Technical Analysis:- Common Chart Indicators

Bollinger Bands
Bollinger bands are used to measure a market’s volatility. Basically, this little tool tells us whether the market is quiet or whether the market is LOUD! When the market is quiet, the bands contract; and when the market is LOUD, the bands expand. Notice on the chart below that when the price was quiet, the bands were close together, but when the price moved up, the bands spread apart.

That’s all there is to it. Yes, I could go on and bore you by going into the history of the Bollinger band, how it is calculated, the mathematical formulas behind it, and so on and so forth, but I really don’t feel like typing it all out. My fingers are cramping.

In all honesty, you don’t need to know any of that junk. I think it’s more important that I show you some ways you can apply the Bollinger bands to your trading.

Note: If you really want to learn about the calculations of a Bollinger band, then you can go to http://www.bollingerbands.com/


The Bollinger Bounce

One thing you should know about Bollinger Bands is that price tends to return to the middle of thebands. That is the whole idea behind the Bollinger bounce (smart, huh?). If this is the case, then bylooking at the chart above, can you tell me where the price might go next?

If you said down, then you sre correct! As you can see, the price settled back down towards the middle are of the bands.

That’s all there is to it. What you just saw was a classic Bollinger bounce. The reason these bounces occur is because Bollinger Bands act like mini support and resistance levels. The longer the time frame you are in, the stronger these bands are. Many traders have developed systems that thrive on these bounces. This strategy is best used when the market is ranging and there is no clear trend.

Now let’s look at a way to use Bollinger Bands when the market does trend.


Bollinger Squeeze



The Bollinger squeeze is pretty self explanatory. When the bands “squeeze” together, it usually means that a breakout is going to occur. If the candles start to break out above the top band, then the move will usually continue to go up. If the candles start to break out below the lower band, then the move will usually continue to go down. Looking at the chart above, you can see the bands squeezing together. The price has just started to break out of the top band. Based on this information, where do you think the price will go?



If you said up, you are correct! This is how a typical Bollinger Squeeze works. This strategy is designed for you to catch a move as early as possible. Setups like these don’t occur everyday, but you can probably spot them a few times a week if you are looking at a 15 minute chart.

So now you know what Bollinger Bands are, and you know how to use them. There are many other things you can do with Bollinger Bands, but these are the 2 most common strategies associated with them. So now you can put this in your trader’s toolbox, and we can move on to the next indicator.


MACD
MACD is an acronym for Moving Average Convergence Divergence. This tool is used to identify moving averages that are indicating a new trend, whether it’s bullish or bearish. After all, our #1 priority in trading is being able to find a trend, because that is where the most money is made.

With MACD charts, you will usually see three numbers that are used for its settings. The first is the number of periods that is used to calculate the faster moving average, the second is the number of periods that is used in the slower moving average, and the third is the number of bars that is used to calculate the moving average of the difference between the faster and slower moving averages.

For example, if you were to see “12,26,9” as the MACD parameters (which is usually the default setting for most charting packages), this is how you would interpret it:

1. The 12 represents the previous 12 bars of the faster moving average.
2. The 26 represents the previous 26 bars of the slower moving average.
3. The 9 represents the previous 9 bars of the difference between the two moving averages. This is plotted by vertical lines called a histogram (The blue lines in the chart above).
   

There is a common misconception when it comes to the lines of the MACD. The two lines that are drawn are NOT moving averages of the price. Instead, they are the moving averages of the DIFFERENCE between two moving averages.
In our example above, the faster moving average is the moving average of the difference between the 12 and 26 period moving averages. The slower moving average plots the average of the previous MACD line. Once again, from our example above, this would be a 9 period moving average.

This means that we are taking the average of the last 9 periods of the faster MACD line and plotting it as our “slower” moving average. What this does is it smoothes out the original line even more, which gives us a more accurate line.

The histogram simply plots the difference between the fast and slow moving average. If you look at our original chart, you can see that as the two moving averages separate, the histogram gets bigger.

This is called divergence because the faster moving average is “diverging” or moving away from the slower moving average.

As the moving averages get closer to each other the histogram gets smaller. This is called convergence because the faster moving average is “converging” or getting closer to the slower moving average. And that, my friend, is how you get the name, Moving Average Convergence Divergence! Whew, I need to crack my knuckles after that one.

Ok, so now you know what MACD does. Now I’ll show you what MACD can do for YOU.


MACD Crossover
Because there are two moving averages with different “speeds”, the faster one will obviously be quicker to react to price movement than the slower one. When a new trend occurs, the fast line will react first and eventually cross the slower line. When this “crossover” occurs, and the fast line starts to “diverge” or move away from the slower line, which often indicates that a new trend has formed.


From the chart above, you can see that the fast line crossed under the slow line and correctly identified a new downtrend. Notice that when the lines crossed, the histogram temporarily disappears. This is because the difference between the lines at the time of the cross is 0. As the downtrend begins and the fast line diverges away from the slow line, the histogram gets bigger, which is good indication of a strong trend.

There is one drawback to MACD. Naturally, moving averages tend to lag behind price. After all, it's just an average of historical prices. Since the MACD represents moving averages of other moving averages and is smoothed out by another moving average, you can imagine that there is quite a bit of lag. However, it is still one of the most favored tools by many traders.


Parabolic SAR
Up until now, we’ve looked at indicators that mainly focus on catching the beginning of new trends.

And although it is important to be able to identify new trends, it is equally important to be able to identify where a trend ends. After all, what good is a well-timed entry without a well-timed exit?

One indicator that can help us determine where a trend might be ending is the Parabolic SAR (Stop And Reversal). A Parabolic SAR places dots, or points, on a chart that indicate potential reversals in price movement. From the chart above, you can see that the dots shift from being below the candles during the uptrend, to above the candles when the trend reverses into a downtrend.

Using Parabolic SAR
The nice thing about the Parabolic SAR is that it is really simple to use. Basically, when the dots are below the candles, it is a buy signal; and when the dots are above the candles, it is a sell signal. This is probably the easiest indicator to interpret because it assumes that the price is either going up or
down. With that said, this tool is best used in markets that are trending, and that have long rallies and downturns. You DON’T want to use this tool in a choppy market where the price movement is sideways.


Stochastics

Stochastics is another indicator that helps us determine where a trend might be ending. By definition, stochastics is an oscillator that measures overbought and oversold conditions in the market. The 2 lines are similar to the MACD lines in the sense that one line is faster than the other.










How to Apply Stochastics
Like I said earlier, stochastics tells us when the market is overbought or oversold. Stochastics are scaled from 0 to 100. When the stochastic lines are above 70 (the red dotted line in the chart above), then it means the market is overbought. When the stochastic lines are below 30 (the blue dotted line), then it means that the market is oversold. As a rule of thumb, we buy when the market is oversold, and we sell when the market is overbought.


Looking at the chart on the left, you can see that the stochastics has been showing overbought conditions for quite some time. Based upon this information, can you guess where the price might go?


If you said the price would drop, then you are absolutely correct! Because the market was overbought for such a long period of time, a reversal was bound to happen.
That is the basics of stochastics. Many traders use stochastics in different ways, but the main purpose of the indicator is to show us where the market is overbought and oversold. Over time, you will learn to use stochastics to fit your own personal trading style.


Relative Strength Index (RSI)

Relative Strength Index, or RSI, is similar to stochastics in that it identifies overbought and oversold conditions in the market. It is also scaled from 0 to 100. Typically, readings below 20 indicate oversold, while readings over 80 indicate overbought.










Using RSI
RSI can be used just like stochastics. From the chart above you can see that when RSI dropped below 20, it correctly identified an oversold market. After the drop, the price quickly shot back up.

RSI is a very popular tool because it can also be used to confirm trend formations. If you think a trend is forming, take a quick look at the RSI and look at whether it is above or below 50. If you are looking at a possible uptrend, then make sure the RSI is above 50. If you are looking at a possible downtrend, then make sure the RSI is below 50







In the beginning of the chart above, we can see that a possible uptrend was forming. To avoid fakeouts, we can wait for RSI to cross above 50 to confirm our trend. Sure enough, as RSI passes above 50, it is a good confirmation that an uptrend has actually formed.












Putting It All Together
In a perfect world, we could take just one of these indicators and trade strictly by what that indicator told us. The problem is that we DON’T live in a perfect world, and each of these indicators has imperfections. That is why many traders combine different indicators together so that they can “screen” each other. They might have 3 different indicators and they won’t trade unless all 3 indicators give them the same answer.

As you continue you journey as a trader, you will discover what indicators work best for you. I can tell you that I like using MACD, Stochastics, and RSI, but you might have a different preference. Every trader out there has tried to find the “magic combination” of indicators that will always give them the right signals, but the truth is that there is no such thing.

I urge you to study each indicator on it’s own until you know EXACTLY how it reacts to price movement, and then come up with your own combination that fits your trading style.


Summary:
Everything you learn about trading is like a tool that is being added to your trader’s toolbox.
Your tools will make it easier for you to “build” your trading account.

Bollinger Bands

• Used to measure the market’s volatility

• They act like mini support and resistance levels

Bollinger Bounce

• A strategy that relies on the notion that price tends to always return to the middle of the Bollinger Bands

• You buy when the price hits the lower Bollinger band

• You sell when the price hits the upper Bollinger band

• Best used in ranging markets

Bollinger Squeeze

• A strategy that is used to catch breakouts early

• When the Bollinger bands “squeeze” the price, it means that the market is very quiet, and a breakout is eminent. Once a breakout occurs, we enter a trade on whatever side the price made its breakout.

MACD

• Used to catch trends early and can also help us spot trend reversals

• It consists of 2 moving averages (1 fast, 1 slow) and vertical lines called a histogram, which measures the distance between the 2 moving averages.

• Contrary to what many people think, the moving average lines are NOT moving averages of the price. They are moving averages of other moving averages.

• MACD’s downfall is its lag because it uses so many moving averages.

• One way to use MACD is to wait for the fast line to “cross over” or “cross under” the slow line and enter the trade accordingly because it signals a new trend.

Parabolic SAR

• This indicator is made to spot trend reversals; hence the name Parabolic Stop And
  Reversal (SAR)

• This is the easiest indicator to interpret because it only gives bullish and bearish signals.

• When the dots are above the candles, it is a sell signal.

• When the dots are below the candles, it is a buy signal.

• These are best used in trending markets that consist of long rallies and downturns.

Stochastics

• Used to indicate overbought and oversold conditions

• When the moving average lines are above 70, it means that the market is overbought
  and we should look to sell.

• When the moving average lines are below 30, it means that the market is oversold and we should look to buy.

Relative Strength Index (RSI)

• Similar to stochastics in that it indicates overbought and oversold conditions.

• When RSI is above 80, it means that the market is overbought and we should look to
  sell.

• When RSI is below 20, it means that the market is oversold and we should look to buy.

• RSI can also be used to confirm trend formations. If you think a trend is forming, wait for RSI to go above or below 50 (depending on if you’re looking at an uptrend or
  downtrend) before you enter a trade.

Each indicator has its imperfections. This is why traders combine many different indicators to “screen” each other. As you progress through your trading career, you will learn which indicators you like the best and can combine them in a way that fits your trading style.

I know this has been a very loooooooooooonnnnng lesson, and I encourage you to go back and read over anything you haven’t fully understood yet. Sometimes it just takes a couple times of reading before you truly grasp something.

Once you understand the concepts of these indicators, go to a chart and start playing with them.

Really study how each indicator reacts to the price movement.
When you fully understand an indicator, then it will become another tool for your trader’s toolbox. For now you should just take a break. Grab some coffee or get something to eat. I know your eyes are hurting! Let this lesson soak in, and then come back when you’re refreshed!

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”
Vince Lombardi

Moving Averages

A moving average is simply a way to smooth out price action over time. By “moving average”, I mean that you are taking the average closing price of a currency for the last ‘X’ number of periods.

Like every indicator, it is used to help us forecast future prices. By looking at the slope of the moving average you can make general predictions as to where the price will go.

As I said, moving averages smooth out price action. There are different types of moving averages, and each of them have their own level of “smoothness”. Generally, the smoother the moving average, the slower it is to react to the price movement. The choppier the moving average, the quicker it is to react to the price movement.

I’ll explain the pros and cons of each type a little later, but for now let’s look at the different types of moving averages and how they are calculated.


Simple Moving Average (SMA)
A simple moving average is the simplest type of moving average (DUH!). Basically, a simple moving average is calculated by adding up the last “X” period’s closing prices and then dividing that number by X. Confused??? Allow me to clarify. If you plotted a 5 period simple moving average on a 1 hour chart, you would add up the closing prices for the last 5 hours, and then divide that number by 5. Voila! You have your simple moving average.

If you were to plot a 5 period simple moving average on a 10 minute chart, you would add up the closing prices of the last 50 minutes and then divide that number by 5.

If you were to plot a 5 period simple moving average on a 30 minute chart, you would add up the closing prices of the last 150 minutes and then divide that number by 5.

If you were to plot the 5 period simple moving average on the a 4 hr. chart………………..OK OK, I think you get the picture! Let’s move on.

Most charting packages will do all the calculations for you. The reason I just bored you (yawn!) with how to calculate a simple moving average is because it is important that you understand how the moving averages are calculated. If you understand how each moving average is calculated, you can make your own decision as to which type is better for you.

Just like any indicator out there, moving averages operate with a delay. Because you are taking the averages of the price, you are really only seeing a “forecast” of the future price and not a concrete view of the future. Disclaimer: Moving averages will not turn you into Ms. Cleo the psychic!

Here is an example of how moving averages smooth out the price action. On the chart above, you can see 3 different SMAs. As you can see, the longer the SMA period is, the more it lags behind the price. Notice how the 62 SMA is farther away from the current price than the 30 and 5 SMA. This is because with the 62 SMA, you are adding up the closing prices of the last 62 periods and dividing it by 62. The higher the number period you use, the slower it is to react to the price movement.

The SMAs in this chart show you the overall sentiment of the market at this point in time. Instead of just looking at the current price of the market, the moving averages give us a broader view, and we can now make a general prediction of its future price.


Exponential Moving Average (EMA)
Although the simple moving average is a great tool, there is one major flaw associated with it. Simple moving averages are very susceptible to spikes. Let me show you an example of what I mean: Let’s say we plot a 5 period SMA on the daily chart of the EUR/USD and the closing prices for the last 5 days are as follows:
Day 1: 1.2345 Day 2: 1.2350 Day 3: 1.2360 Day 4: 1.2365 Day 5: 1.2370

The simple moving average would be calculated as (1.2345+1.2350+1.2360+1.2365+1.2370) / 5 = 1.2358

Simple enough right? Well what if Day 2’s price was 1.2300? The result of the simple moving average would be a lot lower and it would give you the notion that the price was actually going down, when in reality, Day 2 could have just been a one time event (maybe interest rates decreasing).

The point I’m trying to make is that sometimes the simple moving average might be too simple. If only there was a way that you could filter out these spikes so that you wouldn’t get the wrong idea. Hmmmm…I wonder….Wait a minute……Yep, there is a way! It’s called the Exponential Moving Average!

Exponential moving averages (EMA) give more weight to the most recent periods. In our example above, the EMA would put more weight on Days 3-5, which means that the spike on Day 2 would be of lesser value and wouldn’t affect the moving average as much. What this does is it puts more emphasis on what traders are doing NOW.

When trading, it is far more important to see what traders are doing now rather than what they did last week or last month.


Which is better: Simple or Exponential?
First, let’s start with an exponential moving average. When you want a moving average that will respond to the price action rather quickly, then a short period EMA is the best way to go. These can help you catch trends very early, which will result in higher profit.

In fact, the earlier you catch a trend, the longer you can ride it and rake in those profits! The downside to the choppy moving average is that you might get faked out. Because the moving average responds so quickly to the price, you might think a trend is forming when in actuality; it could just be a price spike.

With a simple moving average, the opposite is true. When you want a moving average that is smoother and slower to respond to price action, then a longer period SMA is the best way to go.

Although it is slow to respond to the price action, it will save you from many fake outs. The downside is that it might delay you too long, and you might miss out on a good trade.

So which one is better? It’s really up to you to decide. Many traders plot several different moving averages to give them both sides of the story. They might use a longer period simple moving average to find out what the overall trend is, and then use a shorter period exponential moving average to find a good time to enter a trade.

In fact, many trading systems are built around what is called “Moving Average Crossovers”. Later in this course, we will give you an example of how you can use moving averages as part of your trading system.

Time for recess! Go find a chart and start playing with some moving averages. Try out different types and look at different periods. In time, you will find out which moving averages work best for you. Class dismissed!


Summary:

• A moving average is a way to smooth out price action.
• There are many types of moving averages. The 2 most common types are: Simple Moving Average and Exponential Moving Average
• Simple moving averages are the simplest form of moving averages, but they are susceptible to spikes.
• Exponential moving averages put more weight to recent prices and therefore show us what traders are doing now.
• It is much more important to know what traders are doing now, than what they did last week or last month.
• Simple moving averages are smoother than Exponential moving averages.
• Longer period moving averages are smoother than shorter period moving averages.
• Choppy moving averages are quicker to respond to price action and can catch trends early. However, because of their quick reaction, they are susceptible to spikes and can fake you out.
• Smooth moving averages are slower to respond to price action but will save you from spikes and fake outs. However, because of their slow reaction, they can delay you from taking a trade and may cause you to miss some good opportunities.
• The best way to use moving averages is to plot different types on a chart so that you can see both long term movement and short term movement.

“The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the buts you use today.”

Les Brown

Fibonacci

Who is Fibonacci and how can he help you with your trading?

Leonardo Fibonacci was a great Italian mathematician who lived in the thirteenth century who first observed certain ratios of a number series that are regarded as describing the natural proportions of things in the universe, including price data. The ratios arise from the following number series: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 .......

This series of numbers is derived by starting with 1 followed by 2 and then adding 1 + 2 to get 3, the third number. Then, adding 2 + 3 to get 5, the fourth number, and so on.

After the first few numbers in the sequence, if you measure the ratio of any number to that of the next higher number you get .618, e.g. 34 divided by 55 equals 0.618. . If you measure the ratio between alternate numbers you get .382, for example, 34 divided by 89 = 0.382 and that’s as far as into the explanation as we’ll go. If you divide any Fibonacci number by the preceding number, after 2 the number is always 1.6 and after 144 the number is always 1.618.

These ratios are referred to as the “golden mean.” Additional ratios were then derived to create ratio sets as follows:

Price Retracement Levels 0.236, 0.382, 0.500, 0.618, 0.764
Price Extension Levels 0, 0.382, 0.618, 1.000, 1.382, 1.618

You won’t really need to know how to calculate all of this. Your charting software will do all the work for you. But it’s always good to be familiar with the basic theory behind the indicator so you’ll have knowledge to impress your date.

The first set of ratios is used as price retracement levels and is used in trading as possible support and resistance levels. Traders all over the world watch these levels and place buy and sell orders at these levels which becomes a self-fulfilling expectation.

The second set is used as price extension levels and is used in trading as possible profit taking levels. Again, traders all over the world are watching these levels and placing buy and sell orders to take profits at these levels which becomes a self-fulfilling expectation.

Most charting software include both Fibonacci Retracement Levels and Price Extension Levels. In order to apply Fibonacci levels to price charts, it is necessary to identify Swing Highs and Swing Lows.

A Swing High is a short term high bar with at least two lower highs on both the left and right of the high bar.

A Swing Low is a short term low bar with at least two higher lows on both the left and right of the low bar.


Fibonacci Retracement Levels
In an uptrend, the general idea is to go long the market on a retracement to a Fibonacci support level. In order to find the retracement levels, you would click on a significant Swing Low and drag the cursor to the most recent Swing High. This will display each of the Retracement Levels showing both the ratio and corresponding price level. Let’s take a look at some examples of markets in an uptrend.

This is an hourly chart of USD/JPY. Here we plotted the Fibonacci Retracement Levels by clicking on the Swing Low at 110.78 on 07/12/05 and dragging the cursor to the Swing High at 112.27 on 07/13/05. You can see the levels plotted by the software. The Retracement Levels were 111.92 (0.236), 111.70 (0.382), 111.52 (0.500), and 111.35 (0.618). Now the expectation is that if USD/JPY retraces from this high, it will find support at one of the Fibonacci Levels because traders will be placing buy orders at these levels as the market pulls back.

Now let’s look at what actually happened after the Swing High occurred. The market pulled back right through the 0.236 level and continued the next day piercing the 0.382 level but never actually closing below it. Later on that day, the market resumed its upward move. Clearly buying at the 0.382 level would have been a good short term trade.

Now let’s see how we would use Fibonacci Retracement Levels during a downtrend. This is an hourly chart for EUR/USD. As you can see, we found our Swing High at 1.3278 on 02/28/05 and our Swing Low at 1.3169 a couple hours later. The Retracement Levels were 1.3236 (0.618), 1.3224 (0.500), 1.3211 (0.382), and 1.3195 (.236). The expectation for a downtrend is if it retraces from this high, it will encounter resistance at one of the Fibonacci Levels because traders will be placing sell orders at these levels as the market attempts to rally.

Let’s check out what happened next. Now isn’t that a thing of beauty! The market did try to rally but it barely past the 0.382 level spiking to a high 1.3227 and it actually closed below it. After that bar, you can see that the rally reversed and the downward move continued. You would have made some nice dough selling at the 0.382 level.

Here’s another example. This is an hourly chart for GBP/USD. We had a Swing High of 1.7438 on 07/26/05 and a Swing Low of 1.7336 the next day. So our Retracement Levels are: 1.7399 (0.618), 1.7387 (0.500), 1.7375 (0.382), and 1.7360 (0.236). Looking at the chart, the market looks like it tried to break the 0.500 level on several occasions, but try as it may, it failed. So would putting a sell order at the 0.500 level be a good trade?

If you did, you would have lost some serious cheddar! Take a look at what happened. The Swing Low looked to be the bottom for this downtrend as the market rallied above the Swing High point.

You can see from these examples the market usually finds at least temporary support (during an uptrend) or resistance (during a downtrend) at the Fibonacci Retracements Levels. It’s apparent that there a few problems to deal with here. There’s no way of knowing which level will provide support.

The 0.236 seems to provide the weakest support/resistance, while the other levels provide support/resistance at about the same frequency. Even though the charts above show the market usually only retracing to the 0.382 level, it doesn’t mean the price will hit that level every time and reverse.

Sometimes it’ll hit the 0.500 and reverse, other times it’ll hit the 0.618 and reverse, and other other times the price will totally ignore Mr. Fibonacci and blow past all the levels like similar to the way Allen Iverson blows past his defenders with his nasty first step.

Remember, the market will not always resume its uptrend after finding temporary support, but instead continue to decline below the last Swing Low. Same thing for a downtrend. The market may instead decided to continue above the last Swing High.

The placement of stops is a challenge. It’s probably best to place stops below the last Swing Low (on an uptrend) or above the Swing High (on a downtrend), but this requires taking a high level of risk in proportion to the likely profit potential in the trade. This is called reward-to-risk ratio. In a later lesson, you will learn more money management and risk control and how you would only take trades with certain reward-to-risk ratios.

Another problem is determining which Swing Low and Swing High points to start from to create the Fibonacci Retracement Levels. People look at charts differently and so will have their own version of where the Swing High and Swing Low points should be. The point is, there is no one right away to do it, but the bad thing is sometimes it becomes a guessing game.


Fibonacci Price Extension Levels
The next use of Fibonacci you will be applying is that of targets. Let’s start with an example in an uptrend.

In an uptrend, the general idea is to take profits on a long trade at a Fibonacci Price Extension Level. You determine the Fibonacci extension levels by using three mouse clicks. First, click on a significant Swing Low, then drag your cursor and click on the most recent Swing High. Finally, drag your cursor back down and click on the retracement Swing Low. This will display each of the Price Extension Levels showing both the ratio and corresponding price levels.

On this 1-hour USD/CHF chart, we plotted the Fibonacci extension levels by clicking on the Swing Low at 1.2447 on 08/14/05 and dragged the cursor to the Swing High at 1.2593 on 08/15/15 and then down to the retracement Swing Low of 1.2541 on 08/15/05. The following Fibonacci extension levels created are 1.2597 (0.382), 1.2631 (0.618), 1.2687 (1.000), 1.2743 (1.382), 1.2760 (1.500), and 1.2777 (1.618).

Now let’s look at what actually happened after the retracement Swing Low occurred.

• The market rallied to the 0.500 level
• fell back to the retracement Swing Low
• then rallied back up to the 0.500 level
• fell back slightly
• rallied to the 0.618 level
• fell back to the 0.382 level which acted as support
• then rallied all the way to the 1.382 level
• consolidated a bit
• then rallied to the 1.500 level
  
  

You can see from these examples that the market often finds at least temporary resistance at the Fibonacci extension levels - not always, but often. As in the examples of the retracement levels, it should be apparent that there are a few problems to deal with here as well.

First, there is no way of knowing which level will provide resistance. The 0.500 level was a good level to cover any long trades in the above example since the market retraced back to its original level, but if you didn’t get back in the trade, you would have left a lot of profits on the table.

Another problem is determining which Swing Low to start from in creating the Fibonacci Extension Levels. One way is from the last Swing Low as we did in the examples; another is from the lowest Swing Low of the past 30 bars. Again, the point is that there is no one right way to do it.

Alright, let’s see how Fibonacci extension levels can be used during a downtrend. In a downtrend, the general idea is to take profits on a short trade at a Fibonacci price extension level since the market often finds at least temporary support at these levels.

On this 1-hour EUR/USD chart, we plotted the Fibonacci extension levels by clicking on the Swing High at 1.21377 on 07/15/05 and dragged the cursor to the Swing Low at 1.2021 on 08/15/15 and then down to the retracement Swing Low of 1.2541 on 07/17/05. The following Fibonacci extension levels created are 1.2041 (0.382), 1.2027 (0.500), 1.2013 (0.618), 1.1969 (1.000), 1.1925 (1.382), 1.1911 (1.500), and 1.1897 (1.618).




Now let’s look at what actually happened after the retracement Swing Low occurred.

• The market fell down almost to the 0.382 level which for right now is acting as a support level
• The market then traded sideways between the retracement Swing High level and 0.382 level
• Finally, the market broke through the 0.382 and rested on the 0.500 level
• Then it broke the 0.500 level and fell all the way down to the 1.000 level
  

Alone, Fibonacci levels will not make you rich. However, Fibonacci levels are definitely useful as part of an effective trading method that includes other analysis and techniques. You see, the key to an effective trading system is to integrate a few indicators (not too many) that are applied in a way that is not obvious to most observers.
All successful traders know it’s how you use and integrate the indicators (including Fibonacci) that makes the difference. The lesson learned here is that Fibonacci Levels can be a useful tool, but never enter or exit a trade based on Fibonacci Levels alone.


Summary:

• Fibonacce retracement levels are 0.236, 0.382, 0.500, 0.618, 0.764
• Fibonacci retracement levels are used support and resistance levels.
• Fibonacci extension levels are 0, 0.382, 0.618, 1.000, 1.382, 1.618
• Fibonacci extension levels are used as profit taking levels.
  

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
Thomas Edison

Support & Resistance, Trend Lines, Channels

Support and Resistance
Support and resistance is one of the most widely used concepts in trading. Strangely enough, everyone seems to have their own idea on how you should measure support and resistance. Let’s just take a look at the basics first.

Look at the diagram above. As you can see, this zigzag pattern is making its way up (bull market). When the market moves up and then pulls back, the highest point reached before it pulled back is now resistance.

As the market continues up again, the lowest point reached before it started back is now support. In this way resistance and support are continually formed as the market oscillates over time. The reverse of course is true of the downtrend.

There are two interesting points to remember:

1. When the market passes through resistance, that resistance now becomes support.
2. The more often price tests a level of resistance or support without breaking it the stronger the area of resistance or support is.

Trend Lines
Trend lines are probably the most common form of technical analysis used today. They are probably one of the most underutilized as well.

If drawn correctly, they can be as accurate as any other method. Unfortunately, most traders don’t draw them correctly or they try to make the line fit the market instead of the other way around. In their most basic form, an uptrend line is drawn along the bottom of easily identifiable support areas (valleys). In a downtrend, the trend line is drawn along the top of easily identifiable resistance areas (peaks).

Channels
If we take this trend line theory one step further and draw a parallel line at the same angle of the uptrend or downtrend, we will have created a channel.

To create an up channel, simply draw a parallel line at the same angle as an uptrend line and then move that line to position where it touches the most recent peak. This should be done at the same time you create the trend line.

To create a down channel, simple draw a parallel line at the same angle as the downtrend line and then move that line to a position where it touches the most recent valley. This should be done at the same time you created the trend line.

When prices hit the bottom trend line this may be used as a buying area. When prices hit the upper trend line this may be used as a selling area.

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

Japanese Candlesticks - Reversal Patterns

Prior Trend
For a pattern to qualify as a reversal pattern, there should be a prior trend to reverse. Bullish reversals require a preceding downtrend and bearish reversals require a prior uptrend. The direction of the trend can be determined using trendlines, moving averages, or other aspects of technical analysis.

Long Shadow Reversals
There are two pairs of single candlestick reversal patterns made up of a small real body, one long shadow and one short or non-existent shadow. The long shadow should be at least twice the length of the real body, which can be either black or white. The location of the long shadow and preceding price action determine the classification.

The first pair, hammer and hanging man, are identical with small bodies and long lower shadows. The second pair, shooting star and inverted hammer, are also identical with small bodies and long upper shadows. Only preceding price action and further confirmation determine the bullish or bearish nature of these candlesticks. The hammer and inverted hammer form after a decline and are bullish reversal patterns, while the shooting star and hanging man form after an advance and are bearish reversal patterns.

Hammer and Hanging Man
The hammer and hanging man look exactly alike, but have different implications based on the preceding price action. Both have small real bodies (black or white), long lower shadows and short or non-existent upper shadows. As with most single and double candlestick formations, the hammer and hanging man require confirmation before action.

The hammer is a bullish reversal pattern that forms during a downtrend. It is named because the market is hammering out a bottom.

After a decline, hammers signal a bullish revival. The low of the long lower shadow implies that sellers drove prices lower during the session. However, the strong finish indicates that buyers regained their footing to end the session on a strong note. While this may seem enough to act on, hammers require further bullish confirmation. The low of the hammer shows that plenty of sellers remain. Further buying pressure is needed before acting. Such confirmation could come from a long white candlestick.

Recognition Criteria:
• The long shadow is about two or three times of the real body.
• Little or no upper shadow.
• The real body is at the upper end of the trading range.
• The color of the real body is not important.

The hanging man is a bearish reversal pattern that can also mark a top or resistance level. Forming after an advance, a hanging man signals that selling pressure is starting to increase. The low of the long lower shadow confirms that sellers pushed prices lower during the session. Even though the bulls regained their footing and drove prices higher by the finish, the appearance of selling pressure raises the yellow flag. As with the hammer, a hanging man requires bearish confirmation before action. Such confirmation can come from a long black candlestick.

Recognition Criteria:
• A long lower shadow which is about two or three times of the real body.
• Little or no upper shadow.
• The real body is at the upper end of the trading range.
• The color of the body is not important, though a black body is more bearish than a white body


Inverted Hammer and Shooting Star
The inverted hammer and shooting star look exactly alike, but have different implications based on whether you’re in a downtrend or uptrend. Both candlesticks have small real bodies (black or white), long upper shadows and small or non-existent lower shadows. These candlesticks mark potential trend reversals, but require confirmation before trading.

The shooting star is a bearish reversal. It occurs in an upper trend which indicates that the price opens at its low, rallies and pulls back to the bottom. A shooting star can mark a potential trend reversal or resistance level. The resulting candlestick has a long upper shadow and small black or white body. After a large advance (the upper shadow), the ability of the bears to force prices down raises the yellow flag.

To indicate a substantial reversal, the upper shadow should relatively long and at least 2 times the length of the body. Bearish confirmation is required after the shooting star and can take the form of a long black candlestick.

The inverted hammer looks exactly like a shooting star, but occurs after a downtrend. Inverted hammers indicate a possibility of the reversal of the downtrend.

After a decline, the long upper shadow indicates buying pressure during the session. However, the bulls were not able to sustain this buying pressure and prices closed well off of their highs to create the long upper shadow. Because of this failure, bullish confirmation is required before trading. An inverted hammer followed by a long white candlestick could act as bullish confirmation.

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss,

you'll land among the stars.”
Les Brown

Japanese Candlesticks - Basic Patterns

Marubozu
Marubozu means there are no shadows from the bodies. The high and low are represented by the open or close

A White Marubozu is a long white body with no shadows which indicates a bullish trend. It forms when the open equals the low and the close equals the high. This indicates that buyers controlled the price action from the first trade to the last trade. It usually becomes the first part of a bullish continuation or a bullish reversal pattern.

A Black Marubozu is a long black body with no shadows. It forms when the open equals the high and the close equals the low. This indicates that sellers controlled the price action from the first trade to the last trade. It usually implies bearish continuation or bearish reversal.

Spinning Tops
Candlesticks with a long upper shadow, long lower shadow and small real body are called spinning tops. The color of the real bodies are not very important. The pattern indicates the indecision between the bullish and bearish trends.

The small real body (whether hollow or filled) shows little movement from open to close, and the shadows indicate that both bulls and bears were active during the session.

Even though the session opened and closed with little change, prices moved significantly higher and lower in the mean time.

Neither buyers nor sellers could gain the upper hand and the result was a standoff.
After a long advance or long white candlestick, a spinning top indicates weakness among the bulls and a potential change or interruption in trend.

After a long decline or long black candlestick, a spinning top indicates weakness among the bears and a potential change or interruption in trend.

Doji
Doji lines are patterns with the same open and close price.

Ideally, the open and close should be equal. While a doji with an equal open and close would be preferred, it is more important to capture the essence of the candlestick.

Doji convey a sense of indecision or tug-of-war between buyers and sellers. Prices move above and below the opening level during the session, but close at or near the opening level. The result is a standoff.

Neither bulls nor bears were able to gain control and a turning point could be developing.

Determining the importance of the doji will depend on the price, recent volatility, and previous candlesticks. Relative to previous candlesticks, the doji should have a very small body that appears as a thin line.

A doji that forms among other candlesticks with small real bodies (such as spinning tops) would not be considered important. However, a doji that forms among candlesticks with long real bodies would be deemed significant.

There are four special types of Doji lines. The length of the upper and lower shadows can vary and the resulting candlestick looks like a cross, inverted cross or plus sign. The word "Doji" refers to both the singular and plural form.

Doji and Trend
The relevance of a doji depends on the preceding trend or preceding candlesticks. After an advance, or long white candlestick, a doji signals that the buying pressure is starting to weaken.

After a decline, or long black candlestick, a doji signals that selling pressure is starting to diminish. Doji indicate that the forces of supply and demand are becoming more evenly matched and a change in trend may be near. Doji alone are not enough to mark a reversal and further confirmation is needed.

After an advance or long white candlestick, a doji signals that buying pressure may be thinning and the uptrend could be coming to an end.

Where a price declines simply from a lack of buyers, continued buying pressure is needed to sustain an uptrend. Therefore, a doji may be more significant after an uptrend or long white candlestick. Even after the doji forms, further downside is required for bearish confirmation. This can come as a long black candlestick or a decline below the long white candlestick's open.

After a decline or long black candlestick, a doji indicates that selling pressure may be diminishing and the downtrend could come to a close.

Even though the bears are starting to lose control of the decline, further buying strength is required to confirm any reversal. Bullish confirmation could come from a long white candlestick or advance above the long black candlestick's open.
Before turning to the reversal candlestick patterns, there are a few general guidelines to cover.

To be continue.....Reversal Patterns

Japanese Candlesticks

While we briefly covered candlestick charts in the previous lesson, we’ll now dig in a little and discuss them more in detail. First let’s do a quick review.
What is a candlestick?

More than 200 years ago, the Japanese were using their own style of technical analysis in the rice market. This style evolved into the candlestick technique now used worldwide. Candlestick charts are a useful stand alone tool.
They can be merged with other technical tools to create the ultimate fighting technique. Certain candlestick combinations may imply a period of consolidation. Others may hint of a forceful price move.

Candlesticks are formed using the open, high, low and close. If the close is above the open, then a hollow candlestick (usually displayed as white) is drawn. If the close is below the open, then a filled candlestick (usually displayed as black) is drawn. The hollow or filled portion of the candlestick is called the body (also referred to as the "real body"). The long thin lines above and below the body represent the high/low range and are called shadows(also referred to as wicks and tails). The high is marked by the top of the upper shadow and the low by the bottom of the lower shadow.

And knowing this provides you with important information about price action and forms the essence of candlesticks.

Long versus Short Bodies
The longer the body is, the more intense the buying or selling pressure. Conversely, short candlesticks indicate little price movement and represent indecision between the bulls and the bears. Bulls are buyers and bears are sellers.

Long white candlesticks show strong buying pressure. The longer the white candlestick, the further the close is above the open. This indicates that prices increased considerably from open to close and buyers were aggressive. In other words, the bulls are kicking the bears’ butts big time.

Long black candlesticks show strong selling pressure. The longer the black candlestick, the further the close is below the open. This indicates that prices fell a great deal from the open and sellers were aggressive. In other words, the bears were grabbing the bulls by their horns and body slamming them.

Long versus Short Shadows
The upper and lower shadows on candlesticks can provide valuable information about the trading session. Upper shadows represent the session high and lower shadows the session low.
Candlesticks with short shadows indicate that most of the trading action was confined near the open and close.

Candlesticks with a long upper shadow and short lower shadow indicate that buyers dominated during the session and bid prices higher. However, sellers later forced prices down off of their highs and the weak close created a long upper shadow.

On the other hand, candlesticks with long lower shadows and short upper shadows indicate that sellers dominated during the session and drove prices lower. However, buyers later resurfaced to bid prices higher by the end of the session and the strong close created a long lower shadow.

To be continue...

Types of Trading

There are 2 types of analysis you can take when approaching the forex:

Fundamental analysis and Technical analysis.
There has always been a constant debate as to which analysis is better, but to tell you the truth, you need to know a little bit of both. So let’s break each one down and then come back and put them together.

Fundamental Analysis
Fundamental analysis is a way of looking at the market through economic, social and political forces that affect supply and demand. (Yada yada yada.) In other words, you look at whose economy is doing well, and whose economy sucks. The idea behind this type of analysis is that whoever’s economy is doing well; their currency will also be doing well. This is because the better a country’s economy is, the more trust other countries have in that currency.

For example, the U.S. dollar has been gaining strength because the U.S. economy is gaining strength. As the U.S. interest rates keep increasing, the value of the dollar continues to increase. And that is what we call fundamental analysis.

Technical Analysis
Technical analysis is the study of price movement. In one word, technical analysis=charts. The idea is that a person can look at historical price movements, and based on the price action, can determine on some level where the price will go. By looking at charts, you can identify trends and patterns which can help you find good trading opportunities.

The most IMPORTANT thing you will ever learn in technical analysis is the trend! Many people have a saying that goes, “The trend is your friend”. The reason is that you are much more likely to make money when you can find a trend and trade in the same direction. Technical analysis can help you identify these trends in its earliest stages and therefore (did I just say therefore?) provide you with very profitable trading opportunities.

So which type of analysis is better?
The answer is neither. You need both types of analysis to become a successful trader. Here’s an example of how focusing only on one type of analysis can turn into a disaster.

Let’s say that you’re looking at your charts and you find a good trading opportunity. You get all excited thinking about the money that’s going to be raining down from the sky. You say to yourself, “Man, I’ve never seen a more perfect trading opportunity. I love my charts.” You then proceed to enter your trade with a big fat smile on your face (the kind where all your teeth are showing). But wait! All of a sudden the trade makes a 30 pip move in the OTHER DIRECTION.

Little did you know that there was an interest rate decrease for your currency and now everyone is trading in the opposite direction? Your big fat smile turns into mush and you start getting angry at your charts. You throw your computer on the ground and begin to pulverize it. You just lost a bunch of money, and now your computer is broken. And it’s all because you completely ignored fundamental analysis. Ok ok, so the story was a little over dramatic, but you get the point. Just remember to incorporate both types of analysis before you trade

Summary:
There are 2 types of analysis: Fundamental and Technical

• Fundamental analysis is the analysis of a market through the strength of its economy. (i.e. the dollar gets stronger because the US economy is getting stronger)
• Technical analysis is the analysis of price movements. Technical analysis = charts.
• Technical analysis also helps us identify trends which can help us find profitable trading
• To become a successful trader, you must always incorporate both types of analysis.
  

Source quoted from BabyPips.com LLC

Types of Trading Charts

Let’s take a look at the three most popular types of charts:

1. Line chart
2. Bar chart
3. Candlestick chart

Line Charts
A simple line chart draws a line from one closing price to the next closing price. When strung together with a line, we can see the general price movement of a currency pair over a period of time. Here is an example of a line chart for EUR/USD:

Bar Charts
A bar chart also shows closing prices, while simultaneously showing opening prices, as well as the highs and lows. The bottom of the vertical bar indicates the lowest traded price for that time period, while the top of the bar indicates the highest price paid. So, the vertical bar indicates the currency pair’s trading range as a whole. The horizontal hash on the left side of the bar is the opening price, and the right-side horizontal hash is the closing price.

Bar charts are also called “OHLC” charts, because they indicate the Open, the High, the Low, and the Close for that particular currency. Here’s an example of a price bar:

Open: The little horizontal line on the left is the opening price

High: The top of the vertical line defines the highest price of the time period

Low: The bottom of the vertical line defines the lowest price of the time period

Close: The little horizontal line on the right is the closing price

Candlestick Charts
Candlestick charts show the same information as a bar chart, but in a prettier graphic format. Candlestick bars still indicate the high-to-low range with a vertical line.

However, in candlestick charting, the larger block in the middle indicates the range between the opening and closing prices. Traditionally, if the block in the middle is filled or colored in, then the currency closed lower than it opened.

In the example below, the ‘filled color’ is black. For our ‘filled’ blocks, the top of the block is the opening price, and the bottom of the block is the closing price. If the closing price is higher than the opening price, then the block in the middle will be “white” or hollow or unfilled.

I don’t like to use the traditional black and white candlesticks. I feel it’s easier to look at a chart that’s colored. A color television is much better than a black-and-white television, so why not in candlestick charts?

I simply substituted green instead of white, and red instead of black. This means that if the price closed higher than it opened, the candlestick would be green. If the price closed lower than it opened, the candlestick would be red. In our later lessons, you will see how using green and red candles will allow you to “see” things on the charts much quicker, such as uptrend/downtrends and possible reversal points.

The purpose of candlestick charting is strictly to serve as a visual aid, since the exact same information appears on an OHLC bar chart. The advantages of candlestick charting are:

• Candlesticks are easy to interpret and it's a good place for a beginner to start figuring out chart analysis.
• Candlesticks are easy to use. Your eyes adapt almost immediately to the information in the bar notation.
• Candlesticks and candlestick patterns have cool names such as the shooting star, which helps you to remember what the pattern means.
• Candlesticks are good at identifying marketing turning points – reversals from an uptrend to a downtrend or a downtrend to an up-trend. You will learn more about this later.

Now that you know why candlesticks are so cool, it’s time to let you know that we will be using candlestick charts for most, if not all of chart examples on this site.

Summary:
There are three types of charts:

• Line charts
• Bar charts
• Candlestick charts


“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
Peter F. Drucker