The Fibonacci Sequence and Technical Analysis
Welcome to our module on the Fibonacci sequence of numbers and its application in Technical Analysis. This is the final module in our educational series on Price Action and is related, somewhat, to the previous module on Elliott Wave Theory.
The Fibonacci sequence of numbers and Fibonacci ratios are used by a wide range of traders to spot potential turning points in the market. As far back as 1930's Ralph Elliott, who developed the Elliott Wave Theory, noted that price movements have three basic characteristics: pattern, time, and ratio; all of which observe the Fibonacci sequence. Indeed, Fibonacci ratios play a large role in Elliott Wave Theory, but Fibonacci numbers and ratios are not only used by Elliott Wave theorists, or Elliotticians, they are used by other traders too, mainly to determine possible support and resistance levels and to identify potential turning points in the market.
What is the Fibonacci Sequence?
The Fibonacci sequence was introduced to the Western world by an Italian mathematician, Leonardo Pisano Bogollo who was also known as Fibonacci (son of Bonacci), in his 1202 manuscript Liber Abaci, although the series of numbers had been previously described by Indian mathematicians. The series is derived by finding the sum of the of the two preceding numbers in the series, with 0 and 1 being the seed numbers, or starting point, of the series. With 0 and 1 being the first two seed numbers, the third number in the series is the sum of 0 and 1 (0 + 1), which is 1; the fourth number in the series is the sum of the second and third numbers in the series, namely, 1 + 1, and so forth. The first few numbers in the series thus are:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1 597, 2 584, 4 181, ... ∞
Fibonacci Ratios
As the numbers the series increase towards infinity, mathematical relationships, expressed as ratios, appear between the numbers. For example, the ratio between consecutive numbers tends to oscillate closer and closer towards 1.618034, which is known as the golden ratio, which is also referred to as the golden section or the golden mean, and is denoted by the upper-case Greek letter Phi Φ in mathematics. This ratio is reached by dividing a number in the summation series by the number that precedes it. For example, 233 ÷ 144 = 1.618055 and 2 584 ÷ 1 597 = 1.618034.
The inverse of this ratio is 0.618034, which is denoted by the lower-case Greek letter phi φ in mathematics. This ratio is reached by dividing a number in the summation series by the number that succeeds it. For example, 144 ÷ 233 = 0.618025 and 1 597 ÷ 2 584 = 0.618034.
The square root of 0.618034 approximates the ratio of 0.381966 and when we divide a number in the summation series by the number that is two places after it we tend closer towards this ratio. We also reach this ratio by subtracting 0.618034 from 1: 0.618034 x 0.618034 = 0.381966 or 144 ÷ 377 = 0.381962 or 1 - 0.618034 = 0.381966.
When we multiply the ratio 0.381966 by 0.618034, we reach the ratio of 0.236068 and when we divide a number in the summation series by the number that is three places after it we tend closer towards this ratio. We also reach this ratio when we subtract the ratio 0.381966 from 0.618034: 0.381966 x 0.618034 = 0.236068 or 144 ÷ 610 = 0.236065 or 0.31966 - 0.618034 = 0.236068.
The square root of 0.618034 gives us the approximate ratio of 0.786152: √0.618034 = 0.786152.
The square root of 1.618034 gives us the approximate ratio of 1.272020: √1.618034 = 1.272020.
The square of 1.618034 approximates the ratio of 2.168034 and when we divide a number in the summation series by the number that is two places before it we tend closer towards this ratio: 1.618034 x 1.618034 = 2.618034 or 144 ÷ 55 = 2.618181.
When we multiply 2.618034 by 1.618034 we reach the ratio of 4.236068 and when we divide a number in the summation series by the number that is three places before it we tend closer towards this ratio: 2.618034 x 1.618034 = 4.236068 or 144 ÷ 34 = 4.235294.
These ratios, along with the ratios of 50.0%, 100%, form the key Fibonacci levels that are used in technical chart studies, namely: 23.6%, 38.2%, 50,0%, 61.8%, 78.6%, 100.0%, 127.2%, 161.8%, 216.8%, 423.6%. Of these levels 38.2%, 61.8% and 161.8% are the most significant.
Conclusion
In this lesson we learned about the Fibonacci Sequence of numbers and the ratios that they produce, the most significant of which are the Golden Ratio or Phi and it's inverse phi. In the following lesson we will start applying this sequence and these ratios to the trends that we have been discussing thus far, as well as the Elliott Waves. We will begin with a discussion on Fibonacci Retracements.