Getting Technical

When it comes to stock market investing, there are two main schools of thought on how you decide which apples you want to buy and sell. They are known -- in not very colorful terms -- as fundamental analysis and technical analysis.

Fundamental analysts study everything from the financial performance and management reputation of individual companies to the overall economy and industry conditions.

Analyzing company fundamentals has been the bread and butter for generations of stock-pickers. They use this approach to select companies that represent the best value and probability of increasing shareholder equity. ...