Why Charts Matter
Charts show you what a stock's price has done over time. While numbers and scores tell you "what," charts tell you "when" and "how fast." A stock that jumped 10% in one day looks very different from one that climbed 10% over three months.
You can find charts on the Analysis page, the Deep Dive Pro Charts tab, and in the Insights sidebar. All of them show the same data, just at different sizes and detail levels.
Reading a Candlestick
Each candlestick shows four prices: open (where the stock started), close (where it ended), high (the peak), and low (the bottom). The thick part is the "body" — it shows the range between open and close. The thin lines above and below are called "wicks" or "shadows."
Green (or hollow) candles mean the price went up that day — the close was higher than the open. Red (or filled) candles mean it went down. Tall candles mean a big move. Short candles mean a quiet day.
Spotting Trends
An uptrend looks like a staircase going up — each high is higher than the last, and each low is higher than the previous low. A downtrend is the opposite — lower highs and lower lows, like a staircase going down.
The moving average lines on your chart help confirm trends. When the price stays above the line, the trend is up. When it drops below, the trend may be reversing. Learn more about these in the Technical Indicators guide.
Volume Bars
At the bottom of most charts, you'll see short bars — that's the volume. Volume tells you how many shares were traded that day. Tall volume bars mean lots of people were buying or selling.
Here's the key rule: price moves that happen on high volume are more trustworthy than moves on low volume. If a stock breaks above a resistance level with heavy volume, that's a stronger signal than a breakout on a quiet day.
Practical Tips
Start with a daily chart and zoom out to see at least 3-6 months of history. This gives you enough context to spot trends without getting lost in hour-by-hour noise.
If a chart looks confusing, try switching to Heikin-Ashi — it smooths out the candles and makes trends easier to see. You can switch chart types in the Deep Dive Pro Charts tab.