Qwest Corp (CTAA)’s MACD Histogram reading is currently below the zero line, indicating a neutral or negative chart trend for the shares. Shares recently touched 25.02 on a recent bid, moving -0.01 in the most recent session.
Created by Thomas Aspray in 1986, the MACD Histogram is a visual indicator of the difference between the MACD line and the Signal line, which is a default 9 period ema of the MACD line. The histogram is an oscillator that moves above and below the zero line, just as the MACD line does. Keep in mind when using this oscillator, that it takes four mathematical steps from price itself to create the 4th derivative, the histogram: Price => two ema averages => MACD line = Signal line => Histogram. Which means it lags price quite a bit. But like all derivatives of price, it’s much smoother than price itself.
If the MACD is above zero it helps confirm an uptrend; below zero and it helps confirm a downtrend. Zero line and Signal line crossovers are used as trade signals to enter and exit trending trades. Losing trade signals occur when crossovers occur in rapid succession due to choppy price action. Divergence shows when momentum is slowing, but it doesn’t indicate when a reversal will occur (if it occurs). Combing different elements of each strategy makes the indicator more useful, such as taking buy signals following a bullish divergence. Using price and trend analysis will aid in determining which signals to take, such as only taking buy signals when a long-term uptrend is in place.
Smart investors are often very knowledgeable about the markets. Many successful investors have become highly adept at knowing when to buy and when to sell. They have also managed to control risk and secure sustained profits. This doesn’t just happen overnight. Investors often spend many years of trial and error before being able to put together the puzzle. Top investors are also able to make better investing decisions with the information at hand. With vast amounts of data readily available for everyone, it becomes more about interpreting the data rather than just receiving it. Knowing how to block out the noise and find information that is useful, can be a highly coveted skill. Turning available information into a winning portfolio is where the good investor can become a great investor.
When undertaking stock analysis, investors and traders may choose to view some additional technical levels. Qwest Corp (CTAA) currently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -37.97. Investors and traders may use this indicator to help spot price reversals, price extremes, and the strength of a trend. Many investors will use the CCI in conjunction with other indicators when evaluating a trade. The CCI may be used to spot if a stock is entering overbought (+100) and oversold (-100) territory.
We can also do some further technical analysis on the stock. At the time of writing, the 14-day ADX for Qwest Corp (CTAA) is 20.75. Many technical chart analysts believe that an ADX value over 25 would suggest a strong trend. A reading under 20 would indicate no trend, and a reading from 20-25 would suggest that there is no clear trend signal. The ADX is typically plotted along with two other directional movement indicator lines, the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI). Some analysts believe that the ADX is one of the best trend strength indicators available.
Interested investors may be watching the Williams Percent Range or Williams %R. Williams %R is a popular technical indicator created by Larry Williams to help identify overbought and oversold situations. Investors will commonly use Williams %R in conjunction with other trend indicators to help spot possible stock turning points. Qwest Corp (CTAA)’s Williams Percent Range or 14 day Williams %R currently sits at -75.61. In general, if the indicator goes above -20, the stock may be considered overbought. Alternately, if the indicator goes below -80, this may point to the stock being oversold.
Tracking other technical indicators, the 14-day RSI is presently standing at 45.75, the 7-day sits at 44.64, and the 3-day is resting at 56.49. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is an often employed momentum oscillator that is used to measure the speed and change of stock price movements. When charted, the RSI can serve as a visual means to monitor historical and current strength or weakness in a certain market. This measurement is based on closing prices over a specific period of time. As a momentum oscillator, the RSI operates in a set range. This range falls on a scale between 0 and 100. If the RSI is closer to 100, this may indicate a period of stronger momentum. On the flip side, an RSI near 0 may signal weaker momentum. The RSI was originally created by J. Welles Wilder which was introduced in his 1978 book “New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems”.
For further review, we can take a look at another popular technical indicator. In terms of moving averages, the 200-day is currently at 24.13, the 50-day is 25.39, and the 7-day is resting at 24.93. Moving averages are a popular trading tool among investors. Moving averages can be used to help filter out the day to day noise created by other factors. MA’s may be used to identify uptrends or downtrends, and they can be a prominent indicator for detecting a shift in momentum for a particular stock. Many traders will use moving averages for different periods of time in conjunction with other indicators to help gauge future stock price action.