Monday, December 8, 2008

How to Identify Forex Market Trends

There are basically three major factors that influence and affect forex market trends - economy, political conditions and market psychology.

1. Economy
Economic factors are the most basic things that create changes in a country's currency. When such economic conditions as a budget deficit or surplus is present within a country, there will surely be reactions in the market and values will be reflected on currencies. Other conditions may also include inflation trends, and the general economic growth of the country.

The more prosperous a country's economy is, the more investors will be able to adhere to doing trade in a more positive attitude. Such indicators as a growth in a nation's gross domestic product (GDP), employment levels and retail sales among others will basically attract more investors and that nation's currency value will likely go up.

2. Political Conditions
Another very important factor that influence trends in Forex, are the conditions of a country's political sector. This is because political instability or turmoil can generally create negative fluctuations to an economy. But if such instances occur wherein a country may rise above political obstacles, the opposite may occur and the economy may improve.

Events in a region can surely create negative or positive interest among investors for a nation's currency. And so, such conditions surely influence the trends for demands and prices of a certain currency.

3. Market Psychology
Of course, the perception of traders and investors will greatly influence the Foreign Exchange market in so many ways. After all, the market is highly dependent on whether or not people would want to invest on a country's economy in order to determine whether currency prices will go up or down.

For example, such conditions wherein unsettling international events may happen, people would generally want to look for a safe haven for their investments. Whenever there is a greater demand for a certain country's economy, then a higher price will be given to buyers and the currency's value will go up and become stronger.

Other events that contribute to traders perceptions may be long-term trends where people invest based on what they have seen for a long period and time, and even economic numbers where people may base their investments depending on what numbers show a greater value.

The market in Foreign Exchange is often unpredictable and fluctuating. Therefore if you are interested in doing trades in this market, make sure that you take the time to be knowledgeable about good strategies that can help you play the game.

But more importantly, keep in updating yourself with the different economic trends in the international scene. After all, this currency market would greatly revolve upon events that would occur in the different countries. Familiarizing yourself with the factors that affect the Forex will surely help you make better decisions.

How to Identify Forex Market Trends

Trend is simply the overall direction in which prices are moving - UP, DOWN, OR FLAT.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Types of Trends

The direction of the trend is absolutely essential to trading and analyzing the market. In the Foreign Exchange (FX) Market, it is possible to profit from both UP and Down movements, because the buying and selling of one currency is always linked to another currency e.g. BUY US Dollar SELL Japanese Yen (USD/JPY).

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard
Up Trend. As the trend moves upwards the US Dollar is appreciating in value.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard
Down Trend. As the trend moves downwards the US Dollar is depreciating in value.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard
Sideways Trend. Prices are moving within a narrow range (The currencies are neither appreciating nor depreciating).

Trend Classifications

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Information About Trendlines

The basic trendline is one of the simplest technical tools employed by the trader, and is also one of the most valuable in any type of technical trading. For an up trendline to be drawn, there must be at least two low points in the graph, where the 2nd low point is higher than the first. A price low is the lowest price reached during a counter trend move.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Trend Analysis and Timing

Markets don't move straight up and down. The direction of any market at any given time is either Bullish (Up), Bearish (Down), or Neutral (Sideways). Within those trends, markets have countertrend (backing & filling) movements. In a general sense "Markets move in waves", and in order to make money, a trader must catch the wave at the right time.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Drawing Trendlines

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Trendlines I

Drawing Trendlines will help to determine when a trend is changing

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Trendlines II

Trendlines show support boundaries under prices. These boundaries may be used as buying areas.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Trendlines III

Temporary trendline penetrations are not as significant as a close beyond the trendline.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Channel Lines

When prices remain within two parallel trendlines they form a Channel. When prices hit the bottom trendline this may be used as a buying area. Similarly, when prices hit the upper trendline this may be used as a selling area.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Find Price Support Levels

Price supports are price areas where traders find it is difficult for market prices to penetrate any lower. Buying interest in the dollar is strong enough to overcome Selling interest in the dollar, keeping prices at a sustained level.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

Finding Price Resistance Levels

Resistanceis the opposite of support, representing a price level where Selling Interest overcomes Buying interest and advancing prices are turning back.

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

50% Retracements

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard

33% and 66% Retracements

Chart Courtesy Forex Yard


Sources :
  1. Paul Hata: Factors That Influence Forex Market Trends
  2. Technical Analysis: What is Market Trend?

Bookmark and Share Join My Community at MyBloglog! Add to Technorati Favorites Stumble Upon Toolbar

Guide to Using Fibonacci Retracements Level

The Fibonacci retracements pattern can be useful for swing traders to identify reversals on a forex chart. On this page we will look at the Fibonacci sequence and show some examples of how you can identify this pattern.

Fibonacci Retracement Levels are:
0.382, 0.500, 0.618 — three the most important levels
Fibonacci retracement levels are used as support and resistance levels.

Fibonacci Extension Levels are:
0.618, 1.000, 1.618 — three the most important levels
Fibonacci extension levels are used as profit taking levels.

To set up Fibonacci on the chart we need to find out:

  1. Is it uptrend or downtrend?
  2. Highest and lowest swings in the chart formation (A, B points). And go with the trend!
Fibonacci SwingWe have an uptrend. A — our lowest swing, B — our highest swing. So, we will look to BUY some lots at the good lowest price and go up with the trend.

So, what we are expecting is next: the price should retrace (go down) from point B to some point C, and then continue up in the direction of the trend. Those three dotted lines (0.618, 0.500, 0.382) at the bottom on our picture shows three Fibonacci retracement levels where we expect the price to take a U-turn and go up again. There we will place our BUY order.

The best situation would be to buy at the lowest level — 0.618 — point C. And on practice the price usually gives us this chance. However, 0.500 is also a good level to place a BUY order.

Fibonacci Retracement
Same steps will also apply to downtrend price movement.

Fibonacci RetracementForex will often pull back or retrace a percentage of the previous move before reversing. These Fibonacci retracements often occur at three levels – 38.2%, 50%, and 61.8%. Actually, the 50% level really does not have anything to do with Fibonacci, but traders use this level because of the tendency of forex to reverse after retracing half of the previous move. Here is an example using a graphic explaining the retracement pattern.

Fibo Retracements LevelThis picture shows a graphical representation of the reversal points for forex in an uptrend.

After a forex makes a move to the upside (A), it can then retrace a part of that move (B), before moving on again in the desired direction (C). These retracements or pullbacks are what you as a swing trader want to watch for when initiating long or short positions.

Once the forex begins to pull back (retrace), then you can plot these retracement levels on a chart to look for signs of a reversal. You do not automatically buy the forex just because it is at a common retracement level! Wait, and look for candlestick patterns to develop at the 38.2% area. If you do not see any signs of a reversal, then it may go down to the 50% area. Look for a reversal there. You do not know if or when the forex will reverse at a Fibonacci level! You just mark these areas on a chart and wait for signal to go long or short.

Just remember...
Price is king. Wait for signs of a reversal before you initiate a trade!


Sources :
  1. Fibonacci method in Forex charts.
  2. How To Use Fibonacci Retracements.

Bookmark and Share Join My Community at MyBloglog! Add to Technorati Favorites Stumble Upon Toolbar
Template by - Abdul Munir | Daya Earth Blogger Template