Artificial Neural Networks: Applications in Financial Forecasting Paperback

Neural networks are state-of-the-art, trainable algorithms that emulate certain major aspects in the functioning of the human brain. This gives them a unique, self-training ability, the ability to formalize unclassified information and, most importantly, the ability to make forecasts based on the historical information they have at their disposal. Neural networks have been used increasingly in a variety of business applications, including forecasting and marketing research solutions. In some areas, such as fraud detection or risk assessment, they are the indisputable leaders. The major fields in which neural networks have found application are financial operations, enterprise planning, trading, business analytics and product maintenance. Neural networks can be applied gainfully by all kinds of traders, so if you're a trader and you haven't yet been introduced to neural networks, we'll take you through this method of technical analysis and show you how to apply it to your trading style. Neural networks have been touted as all-powerful tools in stock-market prediction. Companies such as MJ Futures claim amazing 199.2% returns over a 2-year period using their neural network prediction methods. They also claim great ease of use; as technical editor John Sweeney said in a 1995 issue of "Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities," "you can skip developing complex rules (and redeveloping them as their effectiveness fades) . . . just define the price series and indicators you want to use, and the neural network does the rest."