by forexauthor on June 28, 2009 · Filed Under: Forex Trading
Tags: aud usd, chf usd, eur usd, gbp usd, usd
Understand forex market.Suppose you have the data and calculated the currency correlations of the major pairs. The correlation between GBP/USD and EUR/USD is 0.68. This correlation coefficient means both the pairs move in the same direction 68% of the time.
Get good forex training.USD/CHF and EUR/USD have a correlation coefficient of -0.975 and is pretty close to (-1). It means both USD/CHF and EUR/USD pairs move in the opposite direction almost 97.5% of the time. It means if USD/CHF moves up, the pair EUR/USD will move down!
Learn forex news trading. You have this information. It tells you how much these pairs move in the same or opposite directions. Suppose you trade both the pairs USD/CHF and EUR/USD by going long at the same time. What you will be doing is in fact canceling both the positions.
If you win on USD/CHF pair, you will lose on EUR/USD pair. Due to the negative correlation between the two pairs, the two trades would effectively cancel each other. A savvy investor would go long on USD/CHF. At the same time he/she will go short on EUR/USD. So he/she will be shorting USD in both the trades and diversifying the USD bearish investment.
You can make entry and exit decisions for each trade based on currency correlations. Suppose GBP/USD starts showing volatility. It approaches a resistance level. You plan on going long on a breakout.
However, you notice on the charts that the other three pairs are not moving as much as the GBP/USD. EUR/USD is not moving up on the chart. USD/CHF is not moving down on the chart. USD/JPY is not moving down on the chart. This means that the move in GBP/USD is solely pound driven. The move maybe related to some news in the British economy.
You know now that the move in GBP/USD pair is GBP driven. The move is not US Dollar driven. You have isolated the cause of movement in GBP/USD pair and can take advantage of this information. Ignore the GBP driven move. Don’t enter into any trade. Wait for a later opportunity. An opportunity that involves simultaneous correlated moves of all the major pairs!
Let’s take another example. Suppose you have taken a short position on EUR/USD pair. You want to be sure whether the pair will proceed down towards your profit target. You also want to know can it go against you and cause you to exit the trade with a small loss.
Your EUR/USD has broken the S1 support pivot level. It is heading towards M1. Take a look at the pair EUR/GBP. You find that it has paused at its S1 support pivot level and is showing signs of reversing to the upside.
Knowledge of currency correlations can tell you if EUR/GBP breaks through the S1 level, you are poised for a profitable trade in this type of a situation, However, you should watch the indicators and exit before taking a big loss if it reverses and heads back to the upside. You might consider trading a basket of all the major currencies as you mature in forex trading.
by forexauthor on June 26, 2009 · Filed Under: Forex Trading
Tags: aud usd, chf usd, eur usd, gbp usd, usd
Understand the forex market.If you are a currency trader and focus on the four major currency pairs EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CHF and USD/JPY, then you should consider yourself a specialist in USD. Yes, it’s true! You are a specialist in trading the greenback.Don’t trade without good forex training.
Learn forex news trading.Each currency pair actually comprises two currencies. So if you are long in GBP/USD then you are in fact buying the GBP and selling the USD. In each of the major currency pairs, USD is part of the equation.
This means that you should study and understand the fundamentals of US Dollar, the US economy and the workings of the Federal Reserve System (FED). Then you have done your homework needed to trade any one of the four major currency pairs as all of them depend on USD.
These four major pairs are the most liquid pairs in the currency markets and involve the vast majority of the currency trading. Think like this. Majors are the most heavily traded pairs in the currency markets. US Dollar is half of each major pair so if you can understand what drives the USD, it will have a huge impact on your trading plans.
What do you think; USD will weaken or strengthen in the near and medium term. The only thing you need to determine is your bias for USD before each trade. Off course develop a system that guides you in forming an educated bias. Then apply that bias to the major currency pairs.
Just to remind you, suppose you buy a currency pair. You are buying the first currency and selling the second currency in the pair! Suppose your form a bias that USD is going to strengthen. With this bias, you can go long on USD/CHF and USD/JPY. Similarly, you can go short on GBP/USD and EUR/USD.
With one bias, you have the possibility of four trades. However, each currency pair will react differently to USD. Suppose Euro is also strengthening. The currency pair EUR/USD will move less with USD also strengthening. USD/JPY will move more if JPY is weakening.
Let’s say you can only afford to place one mini lot trade. You have a bearish bias for USD. What pair you should trade? You can consider going long on either GBP/USD or EUR/USD. But which one!
Take a look at GBP and the Euro both at the same time. Find out which of the two currencies is stronger right now. You should trade the stronger currency. You can find that by taking a look at the cross EUR/GBP. If the EUR/GBP cross is down, it means EUR is weakening and GBP is getting stronger. You should trade GBP/USD!
You should always include an evaluation of the currency correlations for the major currency pairs in every trading plan that you create. The correlations between the currency pairs are dynamic and can change any time. So you need to calculate the correlations at least on weekly basis to give you a fair idea. Correlation is determined by what is known as the correlation coefficient. Correlation coefficient always ranges between +1 and -1.