There are three main types of charts:
1. Line Chart
This is the most elementary type of chart as it represents only the closing price over a period of time. The line chart is formed by joining the closing price over a specified time period. This displays the least amount of data and is used by traders who do not focus on details such as the open, high, and low prices
2. Bar Chart
In addition to the closing price, bar charts also display the open, high, and low prices for the time period selected. The chart is made up of a series of vertical lines that represent each data point. This vertical line represents the high and low for the trading period, along with the closing price. The opening and closing prices are represented on a vertical line by a horizontal dash. The opening price is displayed by the dash that is located on the left side of the vertical bar and the closing price is represented by the dash on the right side of the vertical bar.
3. Candlestick Charts
These charts have a thin vertical line showing the range of the trading period similar to the bar charts. However, the difference comes in the formation of a wide bar on the vertical line, indicating the difference between the opening and the closing price. Candlesticks rely heavily on the use of colours to explain what has happened during the trading period. Two-color are used to indicating days up and days down. When the price of the stock is up and closes above the opening trade, the candlestick will usually be white or clear but if the stock has traded down for the period, then the candlestick will usually be red or black, accordingly.