The study of time in markets.
Cyclic analysis is not “the Hurst page”. Hurst is a central reference, but the discipline is broader: market cycles, seasonality, waves, harmonics, time windows, dominant cycles, FLD, multi-timeframe synchronisation.
What it's for
Cyclic analysis studies market behaviour through the temporal recurrence of price moves. It observes when oscillations tend to be born, expand, mature and close — not only where price goes.
| What it observes | What it measures | When it's useful |
|---|---|---|
| Time repetition | Period, phase, amplitude | Entry/exit timing |
| Overlapping cycles | Harmonics, sub-cycles | Multi-timeframe context |
| Rhythmic structure | Cyclic lows/highs, FLD | Confirmation or filter for chart patterns |
J.M. Hurst is among the most important references for cyclic analysis applied to markets (dominant cycles, temporal structure of oscillations). The discipline also connects with Dow and Wyckoff — both reason in phases and sequences, though not strictly in a cyclic sense.
Core concepts
| Term | In Cyclepedia |
|---|---|
| Cycle | |
| Dominant cycle | |
| Cyclic low / high | |
| Cyclic phase | |
| Amplitude | |
| Period | |
| Harmonic / sub-cycle | |
| Multi-timeframe | |
| FLD | |
| VTL (valid trend line) | |
| Cyclic moving averages | |
| Synchronisation | |
| Seasonality |
Related tools
| Tool | Role |
|---|---|
| Curvilinear envelope | Band around the cyclic oscillation |
| Nesting envelope | Nested cycles across scales |
| Spectral / Fourier analysis | Frequency decomposition |
| Hurst nominal cycles | Historical durations from 18 years to 1.625 weeks; intraday extensions are post-Hurst |
| FLD (Future Line of Demarcation) | Price series shifted forward by about half a wavelength, in the post-book tradition |
| Price motion model | Trend + cycles + noise decomposition |
| Numerical filters (Ormsby) | Frequency band isolation |
Entries: Constant-width curvilinear envelope · Nesting envelope · Spectral analysis (Hurst Ch. 11) · Price motion model (Hurst)
Representative traders and authors
| Figure | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Transactional timing, envelopes, nominal cycles | |
| W.D. Gann | Time and price, angles, geometric cyclicality |
| Charles Dow | Market phases, primary/secondary trend |
| Accumulation/distribution phases | |
| Raymond Merriman | Financial cyclicality |
| Walter Bressert | Cycles and timing |
| Brian Millard | Modern cyclic analysis |
| Anthony Plummer | Cyclic forecasting |
Recommended path
For newcomers — in this order:
- Market cycle — what a cycle is
- Timeframe — price and time across scales
- Swing high and swing low — swings and turning points
- Hurst nominal cycles — dominant cycle
- FLD — Future Line of Demarcation — FLD
- Timeframe + nesting — multi-timeframe
- Hurst tradition — operational cyclic strategy (Hurst path)
Before Hurst fundamentals: complete at least Bronze Path.
Links
- Hurst tradition — Hurst book path
- Cyclic theory — cyclic theory (Ch. 2)
- Glossary — technical term index
- Methodologies — Hurst operational techniques
Sources
- J. M. Hurst, The Profit Magic of Stock Transaction Timing, Prentice-Hall, 1970.
- David Hickson, The 10 Core Concepts of Hurst Cycles Analysis, Sentient Trader.