Thursday, April 14, 2011

Andrew's Median Line Strategy - Almost.

Several weeks ago someone posted on another blog how the Andrew's Pitchfork chart was indicating a buying opportunity.  Interested in learning more I googled "pitchfork stocks" and as usual Google supplied several million hits.  The first hit was Investopedia - a great website for investment information.   At another site it presents the original Andrew's course material.  All of these sites speak of the remarkable better than 80% cross-over rate to a "median line" to help predict price changes - 80% that is pretty impressive.

The Median Line strategy details are not presented here.  For more information see the above websites or google "andrew pitchfork median line." 

Using a Java program to calculate the "pivot points" for any stock I went about to study the success rate of +80%.  Taking all the stocks in the S&P 500 over any period  the program calculated all of the pivot points.  Then taking successive  pivot point groups (P0, P1, and P2 ) the program found the median point between P1 and P2; the median line (from P0 through the median point) and  the program iterates to the end to determined if a future closing price reaches the median line as the line extends through time for each group.

The results of the program show that the 80%+ hit rate is almost attainable.  The success rate of the S&P 500 over a 3 year period is about 77% - pretty darn close to the reported 80%.

Price meets median line:  8948 - ~76.6%
Price did not reach: 2730 - ~23.4%


For example here are the calculated IBM's pivot points and these are followed by the hit results:

Pivot Points:

1 Pivot Point Rising starts at 97.86 position 14 2009-05-13
2 Pivot Point Falling starts at 105.95 position 33 2009-06-10
3 Pivot Point Rising starts at 97.03 position 50 2009-07-06
4 Pivot Point Falling starts at 116.66 position 83 2009-08-20
5 Pivot Point Rising starts at 112.95 position 91 2009-09-01
6 Pivot Point Falling starts at 118.53 position 100 2009-09-15
7 Pivot Point Rising starts at 116.11 position 108 2009-09-25
8 Pivot Point Falling starts at 124.88 position 120 2009-10-13
9 Pivot Point Rising starts at 116.87 position 128 2009-10-23
10 Pivot Point Falling starts at 125.72 position 144 2009-11-16
11 Pivot Point Rising starts at 122.85 position 151 2009-11-25
12 Pivot Point Falling starts at 131.1 position 185 2010-01-15
13 Pivot Point Rising starts at 119.62 position 193 2010-01-28
14 Pivot Point Falling starts at 125.47 position 206 2010-02-17
15 Pivot Point Rising starts at 123.26 position 219 2010-03-08
16 Pivot Point Falling starts at 127.01 position 229 2010-03-22
17 Pivot Point Rising starts at 125.28 position 240 2010-04-07
18 Pivot Point Falling starts at 130.92 position 264 2010-05-11
19 Pivot Point Rising starts at 121.6 position 274 2010-05-25
20 Pivot Point Falling starts at 129.25 position 289 2010-06-16
21 Pivot Point Rising starts at 120.25 position 300 2010-07-01
22 Pivot Point Falling starts at 130.9 position 325 2010-08-06
23 Pivot Point Rising starts at 121.75 position 338 2010-08-25
24 Pivot Point Falling starts at 134.35 position 361 2010-09-28
25 Pivot Point Rising starts at 133.02 position 362 2010-09-29
26 Pivot Point Falling starts at 145.97 position 391 2010-11-09


1 Pivot Point Rising starts at 97.86 position 14 2009-05-13
Cross line on 2009-07-16 closing price 107.15 median line point value 106.97

2 Pivot Point Falling starts at 105.95 position 33 2009-06-10
no hit starting at this pivot point

3 Pivot Point Rising starts at 97.03 position 50 2009-07-06
Cross line on 2009-10-09 closing price 122.53 median line point value 121.05

4 Pivot Point Falling starts at 116.66 position 83 2009-08-20
Cross line on 2009-10-01 closing price 114.72 median line point value  114.82

5 Pivot Point Rising starts at 112.95 position 91 2009-09-01
Cross line on 2009-10-12 closing price 123.61 median line point value 122.7

6 Pivot Point Falling starts at 118.53 position 100 2009-09-15
Cross line on 2009-10-16 closing price 118.35 median line point value  122.46

7 Pivot Point Rising starts at 116.11 position 108 2009-09-25
Cross line on 2009-12-14 closing price 126.99 median line point value 126.83

8 Pivot Point Falling starts at 124.88 position 120 2009-10-13
no hit starting at this pivot point

9 Pivot Point Rising starts at 116.87 position 128 2009-10-23
Cross line on 2010-10-12 closing price 138.68 median line point value 138.54

10 Pivot Point Falling starts at 125.72 position 144 2009-11-16
Cross line on 2010-01-20 closing price 127.3 median line point value  128.28

11 Pivot Point Rising starts at 122.85 position 151 2009-11-25
Cross line on 2010-03-23 closing price 127.01 median line point value 126.48

12 Pivot Point Falling starts at 131.1 position 185 2010-01-15
no hit starting at this pivot point

13 Pivot Point Rising starts at 119.62 position 193 2010-01-28
Cross line on 2010-04-14 closing price 128.85 median line point value 128.38

14 Pivot Point Falling starts at 125.47 position 206 2010-02-17
Cross line on 2010-05-06 closing price 122.28 median line point value  124.84

15 Pivot Point Rising starts at 123.26 position 219 2010-03-08
Cross line on 2010-09-24 closing price 132.99 median line point value 131.64

16 Pivot Point Falling starts at 127.01 position 229 2010-03-22
Cross line on 2010-05-17 closing price 128.71 median line point value  129.14

17 Pivot Point Rising starts at 125.28 position 240 2010-04-07
Cross line on 2010-06-15 closing price 128.07 median line point value 126.94

18 Pivot Point Falling starts at 130.92 position 264 2010-05-11
no hit starting at this pivot point

19 Pivot Point Rising starts at 121.6 position 274 2010-05-25
Cross line on 2010-08-04 closing price 129.53 median line point value 129.44

20 Pivot Point Falling starts at 129.25 position 289 2010-06-16
no hit starting at this pivot point

21 Pivot Point Rising starts at 120.25 position 300 2010-07-01
Cross line on 2010-09-24 closing price 132.99 median line point value 132.01

22 Pivot Point Falling starts at 130.9 position 325 2010-08-06
no hit starting at this pivot point

23 Pivot Point Rising starts at 121.75 position 338 2010-08-25
Cross line on 2011-01-14 closing price 149.41 median line point value 148.67

24 Pivot Point Falling starts at 134.35 position 361 2010-09-28
Cross line on 2010-11-10 closing price 145.97 median line point value  148.62


Price meets median line:   18 - 75%
Price did not reach:  6 - 25%

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