Learn trading, step by step.
Start with how markets work. Then learn to read price and volume. Then use the tools that give you an edge.
Level 1
How Markets Work
Before picking stocks, understand the water they swim in.
1
Market Regime: Bull, Bear, or Neutral?
The most important filter. In a Bear regime, even great setups fail far more often.
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2
Market Breadth: Is the Rally Real?
Are most stocks participating, or is it just a handful driving the index? Breadth tells the truth.
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3
VIX: How Much Fear Is in the Market?
The VIX measures expected volatility. High VIX = panic selling = potential opportunity. Low VIX = complacency = risk of sudden drops.
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4
Interest Rates & the Yield Curve
Rising long-term rates pressure stock valuations. An inverted yield curve has preceded every US recession. This is the macro backdrop every trader should watch.
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5
Sectors & Industries: The Building Blocks
The S&P 500 has 11 sectors. Knowing which sectors are strong narrows your search to where money is flowing.
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6
Sector Rotation: Following the Money
Money rotates between sectors throughout the economic cycle. Understanding the cycle keeps you on the right side.
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7
Upcoming Earnings: Pre-Analyzed & Color-Coded
Curated large-cap earnings calendar with quality stars, beat rate history, opportunity scores, and volume signals — everything you need before the report drops.
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8
Top Picks: The Four-Stage Method
How MadStocks filters the entire large-cap market each morning through Alpha Rank, technical confirmation, liquidity gates, and options sentiment — to surface the best setups of the day.
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9
The Trading Journal: Why Reflection Is Your Real Edge
Write your thesis before you enter. Review after it closes. The difference between a good trader and a bad one isn’t a better indicator — it’s a deliberate review loop.
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you have the foundation — now learn to read price
Level 2
Reading Price & Volume
The core tools every swing trader needs fluency with.
7
Moving Averages (50-day & 200-day)
The simplest trend filters. Above the 50-day in an uptrend; below the 200-day in a downtrend. Start here.
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8
RSI: Momentum, Not Just Overbought
Most traders use RSI backwards. Used correctly it confirms trend strength, not just extremes.
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9
MACD: When Momentum Shifts
MACD captures the moment two moving averages diverge. That gap tells you when a trend is gaining or losing steam.
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10
Volume: The Proof Behind the Price
Price can lie. Heavy volume on a breakout means real conviction. On-Balance Volume (OBV) makes this visible.
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11
Bollinger Bands: Volatility Contractions
When the bands squeeze tight, a big move is coming. Bands tell you when a stock is coiling before it springs.
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now add the edge tools MadStocks is built on
Level 3
Advanced Edge Tools
Higher-signal tools that separate good setups from great ones.
12
Break of Structure (BOS)
Price action's clearest confirmation signal. When a stock breaks its swing high, the shift from accumulation to markup is official.
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13
Chaikin Money Flow (CMF): Smart Money Signal
CMF shows whether institutions are quietly accumulating or distributing a stock before the crowd notices.
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14
RS Rating: Back the Strongest Horses
A 1-99 ranking of how a stock performs vs all others. Buying RS 90+ in a bull market is one of the oldest proven edges.
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15
ADX: How Powerful Is the Trend?
ADX doesn't tell you direction -- it tells you conviction. ADX above 25 means the trend is strong enough to trade.
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16
Momentum Confluence: Reading All 5 Signals Together
Minervini Trend Template + ADX + Aroon + MACD + RSI. When they all agree, the edge is significant. Here’s how to read them in combination — and what to do when they conflict.
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17
GEX: How Options Dealers Move the Market
Options market makers hedge their books in a way that either amplifies or pins price moves. GEX tells you which mode we are in.
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