Technical analysis, in its simplest form, is the study of price trends. It can be applied to individual securities, funds and indexes, and other assets, and over all charted time frames. “We try to understand not only which way trends are going, but whether they are likely to mature,” explained Katie Stockton, founder and managing partner of Fairlead Strategies, a Connecticut-based research firm and registered investment advisor, in the April 6 episodeExternal link of Barron’s LiveExternal link, our weekly reader call and podcast.