April Issue of Currency Trader Magazine is Here

I love this online magazine.  There isn't anywhere else you can go to read a full-length magazine exclusively on Forex Trading.  In addition, the content is all exclusive and hasn't been seen anywhere else.  The April issue was just released 4 hours ago and contains the following top stories and more:

1. Battle of the Bucks (US Dollar vs. Canadian Dollar)
2. Top Forex Traders of 2005
3. Hedging Overseas Investments with the Dollar Index
4. Candlestick Reversal Patterns
5. Understanding Forex Supply and Demand

Content Removed: Download from http://www.currencytradermag.com

Popularity: 3%

Gartley and Wolfe Waves

Brent brought up Gartley and Wolfe Waves a couple of days ago as a way of predicting where price is heading and when it will get there.  I started to read the sparse amount of information out there but from what I have read, it’s pretty interesting stuff.  For a quick overview, visit http://www.investopedia.com/articles/trading/05/040405.asp

Here’s a comment and recommended links from Brent:

According to my research the gartley and butterly patterns have an 80% success rate.

http://www.moneytec.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17228

http://www.forex-tsd.com/suggestions-trading-systems/1093-harmonic-trading-12.html

http://www.harmonictrader.com/

Gartley, Butterfly Patterns

http://www.forex-tsd.com/metatrader-4/885-price-patterns-gartley-butterfly-bat-2.html

Popularity: 6%

Designing a Profitable System

Thanks to Greg for a great post.  Read this.

I believe anyone can design a profitable system, as long as one understands market principles, what goes up, must come down faster. Twice as long to go up and half as much time to come down. I believe that if I am short the market, I need to trail my stops tighter to lock in profit than when I am in a long position. As for as my original stop, all my systems risk the same amount — small. I use to believe that the 3% rule was nonsense with a $10k account. But in the S&P and currencies, I daytrade with less than 2%. I simply cannot get wiped out that way and my profits are at least twice as much the risk in the S&P when trading one contract.

How much am I going to make? I am asked that repeatedly. I can always tell how much experience a trader has by that question. It is not what you make that is important, but what one does not lose. After I have a profit of so many pips in a daytrade, the most important ingredient to my trading takes place, the break-even stop. I have not read any books giving much attention to this concept. What a stressless (for the most part) feeling it is after I am at break-even.

The best way to trade is to find something simple, that works most everywhere and then become very consistent in your approach. Develop your own system, test it, then stick with it. Other people’s systems may work well for them, but probably will not be compatible with your psychological make-up."

* * *
From Successful Anonymous Trader:

You simply cannot have any confidence if you do not have a method or way of identifying trades along with money management guidelines. You’re lost in the woods, so so speak. I was there for many years. What did I do? This may help a lot of you:

I threw out 99% of all the crap I learned about oscillators, divergences, Elliott Wave, cycles, timing, seasonals, Gann, pitchforks, volume, Fractals, RSI, stochastics, overbought/oversold (this is a good one–the stock indexes, currencies and cotton for example everyone said were overbought and topping in February and March this year). Look at what they did. Needless to say, I don’t pay any attention to this anymore either, etc., etc. The list goes on to infinity almost. I went back to the basics. I went back to simple chart patterns, (a simple moving average and trendline now and then for a visual aid.)

I came up with a low risk money management plan and put it together with trading with the trend and, presto, an effective and time tested trading plan. The plan is simple and has worked since trading began and will last me a lifetime. What a relief not to have to spend countless hours every night trying to find a ndw way to trade. I am sick and tired of that after 7-years.

I believe at becoming an expert at one market nd its behavior and then putting all your skills and energy to work in a concern(traded) manner. Get good at that market and trade the heck out of it. Increase your size over time and you’ll make more money with less effort. There are lots of professionals that do this. Look at some floor traders or locals that stay in the pit for many years trading one market exclusively.

One thing that I have learned this year, is that I am trying to cut back on the number of trades I take and be more selective and not trade in congestion as much as I did before. I miss some good trades out of congestion, but I save myself a lot of mental energy, buy myself some more free time during the day, and get better and more profitable trades.

My attitude is changing now to one or two good trades, and that is all I need to make my week ( a triple or a home run, so to speak). There are plenty of them during any given week.

Trading is fun. Once you have a method and money management in place, it allows you to concentrate on trading and not on searching and researching. That gets old and frustrating. Make it your goal to find a simple method for next year. One thing that you can hang your hat on will last you a lifetime. Trading is simple. Remember that it’s the Execution or Implementation of your trading plan that is the bigger challenge.

Most people make finding the method a big challenge. That is because there is so much junk thrown at traders. They feel like a child in a candy store and have to try every doodad in the place. When they are done, they are sick and never want to see another candy store (trading gizmo) again. They could have had the palin piece of milk chocolate at the front of the store (simple method price patterns) which would have done everything they desired and fulfilled all their needs.

I wish to all a great new year. I hope some will be able to end their journey in search of the holy grail or indicator that will turn their life around. Search for simplicity. You will be surprised what has been right under your nose all the time, right there in front of you on the chart or price bars. Pay attention to what they say they will will tell you everything. You need to listen and get to know them. It can be that simple.

Commodity Traders Club News (1997)

Popularity: 2%

Candlestick Studies for Next Week

I’m attaching a graphic of 8 currency pairs and their corresponding weekly candlestick patterns provided by Metastock software.  Going into next week, we see:

EUR/USD: Engulfing Bear
AUD/USD: Doji Star
EUR/JPY:  Engulfing Bear

 

 

 

 

Popularity: 4%

Playing the Odds with a Bearish Engulfing

The graphic below is the weekly EUR/USD chart with corresponding candlestick patterns.  As you can see, going into next weeks trading, we are following an engulfing bear.  Care to play the odds that this week will see more bearish action? Since 1999, here are the pip profit/loss if going short for the week following an engulfing bear:

 +51, +266, +21, +124, -58, +132, +38, +8, +11, +46, -10, +136

Out of 12 weeks, only 2 of the weeks were losing and they were small losses of 58 pips and 10 pips.  The average profit was 83.3 pips over the other 10 weeks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We could very well see another bearish week if we played the odds.  I know I will be.

Popularity: 4%

March Issue of Stocks & Commodities

I picked up a copy of the March Issue of Stocks & Commodities magazine this weekend.

There is an article that explains the use of candlesticks and moving average crossover as a strategy.  This is yet another setup strategy that I like for its simplicity.  As long as you can chart 2 moving averages and identify candlestick patterns, you can use it. 

The simple idea is that as moving averages crossover, the candlestick that forms during that crossover can be used to identify the possible direction of the market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can read a snippet of the article at http://www.traders.com/Documentation/FEEDbk_docs/ForexFocus/FOREXfocus.html

To read the full article, you need to buy the latest issue of Stocks & Commodities.

Popularity: 3%

DashboardFX: Forex Weekly Wrap-up

EUR/USD

A virile run mid-morning at the session close, as market participants drove the dollar down to near session lows of 1.1945.  When all was said and done a tight range of 1.1845/1.1955 was fashioned in the major European counterpart and the benchmark currency.

What is interesting to note regarding this week’s price action relative to the previous is that we have two ranges with one large move lower separating them.  That coupled with the cresting off the benchmark S (former R) in the 1.1860 area, which has stymied those bidding the dollar on many occasions in the life of the pair, implies perhaps a solid base pattern of an inverted H&S is in the process of developing with the head all but confirmed on today’s rally in the pair.  The moment of truth for the pattern comes in on the break back into last week’s range followed by a failure to trade through it – thus drafting the second shoulder.  We have cited the major R above as the top end of the shoulder range.

GBP/USD 

Sterling dealers and traders alike have noted vehemently the significance of the MPC minutes slated for next Wednesday.  A prominent reporter in the UK feels an admonishment of a 5-4 split in the minutes could strongly imply a 25bp hike is in the shoe.

As we noted yesterday, “…with such a wide swath these orders clearly have rather lofty targets or expect to average in with size on forays below 1.7340/50.  Irrespective, the activity has garnered attention…” regarding some purported dealer’s activity and it turns out that our summation was incredibly predicative given the proceeding 24-hours of pricing.

USD/CHF 

With no front page news regarding geopolitical unrest, it seems unlikely that the pair will style any type of meaning retracement of the overt trend.  However, we know better to presume the two cannot take place simultaneously, perhaps exacerbating a strengthening in the Swiss franc and weakness in the dollar. 

Some clear top patterns have emerged; but the pair continues to make new highs and the patterns are somewhat eschew.  As we noted recently, “…The drop from the major R we noted in yesterday’s report was rather precipitous and could be ominous indication of more selling pressure to come.  Yesterday daily low of 1.3040/45 will be the moment of truth for those attempting to break the overt trend…” and it seems this statement is rather accurate given the resulting price action.

USD/JPY

The pair continues to rally following our call on the significance of the 1700 figure.  Session highs were recorded at 118.87 following Thursday’s rollover.  It has come in a bit however, leaving a tall wick behind in the vicinity of macro R.  this could be a tell tale sign of some virile selling as specs unwind what have now become very large positions.

Popularity: 3%