Quantum physics
QuantumForecast started in 2011 as a project at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and LMU Munich. Its models apply methods from quantum physics to the stock market.
Quantum Forecast · How it works
Quantum Forecast: Turning prices into forecasts.
QuantumForecast combines methods from quantum physics with the collective intelligence of its users – for 779 stocks and 12 indices, updated every 5 minutes.
Collective intelligence
Many independent opinions, taken together, are often smarter than any single expert. Our users' calls are checked and weighted by their hit rate.
Forecast League
Anyone can play: pick a direction and a price target, earn points, climb the leaderboard – and go head-to-head with the Quantum Forecast.
From physics to forecast
- 1
Spectra & correlations
From current prices we compute frequency spectra (Fourier analysis) and analyze how price swings relate to volatility. This produces both the forecast and a risk assessment.
- 2
Herd behavior
In physics, the Ising model describes how magnets align with one another. Applied to the stock market, it captures how investors pull each other along – all the way to a panic in which everyone sells at once.
- 3
Spotting phase transitions
Percolation theory shows when many small, independent groups suddenly merge into a single network. In markets, that is the shift to collective fear or euphoria – an early sign of a crash or a bubble.
- 4
Collective intelligence
Statistical errors tend to cancel out in large, independent samples. That's why we check every user forecast once it expires and factor it in, weighted by hit rate.
Reading the chart
- Price historyReal prices, updated every 5 minutes – primarily from Tradegate and LS Exchange in euros, shown in US dollars at the live EUR/USD rate; indices use real-time indications.
- Quantum ForecastThe dashed line shows the expected path. Its length adapts to the chart's time frame – from minutes to weeks.
- Confidence bandThe typical range of fluctuation around the forecast, based on the stock's daily volatility. It widens over time: the further out you look, the less certain the forecast.
- HorizonThis is how far the forecast reaches. In the Forecast League, a line like this marks the date your call is scored.
Forecast League
Join in 30 seconds
- Direction Long or Short, on every stock and index page
- Price target drag it on the chart – the closer you get, the bigger the bonus
- Points after 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, or 6 months
Origins: from the lab to the stock market
- 2011
A project at MPQ and LMU
The Quantum Forecast began as a project at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching and at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) – drawing on methods from quantum physics and statistical physics.
- 2012
Funded through the EXIST program
The project received funding from EXIST, a program through which the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and the EU support startups coming out of academic research.
- Today
Quantum Forecasts for 779 stocks
The research project has grown into a freely accessible website: forecasts, charts, and the Forecast League, where users compete against the model.
Data & transparency
779Stocks from the DAX, MDAX, SDAX, TecDAX, Euro Stoxx 50, CAC 40, SMI, ATX, Nasdaq 100, and S&P 500
5 minPrice updates during trading hours (2 a.m.–4 p.m. ET), prices in US dollars
20 yearsPrice history for charts and key figures, including daily volume
200+Terms in our Stock Market Glossary
Not investment advice. Forecasts are based solely on historical prices, statistical analysis, and in part on users' assessments. Research background: Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, LMU Munich · Formerly funded by the EXIST program (German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs & EU).