Forex Trading – When To Buy And When To Sell

Forex trading is both an art and a science, but we must say that it veers toward science most of the time. This is evidenced by the reliance of forex traders on trading signals that are, in turn, provided by computerised programs. We shall discuss two of the most commonly used trading signals used by traders to decide when to buy and when to sell currencies.

First, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) displays the relationship between two types of moving averages, thus, its usefulness as a momentum indicator. It is computed by subtracting the 26-day EMA from the 12-day EMA. The resulting MACD is then charted along with the signal line the 9-day EMA, in this case, the latter plotted on top of the former which then functions as the trigger for buying and selling.

There are three ways in which the MACD is used to signal buying and selling in forex trading, as follows:

Crossovers The signal line is your point of reference, of course. When the MACD falls below it, you may think of selling. When the MACD rises above it, you have reason to buy. However, we suggest waiting for confirmation via a cross over the signal line lest you enter into an undesirable position and, thus, lose out on the game.

Divergence Look at the price of the currency. If it deviates from the MACD, it is a signal that the current trends are changing so you must change your position as necessary.

Dramatic Rise The currency may be overbought and, thus, will return to normal levels in the near future when the MACD rises in a dramatic manner. Plan your position accordingly.

Yes, we have to admit that using MACD in forex trading takes practice. This is a must, nonetheless, for success in the business so you may as well learn and master it now.

Second, the parabolic SAR is a technical analysis approach utilising a trailing stop and reverse method in deciding on the best entry and exit points in a forex deal. SAR stands for stop and reverse or stop-and-reversal obviously. In a graph, it consists of dots fluctuating below and above the candlesticks.

The general rules in using parabolic SAR (PSAR) in forex trading are:
If the currency is trading below the PSAR, sell.
If the currency is priced above the PSAR, buy. Or in the words of traders, stay long.

To state it in terms of a graph, sell when the dots are below the candlesticks and buy when the dots are above the candlesticks. Of course, you must take into account other factors but these are relatively reliable and strong signals, so your first informed instinct is to go for it.

Combining the MACD and PSAR in forex trading is a great way to earn more profits from the activity. Study these two concepts intensively and you should be able to take advantage of your newfound knowledge.

Forex Tips – Why You Should Consider Trading The End Of Day Charts

When you first start trading the currency markets, it is easy to find yourself drawn to the short term charts such as the 1 minute, 5 minute and 15 minute charts. This is because you can bank profits in a very short space of time, and can be in and out of a trade very quickly. However you shouldn’t rule out the daily price charts because these can be just as profitable, if not more so.

What you have to bear in mind is that when you are trading the short time frames, you can only really expect to bank modest profits from each of your trades. These are often in the region of 5-20 pips at most. However when you go up to the daily charts, you will be in trades for a lot longer, maybe as long as a week or two, so you can potentially bank huge profits of several hundred pips from just a single trade.

The beauty of this is that you don’t have to stress yourself looking for multiple trades every single day. You can simply switch on your computer at the end of the day’s trading session, ie when the daily candle closes, and look for any high probability trading opportunities amongst the various currency pairs. If there are not any decent set-ups, you can wait until the same time tomorrow. However if there are one or two opportunities, you can enter your trade, set your stop loss and target price, and watch it slowly unfold over the coming days (and weeks in some cases).

Your overall success rate should be a lot higher on the daily time frame because technical indicators tend to work so much better on this time frame than many of the shorter time frames. With day trading you may struggle to make any money because there are so many false moves and whipsaws throughout the day.

Of course you still need a profitable system in place even when trading these end of day charts. However it should be a lot easier to come up with a winning system. You just need to come up with a way of trading breakouts or price reversals, which is not all that difficult if you look for things like pin bars, EMA crossovers, MACD crossovers and divergence on some of the most popular indicators.

So the point is that if you are not having too much success trading the short term price charts (like most forex traders who try trading these time frames), you should seriously consider trading the daily charts instead. These are far easier and less stressful to trade, and you should find that you can make more money because the price moves are easier to predict.

Easy Forex Signals Intraday Forex Trader Report

Attention continues to be gripped on Japan and the Middle East, especially Bahrain, this afternoon as the circumstances in both nations brings nervousness to an already volatile global setting. The nuclear disaster in Fukushima has reconditioned anxieties of stalled economic recovery while the continuing violence in Manama induced further flight to quality. Nevertheless, stocks regained ground, a move that did not transfer signals to the fx trading market.

A massive downside miss in U.S. Housing Starts and major upside miss in PPI signals a stagflation environment which doesn’t bode well for the USD over a mid-term.

USD/JPY as well as the whole JPY complex plunged in the twilight hours between the New York close and the Sydney-Tokyo open on renewed anxieties regarding Japan and expectations of large Japanese repatriation to finance costs connected with the earthquake. Later this morning, nearer to the London open, the USD and JPY pared back a lot of the gains as the risk-aversion of the previous three days is abating.

EUR/USD Forex signals opinions for Metatrader: A pull back to the mid 20-day Bolli band at 1.3838 is possible. The sellers are urged by the solitary currency’s disappointment at the 1.4000-level. MACD is neutral today. RSI points to the south, agreeing with the generally somewhat bearish disposition here.

GBP/USD Currency signals for MT4: The general picture has rolled over to a neutral one. MACD is in a decisive negative cross, RSI has also rotated lower. Nevertheless, the bottom 20-day Bolli bad at 1.6026 is indicating to be a strong support for the sterling. The 20-day moving average at 1.6183 is performing like a magnet. The 20-day mid Bolli band is a crucial point.

USD/JPY Metatrader Forex Brokers Alerts Evaluation: MACD is moving on on its bearish cross today, presenting an undesirable look to the couple. RSI is negative, just above the oversold level of 30. Most likely tight ranges should control here with the bottom 20-day Bolli band at 80.87 underpinning the action on the downside, while the 20-day MA at 82.26 is very likely to restrict development higher. The reality that the bottom Bolli band was penetrated yesterday and today, adjusts emphasis to further downside.

The Best Tactics For Short Term Forex Trading

In terms of being the best tactician in short-term forex trading, we recommend momentum trading and for good reasons, too. Its main aim is to achieve the profit target as soon as possible with as little risk possible under the volatile circumstances that surround each forex transaction. Basically, you take advantage of the momentum when it is on your side by entering the forex market either on a long or short basis.

You will require three kinds of moving averages to accomplish your purpose, namely, the moving average convergence divergence (MACD), the 100-day simple moving average (SMA), and the 20-day exponential moving average (EMA). You will see why later.

For the MACD, be sure to use the default setting on the 5-minute chart. Said default setting is: Signal ENA=9, First EMA=12, and Second EMA=26. To start on this short-term forex trading strategy, open the 5-minute chart and look for the right currency pair. This means the pair trading below the SMA and EMA. Take a look at the MACD histogram. You will enter into a long trade when the MACD starts turning positive but stay within 5 candles. Your stop loss margin must be positioned at the candles low point, which should be above the EMA and SMA.

You will exit half of your position the moment the trade changes in your favour but be sure that it is still within the amount risked. The other half of your position will follow a trailing stop within a -15 pips on the 20-day EMA. This forex trading tactic should pay off handsomely under the right circumstances.

Now, lets assume that that your chosen currency pair is trading in the opposite direction above the EMA and SMA that is. In this case, you must be patient and wait until such time that the currency pair is trading below both the EMA and SMA by 15 pips, minimum.

In reverse of the first situation, you will enter into a short trade with the MACD turning negative within 5 candles. (The first situation was go long on positive turn). Your stop loss is at the high point of the first candle breaking through the EMA and SMA. (In the first, it was at a low point). You will also exit half of your position with the other half set for a trailing stop at +15 pips on the EMA. Again, this forex trading strategy should be in your favour when you can closely monitor the charts.

There are other strategies for short-term forex transactions, of course. Two examples are the use of 2 charts, namely, the hourly and the 10-minute charts as well as the 200-bar MA. You can also explore these options but we recommend trying the momentum trading strategy first.