There’s a vast array of articles and webinars devoted to the study of candlesticks and their patterns. These represent currency behavior, a subject every Forex trader hopes to excel at. The main thing is to remain calm and not get overwhelmed by the number of patterns the candlestick charts depict.
Educators say you may start out by learning about the basic patterns which reflect impending reversals. These candlesticks will render the most common scenarios so that you can make rational decisions on how and where to invest.
The most popular candlestick patterns which point traders in the direction of a reversal include the Dojis, double or triple tops, spinning tops, evening and morning stars, and head and shoulders. If you’re among those looking for an easy method for trading EUR/USD, spotting reversals may be just what you need.
Dojis for instance develop when the currency values open and close at the same level on the candlestick. This indicates there’s market indecision. They occur when a currency has trended for long periods. According to skilled traders, Forex participants should focus on the Dojis that develop during extended rallies rather than on those that appear in ranges.
If market participants are following the factors affecting the GBP/USD i.e. Industrial Production, and the data is released, you may encounter a spinning top. This tells you that buyers and sellers anticipate the data will push the currency in a certain direction. The formation will appear at the end of an extended movement.
Anticipating Reversals With Candlesticks
Published May 14, 2012 money online ClosedTags: EUR/USD, forex, forex trader, GBP/USD, USD
Opening A Position With COT
Published April 30, 2012 money online ClosedTags: currencies, currency market, forex
Since the Forex is an over-the-counter market, it doesn’t offer a centralized location to provide you with activity information like the New York Stock Exchange does for those trading stocks. Therefore, many currency market participants count on the release of the COT to discern what’s taking place in the market, and importantly, assess the dominant market sentiment.
The COT or Commitment of Traders Report provides traders with the net long and short currencies placed by traders. The reports are issued weekly which means that it may be more suitable for long term Forex traders.
So how do you utilize it to trade the currencies profitably? The COT renders data that lead to the assessment of sentiment. One way the experts use it for trading is by finding the extreme positions. These often suggest that the market is about to shift in direction; in other words, traders can take advantage of reversals. However, the pros warn against basing all decisions to change your strategy on the data in the COT; many inexperienced traders assume the currencies have hit extremes. Pinpointing extremes can be a tough task. What may have been an extreme one month ago may no longer hold true this month. So how do you handle this issue? Basically by creating your own COT. As you gain experience in Forex, you’ll find that this task is simple, as it only requires that you choose a time period and insert the values you deem important.
Looking For Low Spreads
Published April 16, 2012 money online ClosedTags: EUR/USD, forex, forex market, USD, USD/JPY
If you go into the ad section of a newspaper, you’ll find that most stores promise low prices. The same thing happens in the international Forex market. In it, the brokerage firms promise competitive spreads in order to gain your business. In theory, every broker ought to offer the same spread for a particular currency pair. However, this isn’t the case. A wise trader said that looking for the lowest spreads should be one of the considerations when shopping for the right broker.
Remember that these companies don’t make their money on commissions, as there aren’t any in the Spot Forex. However, brokers earn their dues from the spreads we pay. Keep in mind these are the differentials between the bid and the ask prices. They’re what many refer to as the hidden costs of trading. When companies offer low spreads, they mean you’ll pay less when trading majors such as the EUR/USD, USD/JPY among others. The spreads are much higher for the exotics currency pairs since they trade at less volume.
And don’t forget you only pay the aforementioned spread when you buy, not when you close. For some traders this isn’t a big issue, especially if they’re position traders. But for someone engaging in scalping the costs can add up. Thus, it’s vital to notice the numbers posted on your money-making platform as they can make the difference for your bottom line.
Lastly, the pros suggest reading the fine print to verify the value of the spreads.
The Profit In Market Corrections
Published April 2, 2012 money online ClosedTags: forex, forex market
Following a currency trend is not the only way to obtain gains when going into the Forex market live. Many individuals have perfected their skills for capturing pips during reversals, and even throughout market corrections. These movements are often seen during hawkish conditions, and are easily identified in point and figure charts. However, people who have experience say it’s always best to practice first at identifying the corrections, since at times, one can be in the presence of false breaks in point and figure charts without realizing it.
With sufficient analysis a currency trader can learn to spot the different types of retracements that occur within an up or downtrend. And when trading these price changes, it’s important to know that when a currency retraces to the initial levels of support, what once was resistance, the buyers are showing commitment. This means you’ll be seeing a slight movement to the upside, though not a marked as a retracement. The same is true when a currency traces back towards resistance.
Most individuals prefer to wait for the long retracements since they’re obvious after a strong price change. They indicate that the bears are dominant in the market, and therefore, the currency won’t be able to remain strong. Thus, what the pros do is wait for the market to showcase a brief retracement and a trend change.
To identify short corrections, the experienced traders say to wait for the currency to reach the highest high or lowest low.
Combining Forces In The Forex
Published March 19, 2012 money online ClosedTags: forex, trading the forex
One of the most popular adages in the Forex is “the trend is your friend.” This has become a known fact because as long as a currency trades in a particular direction, the more money a trader can make. However, many novices still insist on buying at a low price and selling at the highs. The pros say that the way to accomplish this feat is by buying when the currency hits the bottom and selling it when the price reaches the top. This is what’s known as trading with a countertrend.
There’s nothing wrong with taking this approach. In fact a number of online traders have designed a strategy wherein they can combine trend and counter-trend techniques; and they says it’s brought them much financial satisfaction. If you’re going to give it a try, don’t forget that trading the Forex with margin requires discipline.
The key to succeeding with this method requires that the system works for identifying long term trends and highlights the major pullbacks within such trend.
When utilizing the combined techniques, it’s also important to understand that the idea is not to look for buy or sell signals, but to assess the direction in which the markets will go. Thus, implementing an oscillator among the many countertrend indicators may be the way to go. The oscillators are ideal for spotting those pullbacks and gaging the favorable times to open a position while still keeping to the idea of looking for the trend.