History of Technical Analysis
The principles of technical analysis derive from the observation of financial markets over hundreds of years. The oldest known example of technical analysis was a method used by Japanese traders as early as the 18th century, which evolved into the use of candlestick techniques, and is today a main charting tool. Dow Theory is based on the collected writings of Dow Jones co-founder and editor Charles Dow, and inspired the use and development of modern technical analysis from the end of the 19th century. Modern technical analysis considers Dow Theory its cornerstone. Many more technical tools and theories have been developed and enhanced in recent decades, with an increasing emphasis on computer-assisted techniques.
There are several schools of technical analysis. Adherents of different schools (for example, candlestick charting, Dow Theory, and Elliott wave theory) may ignore the other approaches, yet many traders combine elements from more than one school.