Karl Montevirgen

Karl Montevirgen is Financial Writer at Encyclopædia Britannica.

THE BIG PICTURE

Karl Montevirgen is a freelance writer whose multifaceted focus includes technical analysis, economics, corporate history, and experimental practices in art and music. His work has appeared in Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities, StockCharts.com, and The Ticker Tape, as well as various client sites and publications across finance and the arts. Before working as an independent writer, Karl led the foreign exchange trading desk at a futures and forex brokerage as he remained active in the Los Angeles experimental arts scene.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

FINRA Series 3

FINRA Series 34

EDUCATION

BFA, Music Composition | California Institute of the Arts

MFA, Interschool—Writing & Critical Studies and Music Composition | California Institute of the Arts

IN KARL’S OWN WORDS …

Throughout my career, I’ve written on a wide range of exceedingly complex topics—spanning art criticism, music theory, business strategy, financial analysis, and corporate history—for both lay readers and professionals. One guiding principle has remained constant: make even the most complex topics accessible without ever “dumbing down” critical information.

I stick to this principle, no matter the domain. Whether I’m breaking down basic concepts or tackling advanced ideas, my goal is to ensure you fully understand these topics without compromising the depth or integrity of the information.

Karl Montevirgen

THE BIG PICTURE

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

EDUCATION

IN KARL’S OWN WORDS …

Recent Articles

Apple Inc.

What does the monthly jobs report tell us and why is it so important?

Double top and double bottom patterns: Spotting trend exhaustion

Flag and pennant patterns: When a trend hits the pause button

Head and shoulders pattern: Indicating a shift in market sentiment

How value at risk (VAR) helps estimate investment losses

retailing

Mondelēz International

comparative advantage

Dots and dollars: The Fed dot plot, explained

OpenAI

diminishing returns

HYBE Corp.

Financial benchmarks: Does your portfolio measure up or fall short?

Golden cross and death cross: Identifying and confirming chart trends

Sahm rule: A real-time recession indicator

Beta, benchmarks, and risk: Measuring volatility

In search of alpha: Hard to prove; hard to sustain

Western Union Corporation

General Electric

The rise of hyperscalers: Reshaping cloud computing and business

Microsoft Corporation

Labor force participation rate: Completing the employment picture

Starbucks

Berkshire Hathaway

Kraft Heinz

Salesforce.com

Want to be a pairs trader? How to assess, enter, and exit a pairs trade

Alphabet, Inc.

It’s all relative (value): The art and science of pairs trading

Health care sector: Investing in stocks that help keep you well

EBITDA

Financial services sector: Investing in stocks with a fiscal focus

spot price

Industrials sector: Investing in big companies that do big things

HODL (crypto)

Investing in speculative start-up stocks? 14 alternative fundamentals to follow

The franchise disclosure document (FDD): An all-in-one rulebook, guidebook, and almanac

inflation

How much will it cost me to buy a franchise?

Trying to choose a franchise? 9 tips to consider

Franchising as an investment: How does it work?

commission

Investing in tech sector stocks: A beginner’s guide

Wall Street’s winged icons: How hawks and doves shape the economy

An alchemy of assets: Understanding the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet

Dynamic pricing: Fair market, surge, or gouge?

What is a value chain, and how can you use it to make better investment decisions?

3 liquidity ratios: Assessing short-term financial viability

What is private credit? A guide to direct lending

Supply chain management: From raw materials to retail

accredited investor

How to spot and invest in a unicorn company

Direct peer-to-peer lending: An alternative investment?

Contango vs. backwardation: What’s the difference?

Stock buybacks: The strategy behind share repurchases

Commission-free stock trading: Is there a catch?

How you can use SWOT analysis when choosing investments

The stock investor’s guide to Blue Ocean Strategy

Using Porter’s 5 forces to analyze stocks and identify market leaders

From the Nifty Fifty to the Magnificent Seven: How all-star stocks are picked

Municipal bonds: Build a brighter future for your community and your savings

Jobless claims and JOLTS: Piecing together the job market jigsaw

Private economic reports: Looking beyond Uncle Sam’s data

Should I try to time the market? Tops, bottoms, and trends

What is stagflation? A double whammy of headwinds

price

How money moves in the era of digital payment systems

Crypto forks: What they are and how they work

Market makers: Keeping markets efficient, liquid, and robust

Investing in chip stocks: What are semiconductors?

Retail forex trading: An introduction for active investors

What causes currency exchange rates to rise and fall?

Following the money flow: How the global currency market works