What actually moves price

The four big drivers

Beneath every chart squiggle are four forces working in real time: (1) Supply & demand — who wants in, who wants out, and how badly. (2) News & catalysts — earnings, economic data (CPI, jobs, rates), geopolitical events, regulator decisions. (3) Liquidity — how easily big orders can be filled without moving price; thin liquidity = wild swings. (4) Sentiment & narrative — the story the crowd believes right now (AI hype, recession fear, 'soft landing'). Most moves are a mix of all four.