Suppose you use numerical series which are generated by market activity. These include price and volume. Then, you use this information to predict future price trends. This is called technical analysis (or chartism). These techniques are applied to any market having a comprehensive price history.

Mostly, technical analysis is done by studying charts of past price movement. This is not exclusive. A variety of methods and tools are involved in technical analysis. However, they all depend on the assumption trends and price patterns exist in markets. Also, these are identified and exploited.

Technical analysis makes no attempt to analyze a company's financial data. It ignores dividends, cashflow, and projection of future dividends. Using this data is fundamental analysis. Also, technical analysis does not claim to be 100% accurate. Rather, its goal is to give the "most likely" outcome.

Some traders combine elements from both fundamental and technical analysis. This is a growing field called fusion analysis. Explicitly, it advocates combining fundamental and technical analysis.

Many of its practitioners view technical analysis as more art than science. Many academic studies determine technical analysis has very little, if any, power to predict. However, it has a dedicated following. This is especially true for active traders. Also, it has support amongst the academic community.