Brian Shannon’s Technical Analysis Using Multiple Timeframes (2008) provides a structured approach to trading by emphasizing trend alignment across weekly, daily, and intraday charts. The methodology focuses on "price action pays," advocating for the use of Anchored VWAP to identify supply and demand imbalances and utilizing the four market stages (Accumulation, Markup, Distribution, Markdown) to guide trading decisions. Read more about this approach at Amazon .
His journey into the markets began remarkably early—he placed his first trade at just 13 years old using money earned from a caddie job and a newspaper route. After graduating from Merrimack College with a degree in Business Management, Shannon worked at Lehman Brothers in Boston, where he was first exposed to technical analysis. Over the years, he has held positions as a stockbroker for Dain Bosworth, a trader for Generic Trading, and eventually became Lead Trader and Director of Research at MarketWise Securities before founding his own platform, , in 2006.
Determines the setup and structure. This is the timeframe where you identify chart patterns (head and shoulders, triangles, flags) and potential entry zones. This timeframe sets the stage for the trade. You are looking for transitions from consolidation to expansion. His journey into the markets began remarkably early—he
By doing this, you avoid getting "stopped out" by minor hourly noise while protecting your capital from a structural trend reversal.
The central premise is that markets are fractal. The same patterns of supply and demand are mirrored on a weekly chart, a daily chart, and a five-minute chart. Shannon argues that to get a true read on the market, you must view it through multiple lenses. By analyzing longer-term charts (higher timeframes) for the overall direction and shorter-term charts (lower timeframes) for precise entry and exit points, a trader aligns their trades with the dominant trend. Determines the setup and structure
This public link is valid for 7 days and shares a thread, including any personal information you added. This link or copies made by others cannot be deleted. If you share with third parties, their policies apply. Can’t copy the link right now. Try again later.
AI responses may include mistakes. For financial advice, consult a professional. Learn more The longer your timeframe
"I've been trading full time since 1991, and I kid you not—I've seen tens of thousands of people attempt to day trade. Out of all those people, I've seen maybe a dozen people succeed, in the long run, as day traders. The longer your timeframe, the fewer decisions you need to make, and the better your chance of achieving consistent profitability."
The heart of Brian Shannon's PDF is the flow. He instructs traders to move from the higher time frame (HTF) down to the lower time frame (LTF), not the other way around.