a year period. Barchart assigns more weight to recent activity and less to activity at the start of the period. Therefore the weighted alpha measures a year’s growth with more stress on recent price activity.

There is an indicator page that shows each future contract’s overall opinion, which is the combination of all 13 technical indicators. It also includes its combined short, medium, and long-term opinions for the time period selected on the summary page.

On the detailed indicator page, traders can choose from three standard views: main view, technical view, and performance view. These pages include opinions, volatility, averages, and performance charts.  To view one of these helpful charts, become a member today at www.barchart.com.

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The European debt crisis and worries about global economic growth have created a great deal of uncertainty in the stock markets around the world. With that being said, how do you find thetop stocks amid such uncertainty?

To invest in this type of an uncertain environment, it is important that investors conduct thorough analysis before making any investment decisions. At Barchart we recommend the use of stock charts for improved analysis to find the top stocks. In this article we will focus on one of the most popular methods in stock chart technical analysis. Stock charts are easily available online at several websites.

For technical analysis of a stock there are several methods that are used by traders and investors. Among many indicators, probably the most regarded is the concept of moving averages. With the help of moving averages, you can consistently find top stocks.

Moving averages are ascertained by various methods, however, their fundamental purpose remains the same: To facilitate technical traders and investors in spotting trends of financial assets by removing the volatility in data. In other words, the price fluctuations are removed.

By recognizing market trends, moving averages let traders make those trends work in their favor and thereby increase the chances of finding the best stocks.

Among the most widely accepted technical indicators, moving averages are used to determine the direction of the current trend. Every type of moving average number is a mathematical result that is arrived at after calculating the past data points and reaching an average. Once calculated, the resulting average is then entered into a chart that helps traders look at smoothed data rather than focusing on the day-to-day price fluctuations that are natural in all financial markets.

Apart from moving averages, online stock charts offer tons of information to investors, which can be used to gauge the market conditions. Let us take a look at some of the indicators investors can use to make sound investment decisions.

Through stock charts, an investor can find the stocks that have hit an all-time high or stocks at 52-week low, percent advances, percent declines, and volume leaders among others. All of these tools aid investors in learning more about the market conditions. For example, if there are a number of stocks at 52-week low, then the market sentiment is bearish.

Now that we have established how stock charts can help to improve analysis, we can focus on how Barchart can help you pick the top stocks. Every day, analysts at Barchart scan the markets for trading opportunities and alert traders with their promising finds on the featured Chart of the Day. Visit www.barchart.com today.

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We all know the virtues of investing in the stock market. If invested wisely in the best stocks, investors not only create wealth for the long term but also multiply their investments. For this reason we are always on the hunt for the best stocks, or the top 100 stocks, that create shareholder value in the long run.

However, finding these stocks is easier said than done. Prudent investing demands research and analysis, pertaining to individual stocks and general economic indicators. Besides, we have to also negate non-systemic risks arising out of the stock market and individual stocks. In other words, data compiling and data mining are extremely time consuming, which is something very difficult for retail investors.  Nevertheless, it does not mean that retail investors cannot invest in equity markets.

Picking the best stocks is now much easier thanks to powerful Internet resources.  With the help of Barchart, which on a daily basis scans the markets for trading opportunities, investors can easily compile the list for the top 100 stocks. The experienced team at Barchart combines its technical and analytical prowess to compile the list of the most promising or top 100 stocks. In addition, the research team at Barchart assists investors in using the free tools to scan for promising stocks.

How does the Barchart team identify the top stocks?

Several analytical tools help to compile the top 100 stocks. For instance, some of the techniques include 7 Day Directional Indicator, 10 8 Moving Average Hilo Channel, Price vs. 20 Day Moving Average, 20 - 50 Day MACD Oscillator, 20 Day Bollinger Bands, 40 Day Commodity Channel Index, Price vs. 50 Day Moving Average, 20 - 100 Day MACD Oscillator, 50 Day Parabolic Time/Price, 60 Day Commodity Channel Index, Price vs. 100 Day Moving Average and 50 - 100 Day MACD Oscillator. Based on these analyses and indicators investors can decide whether to buy, sell or hold. Each signal carries a numeric rating, signaling whether to buy or sell. Accordingly, with the help of these stocks signals, traders can analyze the best stocks.

Barchart also offers news and market commentary articles on companies, which can be utilized by investors to find stocks to buy. Barchart provides a snapshot of the market by updating the day’s Top 5 Volume Leaders, Top 5 Percent Advances, and Top 5 Percent Declines. This tool can help investors find which stocks are gaining momentum in the market.  For more information and become a member today, please visit www.barchart.com.

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Prudent investing decisions demand extensive research and analysis. Finding the best stocks to buy requires scanning through a great deal of data. Investors have to analyze financial statements, such as cash flow statements, ratio analysis for finding profitability, ROI, and ROE. Then they must understand and interpret both economic indicators and business cycles.

While these are reliable methods for finding winners and the best stocks to buy, retail investors could find these methods very time consuming and complicated. Looking for the best stocks to buy through financial statement analysis and economic indicators is not only time intensive, but also demands knowledge and skill. It can be an especially complex process for investors who are just getting started.

Nevertheless, 52 week high stocks are one of the very reliable indicators that help investors find top performing stocks very quickly. All the investors need to do is take a quick glance at the 52 week high stocks table in order to decide where they would like to invest their money.

52 week high stocks are the highest prices particular stocks have traded in the preceding twelve months or 52 weeks. Most investors see this indicator as a very important stock and market indicator. For instance, if a stock is quoted at a very high price - which is the 52 week high - but really its intrinsic value is fairly low based on the financial analysis of the stock, then astute investors can always discern that stock might decrease in value, in the future. In other words, there may be a market correction.

On the other side, if a stock trades at fairly high rates and the valuation is fundamentally correct - that is, the stock’s intrinsic price justifies the 52 week high price - then this upsurge in stock price would s***est that a stock is gaining momentum. Its long term future is strong and the market sentiment is positive.

There are many Web sites where investors can get reliable guidance on stocks to buy and stocks hitting 52-week highs. There are several resources including Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Google Finance, and Yahoo Finance. All of these sites regularly feature 52 week high stocks.

At Barchart, investors can view these stocks on a daily basis. Besides featuring this information in easy to understand table and chart formats, Barchart also offers daily market commentary, news, and analysis of stock signals to its members. Become a member at www.barchart.com today and experience all the different features available on the site.

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Are you getting started with personal investment? Do you want to know where to find top stocks? Scanning through daily market data can be tough work, especially for a beginner investor. These tips can help you in finding the hot stocks to buy, if you are getting started with personal investment.

Traditionally, personal investing meant calling up your broker and buying stocks on his or her recommendation. However, it is much easier for people to trade on their own behalves now. There are plenty of online resources that can be used by individual investors to find the top stocks.

At Barchart (www.barchart.com), investors can get a snapshot of the market on a daily basis. Barchart features the day’s Top Volume Leaders, Top Advances and Top Declines. It also features daily news and commentary on stocks. Barchart also provides investors with stock signals, which can help in finding hot stocks to buy. Investors can also use online resources to find the day’s biggest gainers and losers, stocks hitting 52-week highs and lows, stocks hitting all-time highs and lows, and volume leaders.

Let us look at an example for how can use these online resources to find top stocks. Suppose International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) shares rise sharply and touch a 52-week high on above average volume. This could be a signal that the stock is gaining momentum and the market sentiment is bullish. Based on this information, investors can decide whether IBM is a good stock to have in their portfolios. Through online resources such as Bloomberg and Reuters, investors can also find out what is moving IBM shares and whether the trend is likely to continue.

Another way of finding hot stocks to buy is by looking for analysts’ ratings. Investors can easily find the latest analysts’ rating changes and recommendations on stocks online. This is a very important tool as it gives investors an idea of what Wall Street is thinking.

Barchart has added a new feature that can help investors in finding top stocks. Barchart’s Analyst Ratings assesses a stock on a scale of 1(Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell). Investors can also access latest earnings reports from companies online, since all publicly-traded companies make their earnings releases available online. Investors can use these to check the company’s financial performance. Barchart has also added a feature that can help investors in determining whether a company’s actual earnings for the past four quarters outperformed analyst estimates. These are only some of the many resources available for individual investors on a daily basis, which can be used to find hot stocks to buy.

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The key to becoming a successful investor is making well-researched buy and sell decisions based on sound data and emerging trends. Whether you use fundamental or technical analysis or a combination of both, analyzing stock charts will help in making sound investment decisions.

There are many financial Web sites, such as www.barchart.com, that provide daily stock charts. Through analysis of these charts, you can find the stocks that have hit an all-time high or a low, 52-week low stocks, percent advances and percent declines, and volume leaders, and many others. All these help investors in learning more about the market conditions.

For example, if the number of 52-week low stocks is more than the number of stocks hitting 52-week highs, then the market sentiment is bearish. This is one piece of information that investors can use to determine which stocks they want to buy, sell or hold. There is a lot of data beyond 52-week low stocks and high stocks that investors review when making investment decisions.

Online stock charts offer tons of information to investors, which can also be used to gauge the market conditions. Let us take a look at some of the indicators investors can use to make sound investment decisions.

Average Directional Index (ADX)

The Average Directional Index (ADX) is a directional momentum indicator that helps in identifying emerging price trends. ADX was developed by Welles Wilder, who has described it in detail in his book, “New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems.” ADX is used to measure the strength or weakness of a trend and not the actual direction.

Commodity Channel Index

Commodity Channel Index (CCI) was developed by Donald Lambert. CCI is a flexible indicator that can be utilized to determine a new trend or warn of extreme conditions. CCI was developed originally to determine cyclical turns in commodities. However, the indicator is now also applied to stocks and other securities. Through CCI, investors can measure the difference between a stock’s current price change and its average price change.

Moving Average Convergence-Divergence (MACD)

Moving Average Convergence-Divergence (MACD) was developed by Gerald Appel in the late nineteen-seventies. MACD is one of the simplest and most popular indicators used by traders and investors. MACD provides the best of both worlds: trend following and momentum.

ADX, CCI, and MACD are just a few of the indicators used when analyzing stock charts. With these indicators, investors can learn more about market conditions and make sound investment decisions.

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Investing in equity markets can be very profitable. However, investing in equity markets has its fair share of risks. How do you navigate through those risks and generate solid returns? In other words, how do you find the best stocks to buy?

One way of doing this is through fundamental analysis. In fundamental analysis, investors analyze the financial statements and health of a company. Investors also focus on the management team, the company’s competitive advantages and competitors, and finally the market. Based on this analysis, investors come up with a valuation for the company and the premium they are prepared to pay to buy its stock. Generally, the best stock to buy is that of undervalued companies.

Another way of finding the best stocks to buy is through what is called stock chart analysis or technical analysis. In technical analysis, traders and investors forecast the direction of price of a stock through the analysis of past market data. Traders and investors, who use technical analysis to look for the best stocks to buy, believe that because market participants’ behavior repeats itself so often, recognizable and predictable price patterns will develop on a chart. By studying these patterns, technical analysts anticipate what is likely to happen in the market and use that to determine the best stocks to buy.

Most traders and investors use a combination of technical and fundamental analysis. However, conducting fundamental and technical analysis requires scanning through a lot of data. Online resources like those found at www.barchart.com can make this easier for you. With the help of Barchart.com’s stock tables and charts and analysis tools, investers can scan through the market in order to find the top stocks to buy. Barchart.com’s tables are updated daily to assist investors and traders in staying current on market conditions so they can develop better trading strategies.

Barchart.com provides news and commentary on companies, which can be used by investors to find the best stock to buy. In addition, the site provides a snapshot of the market by updating the day’s Top 5 Volume Leaders, Top 5% Percent Advances, and Top 5 Percent Declines. This tool can help investors in determining which stocks are gaining momentum. Barchart.com also provides investors with stock signals, which are derived from the analysis of stock charts. These are just some of the tools investors use to stay ahead in the market and find the best stocks to buy.

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