Michael Oliver
Mike Oliver is the Founder and Sole Proprietor of Momentum Structural Analysis, a technical research firm that provides institutional-grade market analysis to financial professionals and asset management clients. Widely regarded as a pioneer in momentum-based technical analysis, Oliver developed the proprietary MSA methodology, which emphasizes momentum structure rather than price alone to identify market trends, inflection points, and systemic risk. Oliver gained early recognition after accurately forecasting the 1987 stock market crash, a pivotal moment that ultimately led him to transition from brokerage services to full-time technical research in 1992. With professional experience in the commodities markets dating back to 1975, he is considered a veteran and respected authority in the field of technical market analysis. His momentum-focused framework offers a differentiated perspective on market behavior, helping investors anticipate major shifts across equities, commodities, and global asset classes.
Michael Oliver Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Founder and Sole Proprietor
Academic History
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M.A., Political Science
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B.A., Political Science
TRADING CAREER
J. Michael Oliver began developing his proprietary momentum-based technical analysis framework in the early 1980s after identifying persistent limitations in traditional price-chart analysis.
Through extensive market observation, he concluded that conventional tools such as price breakouts, support, and resistance levels frequently produced misleading signals.
This realization led Oliver to formalize his structural momentum tools into a comprehensive analytical methodology focused on how momentum behaves across different market cycles.
His work gained widespread recognition in 1987, when he successfully anticipated and navigated the historic stock market crash using his momentum-based signals.
In the years that followed, Oliver transitioned from brokerage services to full-time technical research, dedicating his career to studying momentum dynamics and their role in identifying major market turning points across asset classes.
EARLY CAREER
Oliver entered the financial services industry in 1975 on the futures side, joining E.F. Hutton’s International Commodity Division.
During this period, he studied under David Johnston, then Head of Hutton’s Commodity Division and Chairman of COMEX, gaining early exposure to professional commodity trading and market structure.
In addition to his market work, Oliver is also the author of The New Libertarianism: Anarcho-Capitalism, a philosophical work blending the ideas of Ayn Rand and Murray Rothbard, originally written in 1972 and published in 2013.