BANDS AND CHANNELS

By Daryl Guppy

Trading bands and trading channel are related. Both chart patterns act as a restraint on price activity, confining it within defined boundaries. The channel defines trend behaviour. The band defines support and resistance behaviour and can be used to set price targets.

The trading channel is constructed with two trend sloping trend lines. These are parallel lines and as with any trend line, their value changes daily. The lines show changing sentiment about value. A trading channel shows the limits of this changing sentiment as price bounces from support and retreats from resistance.

The trading band is defined by support and resistance levels where the value remains constant. These are horizontal parallel lines. Price stops trending and develops a sideways movement. These patterns are more useful because they are used to project upside and downside targets. When price moves above the resistance level then the width of the trading and is used to set the potential upside target.

Both trading bands and trading channels are range-bound chart features. They provide short term trading opportunities as price  moves between the support and resistance levels. However the range bound trend continuation of a trading channel is traded differently from the trading band with its potential for trade band breakout opportunities.