MIDAS Technical Analysis: A VWAP Approach to Trading and Investing in Today’s Markets

Book Insight

“MIDAS Technical Analysis” by Andrew Coles and David Hawkins presents a groundbreaking reinterpretation of market structure through the MIDAS (Market Interpretation/Data Analysis System) — a volume-weighted price methodology originally developed by physicist Dr. Paul Levine. The book bridges advanced quantitative modeling with practical technical analysis, offering traders a method to capture price equilibrium through anchored VWAP curves that evolve dynamically with market activity. It demonstrates how MIDAS identifies support and resistance zones that conventional tools miss, by mathematically mapping how buying and selling pressure accumulate over time. More than a trading system, this text introduces a scientific framework for understanding how markets self-organize around balance and imbalance, making it one of the most influential technical works of the modern era.

Core Concepts

At the heart of the MIDAS methodology is the use of anchored VWAP curves as representations of the market’s real-time value structure. The book explores:

• How to anchor MIDAS curves to key swing highs or lows to track accumulation and distribution zones.
• The mathematical foundation of support and resistance curvature, and how these curves forecast reversals and trend continuations.
• Application of MIDAS curves across multiple timeframes, including intraday, swing, and long-term analysis.
• Integration of derivative curves, volume flow weighting, and logarithmic price scaling to enhance sensitivity.
• How to combine MIDAS with Elliott Wave, Fibonacci, and Market Profile for advanced confluence.
  Each concept is supported with quantitative explanations, real charts, and clear derivations, making complex relationships between price and volume accessible to analytical traders and researchers alike.

Inside the Chart

Coles and Hawkins bring the theory to life through charts from equities, commodities, and index futures. Detailed examples show how MIDAS curves dynamically adjust as new data emerges — allowing traders to anticipate exhaustion points, breakout potentials, and equilibrium retracements with high precision. The book demonstrates how to visually identify price clustering, curvature intersections, and VWAP-based confluence zones, all of which help define low-risk, high-reward setups. By the final chapters, readers understand how to combine MIDAS analysis with traditional chart patterns and momentum signals to build fully integrated trading strategies.

Author’s Edge

Andrew Coles, PhD, and David Hawkins are respected voices in advanced technical research. Coles, known for his work bridging data science and market geometry, and Hawkins, a veteran trader with expertise in quantitative systems, bring a unique synergy of academic rigor and trading realism. Their ability to present the MIDAS framework as both a conceptual model and a hands-on tool for price interpretation gives traders a decisive analytical advantage. The book is not just for technical analysts — it’s a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how volume-weighted equilibrium shapes market movement.

MIDAS Technical Analysis: A VWAP Approach to Trading and Investing in Today’s Markets by Andrew Coles & David Hawkins