Modern Darvas also uses a technique that are called ghost boxes to handle some other aspects of modern volatility. In Darvas' time, stock market rallies that drove up the price rapidly were rare. However, in modern times, news of breakout stocks travels much faster, leading to higher volumes of trades in shorter periods of time.
Ghost boxes are used when a stock will break out of a box and not form another box for some time. The danger here is that the Darvas method dictates that a stock should be bought when it breaks out of its box and the stop-loss order should be set at the bottom of the box. But if no valid Darvas box forms for some time after the stock breaks out and continues to rise, there is the potential that a trader could lose a great deal of profit. Darvas was very strict about moving his stop-loss orders. He felt that the box method should be the only influence that set the stop-loss orders. However, Darvas' method needs to be adapted slightly to account for today's rapidly moving markets.
The response to this modern market tendency is to use what is known as a ghost box (we'll call it GB from here on in). The first issue to consider when using a GB is to decide whether or not the conditions are right to apply one. It is important to be confident that the stock is going to continue the Darvas trend. Although if a trader is wrong and applies a GB, this will still help to preserve his profits.
A GB is used by first measuring the height of the initial Darvas box. Then, a GB is formed that is the same height, and the bottom corner is applied to the top of the initial box. Once this is accomplished, the stop-loss order is updated to be the bottom of the GB.
The GB is basically a means of applying the most recently confirmed volatility range to a stock. In modern markets, stocks will often rally unexpectedly as a result of breaking news or instability in certain parts of the world. The job of the GB is to ensure that a sudden rally and recession does not leave the trader caught unprepared. One of the advantages of the Darvas method is that it requires minimal management under all circumstances. The GB uarantees that even while there is no valid Darvas box to guide the stop-loss order the trader's profit will be protected.
If a rally happens when no valid Darvas box forms, a GB that raises the stop-loss as the stock rises is a reasonable solution. The height of the GB should be the same as the height of the last valid Darvas box. As the price continues to rise, the trader can continue to stack the ghost boxes. Of course, the same rules that apply to the Modern Darvas boxes apply to ghost boxes.
Ghost boxes are used when a stock will break out of a box and not form another box for some time. The danger here is that the Darvas method dictates that a stock should be bought when it breaks out of its box and the stop-loss order should be set at the bottom of the box. But if no valid Darvas box forms for some time after the stock breaks out and continues to rise, there is the potential that a trader could lose a great deal of profit. Darvas was very strict about moving his stop-loss orders. He felt that the box method should be the only influence that set the stop-loss orders. However, Darvas' method needs to be adapted slightly to account for today's rapidly moving markets.
The response to this modern market tendency is to use what is known as a ghost box (we'll call it GB from here on in). The first issue to consider when using a GB is to decide whether or not the conditions are right to apply one. It is important to be confident that the stock is going to continue the Darvas trend. Although if a trader is wrong and applies a GB, this will still help to preserve his profits.
A GB is used by first measuring the height of the initial Darvas box. Then, a GB is formed that is the same height, and the bottom corner is applied to the top of the initial box. Once this is accomplished, the stop-loss order is updated to be the bottom of the GB.
The GB is basically a means of applying the most recently confirmed volatility range to a stock. In modern markets, stocks will often rally unexpectedly as a result of breaking news or instability in certain parts of the world. The job of the GB is to ensure that a sudden rally and recession does not leave the trader caught unprepared. One of the advantages of the Darvas method is that it requires minimal management under all circumstances. The GB uarantees that even while there is no valid Darvas box to guide the stop-loss order the trader's profit will be protected.
If a rally happens when no valid Darvas box forms, a GB that raises the stop-loss as the stock rises is a reasonable solution. The height of the GB should be the same as the height of the last valid Darvas box. As the price continues to rise, the trader can continue to stack the ghost boxes. Of course, the same rules that apply to the Modern Darvas boxes apply to ghost boxes.
