USDJPY has not moved much in week 5, it seems to be range-bound for the time being after the flash drop a couple of weeks back. It is natural for the price to go into smaller and smaller range consolidation after a large move, so we might be in it currently.
If we are going into a smaller range bound, two questions could be asked regarding the current situation,
1. How long will it last?
2. How wide will the range be?
1. How long will it last?
Personally, this is a question that at this moment, according to my strategy and analysis, provides no answer to it. It depends on the market and surrounding global events. Even though I personally would like the mid-term trend (Hourly Chart) to resume, but it does not look like it.
It made an H&S pattern in week 5, but the rise after the NFP on Friday in week 5 does not give me the comfort and confidence that it will continue its drop. If we look at the H1 chart, we can see a grouping of 5 small-bodied candles. If we go in deeper to M15, the 5 candles will show itself as a seemingly inverted U shape, which is considered a reversal pattern to me.
If we look at the Day Chart of USDJPY, we can see that Friday ended strong with a bullish candle that undoes the week 5's effort of bearish move. It pointed slightly towards a strong bullish power, coupled with the long tail that occurs during the Flash Drop, it is hinting a strong market bull now. When we look at the Weekly Chart, we can notice that the opening price and closing price of week 5 are very near, which tells us that its consolidating and developing a possible range. So even though on H1, we see an H&S pattern, when combined with the D1 and W1 charts, it is not so rosy for bear after all.
We can monitor what happens on the H1 chart for week 6, it can give an opportunity to enter long/short depending on the candlestick combination, however, it must be entered with a strong risk management plan.
2. How wide will the range be?
My personal view on this would be between the high of the H&S pattern and low of the flash crash. The market has clearly moved into an upward sloping range bound, so depending on your method of analysis, you might say that a wedge or flag has been formed, but either way, with a strong risk management, no matter how wrong you are, it will not be detrimental to your trading account.
Conclusion
Even though my H1 analysis pointed me towards a bearish trend, I am cautious of it due to the rise on Friday and the overall view from D1 and W1 chart. I am going to watch what happens on week 6 to determine my next course of action. As I am a mid-term trader, trading against the D1 and W1's direction is ok for me, as I do not hold multi-week positions.
If you have any thoughts on USDJPY's movement for the coming weeks, please share them below, I look forward to learning and staying profitable together. Please help me like this analysis, and follow me for my weekly updates!