The most recommended stock trading books

Who picked these books? Meet our 12 experts.

12 authors created a book list connected to stock trading, and here are their favorite stock trading books.
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Book cover of Expectations Investing: Reading Stock Prices for Better Returns

Michael Samonas Author Of Financial Forecasting, Analysis and Modelling: A Framework for Long-Term Forecasting

From my list on financial modelling and valuation.

Why am I passionate about this?

I come from an engineering background and early in my career I discover financial modelling as I had to assess the viability of business plans. I deal with financial models the last 20 years of my professional carrier as a Group Financial Officer of SIDMA STEEL SA. Moreover, I am teaching financial modelling in the American College of Greece, Deree, at University of Nicosia in collaboration with Globaltraing and many other places abroad. I am a numbers person, and I am fascinated by financial modelling as it provides you a tool to support effective decision-making. 

Michael's book list on financial modelling and valuation

Michael Samonas Why did Michael love this book?

Again, this is the kind of book that demonstrates practically how to forecast financial performance of a company and then value it.

It goes a step further and, as the title proclaims, the authors try to reverse engineer a price of a stock and match investors’ expectations with specific assumptions of the model. One of these assumptions is the growth period. This contrasts with the conventional practice of discounting a fixed growth period of five or ten years.

The book provides Excel models, backed up by the proper math, that are very helpful in deconstructing a share price to model assumptions and see if they are plausible or not.

By Michael J. Mauboussin, Alfred Rappaport,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Expectations Investing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Most investment books try to assess the attractiveness of a stock price by estimating the value of the company. Expectations Investing provides a powerful and insightful alternative to identifying gaps between price and value.

Michael J. Mauboussin and Alfred Rappaport suggest that an investor start with a known quantity, the stock price, and ask what it implies for future financial results. After showing how to read expectations, Mauboussin and Rappaport provide a guide to rigorous strategic and financial analysis to help investors assess the likelihood of revisions to these expectations. Their framework traces value creation from the triggers that shape…


Book cover of Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard: How to Achieve Superperformance in Stocks in Any Market

T. Livingston Author Of Swing Into It: A Simple System For Trading Pullbacks to the 50-Day Moving Average

From my list on learning stock market trading.

Why am I passionate about this?

The stock market has been a passion of mine for over 15 years. These books have helped me learn how to spot trends and manage my risk while trading in stocks and cryptocurrencies through bull and bear markets. 

T.'s book list on learning stock market trading

T. Livingston Why did T. love this book?

Mark Minervini is undoubtedly one of the greatest traders to ever live. This book is an absolute gem, building on what O’Neil wrote in his book. Minervini has gotten his trading down to absolute precision, from when to buy, when to sell, and how to screen for stocks. It’s all in here. A must-read for anyone looking to learn about trading.

By Mark Minervini,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Trade Like a Stock Market Wizard as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Minervini has run circles around most PhDs tryingto design systems to beat the market." -- JACK SCHWAGER, bestselling author of Stock Market Wizards

"Mark's book has to be on every investor's bookshelf. It is about the most comprehensive work I have ever read on investing in growth stocks." -- DAVID RYAN, three-time U.S. Investing Champion

"[Minervini is] one of the most highly respected independent traders of our generation. His experience and past history of savvy market calls is legendary." -- CHARLES KIRK, The Kirk Report

"One of Wall Street's most remarkable success stories." -- BEN POWER, Your Trading Edge

THE…


Book cover of Trades about to Happen: A Modern Adaptation of the Wyckoff Method

Rubén Villahermosa Author Of The Wyckoff Methodology in Depth

From my list on stock market price and volume analysis.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am Rubén Villahermosa, independent trader and author. My logical and rational mind led me to question the why of market movements, which allowed me to learn the principles of the Wyckoff method. I have deepened in the study of the interaction between supply and demand through high-level Technical Analysis tools such as Wyckoff, VSA, Price Action, Volume Profile, and Order Flow; knowledge that I share through my books from principles of honesty, transparency, and responsibility.

Rubén's book list on stock market price and volume analysis

Rubén Villahermosa Why did Rubén love this book?

In his book, David Weis explains the principles of the Wyckoff method from a more modern approach, adapted to today's markets.

Using simple but very powerful concepts (supports and resistance, Springs and Upthrust, effort vs. result), he gives us the necessary ideas to build our own winning trading system.

David also created his own indicator (Weis Wave), which is a great contribution to the trading community.

By David H. Weis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Trades about to Happen as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The definitive book on adapting the classic work of Richard Wyckoff to today's markets Price and volume analysis is one of the most effective approaches to market analysis. It was pioneered by Richard Wyckoff, who worked on Wall Street during the golden age of technical analysis. In Trades About to Happen, veteran trader David Weis explains how to utilize the principles behind Wyckoff's work and make effective trades with this method. Page by page, Weis clearly demonstrates how to construct intraday wave charts similar to Wyckoff's originals, draw support/resistance lines, interpret the struggle for dominance in trading ranges, and recognize…


Book cover of One Up on Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market

Gautam Baid Author Of The Joys of Compounding: The Passionate Pursuit of Lifelong Learning

From my list on value investing from a longtime investor.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the Founder of Stellar Wealth Partners, a SEBI-registered Research Analyst firm and small case manager for investors in the Indian stock market. I am the author of the international best-seller on value investing, The Joys of Compounding. Once a strong foundation is created for a business, owners don’t work for money. Rather, money works for them. As an investor, your money is working for you 24/7. You are becoming wealthier with each passing second, alongside the increasing intrinsic value of your businesses. An investor builds earnings power through a business ownership mindset. 

Gautam's book list on value investing from a longtime investor

Gautam Baid Why did Gautam love this book?

In this book, Peter Lynch teaches how a common investor can get great returns from his investment in the stock market if he follows a few general investing principles and a common-sense investing approach. Lynch believes that with a little research and steady discipline, every common person can outperform the so-called investment gurus and make good returns. He suggests that many great investments could be right under their nose, if the investor is ready to do some research. Most people just have to look around the place where they work or the spots where they visit to grab those opportunities. A common person is exposed to many interesting local companies and products years before professional investors would even hear of them. If these investors find and invest in these growing local companies, they can make handsome returns.

By Peter Lynch, John Rothchild,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One Up on Wall Street as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Peter Lynch believes that average investors have advantages over Wall Street experts. Since the best opportunities can be found at the local mall or in their own places of employment, beginners have the chance to learn about potentially successful companies long before before professional analysts discover them. This headstart on the experts is what produces 'tenbaggers', the stocks that appreciate tenfold or more and turn an average stock portfolio into a star performer. In this fully updated edition of his classic bestseller, Lynch explains how to research stocks and offers easy-to-follow directions for sorting out the long shots from the…


Book cover of You Can Be a Stock Market Genius: Uncover the Secret Hiding Places of Stock Market Profits

Gautam Baid Author Of The Joys of Compounding: The Passionate Pursuit of Lifelong Learning

From my list on value investing from a longtime investor.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the Founder of Stellar Wealth Partners, a SEBI-registered Research Analyst firm and small case manager for investors in the Indian stock market. I am the author of the international best-seller on value investing, The Joys of Compounding. Once a strong foundation is created for a business, owners don’t work for money. Rather, money works for them. As an investor, your money is working for you 24/7. You are becoming wealthier with each passing second, alongside the increasing intrinsic value of your businesses. An investor builds earnings power through a business ownership mindset. 

Gautam's book list on value investing from a longtime investor

Gautam Baid Why did Gautam love this book?

The book outlines an array of “special situations” that may offer very profitable opportunities, i.e. bankruptcies, restructurings, merger securities, and spinoffs, among others. Greenblatt underscores the importance of a set of basic ‘rules’ when delving into the universe of special situations: do your own work, don’t trust anyone, pick your spot and assess the downside, not the upside. The basic premise of the book is that it pays off to search for areas where there is a high probability of finding undervalued equities. You can make a lot of money sticking to the tried-and-true method of investing in and holding good companies for many years. However, if you are a more experienced investor looking for other areas to invest part of your portfolio in, this book will give you several new places to explore.

By Joel Greenblatt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked You Can Be a Stock Market Genius as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A comprehensive and practical guide to the stock market from a successful fund manager—filled with case studies, important background information, and all the tools you’ll need to become a stock market genius.

Fund manager Joel Greenblatt has been beating the Dow (with returns of 50 percent a year) for more than a decade. And now, in this highly accessible guide, he’s going to show you how to do it, too. You’re about to discover investment opportunities that portfolio managers, business-school professors, and top investment experts regularly miss—uncharted areas where the individual investor has a huge advantage over the Wall Street…


Book cover of The Little Book of Valuation: How to Value a Company, Pick a Stock, and Profit

Joe Carlen Author Of The Einstein Money: The Life and Timeless Financial Wisdom of Benjamin Graham

From my list on understanding value investing and business value.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an investor and a professional business valuation specialist, I have a passion for understanding the true intrinsic value of both publicly-traded and closely-held (private) companies. There’s no denying that Warren Buffett, emulating the example of his mentor Benjamin Graham, applied a private company valuation approach to the selection of publicly-traded stocks and the results speak for themselves. Furthermore, given my somewhat technical educational and vocational background, I am more comfortable than most valuators with highly technical and IP-weighted businesses. That is why I consider IP valuation to be an integral element of business valuation. 

Joe's book list on understanding value investing and business value

Joe Carlen Why did Joe love this book?

The process of business valuation lies at the core of value investing. That’s what Damodaran, longtime Professor of Finance at NYU, addresses in this book. An excellent distillation of the key business valuation approaches that are most relevant for investment, The Little Book of Valuation will make the valuation work less daunting and less arduous for the lay investor of the 21st century. 

As well, like the two previous books, this book also underscores the fact that, without a systematic approach to valuing publicly-traded stocks as if they were private companies, proper value investing is not even possible, let alone profitable. Perhaps to underscore this truth, one of the recommendation blurbs is provided by Shannon Pratt, one of the leading gurus of private business valuation and the author of my 4th book pick.

By Aswath Damodaran,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Little Book of Valuation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An accessible, and intuitive, guide to stock valuation Valuation is at the heart of any investment decision, whether that decision is to buy, sell, or hold. In The Little Book of Valuation, expert Aswath Damodaran explains the techniques in language that any investors can understand, so you can make better investment decisions when reviewing stock research reports and engaging in independent efforts to value and pick stocks. Page by page, Damodaran distills the fundamentals of valuation, without glossing over or ignoring key concepts, and develops models that you can easily understand and use. Along the way, he covers various valuation…


Book cover of Trader Vic--Methods of a Wall Street Master

Barbara Rockefeller Author Of Technical Analysis For Dummies

From my list on for traders using technical analysis.

Why am I passionate about this?

Economics isn't really a good starting point for financial market analysis for the simple reason that its models are wildly inaccurate. As behaviorial economists like Daniel Kahneman have been showing, irrationality and the inability to measure risk properly are a very big component of the investment and trading decisions. But statistical risk management is also sloppy when applied to human behavior because people are not objects that reliably behave the same way under similar circumstances. So when you read an economist about markets or an engineer about risk management, you're missing a lot of the story. In the end, technical analysis is fascinating because how and why humans behave is an enduring mystery.

Barbara's book list on for traders using technical analysis

Barbara Rockefeller Why did Barbara love this book?

This book is a classic and the best of the many books written by traders describing trading situations and what they did to conquer the market. Sperandeo delivers concise, specific definitions of how he defines and uses trends with some of the clearest charts you will ever see. I find myself going back to some of the same pages over the years in which he discusses how to tell if a trend is undergoing a correction or is an authentic reversal.

By Victor Sperandeo, T. Sullivan Brown,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Trader Vic--Methods of a Wall Street Master as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Trader Vic -- Methods of a Wall Street Master Investment strategies from the man Barron's calls "The Ultimate Wall Street Pro" "Victor Sperandeo is gifted with one of the finest minds I know. No wonder he's compiled such an amazing record of success as a money manager. Every investor can benefit from the wisdom he offers in his new book. Don't miss it!" --Paul Tudor Jones Tudor Investment Corporation "Here's a simple review in three steps: 1. Buy this book! 2. Read this book! 3. See step 2. For those who can't take a hint, Victor Sperandeo with T. Sullivan…


Book cover of Candlestick Charting for Dummies

Ann C. Logue Author Of Day Trading for Dummies

From my list on for beginning traders.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated with money and investing. Trading is but one segment of the market, but it’s one that creates a lot of drama and excitement that draws people in—and that creates great stories. I also want people to do their research before they trade, because so many people lose money. Preparation, discipline, and strategy improve the odds of success. I’m a long-time financial author and consulting analyst. I have an MBA and am a CFA charter holder, the whole bit, and want to make financial information more accessible. There are a lot of people with a vested interest in making things more complicated than they need to be.

Ann's book list on for beginning traders

Ann C. Logue Why did Ann love this book?

Great trades come from market analysis, not hot tips on Reddit. Candlestick charts contain an enormous amount of information about market trends and activity. Learning charting takes some time, and this book is a great start. Whatever system you decide to follow, make notes of your trades. Plan them out, then note what worked and what didn’t. 

By Russell Rhoads,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Candlestick Charting for Dummies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Want to gain a trading edge with candlestick charts? Find them a little confusing? No worries! Candlestick Charting For Dummies sheds light on this time-tested method for finding the perfect moment to buy or sell. It demystifies technical and chart analysis and gives you the tools you need to identify trading patterns - and pounce! This friendly, practical, guide explains candlestick charting and technical analysis in plain English. In no time, you'll be working with common candlestick patterns, analyzing trading patterns, predicting market behavior, and making your smartest trades ever. You'll discover the advantages candlestick has over other charting methods…


Book cover of Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns

Barbara Rockefeller Author Of Technical Analysis For Dummies

From my list on for traders using technical analysis.

Why am I passionate about this?

Economics isn't really a good starting point for financial market analysis for the simple reason that its models are wildly inaccurate. As behaviorial economists like Daniel Kahneman have been showing, irrationality and the inability to measure risk properly are a very big component of the investment and trading decisions. But statistical risk management is also sloppy when applied to human behavior because people are not objects that reliably behave the same way under similar circumstances. So when you read an economist about markets or an engineer about risk management, you're missing a lot of the story. In the end, technical analysis is fascinating because how and why humans behave is an enduring mystery.

Barbara's book list on for traders using technical analysis

Barbara Rockefeller Why did Barbara love this book?

We sometimes think patterns like a double top or a triangle are old-fashioned and not useful, but Bulkowksi not only demonstrates but proves otherwise. He set the standard for how technical analysis should be presented—with hard facts about how a pattern is identified, how well it works on specific securities over time, its gain/loss ratio, and other data. And he provides updates on his website. Bulkowski has also done simillar work on swing trading and candlesticks. I like Bulkowski’s work because he uses the scientific approach of forming a hypothesis, testing and re-testing it, and honestly reporting whether a hypothesis is valid (or to what extent it can be trusted).

By Thomas N. Bulkowski,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The market's bestselling and most comprehensive reference on chart patterns, backed by statistics and decades of experience

When the smart money trades the securities markets, they leave behind financial footprints. Combine enough footprints together and you have a trail to follow. That trail becomes what's called a chart pattern. Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns, Third Edition expands upon Bulkowski's immensely popular Second Edition with fully revised and updated material on chart patterns. Whether you're new to the stock market or an experienced professional trader, use this book as a reference guide to give you an edge.

Within the pages of this…