Understanding Automated Trading

by Forex - May 15th, 2012

Traders usually have doubts when it comes to using automated Forex trading. Automated trading entails using software that’s been designed with specific data and has been backtested to offer evidence of its ability to render gains. These programs are usually the product of experienced traders. They’re designed to assist individuals who at times find it hard to make decisions on their own. Automated trading is also considered ideal for the person who can’t devote much time to the Forex. The software is offered by numerous Forex trading companies.
Most of us know that traders become emotional at times. They’re ruled by fear or greed. And since trading currencies involves making decisions, it’s often believed that an automated trading system is better than discretional trading as it devoids the activity of emotion. With automated trading the expert advisor makes trade decisions based on what the indicators show; its logical algorithms take market conditions into account. However, there are those who advocate that discretional trading gives you a better handle of the market. Once you learn to check the emotions at the door, you can clearly assess market conditions as well as sentiment, a key mover of currency prices.
Of course discretionary traders can’t go at it round the clock. But with sufficient knowledge of the Forex, one can ascertain the best times to trade a particular currency pair. By understanding currency price changes and with the right strategy, i.e. waiting for stochastic crossovers, one can increase the likelihood for gains.

The Yen’s Calendar Patterns

by Forex - May 1st, 2012

As it’s the case in other financial markets, currencies in the Forex demonstrate seasonal behavioral patterns. And the experts say they’re ideal for making money. Calendar patterns are different for every currency pair given their individual characteristics. Here, we’ll talk about the Yen.
If you’re engaged in JPY trading, one of the first things you’ll want to observe is the monthly charts. There are certain months of the year wherein the USD/JPY reveals specific tendencies. August for instance, for certain pairs like the EUR/USD and GBP/USD is generally identified as a period of low volume since most players take time out for vacation. January stands out, especially for the Yen; and the market has shown that the USD/JPY has rallied in six of the latest seven years.
When investing or trading into pairs such as the EUR/JPY or GBP/JPY it helps to know the seasonal patterns of the Yen as well as that of the Pound and the Euro.
According to skilled traders, strategic use of price memory can enhance one’s trading. And observing cycles and patterns can add to one’s trading strategy. March for instance is important in the Japanese economy. A look at the month’s charts may show the effects on the influx of capital earned abroad. Capital flows are an important element of the economy and another indicator for currency price fluctuations.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to remember when you’re sketching out a plan to trade with, that calendar patterns play an important role.

It’s Not Just About The Entry

by Forex - April 17th, 2012

While everyone is obsessed with finding the right method to time the perfect entry into a trade, the savvy individuals know it’s also important to know how and when to exit a position so that you walk away with pips, not losses.
Using the chandelier to exit has become one of the more popular strategies amid Forex technical analysts. And while there’s a bounty of techniques suitable for any trading style, it’s important that a trader understand the meaning of margin and leverage to obtain success. Without a basic knowledge of these terms, it doesn’t matter how good your strategy is. A margin call could wipe your account totally.
The chandelier is a volatility indicator that can help you make light of this difficult task. The signal indicator is premised on the same foundation as the average true range. It allows you to follow the trend to its end so you’re not surprised by sudden reversals. With the chandelier you become aware of how strong the trend is at all times.
So if you’re scalping for Pound pips, and you’re going long, the experts say to exit a long position when the currency inches close to the resistance; this is best because the chandelier calculates the time you opened the trade and deducts 3 average true ranges. They also suggest setting a stop loss at all times and in this case, doing so at the different ATR levels away from the entry price.

The Positive Side Of Drawdown

by Forex - April 3rd, 2012

Drawdown is part of trading in any market. It’s not a subject most people like to talk about, since it’s negative. However, those who learn to embrace it while trying to make money day trading in the currency market aren’t afraid to discuss it.

For those of you who don’t understand the term, drawdown is when the trading account begins to shrink. To eliminate drawdown you’d have to be right 100 percent of the time; and even the professional traders who’ve bought and sold currencies for years, can’t ascertain the direction of the market all of the time.

You may get better results with range bars, while others perhaps obtain the profit in market corrections. In neither scenario, are traders able to profit from the markets’ moves 100 percent of the time.

As traders, we try to guess what the currencies will do next. If we believe they’ll appreciate, we buy; and if we think they’ll decline, we sell. But once you place the order, it doesn’t mean the currency will do what you think it will do. If it does the opposite, you’ll sustain a drawdown.

And this, the experts say, is okay. Learning to deal with losses is something that a trader ought to master in order to survive the market. They actually say that drawdown often teaches us something important. From the losses we’re able to learn what to do or what not to do. Thus, there’s an upside to experiencing losses.

 

Taking Appropriate Action With Breakouts

by Forex - March 20th, 2012

As in life, in trading, taking the appropriate action can be hard. For the majority of Forex foreign exchange market traders, it’s very hard to buy tops or sell bottoms, because as we grow up, we’re taught that it’s best to buy something when it’s at the lowest price. This is why although most traders follow the trend, they really prefer to pick currencies when they’re at their peak or at the bottom.

If you’re among the traders who are afraid to trade breakouts, you’re not alone. Most individuals are afraid that if they bank on such movements, they’ll be opening the trade too late. Many experts recommend using the commodity channel index. What it does is capture the difference in the deviation of the currency price from its average. Thus, it offers accurate signals for entering into trades.

Without getting into much detail, note that CCI is what’s referred to as an unbound oscillator. When it shows a reading of +100 the market is said to be overbought; and anything below -100 means the currency exchange is oversold. Therefore, traders open positions to the upside when the currency trades at a new high over the 100 mark, and they sell when it trades at new lows below -100, of course without using the mental stop loss. To trade breakouts, and achieve consistency in trading breakouts, the experts look for new peaks in momentum which will usually carry the currency to newer highs or lows.