Published in the May 2022 CMTA's Monthly Publication, Technically Speaking.
This year’s 49th Annual Symposium was incredible. For many, attending in person might be a challenge. That said, I can tell you the reward is more than worth the effort. Being a first-year attendee, I was nervous. That nervousness was completely unfounded. The association’s members were friendly and welcoming. I did not run into any egos too large to shake hands and engage in spirited conversation. This was true from our inspiring founder Ralph Acampora, to our esteemed president Brett Villaume, to the Ubiquitous Tyler Wood, to the forward-thinking Joel Pannikot, to the model CEO and educator Mathew Verdouw of Optuma.
The symposium began perfectly. John Bollinger gave us a history lesson. He outlined 12 market technicians, their contributions to our discipline, and how to learn more about them. This incredibly practical and thoughtful presentation reminded us that only through studying history can we truly hope to develop an informed perspective. Up next was Jim Bianco. He offered his take on current intermarket relationships. Following that was Buff Dormeier preaching his gospel, volume. Before lunch, the 2022 Dow Award was presented to Alex Spiroglou. After lunch, Ralph Acampora and Frank Teixeira took to the stage. Ralph reminded us to keep it simple by saying, “I don’t own the MACD or the RSI. I own price.” Next up, we heard from the CMTa’s president; Brett Villaume discussed the current state of the association and its exciting future. To finish day 1, John Roque and George Noble shared their view that a regime shift is likely underway. Day 1 was incredible. We even heard from technicians using the f-word, fundamentals.
Day 2, like day 1, was packed with educational content designed to expand our perspectives. We learned more about quantitative analysis, and even discussed machine learning (ML). Dr. Chan’s insight that, currently, ML is most valuable for improving our own strategies is extremely impactful. Next up was Helene Meisler. She remined us how far the technical toolkit has come since the 1980s. She humbled us with the powerful idea that our current technology affords us many opportunities, but that same technology may also be limiting if we neglect the basics. To finish the morning, we listened to the inimitable Jeff Hirsch share his perspective on this year’s price action and cycles. After lunch, we listened to an experienced panel of institutional technicians share their perspective on the markets and discuss their own evolutions as technicians. After that, the distinguished David Lundgren recorded a live episode of his Fill the Gap Podcast. The closing piece of this year’s symposium was just as appropriate as its opening piece. The final panel, which included domestic and international technicians, discussed the current state of markets and asset classes around the globe. JC Parets was the perfect choice for panel. His broad and informed perspective is second-to-none.
The 49th annual symposium was information rich. It brought together aspiring and established charter holders from around the world. For me, the highlight was taking a picture with our founder Ralph Acampora. I will cherish this picture forever. It symbolizes the power of pursuing your dreams. Next year is the 50th annual symposium, and I encourage you to do everything you can to attend it. Hope to see you there.
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