Bothtechnical analysisandfundamental analysisare tools used to predict changes in security prices, but they differ significantly in their approaches.
* Fundamental Analysisevaluates the intrinsic value of a security by analyzing factors such as a company's financial statements, industry conditions, and macroeconomic trends. It assumes that market prices will eventually reflect a security's true value.
* Technical Analysisexamines historical price and volume data to predict future price movements. It focuses on identifying patterns, trends, and market sentiment without regard to the underlying fundamentals.
Option A is incorrect because it only describes fundamental analysis. Option B erroneously connects both methodologies to the random walk theory, which discounts their effectiveness. Option D misstates their purpose, as technical analysis focuses on price trends, not the causes of price movements.
References:
* Volume 2, Chapter 13: Fundamental and Technical Analysis, Overview of Fundamental and Technical Analysis,Canadian Securities Course.