A Beginner’s Guide to Charting Financial Markets: A Practical Introduction to Technical Analysis for Investors

Master the Basics of Technical Analysis With Confidence and Clarity

Michael Kahn’s A Beginner’s Guide to Charting Financial Markets is a clear, accessible, and highly practical introduction to technical analysis, designed specifically for investors who want to sharpen their decision-making through the power of chart reading.

This guide strips away the jargon and mystery often surrounding charting and presents a straightforward roadmap for using charts to improve buy, sell, and hold decisions. Kahn, an experienced market technician and educator, takes you step-by-step through price action, chart types, patterns, indicators, sentiment, and more—making sure you gain a well-rounded foundation in technical analysis.

You’ll learn how to interpret market psychology through price and volume, recognize trends and reversals, spot support and resistance zones, and avoid common traps. The book’s examples span stocks, indices, commodities, and ETFs, making it relevant no matter what market you trade.

Whether you are a self-directed investor, a complete beginner, or someone looking to add technical analysis to your toolkit, this book is your trusted starting point.

✅What You’ll Learn:

• How to read charts and understand their core components (price, volume, structure, sentiment)
• The difference between trend, pattern, and price levels—and how to act on them
• Practical ways to use support/resistance, momentum, and moving averages
• Real-world chart analysis of market leaders, breakouts, breakdowns, and failed patterns
• How to avoid common beginner mistakes and recognize high-probability opportunities

💡Key Benefits:

• Beginner-Friendly: Designed for investors with no prior charting experience
• Action-Oriented: Focuses on real decisions—buy, sell, or hold—not just theory
• Comprehensive Yet Simple: Covers everything from the basics to nuanced tradeoffs
• Practical Examples: Dozens of real charts to study and practice with
• Risk Management Focus: Shows how charts help limit losses and maximize gains

👤Who This Book Is For:

• New investors learning to read financial charts for the first time
• Traders who want to solidify their foundation in technical analysis
• Anyone using fundamental analysis who needs a reliable sanity check tool
• Financial advisors seeking a beginner-friendly reference for clients

📚Table of Contents:

Part 1: Introduction to Charting

• 1.The Basics of Chart Reading
• 2.How to Read a Chart
• 3.Understanding Each Part of a Chart
• 4.How to Use Charts – The Basics

Part 2: Putting Charts to Work for You

• 5. Putting Stocks to the Technical Test
• 6. Technical Analysis in Action
• 7. When the Real World Does Not Follow the Script
• 8. Examples
• 9. Conclusion