About Rohr

Alan Rohrbach, President and Lead Analyst

Education and Introduction to Markets

After finding nothing in school that was intellectually or psychologically stimulating enough to retain his attention for more than a single term in engineering, speech, theater, psychology, philosophy and communications, Mr. Rohrbach had the profound good fortune to wander onto the trading floor of the old Chicago Mercantile Exchange as an order clerk in 1969. (Yes, those were the closing days of folks standing on catwalks marking quotes on chalkboards. The Rohr EDGE page emphasis on History does not mean just so many extended historic data analyses.)

Personal and Industry Evolution

After a brief period he realized the challenges of price discovery and trend analysis were what his extremely diverse education was actually preparing him for. Gracious, highly skilled mentors provided the encouragement to develop market analysis expertise in agriculturals and metals which would later be applied to the financial derivatives arena. He also feels a debt of gratitude to industry leaders who securitized foreign exchange, fixed income and equities trading. These developments ultimately also fostered his proficiency in broad business model assessment along with price and yield trend analysis.

Teaching and Consultation

From that base Mr. Rohrbach launched a career which has variously included floor trading, account service, and teaching independent as well as exchange or institution sponsored versions of his proprietary training courses; including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Technical Analysis Course in 1975 while Ken Shaleen was on sabbatical. That is in conjunction with his early 1980's evolution from the futures industry into independent institutional trend advisor on international interest rates, equities and foreign exchange, along with views on other areas.

Writings and Appearances

He has written both articles and training manuals on the background and application of price trend analysis, and specializes in the foundation conceptualization of its techniques. His focus in this area includes consideration of how technical projections relate to fundamental analysis, a somewhat unique insight included in his proprietary courses. His letters and comments on various politico-economic topics can be regularly found in the financial press, along with some interviews.

Ad Hoc Consultation

There have been selective occasions where he has also consulted on other matters. Those include direct involvement in major data vendor assessments of the best practice for adjusting price histories when exchanges changed contracts' deliverable basis, various instances of Graphical User Interface evolution, and education organizations' course content conceptualization, among others.

Personal Life

In his personal life he pursues extensive avocations that include casual sports, gardening and culinary interests. He has also undertaken selective ad hoc leadership roles in preserving and improving the local quality of life in the suburban Chicago community where he is happily ensconced with his family, dogs and friends.


 

Radio Interview of Alan Rohrbach (2008)

Career Development from Runner to Institutional Research, Individuals vs. Institutional Advantages on the Evolutionary Trend View, and a radical Spring 2008 thought.

Back in 2008 successful floor trader Craig Weil hosted the Saturday morning radio show Traders Talk Live. On Saturday May 24th he aired his early week interview of Alan Rohrbach on how he had evolved out of very extensive derivatives business experience into international institutional market advisory. In addition to all of that background, Alan also offered a very interesting, and at the time highly contrarian, market view.

This perspective on trend analysis and the institutional trader mindset is useful education as well as background on Alan Rohrbach’s career evolution.

I: Introduction and how he was drawn to market analysis, especially his fascination with the challenge of price discovery (at 03:45.) (Total: 6 min.)  Listen to MP3

II: Mentors, and moving on to institutional consultation, especially his early mentors (at 02:00), being asked to teach the CME TA course (at 03:30) and his shift to longer term trend views and institutional advisory (at 05:45.) (Total: 9 min.)  Listen to MP3

III: Institutional vs. individual: ‘evolutionary’ trend view, including institutions larger portfolios and global information versus individual trader agility (at 01:00), how much information access has improved for individual traders, (at 03:55) and that they MUST take advantage of it to know what international events are impacting their domestic markets (with a major example) (at 04:25.) (Total: 6 min.) Listen to MP3

IV: Questionable equities basing, and ‘radical’ tech thought, with 'macro' psychology into very specific 'technical' idea from 01:30 to 03:45. Actually recorded May 20th, with DJIA failing 12,500 by the time it aired, on its way of course to much worse!!
- Annotated Historic Daily Chart: Early 2008 Bottom Failure - Annotated Weekly Chart
(Total 6 min.)
Listen to MP3


 

Rohr International

...is primarily a technical price trend analysis advisor that includes politico-economic observations within the context of the prevailing trends. We believe thorough and cohesive trend analysis requires review of many factors, including the major fundamental background and event horizons, as well as a sense of how fundamental influences and technical indications are blending. Ultimately prices do not move because people draw lines on charts and use technical indicators.

Aggressive evaluation of significant technical indications across many time frames is required to develop the long-, intermediate- and short-term trend insights required to serve our broad clientele. The scope of this analysis very extensive. It includes monthly, weekly and daily price histories, with moving average, oscillator, MACD, RSI and Stochastic indications assessed for appropriate time frames. Intermarket activity and influences are also studied for key insights that aid effective market assessment.

Clients achieve significant benefits from the Rohr Report now available through Rohr-Blog posts and emailed notes. It focuses on confluences of trend indications as well as important politico-economic perspectives. Together these reinforce the critical nature of specific price levels at distinct points in time. It provides an extensive review of key trend decision levels, exploring the basis of the most important technical patterns and trend indications in the context of fundamental factors. Concise telephone consultation that refines analyses to address specific client needs is also available.  

Current Rohr International Full Background Information