William Delbert Gann (June 6, 1878 – June 18, 1955) or WD Gann, was a finance trader who developed the technical analysis methods like the Gann angles[1][2] and the Master Charts,[3][4] where the latter is a collective name for his various tools like the Spiral Chart (also called the Square of Nine),[5][6][7] the Hexagon Chart,[8] and the Circle of 360.[9][10] Gann's market forecasting methods are purportedly based on geometry, astronomy, astrology, and ancient mathematics.[11][12][13] Opinions are sharply divided on the value and relevance of his work.[14][15][16][17] Gann authored a number of books and courses on shares and commodities trading.[18][19][20][21][22][23]

Biography

Gann was born on June 6, 1878, in Lufkin, Texas. His father was a cotton farmer. He started trading in 1902 when he was 24.[24] He was believed to be a great student of the Bible,[25][26] who believed that it was the greatest book ever written.[27] He was also a 33rd degree Freemason of the Scottish Rite Order,[28] to which some have attributed his knowledge of ancient mathematics, though he was also known to have studied the ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures.[29]

Writing style

Gann often wrote in an esoteric and indirect style that many found difficult to follow;[28] it was supposed that he could be doing so deliberately to conceal his true method.[30][31] For example, Patrick Mikula[32][33] found that, in his course How to Make Profits Trading in Commodities,[3] whenever Gann used the term "natural dates", he was indirectly referring to one of the following astrological phenomena:

  1. Double ingresses (when two or more planets, not counting the Moon, enter a new sign within two consecutive days)
  2. Stations (when a direct planet turns retrograde, or vice versa)
  3. Declination of the Moon at extreme
  4. Eclipses

In his private communication, Gann was much more direct and candid about his use of astrology. For example, in a private letter to a student, he openly demonstrated how he used planetary cycles to make predictions in the coffee market.[34]

Effectiveness

Gann's students have stated that he left a fortune of $50 million (equivalent to $546 million in 2022) that he built by following his methods, but evidence of such a fortune is lacking.[35] Alexander Elder, in his book Trading for a Living,[16] said "I interviewed W.D. Gann's son, an analyst for a Boston bank. He told me that his famous father could not support his family by trading but earned his living by writing and selling instructional courses. When W.D. Gann died in the 1950s, his estate, including his house, was valued at slightly over $100,000." Larry Williams, in the book The Right Stock at the Right Time,[17] also stated he met W.D Gann's son. Larry Williams stated that John Gann said "He asked why if his dad was as good as everyone said, the son was still smiling and dialing calling up customers to trade". Larry Williams in the same book says "I also met F.B Thatcher who had been Gann's promoter and advance man who said that Gann was just a good promoter, not necessarily a good stock trader".

Bibliography

  • Speculation A Profitable Profession (1910)
  • Truth of The Stock Tape (1923)
  • Tunnel Thru The Air (1927)
  • Wall Street Stock Selector (1930)
  • New Stock Trend Detector (1936)
  • Face Facts America (1940)
  • How to Make Profits in Commodities (1941)
  • How to Make Profits Trading In Put And Call (1941)
  • 45 Years in Wall Street (1949)
  • The Magic Word (1950)
  • WD Gann Economic Forecaster (1954)

The following books are also believed to be written by W. D. Gann using a pseudonym:[36][37]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Droke, Clif (2001). Gann Simplified. Columbia, MD: Marketplace Books. ISBN 978-1931611244.
  2. ↑ McLaren, William. (1986). Gann made easy : how to trade using the methods of W.D. Gann. Foreman, Matthew J. Corpus Christi, Tex.: Gann Theory Pub. ISBN 0-9618018-0-8. OCLC 20583500.
  3. 1 2 Gann, William Delbert (1941). How to Make Profits Trading in Commodities: a Study of the Commodity Market. Pomeroy, WA: Lambert-Gann.
  4. ↑ Jacobs, Larry (2001). Gann's Master Charts Unveiled. Springfield, MO: Halliker's. ISBN 9781494712181.
  5. ↑ Futia, Carl A. (1982). Predicting Market Trends with Periodic Number Cycles. Morris Plains, NJ: The Cyclic Forecast.
  6. ↑ Lim, Mark Andrew (22 September 2015). A handbook of technical analysis : the practitioner's comprehensive guide to technical analysis. Hoboken. ISBN 978-1-118-49892-7. OCLC 898156030.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ↑ Cooper, Jeff. (2006). Unlocking the profits of the new swing chart method. [Place of publication not identified]: Marketplace Books. ISBN 1-59280-291-5. OCLC 946856497.
  8. ↑ Mikula, Patrick (2012). The Definitive Guide to Forecasting Using W. D. Gann's Square of Nine (Revised ed.). Austin, TX: Mikula Forecasting Company. ISBN 978-0965051866.
  9. ↑ Ferrera, Daniel T. (2001). The Gann Pyramid: Square of Nine Essentials. Santa Barbara, CA: Scared Science Institute.
  10. ↑ Ferrera, Daniel T. (2006). Gann for the active trader : new methods for today's markets. Greenville, SC: Traders Press. ISBN 0-934380-44-9. OCLC 243743248.
  11. ↑ Reddy, Hima (2012). The Trading Methodologies of W.D. Gann: A Guide to Building Your Technical Analysis Toolbox (1st ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Press. ISBN 978-0132734387.
  12. ↑ Awodele (2013). W.D. Gann: Divination By Mathematics. Union, KY: BEKH. ISBN 978-0615833439.
  13. ↑ Awodele (2013). W.D. Gann: Divination By Mathematics: Harmonic Analysis. Union, KY: BEKH. ISBN 978-0615882079.
  14. ↑ Krausz, Robert (2005). W. D. Gann Treasure Discovered: Simple Trading Plans for Stocks & Commodities (2nd ed.). Columbia, MD: Marketplace Books. ISBN 978-1592802272.
  15. ↑ Brown, Constance M. (2008). Fibonacci Analysis. New York, NY: Bloomberg Press. ISBN 978-1576602614.
  16. 1 2 Elder, Alexander (1993). Trading for a Living: Psychology, Trading Tactics, Money Management. Hoboken: NJ: Wiley. ISBN 978-0471592242.
  17. 1 2 Williams, Larry R. (2003). The Right Stock at the Right Time: Prospering in the Coming Good Years. Hoboken: NJ: Wiley. ISBN 978-0471430513.
  18. ↑ Gann, William Delbert (2015). Collected Writings of W.D. Gann. Vol. 1. Cosmological Economics. ISBN 978-1942418054.
  19. ↑ Gann, William Delbert (2015). Collected Writings of W.D. Gann. Vol. 2. Cosmological Economics. ISBN 978-1942418061.
  20. ↑ Gann, William Delbert (2015). Collected Writings of W.D. Gann. Vol. 3. Cosmological Economics. ISBN 978-1942418078.
  21. ↑ Gann, William Delbert (2015). Collected Writings of W.D. Gann. Vol. 4. Cosmological Economics. ISBN 978-1942418085.
  22. ↑ Gann, William Delbert (2015). Collected Writings of W.D. Gann. Vol. 5. Cosmological Economics. ISBN 978-1942418054.
  23. ↑ Gann, William Delbert (2015). Collected Writings of W.D. Gann. Vol. 6. Cosmological Economics. ISBN 978-1942418108.
  24. ↑ Hyerczyk, James A. (2009). Pattern, Price and Time: Using Gann Theory in Technical Analysis (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0470432020.
  25. ↑ Novak-Reich, Pauline (21 Oct 2013). "Unlocking W.D. Gann's 'The Tunnel Thru the Air'". Futures. Retrieved 14 Feb 2018.
  26. ↑ Plummer, Tony (2013). The Law of Vibration: The revelation of William D. Gann. Petersfield, Hampshire, England: Harriman House. ISBN 978-0857192592.
  27. ↑ Gann, William Delbert (1927). The Tunnel Thru the Air; Or, Looking Back from 1940. New York: NY: Lambert-Gann.
  28. 1 2 Bucholtz, Malcolm G. (2013). The Bull, The Bear and The Planets: Trading the Financial Markets Using Astrology. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse. ISBN 978-1475980028.
  29. ↑ Brown, Constance (2007). Breakthroughs in Technical Analysis. Chapter 5, Price and Time: Bloomberg. ISBN 9781576602423.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  30. ↑ Ferrera, Daniel T. (2001). Mysteries of Gann Analysis Unveiled!. Santa Barbara: CA: Sacred Science Institute.
  31. ↑ Bucholtz, Malcolm G. (2014). Stock Market Forecasting: The McWhirter Method De-Mystified. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada: Wood Dragon Books. ISBN 978-0968537091.
  32. ↑ Mikula, Patrick (2012). Gann's Scientific Methods Unveiled. Vol. I. Mikula Forecasting Company. ISBN 978-0965051880.
  33. ↑ Mikula, Patrick (2012). Gann's Scientific Methods Unveiled. Vol. II (Revised ed.). ISBN 978-0965051873.
  34. ↑ Gann, William Delbert (19 Mar 1954). "May Coffee Santos D" (PDF). Retrieved 14 Feb 2018.
  35. ↑ "W.D. Gann Fraud or Trading Genius Part 2". Money Stocks Tycoons. Retrieved 13 Feb 2018.
  36. ↑ Rockefeller, Barbara (October 2019). Technical Analysis For Dummies. Wiley. p. 310. ISBN 978-1119596554. He may have used a pseudonym to write The Ancient Science of Numbers purportedly by one Luo Clement as well as Astrology and Stock Market Forecasting by Louise McWhirter
  37. ↑ Bucholtz, M.G. (2014). Stock Market Forecasting: The McWhirter Method De-Mystified. Wood Dragon Books. ISBN 978-0968537091.
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