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Technical Analysis Guide

What is Price Action Analysis?

By Atish Shakergaye, SEBI Registered Research Analyst (INH000006086) · Last updated 07 June 2026

Price action analysis is a method of analysing a security by reading its raw price and structure on the chart — support, resistance, trend and breakouts — without lagging indicators or oscillators such as RSI, MACD or moving-average crossovers. At Scoutstack, every research call is built on pure price action.

How does price action differ from indicator-based analysis?

Indicators are mathematical formulas calculated from past price, so they lag the market; price action reads the price itself as it forms, in real time.

An oscillator like RSI is just yesterday’s prices run through an equation. By the time it “signals,” the move it is describing has often already happened. Reading price directly — where buyers defended a level, where sellers capped a rally, where a range broke — removes that lag and the conflicting signals you get from stacking five indicators on one chart.

AspectPrice ActionIndicator-based
Data sourceThe price chart itselfFormulas derived from past price
TimingReads the move as it formsLags — confirms after the fact
SignalsOne clear read of structureOften conflicting across indicators
LevelsExact support / resistanceApproximate zones
Best forTiming entries, defining riskSmoothing / confirmation

Why does Scoutstack use pure price action?

Because over 20 years of analysing Indian equity and commodity markets, the cleanest, most repeatable read has consistently come from price and structure — not from indicator settings.

Scoutstack’s proprietor, Atish Shakergaye, is a SEBI Registered Research Analyst (INH000006086) with two decades of pure price-action experience across NSE equities and MCX commodities. The desk runs no oscillators, no moving-average crossovers and no “secret” indicators. Every call states entry, target and stop-loss derived from where price has actually been accepted or rejected — a level any client can see on their own chart.

What is the Scoutstack price-action framework?

Three building blocks: market structure, support & resistance, and breakout behaviour.

Market structure — whether price is making higher highs and higher lows (uptrend), lower highs and lower lows (downtrend), or moving sideways (range). Structure tells you the path of least resistance before anything else.

Support & resistance — the specific prices where buyers have repeatedly stepped in (support) or sellers have repeatedly capped the move (resistance). These define the entry and the stop-loss, not an arbitrary percentage.

Breakout behaviour — how price reacts when it leaves a range or clears a level: a clean break-and-hold, or a failed break that traps traders. The reaction, not the break alone, is the signal.

Is price action better for intraday or positional trading?

Price action works across every timeframe — the framework is the same; only the chart interval changes.

The same reading of structure, support/resistance and breakouts applies whether you are looking at a 5-minute intraday chart or a daily positional chart. Scoutstack issues calls across intraday, BTST and positional horizons, and each one carries a defined stop-loss so the risk is known before you enter. Trading involves market risk; a stop-loss limits, but does not eliminate, the possibility of loss.

Frequently asked questions

Does price action work for options and F&O?
Yes. Price action reads the underlying’s structure — support, resistance and breakout behaviour — which drives the option premium. Scoutstack applies the same price-action framework to Index Options, Stock Options and Futures, sizing each call with a defined entry, target and stop-loss.
Do I need indicators like RSI or MACD at all?
No. Indicators are calculated from past price, so they lag what the chart is already showing. Scoutstack uses none of them. Reading price and structure directly removes that lag and the conflicting signals that come from stacking multiple indicators.
Is price action suitable for beginners?
Price action has a simpler vocabulary than indicator trading — you learn to read support, resistance and trend structure rather than tune oscillator settings. It still requires discipline: a stop-loss on every trade and correct position sizing. Scoutstack publishes both on every call so beginners can follow a defined plan.
Is price action better than fundamental analysis?
They answer different questions. Fundamental analysis estimates what a company is worth; price action analyses how the market is actually pricing it right now and where risk is defined. For intraday and short-term trading, where timing and risk control matter most, Scoutstack relies on price action.
See price action applied to live research

Scoutstack publishes pure price-action research calls across 8 segments — each with entry, target and stop-loss. See how it works, the subscription plans, or about the analyst.

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AS
Atish Shakergaye
Proprietor & Principal Officer · SEBI RA INH000006086 · NISM Series-XV
20+ years in pure price-action analysis of Indian equity & commodity markets. About the analyst →
Disclaimer:This page is educational and does not constitute investment advice or a research recommendation under SEBI (Research Analyst) Regulations. Investments in securities markets are subject to market risks; read all related documents carefully. Registration by SEBI and NISM certification do not guarantee returns or performance. Scoutstack Technical Research · SEBI Reg. INH000006086 · RAASB: BSE Limited.