Who it's for — Anyone who wants to frame *where* the market sits in an oscillation (accumulation, markup, distribution) — not only today's trend direction.
A market cycle is movement that repeats over time: rise, peak, fall, trough, then rise again. Duration and magnitude vary by issue and timeframe. Cyclic analysis models the oscillatory component; volumetric analysis shows whether each phase has coherent participation (e.g. volume climax at the top).
In plain terms — Price never moves straight: it rises, falls, repeats. The cycle is that oscillation — over days, months, or years.
Cycle scales
| Level | Example |
|---|---|
| Macro | Multi-year bear/bull, economic cycles |
| Operational | Swings from weeks to months |
| Micro | Intraday oscillations |
Cycle vs trend
| Concept | What it describes |
|---|---|
| Trend | Dominant direction on a scale |
| Cycle | Oscillatory component on top |
| Wyckoff | Accumulation → markup → distribution → markdown |
Not every wiggle is a tradable cycle: measurable structure and entry/exit rules are required.
Common mistake — Forcing a cycle «by eye» on every correction — without periodicity or phase volume you overfit the narrative.
Example — Cyclic high on falling volume and negative delta: possible distribution — different from a top with selling climax and absorption at support.
Summary card
- What it is: recurring price/time oscillation.
- Integration: cyclic + volumetric + trend.
- Wyckoff: four supply/demand phases.