Interest Rates Trading and Hedging Through a New LensIntroduction
In the dynamic world of financial markets, Micro 10-Year Yield Futures stand out as a pivotal tool for traders and investors. These futures offer unique opportunities to navigate the complexities of interest rates, particularly in an environment influenced by key economic indicators. This article delves into how traders can leverage both fundamental economic data and a novel technical analysis approach to optimize their strategies in trading and hedging with these futures.
Fundamental Analysis Approach
Understanding CPI, PPI, and Unemployment Rate:
Consumer Price Index (CPI): This indicator measures the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services. It's a critical gauge of inflation, directly impacting interest rates and, consequently, the yields on Treasury securities.
Producer Price Index (PPI): PPI tracks the average change over time in the selling prices received by domestic producers for their output. It's a leading indicator of consumer inflation when producers pass on higher costs to consumers.
Unemployment Rate: This key metric reflects the number of unemployed workers as a percentage of the labor force. It’s vital for assessing the health of the economy, influencing monetary policy and interest rates.
These indicators, notably their changes, provide crucial insights for active trading, particularly in hedging strategies with Micro 10-Year Yield Futures. For instance, a higher-than-expected CPI or PPI might signal rising inflation, prompting traders to anticipate rate hikes and adjust their positions accordingly.
How to incorporate Fundamental Analysis into the trade decision process?
When making trading decisions for Micro 10-Year Yield Futures, it's crucial to understand the impact of economic reports on interest rates:
Buying (Long) Position Rationale:
When CPI, PPI, and Employment Rate (opposite of unemployment) are all increasing (indicated by green color on the chart), it typically suggests an expanding economy and potential inflationary pressures.
In such scenarios, interest rates are likely to rise to manage inflation. Hence, buying 10-Year Yield Futures could become a strategic move, anticipating a potential uptick in yields.
Selling Existing Long Positions:
A decrease in any of these indicators (CPI, PPI, Employment Rate) signals a potential slowdown or less aggressive inflationary pressure.
Traders holding long positions might consider selling to lock in profits or prevent losses, anticipating a potential drop in yields.
Selling (Short) Position Rationale:
If these reports show a decreasing trend (indicated by red color on the chart), it suggests economic contraction or reduced inflationary pressure.
Lower interest rates are often introduced to stimulate economic growth in such conditions. Shorting 10-Year Yield Futures could be advantageous as it would benefit from a potential fall in yields.
Buying Existing Short Positions:
An increase in any of these indicators (CPI, PPI, Employment Rate) signals a potential expanding economy and potential inflationary pressures.
Traders holding short positions might consider buying to lock in profits or prevent losses, anticipating a potential rise in yields.
Rationale Behind the Rules:
These rules are based on the traditional economic relationship between inflation, economic activity, and interest rates.
Rising inflation or strong economic growth (indicated by higher CPI, PPI, and Employment Rates) often leads to higher interest rates to prevent the economy from overheating.
Conversely, decreasing indicators suggest an economy that might need stimulation, often leading to lower interest rates.
By aligning trading strategies with these fundamental economic principles, traders can make more informed decisions, leveraging economic trends to speculate or hedge effectively.
Technical Analysis Approach
Yield Extremes and Curve Analysis:
This approach involves charting and combining the 2-Year and 30-Year yield futures contracts in one chart.
Analyzing the relationship between these yields provides insights similar to traditional yield curve analysis in a much more accessible format.
Key Indicator: A crossover between the 2-Year and 30-Year rates signifies a substantial shift in market sentiment and economic outlook.
How to Incorporate Technical Analysis into the Trade Decision Process?
As said, the crossover of yield rates between the 2-year and the 30-year yields is a pivotal event, suggesting significant changes in the yield curve. Here's how to interpret and act on these occurrences:
Identifying the Crossover Event:
A crossover event occurs when the 2-year yield rate overtakes the 30-year rate, or vice versa.
This event is indicative of a significant change in the interest rate environment, reflecting shifts in economic expectations and monetary policy.
Trading Strategy Based on Micro 10-Year Prior Price Action:
When the crossover occurs, the immediate strategy depends on the recent trend in the Micro 10-Year Yield Futures prices.
If the Micro 10-Year Yield was trending upwards prior to the crossover, it suggests bullish sentiment in the shorter term. In this scenario, traders could consider taking a short position, anticipating a potential reversal or bearish shift in the market.
Conversely, if the Micro 10-Year Yield was trending downwards, indicating bearish sentiment, traders could consider a long position post-crossover, capitalizing on the potential for a bullish reversal or recovery in prices.
Rationale Behind the Trade Rules:
The crossover event between the 2-Year and 30-Year yields represents a pivotal shift in market dynamics, often reflecting changes in economic policy, inflation expectations, or investor sentiment.
Prior price action in the Micro 10-Year Yield Futures provides a context for these shifts, indicating the market's prevailing trend and sentiment.
By aligning trading actions with both the yield curve dynamics (crossover event) and the recent trend of the Micro 10-Year Futures, traders can make informed decisions, leveraging the market's anticipated reaction to these significant economic indicators.
Market Outlook and Trade Plan
Keeping in mind the below tick and (Average True Range) ATR values, based on our analysis, we could express our market views through the following hypothetical set-ups:
Trade Plan for the Fundamental Analysis Approach:
ENTRY: Wait for the next CPI, PPI and Employment Rate reports and consider executing a trade if all 3 reports are either positive (long) or negative (short).
STOP LOSS: Located 1 Monthly ATR away from the entry price
Trade Plan for the Technical Analysis Approach:
ENTRY: The crossover may confirm itself at the end of the day. Wait for such confirmation and consider executing a short trade once confirmed.
STOP LOSS: Located 1 Monthly ATR away from the entry price
Tick Value: 0.001 Index points (1/10th basis point per annum) = $1.00
Monthly ATR: The average volatility is measured as 0.509 at the time of this report
Trade Example: If the 2-Year yield rises above the 30-Year yield amid rising CPI, consider a short position anticipating rate hikes.
Reward-to-Risk Ratio: Calculate this ratio to ensure a balanced approach to potential gains versus losses.
Risk Management in Futures Trading
Effective risk management is paramount. Utilize stop-loss orders and consider hedging techniques to mitigate potential losses. Understand the significance of economic reports and yield curve shifts in making informed decisions.
Conclusion
Micro 10-Year Yield Futures offer a versatile platform for interest rate trading and hedging. By combining monthly economic updates with a unique yield curve analysis approach, traders can navigate these markets with greater confidence and strategic foresight.
When charting futures, the data provided could be delayed. Traders working with the ticker symbols discussed in this idea may prefer to use CME Group real-time data plan on TradingView: www.tradingview.com This consideration is particularly important for shorter-term traders, whereas it may be less critical for those focused on longer-term trading strategies.
Disclaimer: The trade ideas presented herein are solely for illustrative purposes forming a part of a case study intended to demonstrate key principles in risk management within the context of the specific market scenarios discussed. These ideas are not to be interpreted as investment recommendations or financial advice. They do not endorse or promote any specific trading strategies, financial products, or services. The information provided is based on data believed to be reliable; however, its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Trading in financial markets involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Each individual should conduct their own research and consult with professional financial advisors before making any investment decisions. The author or publisher of this content bears no responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided or for any resultant financial or other losses.
Fundamental Analysis
2024 US Recession | Key Factors2000 DOT-COM CRISIS
The dot-com crisis, also known as the "dot-com bubble" or "dot-com crash," was a period of economic turbulence that affected the technology and telecommunications sectors in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Here are some key points:
Euphoria Phase: In the 1990s, there was a boom in the technology and dot-com industry fueled by irrational investor euphoria. Many companies secured significant funding, even if they had weak or nonexistent business models.
Excessive Valuations: Valuations of technology companies skyrocketed, often based on exaggerated growth projections and unrealistic expectations. This led to rampant speculation in financial markets.
Bubble and Collapse: In 2000, the dot-com bubble began to burst. Many investors realized that numerous technology companies were unable to generate profits in the short term. This triggered a massive sell-off of stocks and a collapse in tech stock prices.
Economic Impacts: The crisis had widespread economic impacts, with the loss of value in many technology stocks and the bankruptcy of numerous companies. Investors suffered heavy losses, and this had repercussions on the entire stock market.
Economic Lessons: The dot-com crisis led to a reassessment of investment practices and taught lessons about the importance of carefully analyzing companies' fundamentals and avoiding investments based solely on speculative expectations.
Following this crisis, the technology sector experienced a correction but also contributed to shaping the industry in a more sustainable way. Many companies that survived the crisis implemented more realistic and sustainable strategies, contributing to the subsequent growth and development of the technology sector.
2007-2008 FINANCIAL CRISIS
The 2007-2008 financial crisis was a widespread event that had a significant impact on the global economy. Here are some key points:
Origins in the Subprime Mortgage Crisis: The crisis originated in the U.S. real estate sector, particularly in subprime mortgages (high-risk). An increase in mortgage defaults led to severe losses for financial institutions holding securities tied to these loans.
Spread of Financial Problems: Losses in the mortgage sector spread globally, involving international financial institutions. Lack of transparency in complex financial products contributed to the crisis's diffusion.
Bank Failures and Government Bailouts: Several major financial institutions either failed or were on the brink of failure. Government interventions, including bailouts and nationalizations, were necessary to prevent the collapse of the financial system.
Stock Market Crashes: Global stock markets experienced significant crashes. Investors lost confidence in financial institutions, leading to a flight from risk and an economic contraction.
Impact on the Real Economy: The financial crisis directly impacted the real economy. The ensuing global recession resulted in the loss of millions of jobs, decreased industrial production, and a contraction in consumer spending.
Financial Sector Reforms: The crisis prompted a reevaluation of financial regulations. In response, many nations implemented reforms to enhance financial oversight and mitigate systemic risks.
Lessons Learned: The financial crisis underscored the need for more effective risk management, increased transparency in financial markets, and better monitoring of financial institutions.
The 2007-2008 financial crisis had a lasting impact on the approach to economic and financial policies, leading to greater awareness of systemic risks and the adoption of measures to prevent future crises.
2019 PRE COVID
In 2019, I closely observed a significant event in the financial markets: the inversion of the yield curve, with 3-month yields surpassing those at 2, 5, and 10 years. This phenomenon, known as an inverted yield curve, is generally considered an advanced signal of a potential economic recession and has often been linked to various financial crises in the past. The inversion of the yield curve occurred when short-term government bond yields, such as those at 3 months, exceeded those at long-term, like 2, 5, and 10 years. This situation raised concerns among investors and analysts, as historically, similar inversions have been followed by periods of economic contraction. Subsequently, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, originating in late 2019 in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China. The virus was identified as a new strain of coronavirus, known as SARS-CoV-2. The global spread of the virus was rapid throughout 2020, causing a worldwide pandemic. Countries worldwide implemented lockdown and social distancing measures to contain the virus's spread. The economic impact of the pandemic was significant globally, with sectors such as tourism, aviation, and hospitality particularly affected, leading to business closures and job losses. Efforts to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 were intense, and in 2020, several vaccines were approved, contributing to efforts to contain the virus's spread. In 2021, the Delta variant of the virus emerged as a highly transmissible variant, leading to new increases in cases in many regions worldwide. Subsequent variants continued to impact pandemic management. Government and health authorities' responses varied from country to country, with measures ranging from lockdowns and mass vaccinations to specific crisis management strategies. The pandemic highlighted the need for international cooperation, robust healthcare systems, and global preparedness to address future pandemics. In summary, the observation of the yield curve inversion in 2019 served as a predictive element, suggesting imminent economic challenges, and the subsequent pandemic confirmed the complexity and interconnectedness of factors influencing global economic health.
2024 Outlook
The outlook for 2024 presents significant economic challenges, outlined by a series of critical indicators. At the core of these dynamics are the interest rates, which have reached exceptionally high levels, fueling an atmosphere of uncertainty and impacting access to credit and spending by businesses and consumers. One of the primary concerns is the inversion of the yield curve, manifested between July and September 2022. This phenomenon, often associated with periods of economic recession, has heightened alarm about the stability of the economic environment. The upward break of the 3-month curve compared to the 2, 5, 10, and 30-year curves has raised questions about the future trajectory of the economy. Simultaneously, housing prices in the United States have reached historic highs, raising concerns about a potential real estate bubble. This situation prompts questions about the sustainability of the real estate market and the risks associated with a potential collapse in housing prices. Geopolitical instability further contributes to the complexity of the economic landscape. With ongoing conflicts in Russia, the Red Sea, Palestine, and escalating tensions in Taiwan, investors are compelled to assess the potential impact of these events on global economic stability. The S&P/Experian Consumer Credit Default Composite Index, showing an upward trend since December 2021, suggests an increase in financial difficulties among consumers. Similarly, the charge-off rate on credit card loans for all commercial banks, increasing since the first quarter of 2022, reflects growing financial pressure on consumers and the banking sector. In this context, it is essential to adopt a prudent approach based on a detailed analysis of economic and financial data. The ability to adapt to changing market conditions becomes crucial for individuals, businesses, and financial institutions. Continuous monitoring of the evolution of economic and geopolitical indicators will be decisive in understanding and addressing the challenges that 2024 may bring.
Traders Don’t Fail – They QuitIt’s been a very tough year for swing traders.
Go long the market drops. Go short the market rallies.
Don’t do anything and you save from the burn.
But in the bigger scheme of things, it looks like we are in an accumulation phase.
The accumulation phase is a period in which smart money (informed and experienced traders or institutional investors) is believed to be accumulating a particular asset while it is still relatively undervalued.
This phase occurs before a notable uptrend or bullish move in the market.
Key characteristics of the accumulation phase include:
Sideways Movement:
Prices move within a trading range, often forming a base or a consolidation pattern.
The range represents a period of equilibrium between buying and selling forces.
You can see the JSE ALSI has been in a tight range this entire year.
Decreasing Volume:
Volume tends to decline during the accumulation phase, indicating a decrease in overall market activity.
Lower volume signals that the asset is not attracting significant attention from the broader market.
There have not been huge orders on the JSE ALSI like other years. It could be because there are LESS investors buying shares and more going into derivatives and margin trading.
Or because they are worried about the state of the economy with load shedding, foreign direct investments pulling out, the country being rated down or people fleeing the country.
Smart Money Accumulation:
Informed traders or institutional investors quietly accumulate the asset during this phase.
Their accumulation is not typically evident in the overall market activity due to the relatively low volume.
Now with December, we could see investors piling into trades from their bonuses, offsetting taxes, preparing for the next year or with optimism with the festive season.
Transition to Markup Phase:
After a sufficient accumulation, there is an expectation that the asset’s price will break out of the trading range.
This breakout marks the end of the accumulation phase and the beginning of the markup phase, characterized by a sustained uptrend.
So, my hopes and bets are UP.
I think once we break out above the range, we could see the JSE ALSI rally a good 10 -20%.
But geez, we need strong catalysts to kick in.
Even if it’s international markets helping us run up with Dual LIsted companies or America’s leading influence.
What are your thoughts? You think we’ll get our long waited for rally?
Traders and investors who stay in the game will reap the rewards.
Patience is a trader's virtue.
Impatience is the reason why traders quit. They don’t FAIL – THEY QUIT.
WHAT IS NONFARM PAYROLLS?Let's talk about trading on Nonfarm payrolls news. What is this news, why traders always expect it, when it comes out, where to look for it and most importantly why the market fluctuates like crazy when NonFarm Payrolls are released?
What is Nonfarm Payrolls?
Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) is the number of new jobs in nonfarm sectors of the economy over the past month. The released figures show the dynamics of changes (increase, decrease) relative to the previous period. This statistic covers about 500 sectors of the economy: construction, trade, business services, transportation, logistics, financial sector, health care, tourism and so on. The calculations do not take into account workers in the agricultural sector, non-profit organizations and self-employed citizens. A change in the NFP value of 100-200 thousand jobs will lead to strong volatility in prices of world currencies in pairs with the U.S. dollar, gold and stock markets.
When Is This Data Released?
NFP is calculated and published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), releasing preliminary data on the first Friday of each month. Given the significance and impact of the event on the global economy, a repost of these statistics can be seen on any economic calendar, the primary source is on the BLS website. You can also view upcoming economic events on the popular Forex Factory service. The time of news release depends on the U.S. Bureau of Statistics. A trader should check the exact time and date of release every time, as it depends on the readiness of calculations of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Any calendar indicates the format of data in the form of three figures: previous, actual value and forecast.
How Does The Market React?
Traders evaluate the released data by several criteria:
• Matching with the forecast or with the previous value. With such figures, a spike in volatility can take place without a strong and directional short-term movement;
• Strong changes cause global shifts such as reversals or strengthening of long-term trends, changes in historical volatility values.
Job growth is a leading indicator of growth in the U.S. economy. New hands in an office or manufacturing facility is the last stage of preliminary work done by a company to expand its business. By this time, it has:
1. Attracted investment
2. Expanded production capacity or sales departments for already purchased products
3. Growing employment leads to US GDP growth, low nonfarm payrolls data is a sign of a coming crisis
This is clearly seen in the graph of all employees, built on the dynamics of changes in NFP since the beginning of the calculation, where the areas of global economic crises are marked.
Why Does The Market "Fly" On Nonfarm Payrolls ?
Significant price changes occurring in the Forex market when macroeconomic indicators are released are due to the lack of support for prices by market makers.
During the release of important news, there is no need to support market liquidity, as the attention and funds of large players are attracted. As it was said above - the value of the indicator is a signal for revision of long-term trends, so huge amounts of funds are put in motion.
The absence of a market-maker leads:
• Spread widening (distance between buying and selling prices);
• Low volumes of nearby orders in the stack.
Therefore, the inputs of large players literally "collect the stack" at the moment of dismantling orders at all price levels, the same applies to the exit from positions. The market moves by 50-150 points, which is an acceptable error for long-term positions, but it is killer for stops, which limit losses of intraday traders.
Roughly speaking, the market "flies" during the NFP release because it is relatively easy to move the price at this time. And not because all traders of the world are panic selling/buying currencies.
What Should You Do If Nonfarm Payrolls Are On The Calendar Today?
There's only one 100% profitable way to trade the nonfarm payrolls! So how do we trade them?
YOU DON'T. Yeah, that's right. If you see the NFP coming out today, then:
- When trading intraday, close all positions half an hour before the news comes out
- When trading long term, remember that the average price movement is 50-60 pips and the maximum is 150-200 pips. This should be taken into account, it is possible to change the stop loss
- Remember that after an average of 6 hours the price often returns to the same level as before the news
An interesting point: if you study many strategies, you will see that on bigger timeframes (H4, D1), news carrying changes can serve as a trigger. The market plays back the data in a "second wave", after the volatility calms down, market makers will start accumulating positions on the flat movement. The tactic is called "step" at the end of fluctuations in a narrow channel there is a strong impulse and directional trend, actively shifting the markets to new price levels.
Conclusion
Let's summarize the rules of 100% profitable strategy of trading on Nonfarm Payrolls. Half an hour to an hour before a major news release, simply clsoe all positions. Even if there is a small loss, it is probably better to close them. Two hours after the Nonfarm Payrolls release you can trade again in a normal mode. But since it is already Friday and evening, there is no sense to trade. So, an hour or half an hour before the nonfarm close all positions and go to rest.
HOW TO TRADE THE EURJPYToday we will talk about how to trade EURJPY; one of the most volatile, but also the most popular cross-currency pairs on the forex market. Quite a large percentage of profitable traders include it in their trading arsenal. We will tell you about the differences of this pair, which is sometimes called "the beast".
THE ECONOMIES OF JAPAN AND THE EUROZONE
Japan has the 3rd largest GDP, behind only China and the USA. The country is a producer and exporter of automobiles and high technology and is therefore very sensitive to energy prices. The central bank, the Bank of Japan, is a publicly traded company with 45% of shares owned by private and institutional shareholders. Interest rates are interspersed between negative and very low, ranging from -0.1% to 0.1%, which makes borrowing in yen extremely popular.
The government has traditionally struggled with a high yen and low inflation rates to make Japanese exports more competitive. Earlier it was achieved through so-called currency interventions, and many traders had an opportunity to earn good money by anticipating the moment of the next sales by the Japanese Central Bank, but today the increase in inflation is achieved through stimulus programs - purchases of long-term government bonds and other financial assets by the Central Bank.
The Euro is the official currency of the Eurozone, which consists of 27 EU member. Between them, these 27 countries of the Union form a single market with an economy that accounts for 14% of the world's output in 2021, making it the third largest economy in terms of nominal GDP, the largest exporter and the largest importer of goods and services.
The main governing bank, the European Central Bank, regulates the monetary policy of the eurozone's constituent countries, maintaining overall price stability. In the long term, the ECB's policy pursues similar goals to the Bank of Japan of growing the economy through stimulus programs.
GLOBAL TREND
There has been an uptrend since the beginning of 2020. This is when the Eurozone consumer price index went into negative territory (from 0.3% at the beginning of 2020 to -0.3% by the end of 2020), due to the aftermath of the pandemic. No significant recovery has followed since then, and the situation was only exacerbated by the escalation of Eurosceptic sentiment in certain countries of the Union, which ultimately led to Brexit. At a greater distance EURUSD shows that this was not always the case, and the strongest uptrend in the post-crisis 2012 is proof of that, followed by a decline.
And if we consider EURJPY, we should assume that the uptrend will continue in the coming time, which means that when trading on daily charts, the advantage remains for the upward signals. Of course, the situation may change, but based on the currently available data and the dynamics of recent years, the global trend indicates an upward trend.
EURJPY VOLATILITY
The average daily volatility of EURJPY is approximately 88 pips. The most volatile days are Wednesday and Thursday. The highest intraday volatility is observed at the American session and at the European and Pacific sessions. But it should be noted that there is no such a strong dependence on the sessions as for EUR and GBP, and therefore activity can be expected at any time of the day.
CORRELATIONS
The most stable correlation is observed with USDJPY on the 4-hour charts. Therefore, if you have detected some signal on this pair that has not yet played out on EURJPY, it may be worth getting ready to enter a position. USDJPY is well correlated with the Japanese stock market, namely the Nikkei 225 index. And accordingly, EURJPY will have similar correlations with the Nikkei 225 due to its close correlation with USDJPY, which is observed below:
ECONOMIC CALENDAR
When working with the economic calendar, it is important to follow the news related to the European currency and Japan, as well as the US dollar, paying attention to the most volatile ones, which are marked with three red bars. Speaking about the news background, it will also be important to note that cross pairs, such as EURJPY or GBPJPY, react more smoothly to USD news, as they are less popular among traders and investors who prefer to take risks during such hours on EURUSD or, say, USDCAD trading. There are noticeably fewer spikes.
TRADING EURJPY
The pair is universal and is perfect for both scalpers and trend traders both on higher timeframes and lower timeframes. But reasoning from the point of view of practical popularity, let's say that intraday trading certainly prevails over trading on daily charts. Strong trends are perfectly visible on daily charts, which opens up acceptable conditions for long-term trading. On 4 hourly and even 1 hourly timeframes you can easily observe steady trends with pullbacks.
In addition, due to the relatively higher volatility of the pair compared to the same EURUSD, and with exactly the same characteristic sharp movements, EURJPY trends are more clean and prolonged. It is worth considering that for this pair you may also need to increase the stop loss because of the spikes, where on low timeframes it is simply necessary to put it farther away, otherwise there are risks that they will be knocked out.
Breakout strategies also work well on the same strategies of consolidation exit, allowing to take good profits. Boxes (consolidations) are visible to the naked eye, but even here it is worth setting the indicators properly so that they take into account these candle wicks.
TO SUMMARIZE
• The EURJPY pair trades perfectly and universally both intraday and on daily timeframes.
• It is worth taking into account spikes and tails, which can easily knock out your stop loss.
And therefore, calculate the stop loss with the appropriate correction for higher volatility.
• The same candlestick wicks can be used for your benefit by opening opposite small-target positions after long wicks.
• Breakout strategies work well, in particular, bull flag and bear flag patterns.
• More clearly defined trends than classic pairs such as EURUSD.
• There are correlations with USDJPY, as well as the Nikkei 225 stock market.
DXY - US Dollar Index. Everything You Need to Know
Hey traders,
I share my analysis, signals and forecasts on Dollar Index occasionally. Quite often I receive questions from you asking me to explain what exactly that index means and why it is so important.
Dollar Index (DXY) is a measure of the value of the United States Dollar against a weighted basket of major currencies.
This basket consists of 6 following currencies:
🇪🇺Euro (EUR) - 57.6% share
🇯🇵Japanese yen (JPY) - 13.6% share
🇬🇧Pound sterling (GBP) - 11.9% share
🇨🇦Canadian dollar (CAD) - 9.1% share
🇸🇪Swedish krona (SEK) - 4.2% share
🇨🇭Swiss franc (CHF) - 3.6% share
The selection of the following basket of currencies and their weight is determined by the significance of a trading partnership between the countries.
The index value is calculated with the formula:
USDX = 50.14348112 × EURUSD ^ -0.576 × USDJPY ^ 0.136 × GBPUSD ^ -0.119 × USDCAD ^ 0.091 × USDSEK ^ 0.042 × USDCHF ^ 0.036
Take a look at a correlation coefficient between Dollar Index and EURUSD, most of the time it is close to -1. It implies a perfect negative relationship between two instruments.
While a correlation between Dollar Index and USDCHF is not that tight due to limited value of Swiss Franc in a calculation of the index.
The index was launched in 1973 and had an initial value of 100.
When the U.S.D is gaining strength against the above-mentioned currencies, the index is growing, while its weakness against them leads to a decline of the index value.
To conclude, the Dollar Index reflects a fair value of the Dollar and its dominance in global markets. Its analysis may help to make more accurate predictions of the future direction of the dollar related instruments.
Do you analyze DXY?
🐱🐉 The Magnificent, One and Only Million Million OpportunityAs we approach the end of 2023, we are just a short time away from the 1st anniversary of the AI research company ChatGPT's chatbot being launched on November 30, 2022.
This publication, although dedicated to a single company - Microsoft Corporation - is educational in nature, and is a representation of a letter to shareholders - 2023 by Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corporation NASDAQ:MSFT - the second company in the world after Apple in terms of market capitalization.
I hope that each of you will be able to master it, look back, and realize what a rapidly changing world we all live in now.
Enjoy!
October 16, 2023
Dear shareholders, colleagues, customers, and partners:
We are living through a time of historic challenge and opportunity. As I write this, the world faces ongoing economic, social, and geopolitical volatility. At the same time, we have entered a new age of AI that will fundamentally transform productivity for every individual, organization, and industry on earth, and help us address some of our most pressing challenges.
This next generation of AI will reshape every software category and every business, including our own. Forty-eight years after its founding, Microsoft remains a consequential company because time and time again—from PC/Server, to Web/Internet, to Cloud/Mobile—we have adapted to technological paradigm shifts. Today, we are doing so once again, as we lead this new era.
Amid this transformation, our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more remains constant. As a company, we believe we can be the democratizing force for this new generation of technology and the opportunity it will help unlock for every country, community, and individual, while mitigating its risks.
Here are just a few examples of how we are already doing this:
• Leading electronic health records vendor Epic is addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the healthcare industry today—including physician burnout—by deploying a wide range of copilot solutions built on Azure OpenAI Service and Dragon Ambient eXperience Copilot.
• Mercado Libre is reducing the time its developers spend writing code by more than 50 percent with GitHub Copilot, as the company works to democratize e-commerce across Latin America.
•Mercedes-Benz is making its in-car voice assistant more intuitive for hundreds of thousands of drivers using ChatGPT via the Azure OpenAI Service.
• Lumen Technologies is helping its employees be more productive, enabling them to focus on higher value-added activities, by deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• Nonprofit The Contingent is matching foster families with children in need using Dynamics 365, Power BI, and Azure, with an eye on using AI to amplify its work across the US.
• And, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education has built an online platform to help elementary and high school students learn English using Azure AI.
To build on this progress, we remain convicted on three things: First, we will maintain our lead as the top commercial cloud while innovating in consumer categories, from gaming to professional social networks. Second, because we know that maximum enterprise value gets created during platform shifts like this one, we will invest to accelerate our lead in AI by infusing this technology across every layer of the tech stack. And, finally, we will continue to drive operating leverage, aligning our cost structure with our revenue growth.
As we make progress on these priorities, we delivered strong results in fiscal year 2023, including a record $211 billion in revenue and over $88 billion in operating income.
A NEW ERA OF AI
There are two breakthroughs coming together to define this new era of AI.
• The first is the most universal interface: natural language. The long arc of computing has, in many ways, been shaped by the pursuit of increasingly intuitive human-computer interfaces—keyboards, mice, touch screens. We believe we have now arrived at the next big step forward—natural language—and will quickly go beyond, to see, hear, interpret, and make sense of our intent and the world around us.
• The second is the emergence of a powerful new reasoning engine. For years, we’ve digitized daily life, places, and things and organized them into databases. But in a world rich with data, what has been most scarce is our ability to reason over it. This generation of AI helps us interact with data in powerful new ways—from completing or summarizing text, to detecting anomalies and recognizing images—to help us identify patterns and surface insights faster than ever.
Together, these two breakthroughs will unlock massive new opportunity. And, in fact, just last month we announced our vision for Copilot, an everyday AI companion. We are building Copilot into all our most used products and experiences and allowing people to summon its power as a standalone app as well. Just like you boot up an OS to access applications or use a browser to visit websites today, our belief is that you will invoke a Copilot to do all those activities and more: to shop, to code, to analyze, to learn, to create.
As a company, any time we approach a transition like this, we do so responsibly. We believe AI should be as empowering across communities as it is powerful, and we’re committed to ensuring it is responsibly built and designed, with safety in mind from the outset.
OUR OPPORTUNITY
Every customer solution area and every layer of our tech stack will be reimagined for the AI era. And that’s exactly what we’ve already begun to do:
Infrastructure
Four years ago, we first invested in our AI supercomputer, with a goal of building the best cloud for training and inference. Today, it’s being used by our partner OpenAI to power its best-in-class foundation models and services, including one of the fastest-growing consumer apps ever—ChatGPT. NVIDIA, as well as leading AI startups like Adept and Inflection, is also using our infrastructure to build its own breakthrough models.
More broadly, organizations continue to choose our ubiquitous computing fabric—from cloud to edge—to run their mission-critical applications. We continued to see more cloud migrations to Azure this past fiscal year, as it remains early when it comes to the long-term cloud opportunity. And we also continue to lead in hybrid computing with Azure Arc, which now has 18,000 customers.
Data and AI
Every AI app starts with data, and having a comprehensive data and analytics platform is more important than ever. Our Intelligent Data Platform brings together operational databases, analytics, and governance so organizations can spend more time creating value and less time integrating their data estate. We also introduced Microsoft Fabric this year, which unifies compute, storage, and governance with a disruptive business model.
With Azure AI, we are making foundation models available as platforms to our customers. We offer the best selection of industry-leading frontier and open models. In January, we made the Azure OpenAI Service broadly available, bringing together advanced models, including ChatGPT and GPT-4, with the enterprise capabilities of Azure. More than 11,000 organizations across industries are already using it for advanced scenarios like content and code generation. Meta chose us this summer as its preferred cloud to commercialize its Llama family of models. And, with Azure AI Studio, we provide a full lifecycle toolchain customers can use to ground these models on their own data, create prompt workflows, and help ensure they are deployed and used safely.
Digital and app innovation
GitHub Copilot is fundamentally transforming developer productivity, helping developers complete coding tasks 55 percent faster. More than 27,000 organizations have chosen GitHub Copilot for Business, and to date more than 1 million people have used GitHub Copilot to code faster. We also announced our vision for the future of software development with GitHub Copilot X, which will bring the power of AI throughout the entire software development lifecycle. All up, GitHub surpassed $1 billion in annual recurring revenue for the first time this fiscal year.
We’re also applying AI across our low-code/no-code toolchain to help domain experts across an organization automate workflows, create apps and webpages, build virtual agents, or analyze data, using just natural language with copilots in Power Platform. More than 63,000 organizations have used AI-powered capabilities in Power Platform to date.
Business applications
We are bringing the next generation of AI to employees across every job function and every line of business with Dynamics 365 Copilot, which works across CRM and ERP systems to reduce burdensome tasks like manual data entry, content generation, and notetaking. In fact, our own support agents are using Copilot in Dynamics 365 Customer Service to resolve more cases faster and without having to call on peers to help. With our Supply Chain Platform, we’re helping customers apply AI to predict and mitigate disruptions. And, with our new Microsoft Sales Copilot, sellers can infuse their customer interactions with data from CRM systems—including both Salesforce and Dynamics—to close more deals.
All up, Dynamics surpassed $5 billion in revenue over the past fiscal year, with our customer experience, service, and finance and supply chain businesses each surpassing $1 billion in annual sales.
Industry
Across industries, we are rapidly becoming the partner of choice for any organization looking to generate real value from AI. In healthcare, for example, we introduced the world’s first fully automated clinical documentation application, DAX Copilot. The application helps physicians reduce documentation time by half, freeing them to spend more time face to face with patients. And Epic will integrate it directly into its electronic health records system.
And, in retail, we introduced new tools to help companies manage their day-to-day operations and digitize their physical stores.
Modern work
We are rapidly evolving Microsoft 365 into an AI-first platform that enables every individual to amplify their creativity and productivity, with both our established applications like Office and Teams, as well as new apps like Designer, Stream, and Loop. Microsoft 365 is designed for today’s digitally connected, distributed workforce.
This year, we also introduced a new pillar of customer value with Microsoft 365 Copilot, which combines next-generation AI with business data in the Microsoft Graph and Microsoft 365 applications to help people be more productive and unleash their creativity at work. Just last month, I was excited to announce that we will make Microsoft 365 Copilot generally available to our commercial customers later this year.
We continue to build momentum in Microsoft Teams across collaboration, chat, meetings, and calls. We introduced a new version of Teams that delivers up to two times faster performance, while using 50 percent less memory. We also introduced Teams Premium to meet enterprise demand for AI-powered features like intelligent meeting recaps. All up, Teams usage surpassed 300 million monthly active users this year.
With Microsoft Viva, we have created a new category for employee experience. Copilot in Viva offers leaders a new way to build high-performance teams by prioritizing both productivity and employee engagement. This year, Viva surpassed 35 million monthly active users.
Security
As the rate and pace of cyberthreats continue to accelerate, security is a top priority for every organization. Our comprehensive, AI-powered solutions give defenders the advantage. With Security Copilot, we’re combining large language models with a domain-specific model informed by our threat intelligence and 65 trillion daily security signals, to transform every aspect of security operations center productivity.
All up, more than 1 million organizations now count on our comprehensive, AI-powered solutions to protect their digital estates, and our security business surpassed $20 billion in annual revenue, as we help protect customers across clouds and endpoint platforms.
Search, advertising, and news
We are reshaping daily search and web habits with our new Bing and Microsoft Edge browser, which brings together search, browsing, chat, and AI into one unified experience to deliver better search, more complete answers, a new chat experience, and the ability to generate content. We think of these tools as an AI copilot for the web.
We are also bringing these breakthrough capabilities to businesses, with Bing Chat Enterprise, which offers commercial data protection, providing an easy on-ramp for any organization looking to get the benefit of next-generation AI today.
Although it’s early in our journey, Bing users engaged in more than 1 billion chats and created more than 750 million images over the past year as they apply these new tools to get things done. And Edge has taken share for nine consecutive quarters.
More broadly, we continue to expand our opportunity in advertising. This year, Netflix chose us as its exclusive technology and sales partner for its first ad-supported subscription offering, a validation of the differentiated value we provide to any publisher looking for a flexible partner to build and innovate with them.
LinkedIn
The excitement around AI is creating new opportunities across every function—from marketing, sales, service, and finance, to software development and security. And LinkedIn is increasingly where people are going to learn, discuss, and uplevel their skills. We are using AI to help our members and customers connect to opportunities and tap into the experiences of experts on the platform. In fact, our AI-powered articles are already the fastest-growing traffic driver to the network.
All up, LinkedIn’s revenue surpassed $15 billion for the first time this fiscal year, a testament to how mission critical the platform has become to help more than 950 million members connect, learn, sell, and get hired.
Gaming
In gaming, we are rapidly executing on our ambition to be the first choice for people to play great games whenever, wherever, and however they want. With Xbox Game Pass, we are redefining how games are distributed, played, and viewed. Content is the flywheel behind the service’s growth, and our pipeline has never been stronger. It was especially energizing to release Starfield this fall to broad acclaim, with more than 10 million players in the first month post-launch alone.
Earlier this month, we were thrilled to close our acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and we look forward to sharing more in the coming months about how, together , we will bring the joy of gaming to more people around the world.
Devices and creativity
Finally, we’re turning Windows into a powerful new AI canvas with Copilot, which rolled out as part of a Windows 11 update last month. It uniquely incorporates the context and intelligence of the web, your work data, and what you are doing in the moment on your PC to provide better assistance, while keeping your privacy and security at the forefront. Overall, the number of devices running Windows 11 more than doubled in the past year. And we are also transforming how Windows is experienced and managed with Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365, which together surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY
As we pursue our opportunity, we are also working to ensure technology helps us solve problems—not create new ones. To do this, we focus on four enduring commitments that are central to our mission and that take on even greater importance in this new era. For us, these commitments are more than just words. They’re a guide to help us make decisions across everything we do—as we design and develop products, shape business processes and policies, help our customers thrive, build partnerships, and more —always asking ourselves critical questions to ensure our actions are aligned with them.
How can we expand opportunity?
First, we believe access to economic growth and opportunity should reach every person, organization, community, and country. And although AI can serve as a catalyst for opportunity and growth, we must first ensure everyone has access to the technologies, data, and skills they need to benefit.
To achieve this, we are focused on getting technology into the hands of nonprofits, social entrepreneurs, and other civil society organizations to help them digitally transform, so they can help address some of society’s biggest challenges. This year, we provided nonprofits with over $3.8 billion in discounted and donated technology. Nearly 325,000 nonprofits used our cloud. And to help them tap the potential of AI, we’re building new AI capabilities for fundraising, marketing, and program delivery.
AI will displace some jobs, but it will also create new ones. That’s why we aim to train and certify 10 million people by 2025 with the skills for jobs and livelihoods in an increasingly digital economy. Since July 2020, we’ve helped 8.5 million people, including 2.7 million this year. We’ve also focused on skilling women and underrepresented communities in cybersecurity, working across 28 countries and with nearly 400 US community colleges to scale our efforts.
Finally, to help people learn more about AI, we launched the first online Professional Certificate on Generative AI in partnership with LinkedIn Learning, created AI tools for educators, and held our first AI Community Learning event in the US. These events will be replicated around the world and localized in 10 languages over the next year. We also partnered to launch a Generative AI Skills Grant Challenge to explore how nonprofit, social enterprise, and research or academic institutions can empower the workforce to use this new generation of AI.
How can we earn trust?
To create positive impact with technology, people need to be able to trust the technologies they use and the companies behind them. For us, earning trust spans the responsible use of AI, protecting privacy, and advancing digital safety and cybersecurity.
Our commitment to responsible AI is not new. Since 2017, we’ve worked to develop our responsible AI practice, recognizing that trust is never given but earned through action.
We have translated our AI principles into a core set of implementation processes, as well as tools, training, and practices to support compliance. But internal programs aren’t enough. We also enable our customers and partners to develop and deploy AI safely, including through our AI customer commitments and services like Azure AI Studio, with its content safety tooling and access to our Responsible AI dashboard.
Building AI responsibly requires that we work with other industry leaders, civil society, and governments to advocate for AI regulations and governance globally. This year, we released our Governing AI Blueprint, which outlines concrete legal and policy recommendations for AI guardrails. We are signatories to the eight voluntary commitments developed with the US White House, and proud of the six additional commitments we’ve made to further strengthen and operationalize the principles of safety, security, and trust.
The era of AI heightens the importance of cybersecurity, and we deepened our work across the private and public sectors to improve cyber-resilience. We’ve continued to support Ukraine in defending critical infrastructure, detecting and disrupting cyberattacks and cyberinfluence operations, and providing intelligence related to these attacks. Our Microsoft Threat Analysis Center team produced more than 500 intelligence reports to help keep customers and the public informed. And we published our third annual Microsoft Digital Defense Report, sharing our learnings and security recommendations.
We also remain committed to creating safe experiences online and protecting customers from illegal and harmful content and conduct, while respecting human rights. We supported the Christchurch Call Initiative on Algorithmic Outcomes to address terrorist and violent and extremist content online. And through the World Economic Forum’s Global Coalition for Digital Safety, we co-led the development of new global principles for digital safety.
Protecting customers’ privacy and giving them control of their data is more important than ever. We’ve begun our phased rollout of the EU Data Boundary, supporting our commercial and public sector customers’ need for data sovereignty. And each month, more than 3 million people exercise their data protection rights through our privacy dashboard, making meaningful choices about how their data is used.
How can we protect fundamental rights?
In an increasingly digital world, we have a responsibility to promote and protect people’s fundamental rights and address the challenges technology creates. For us, this means upholding responsible business practices, expanding connectivity and accessibility, advancing fair and inclusive societies, and empowering communities.
In 2023, we worked diligently to anticipate harmful uses of our technology and put guardrails on the use of technologies that are consequential to people’s lives or legal status, create risk of harm, or threaten human rights. We will continue to assess the impact of our technologies, engage our stakeholders, and model and adopt responsible practices and respect for human rights—including across our global supply chain.
Today, our lives are more connected than ever. Access to education, employment, healthcare, and other critical services is increasingly dependent on technology. That’s why we’ve expanded our commitment to bring access to affordable high-speed internet to a quarter of a billion people around the world, including 100 million people in Africa, by the end of 2025. Since 2017, we’ve helped bring internet access to 63 million people, a key first step to ensuring communities will have access to AI and other digital technologies.
This year, we also continued working toward our five-year commitment to bridge the disability divide with a focus on helping close the accessibility knowledge gap. Seven hundred and fifty-thousand learners enriched their understanding of disability and accessibility in partnership with LinkedIn Learning, Teach Access, and the Microsoft disability community.
In addition, we’re stepping up efforts to combat online disinformation through new media content provenance technologies—enabling users to verify if an image or video was generated by AI. We continued our efforts to promote racial equity across Microsoft, our ecosystem, and our communities, including our work to advance justice reform through data-driven insights. And we provided support in response to eight humanitarian disasters, including committing $540 million of support to those who have been impacted by the War in Ukraine.
Finally, recognizing AI’s potential to advance human rights and humanitarian action, we worked on several AI for Humanitarian Action projects. Together with our partners, we’re building the capabilities to identify at-risk communities, estimate seasonal hunger, predict malnutrition, and assist in disease identification.
How can we advance sustainability?
Climate change is the defining issue of our generation, and addressing it requires swift, collective action and technological innovation. We are committed to meeting our own goals while enabling others to do the same. That means taking responsibility for our operational footprint and accelerating progress through technology.
We continue to see extreme weather impacting communities globally. To meet the urgent need, this must be a decade of innovation and decisive action—for Microsoft, our customers, and the world.
In our latest Environmental Sustainability Report, we shared our progress toward our 2030 sustainability targets across carbon, water, waste, and ecosystems. In 2022, our overall carbon emissions declined by 0.5 percent while our business grew. Addressing scope 3 emissions, which account for the vast majority of our emissions, is arguably our ultimate challenge—one we’ll continue to tackle through our supply chain, policy advances, and industry-wide knowledge-sharing.
We’ve provided just under 1 million people with access to clean water and sanitation, one of five pillars on our path to becoming water positive. And in our pursuit to be zero waste, we achieved a reuse and recycle rate of 82 percent for all our cloud hardware and diverted over 12,000 metric tons of solid operational waste from landfills and incinerators.
We also continue to take responsibility for the impacts of our direct operations on Earth’s ecosystems. We’ve contracted to protect 17,268 acres of land, over 50 percent more than the land we use to operate. Of that, 12,270 acres—the equivalent of approximately 7,000 soccer fields—were designated as permanently protected.
Technology is a powerful lever to help us avoid the most severe impacts of climate change. That’s why we’re accelerating our investment in more efficient datacenters, clean energy, enhancements to the Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability and Planetary Computer, and green software practices. To date, through our Climate Innovation Fund, we’ve allocated more than $700 million to a global portfolio of 50+ investments spanning sustainable solutions in energy, industrial, and natural systems.
Finally, we believe AI can be a powerful accelerant in addressing the climate crisis. We expanded our AI for Good Lab in Egypt and Kenya to improve climate resilience for the continent. And, together with our partners, we launched Global Renewables Watch, a first-of-its-kind living atlas that aims to map and measure utility-scale solar and wind installations, allowing users to evaluate progress toward a clean energy transition.
Although this new era promises great opportunity, it demands even greater responsibility from companies like ours. As we pursue our four commitments, we focus on transparency—providing clear reporting on how we run our business and how we work with customers and partners. Our annual Impact Summary shares more about our progress and learnings this year, and our Reports Hub provides detailed reports on our environmental data, political activities, workforce demographics, human rights work, and more.
OUR CULTURE
There’s never been a more important time to live our culture. The way we work and the speed at which we work are changing.
In an economy where yesterday’s exceptional is today’s expected, all of us at Microsoft will need to embrace a growth mindset and, more importantly, confront our fixed mindsets as our culture evolves. It will take everyday courage to reformulate what innovation, business models, and sales motions look like in this new era. As a high-performance organization, we aspire to help our employees maximize their economic opportunity, while simultaneously helping them learn and grow professionally and connect their own passion and purpose with their everyday work and the company’s mission.
To be successful, we need to be grounded in what our customers and the world need. We need to innovate and collaborate as One Microsoft. And we need to actively seek diversity and embrace inclusion to best serve our customers and create a culture where everyone can do their best work. To empower the world, we need to represent the world. To that end, we remain focused on increasing representation and strengthening our culture of inclusion. Even as we navigated challenges this year, our company continued to be the most globally diverse it’s ever been.
Giving also remains core to our culture. This year, more than 105,000 employees gave $242 million (including company match) to over 35,000 nonprofits in 116 countries. And our employees volunteered over 930,000 hours to causes they care about.
I am deeply grateful to our employees for their commitment to the company and their communities, and how they are living our mission and culture every day in a changing company and world.
**
In closing, this is Microsoft’s moment.
We have an incredible opportunity to use this new era of AI to deliver meaningful benefits for every person and every organization on the planet.
On New Year’s Day, I saw a tweet from Andrej Karpathy, Tesla’s former director of AI who now works at OpenAI, about how GitHub Copilot was writing about 80 percent of his code, with 80 percent accuracy. Two days later, I saw a stunning example of work we’ve done with the government of India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT, which is applying an AI model so farmers in rural areas can interact with government resources in their native languages.
Think about that: A foundation model that was developed on the West Coast of the United States is already transforming the lives of both elite developers and rural farmers on the other side of the globe. We’ve not seen this speed of diffusion and breadth of impact in the tech industry before.
As a company, this is our moment to show up and responsibly build solutions that drive economic growth and benefit every community, country, industry, and person. If we do it well, the world will do well, and Microsoft will do well too. I’ve never been more confident that we will deliver on this promise together in the days, months, and years to come.
Satya Nadella
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Thanks for reading. I hope the publication was useful and interesting for you.
@Pandorra 😎
Advanced Forex Trading Strategy M15The trading strategy under examination is tailored for the M15 timeframe in the forex market, focusing on identifying supply and demand zones to make well-informed trading decisions. Let's delve into the key steps to successfully implement this strategy.
Step 1: M15 Chart Analysis
Position yourself on an M15 timeframe chart to gain a more detailed view of the market. This shorter time frame allows for capturing swift movements and identifying potential trading opportunities.
Step 2: Identification of Supply and Demand Zones
Utilize technical analysis tools such as supports, resistances, and volume indicators to clearly pinpoint supply and demand zones. Demand areas represent points where price is expected to rise, while supply zones indicate potential downward reversal points.
Step 3: Confirmation of Demand Zone Breakout
Wait for the breakout of a demand zone, accompanied by a bounce. This confirms the strength of the movement and suggests a potential change in the price direction.
Step 4: Waiting for Price Bounce Above the Broken Zone
After the demand zone breakout, observe price behavior and wait for it to return above the same zone. This confirms the effectiveness of the breakout and suggests a potential entry opportunity.
Step 5: Identification of Supply Zone
Once the price has surpassed the demand zone, identify a possible supply zone. This is the level where price is expected to encounter resistance.
Step 6: Market Entry and Goal Planning
Enter the market when the price reaches the identified supply zone, aiming to capture the downward movement. Set the target corresponding to the minimum that led to the last uptrend, intending to capitalize on the potential downward movement.
Conclusions:
This advanced forex trading strategy on the M15 timeframe is based on analyzing supply and demand dynamics. Always remember to manage risk carefully and adapt the strategy to evolving market conditions.
Fair Value Gap Trading StrategyFair Value Gap Trading Strategy
To implementing a fair value gap as a trading strategy you need to understand these three basic components of this trading strategy.
Time
Liquidity Hunt
Market Structure Shift
Fair Value Gap
Let’s begin by discussing the importance of time in trading. According to ICT Trader, time is considered to be fractal, meaning that what happens on higher time frames is reflected in lower time frames if studied in the proper context.
In this context, fractal refers to the idea that patterns and behaviors observed on longer time frames, such as daily or weekly charts, can be seen in shorter time frames, like hourly or minute charts.
By studying price action and market behavior across different time frames, traders can gain a deeper understanding of market dynamics and potentially identify profitable trading opportunities.
Time indeed holds significant importance in the fair value gap trading strategy, particularly when it comes to identifying favorable trading setups. Despite the forex market being open 24 hours a day, not all times present ideal conditions for executing fair value gap trades. That’s where the concept of ICT Kill Zones comes into play.
ICT Kill Zones
ICT Kill Zones refer to specific time periods during the day that have been observed to offer higher probability trading opportunities. These zones are associated with the entry of smart money, which are institutional or banks who have the ability to influence market direction.
In short, ICT Kill Zones correspond to specific time periods during the day that are particularly relevant for trading activities. These zones include the London Open, London Close, New York Open, and New York Close.
Traders using the fair value gap trading strategy often focus on these times as they tend to offer higher probability trading setups. The ICT Kill Zones are associated with the entry of smart money and can provide enhanced opportunities for traders to capitalize on market movements. By aligning their trading activities with these specific time periods, traders aim to improve their chances of success.
Liquidity in FVG Trading Strategy
Liquidity in the market often takes the form of buy stops and sell stops.market makers or smart money intentionally trap retail traders by manipulating prices to trigger their stop losses.
The idea is that they move the market in one direction to hunt for stop losses, causing retail traders to place orders in the false direction and set their stop losses at key levels. After the stop loss hunt, the market reverses in the opposite direction, benefiting the smart money.
Let’s analyze the above chart from a retail trader’s perspective. When we observe the chart, we notice that the price levels between 44240 and 44280 have proven to be strong resistance in the past.
Based on this observation, many retail traders might place their selling pending orders to anticipate of a price reversal at these levels. To manage their risk, they would likely set their stop loss orders just above this resistance area.
What is done by market makers or smart money,they could manipulate the market by initially pushing the price upward, deliberately triggering the stop loss orders placed by retail traders. This action would cause some retail traders to think that a breakout is occurring and prompt them to place buying orders while setting their stop losses at levels below the resistance area.
Once the stop loss orders have been hunted and triggered, the market makers or smart money may then reverse the price direction.
Enhancing Trading Success with the Fair Value Gap Entry Strategy
After a liquidity hunt on a higher time frame, you suggest switching to lower time frames such as 15 minutes, 5 minutes, 3 minutes, or even 1 minute to identify certain patterns that may emerge following the stop loss hunt. These patterns include:
1.Sudden or sharp price movements: Following the liquidity hunt, you may observe rapid and significant price fluctuations on the lower time frames.
This sharp movement causing market structure shift and provide an extra confluence.
2. Fair value gap (FVG): Look for gaps between the current price and the fair value of the asset. The fair value represents the equilibrium price based on various factors. Identify instances where the market price deviates significantly from this fair value.
3. Entry position based on the Fair Value Gap strategy: Once you spot a fair value gap pattern after the liquidity hunt, you can consider taking a position in anticipation of the market filling that gap. The expectation is that the market will eventually return to the fair value price.
It’s important to carefully train your eyes to recognize these patterns after a liquidity hunt and patiently wait for the market to come back and fill the identified gap. Once you have identified a suitable entry position, you can place your stop loss order above the first candle to manage your risk.
Please note that implementing such strategies requires careful analysis, experience, and a deep understanding of the specific market you are trading. It’s crucial to conduct thorough research, backtest your strategy, and consider other factors that may influence price movements before making any trading decisions.
Market Phases | Buy & Sell zone!Today, we delve into the crucial market phases, focusing on the dynamics of accumulation and distribution, along with the concepts of BOS (Breakout of Structure), Sweep, Range, and Liquidity. Understanding these phases is essential for developing an informed trading strategy and improving trading decisions.
The market goes through various phases, such as accumulation and distribution, which play a key role in price formation. Accumulation represents a period when institutional traders accumulate a significant position, while distribution is associated with the sale of these positions.
BOS (Breakout of Structure) is a pivotal event where the price surpasses a significant support or resistance level. Analyzing BOS can provide signals for reversal or trend continuation, indicating the end of one phase and the beginning of another.
The concept of Sweep involves the rapid and aggressive buying or selling of a large quantity of assets at current market prices. This may indicate institutional interest and influence the future direction of the price.
Range refers to a consolidated price interval where the market is temporarily "locked." During these phases, traders can seek breakout or breakdown signals to identify trading opportunities. Liquidity is crucial as it represents the availability of a large volume of trades at a specific price level.
Understanding market phases and concepts like BOS, Sweep, Range, and Liquidity provides a solid foundation for chart analysis. Using this knowledge, informed decisions can be made to identify trading opportunities and manage risks more effectively.
The best trading setup with Entry!In this model, we observe a market that begins to consolidate before a sharp decline, during which liquidity is created with an imbalance. Immediately after, there is an upward movement with rising highs and lows, forming a bullish liquidity trendline. When the price reaches a point where it starts to consolidate, dual liquidity is generated on the buy side in the upper part of the consolidation. Subsequently, a false upward movement occurs, during which the price gains liquidity from the previous order block created by the initial sharp decline. This creates an excellent opportunity to enter a short position, with the aim of reaching the minimum of the main decline. Updates will be provided with an example applied in a real case study. Greetings and happy trading to everyone from Nicola.
5 Non Trading Activities to Success…While charts, trends, risk and reward are our daily companions.
Let’s not forget that life’s full of exciting opportunities beyond the trading desk.
We are human at the end of the day.
And you also need to consider extra elements that will help you propel towards success.
Let’s get into the 5 Non trading activities you need to act on.
Healthy Lifestyle: Trading, Eat, Rest, Gym, Repeat!
Who said trading is all about staring at screens and analyzing numbers?
It’s time to inject some energy into your life!
A healthy lifestyle isn’t just about balance sheets; it’s about balance in everything.
You need to take your vitamins, eat healthy, feel great, hit the gym, go for a run, or channel your inner yogi.
The adrenaline rush from trading pairs perfectly with the endorphin high from a good workout.
The healthier you are, the more sharp your mind will be.
And this will get you to think straight and control your emotions better.
Besides, you are what you eat and what you do.
Mindful Meditation: Zen and the Art of Trading
Mindful meditation isn’t just sitting and going OOOHHM….
It’s for all successful entrepreneurs that deal with daily stresses and risks.
Sometimes you just need to take a breather, clear your mind, and get your mind and thoughts in order.
Whether you meditate, do self-hypnosis or just do deep breathing exercises – this will help you to be a more calmer and clearer thinker as a trader.
When you find your inner peace in your mind, it will reflect on your trading and results.
Continuous Learning
Trading is an ever-evolving game, and the most successful players never stop learning.
I’ve read maybe 200 books on trading in my life and I don’t even think that’s nearly enough to learn everything about the markets.
It’s always crucial for you to dive into new strategies, explore market trends, and devour financial news like it’s the hottest gossip in town.
You need to find yourself in the trading journey. This is a self introspection adventure that is forever going.
Stay curious, stay hungry for knowledge, and watch your trading game reach new heights.
Strong Networking: Bulls, Bears, and Bros
Trading might be a solitary endeavor,.
But success is a team sport.
It’s important to build a network that’s as strong as your risk management skills.
Sign up to trading events, courses, books and programmes.
Connect with fellow traders, and remember, it’s not just about what you know; it’s about who you know.
Your next big opportunity might come from a conversation over coffee rather than a chart analysis session.
Time Management: Trade Like a Pro, Live Like a Boss
In the world of trading, time is money.
But beyond the trading hours, master the art of time management in your personal life.
Schedule downtime, enjoy hobbies, and spend quality time with loved ones.
A well-balanced life isn’t just about maximizing profits; it’s about maximizing joy.
Efficient time management is the key to becoming a trading rockstar without burning out.
So, trade smart, live well, and let success be your favorite trend!
FINAL WORDS:
I trust this has given some food for thought.
That trading isn’t just about technical work. It’s also about inner work.
Work on yourself and become the true trader you aspire to.
Let’s sum up the 5 Non Trading Activities to achieve better success.
Healthy Lifestyle: Trading, Eat, Rest, Gym, Repeat!
Mindful Meditation: Zen and the Art of Trading
Continuous Learning
Strong Networking: Bulls, Bears, and Bros
Time Management: Trade Like a Pro, Live Like a Boss
Choch Entry & Liquidity Model | Trading StrategyIntroduction:
The trading strategy "Choch Entry & Liquidity Model" has emerged as an innovative model in the financial domain, focusing on market entry and liquidity. This approach is built upon key principles aimed at maximizing returns and effectively managing risk.
Fundamental Principles:
The strategy relies on an entry approach known as "Choch Entry," which is presumed to provide precise trading signals based on specific indicators. This method aims to capture significant price movements through a detailed analysis of market data.
Liquidity Management:
Another distinctive element of this strategy is its focus on liquidity. The "Liquidity Model" seeks to optimize order execution, ensuring that the strategy can enter and exit the market efficiently, minimizing slippage and price impact.
Practical Implementation:
The practical implementation of this strategy requires a thorough understanding of financial instruments and indicators used in the model. Traders must be able to adapt the strategy to changing market conditions and constantly monitor key variables to make informed decisions.
Risks and Challenges:
As with any trading strategy, it is crucial to understand the potential risks and challenges associated with the "Choch Entry & Liquidity Model" strategy. Market volatility, sudden changes in economic conditions, and other factors can influence outcomes.
Conclusions:
The "Choch Entry & Liquidity Model" trading strategy represents an intriguing approach that combines targeted entry with careful liquidity management. Its effectiveness depends on the trader's proficiency in consistently and flexibly applying key principles, adapting them to the changing dynamics of the market.
How to Analyse Forex Market Trends and Make Informed Trading DecThe Forex market (FX), or foreign exchange market, represents a vast and dynamic space in which currencies are traded daily. Serving as the largest financial market in the world—trading in the Forex market reached US$7.5 trillion per day in April 2022, according to the Bank for International Settlements (BLS)—the Forex market delivers clear and actionable trends for seasoned traders and investors, though for the uninitiated these trends can appear confusing and unpredictable. Consequently, possessing accurate knowledge and analysis tools to analyse market trends and make informed trading decisions is key.
FX Market Movers
Everything begins with the central banks and their guidance in the FX space. Well-known central banks include the US Federal Reserve (Fed), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE); major central banks play a crucial role in shaping market sentiment.
Monetary policy—altering the money supply—can significantly influence exchange rates and help establish long-term trends; when a central bank refers to monetary policy, it tends to be in the direction of increasing/decreasing the overnight target rate, which can make it more expensive (or less expensive depending on the rate move) for commercial banks to borrow reserves from one another in the overnight market.
For the US, the target range for the Fed funds rate is set eight times a year, reflecting the FOMC's (the Federal Open Market Committee is the policy-making arm for the Fed) assessment of the economic conditions and their desired monetary policy stance. Ultimately, commercial banks decide whether to borrow at the Fed funds rate based on their own needs and the prevailing market conditions. If banks have sufficient reserves at the central bank, they may not need to borrow, even if the Fed funds rate is low. The Fed conducts open market operations (OMOs) to influence the supply of reserves in the banking system. By buying or selling Treasury securities, the Fed can increase or decrease the amount of reserves banks have, thereby affecting the availability of funds for lending.
Recognising central bank projections and their guidance helps highlight possible trend reversals or can help indicate a resumption in current trends. For example, a central bank echoing a hawkish vibe (expected to raise rates) could see increased demand for its currency, and vice versa for a dovish setting.
Economic data such as inflation (CPI and PPI, for example), growth (Gross Domestic Product ) and unemployment are pivotal to understand and often move FX markets in the short term; this is what the central bank policymakers follow to help decide monetary policy. Central banks determine the longer-term trend, while economic indicators influence shorter-term price movement (this action can either be in line with the longer-term trend or against the trend ). Out-of-consensus economic data tend to move markets most, particularly those that reach/exceed the upper and lower range estimate limits.
Geopolitics, of course, is another noteworthy market mover and one that can be difficult to trade. Wars, political unrest and pandemics create uncertainty for traders: geopolitical risk. When all three are aligned, that is, central bank guidance/expectations, economic indicators, and the geopolitical situation, this is where solid trending markets can occur.
How to Make Informed Trading Decisions?
How one elects to assess the trending structure in the Forex market will be unique to each trader. Some choose to focus their efforts solely on technical analysis; others prefer the comfort of merging both technical analysis and fundamental analysis (macroeconomics – as above) to create trading ideas.
Many professional traders use macroeconomic market analysis to help answer the question of what to trade: what market is likely to see a trend reversal over the next few months or a trend continuation? Technical analysis is used to help answer the question of when to trade, representing the study of historical price action, technical indicators and volume.
As a basic (hypothetical) example, assume that the Fed is closely monitoring inflationary pressures, which, according to the latest data, hit 5.0% in the twelve months to December 2025. With markets and economists indicating inflation could continue to rise in 2026, the Fed is widely expected to keep raising the Fed funds target range. Fast forward to January’s inflation number, which was expected to rise by 5.2% but instead surpassed median estimates and rose by 5.8%. A release such as this, knowing that the Fed is watching for further inflationary pressures, increases the chances of the Fed raising the Fed funds target range at its next meeting. By extension, this will affect rate-pricing forecasts and could bolster the US dollar (USD) following the inflation release, adding to the (hypothetical) current uptrend that has been in play since the beginning of 2025, when inflation began to rise. So, in this particular example, the macro backdrop could have been an opportunity to join an uptrend or add to an existing long (buy) position. The trigger to indicate when to enter long, however, may have been from something as basic as a technical resistance breach, thus providing a trigger point to enter the market. Therefore, not only would this trade have been backed by having a macro rationale, but also technical evidence.
Another example is the current situation as we head into 2024. The markets are gradually switching from a central bank tightening theme that was seen in 2023 to a central bank easing theme. This means that any negative data for the US economy could see the dollar sold off, and this is where traders would then shift to their technical strategy to seek a bearish setup.
Understanding Initial Jobless Claims as a Market IndicatorIntroduction
In the complex and multifaceted world of economic indicators, initial jobless claims hold a special place. As a measure of the number of individuals filing for unemployment benefits for the first time, this statistic offers a real-time glimpse into the health of the labor market, which in turn is a vital component of the overall economic landscape. This article delves into how initial jobless claims function as an indicator and their impact on the financial markets.
Understanding Initial Jobless Claims
Initial jobless claims refer to claims filed by individuals seeking to receive unemployment benefits after losing their job. These are reported weekly by the U.S. Department of Labor, providing a timely snapshot of labor market conditions. A lower number of claims typically signifies a strong job market, suggesting that fewer people are losing their jobs. Conversely, an increase in claims can indicate a weakening labor market, often a precursor to broader economic downturns.
Initial Jobless Claims as an Economic Indicator
Health of the Labor Market: The primary significance of initial jobless claims is its reflection of the labor market's health. A steady, low number of claims often correlates with job growth and declining unemployment rates, indicating a robust economy.
Leading Indicator for the Economy: As a leading economic indicator, jobless claims can provide early signals about the direction of the economy. Spikes in claims can forewarn of economic contraction, while consistent decreases might indicate economic expansion.
Consumer Spending: Since employment directly affects consumer income, initial jobless claims can also indirectly signal changes in consumer spending, a major driver of economic growth.
Impact on Financial Markets
Market Sentiment: Traders and investors closely watch initial jobless claims to gauge market sentiment. Fluctuations in these numbers can lead to immediate reactions in the stock, bond, and forex markets.
Monetary Policy Implications: Central banks, like the Federal Reserve, consider labor market conditions when setting monetary policy. Rising jobless claims can lead to a more dovish policy stance (like lowering interest rates), while decreasing claims might justify tightening policies.
Sector-Specific Implications: Certain sectors are more sensitive to changes in jobless claims. For instance, a rise in claims can negatively impact consumer discretionary stocks but might be favorable for defensive sectors like utilities or healthcare.
Analyzing the Data
Understanding initial jobless claims requires context. Seasonal factors, temporary layoffs, and unique economic events (like a pandemic) can skew data. Analysts often look at the four-week moving average to smooth out weekly volatilities for a clearer trend.
Conclusion
In conclusion, initial jobless claims serve as a crucial barometer for the economy and financial markets. Investors, policy makers, and economists alike monitor these figures for insights into labor market trends and the broader economic picture. As with any indicator, it's essential to consider jobless claims in conjunction with other data to fully understand the economic landscape.
WHAT IS A SWAP IN FOREX MARKET?All participants in forex trading sooner or later leave an open position overnight. Most often, beginners do not have access to impressive sums of money as initial capital, so they actively use leverage. Although it carries a lot of risk, it gives an opportunity to earn good money trading currency pairs in a relatively short period of time. Around midnight, changes occur in the client's account: a certain amount is debited or credited, which is called "swap." What is it, and is it worth being afraid of?
What is a Swap?
Traders whose position has not been closed overnight are sure to ask the question: What is swapping on Forex? Some believe that it is a guarantee of loss; others see it as an opportunity to earn. Each currency, whether it is the American dollar, Japanese yen, or euro, has its own central bank, which sets the interest rate. This rate is the determining value for granting loans to other financial institutions.
For example, Japan's central bank sets the interest rate on the yen at which other banks in the country are lent. When trading begins in the market, a position is opened for a currency pair, one of the components of which is Japanese money. At the same time, the interest rate of the Bank of Japan will be valid for the yen on the exchange. The second currency in the pair, let's say the dollar, also has its own rate. The difference between these values will be called a forex swap.
Since each country sets its own interest rate for loans, the value between them in a currency pair can be either positive or negative. For example, the Japanese yen is lending at 1% and the dollar at 0.5%. Then an open JPY/USD position can bring 0.5% profit from the deposit amount if it is held for a long time. If you swap the components of the currency pair, you will get the same value but with a negative sign.
Swap accrual occurs at night, i.e., after the end of the trading session. This means that those who are engaged in scalping or intraday trading do not face this concept at all. Other traders see its impact on the account every day.
What is a forex swap, in simple words? It is the difference in a currency pair between the interest rates that banks set. Traders often use it in trading and can sometimes make a significant amount of money in a short period of time. An important point: the use of leverage is a guarantee that a certain amount of money will be charged or debited to the account. Otherwise, trading is done without the use of loans and deposits, which, although it reduces risks, does not eliminate them altogether.
Why Do Overnight Swaps Occur?
An open position in the forex market is typically held for a few minutes, hours, or, in some cases, days. When a trader holds an open position beyond the end of the trading day, they need to roll it over to the next day. This process is called an overnight swap. The purpose of overnight swaps is to ensure that open positions are settled at the end of each trading day, allowing traders to continue holding their positions and making adjustments based on their trading strategies.
How Does An Overnight Swap Work?
Perhaps one of the main features of swaps is their occurrence when trading with leverage. That is, there is no such concept for ordinary investment accounts. As soon as leverage is used, swaps appear. Brokers increase their income not only from account commissions but also from the negative difference. Therefore, no one will warn a beginner about the need to close a position overnight so as not to make a loss.
Islamic Account Without Swap
At the same time, traders have the opportunity to trade with leverage without swap. The so-called Islamic account is used, which can be opened by anyone. According to religious canons, Muslims can not use interest in any activity. A special account was created for them, and not only those who use Islam can apply for it.
It is important to realize that brokers do not work for free. If a trading account has a swap, it means that the commission or spread has been increased. Information about this should be found before opening to avoid unpleasant surprises over time.
Time Of Swap Setting
Traders are often interested in what time the swap is set on Forex. The difference is accrued or written off at night. The exact time of the swap is 0:05. Every night, the servers go to reboot at 24:59. After that, they start working again at 0:05, and at the same time, the swap is calculated. If a trader manages to close a position before midnight, her/his account will remain unchanged with a 100% guarantee.
Triple Swap
Financial market participants face one more peculiarity of the swap: its triple size. On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the value multiplied by three is charged or withdrawn from the account. Why does it happen?
Conversion on the Forex market takes place in three days. So, the swap value is available for calculation three days after opening a position. On weekends, the difference is calculated, but the forex exchange does not work on weekends. So, it turns out that for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, i.e., three days, the commission should be set on Monday. And since the real commission is paid only after 3 days, the formal calculations fall on the night from Wednesday to Thursday.
On different markets, the increased swap can be debited in different ways, but on Forex, the triple size is only on Wednesdays. It is important to take into account the time zone. For some traders, the triple commission is charged on Thursdays due to the time difference.
In conclusion, overnight swaps are a critical component of the forex market, enabling traders to hold positions beyond a trading session. Understanding how overnight swaps work and the factors that influence swap rates can help traders make informed decisions when trading currency pairs.
Traders, If you liked this educational post🎓, give it a boost 🚀 and drop a comment
TRADER'S CREDOThe world of trading is filled with risks, challenges, and opportunities. As traders navigate the ups and downs of the markets, it's essential to have a strong set of principles and beliefs to guide their actions. The Trader's Credo serves as a useful reminder of these core values, helping traders stay focused, disciplined, and committed to continuous growth.
The Trader's Credo
1. I am responsible for my actions : As a trader, I understand that my success or failure depends on my decisions and discipline. I will take full responsibility for my actions and their outcomes.
2. I respect the markets: The markets are my ultimate teacher. I will respect their wisdom, learn from my mistakes, and constantly improve my trading skills.
3. I am committed to continuous learning: The world of trading is ever-changing. I will stay up-to-date with the latest market trends, trading strategies, and technologies to enhance my knowledge and success.
4. I practice discipline and patience: Trading success requires discipline and patience. I will follow my trading plan, manage my emotions, and avoid impulsive decisions.
5. I prioritize risk management: The preservation of capital is paramount. I will never risk more than I can afford to lose and adhere to strict risk management protocols.
6. I embrace accountability: I will be accountable for my decisions and accept the consequences. I will learn from my mistakes and use them as valuable lessons for future success.
7. I focus on the process, not the outcome: Trading success is a journey, not a destination. I will focus on the process, enjoy the learning experience, and trust that my hard work will eventually lead to success.
8. I respect others' opinions: The trading community is filled with diverse perspectives. I will respect others' opinions, engage in constructive discussions, and learn from their insights.
9. I strive for continuous improvement: I will never be satisfied with my current level of knowledge and success. I will always aim to improve and grow as a trader.
10. I am committed to ethical trading: As a trader, I will act with integrity and honesty. I will never manipulate the markets or engage in unethical practices.
Conclusion
The Trader's Credo is a powerful tool for traders looking to develop a strong foundation of principles and values. By adhering to these guiding beliefs, traders can improve their skills, manage risk, and ultimately achieve long-term success in the trading aren
Identifying a Short-Term Sell Opportunity: CAC 40 Correction
Introduction:
In the dynamic world of financial markets, staying ahead of trends is crucial for successful trading. Technical analysis serves as a powerful tool for identifying potential opportunities, and currently, the CAC 40 index is exhibiting signs of a correction, forming a wedge pattern that could indicate a short-term sell opportunity.
Understanding the Wedge Pattern:
The wedge pattern is a common formation in technical analysis that signals a potential reversal or continuation of a trend. In the case of the CAC 40, a wedge pattern appears to be taking shape, indicating a possible impending correction. This pattern typically consists of converging trendlines, with either an ascending or descending slant.
Analyzing the CAC 40 Wedge:
As of the latest market data, the CAC 40 index is showing signs of a bearish wedge pattern, suggesting that a short-term sell opportunity might be on the horizon. This pattern often implies a decrease in momentum and a potential shift in the prevailing trend. Traders and investors should carefully analyze the following key aspects:
Trendline Convergence: Monitor the points where the upper and lower trendlines of the wedge pattern converge. This convergence may act as a significant support or resistance level, influencing the index's future direction.
Volume Analysis: Pay attention to trading volumes accompanying the formation of the wedge pattern. A decrease in volume during the pattern formation may suggest a loss of interest or conviction in the current trend, reinforcing the potential for a reversal.
Technical Indicators: Utilize relevant technical indicators, such as the Relative Strength Index (RSI) or Moving Averages, to confirm the strength of the wedge pattern. Divergence or confirmation from these indicators can provide additional insights into the market sentiment.
Identifying Short-Term Sell Opportunities:
Given the formation of the bearish wedge pattern on the CAC 40, traders may consider the following strategies for capitalizing on a potential short-term sell opportunity:
Short Positions: As the index approaches the apex of the wedge pattern, consider initiating short positions, anticipating a downward price movement. Set appropriate stop-loss orders to manage risk effectively.
Option Strategies: Employ options strategies, such as buying put options or using bearish spreads, to take advantage of the anticipated downward movement while limiting potential losses.
Monitor Economic Events: Keep a close eye on upcoming economic events, corporate announcements, or geopolitical developments that could influence market sentiment and potentially accelerate the correction.
Conclusion:
In the ever-changing landscape of financial markets, traders and investors must adapt to evolving patterns and trends. The identification of a bearish wedge pattern on the CAC 40 index serves as a valuable signal for a potential short-term sell opportunity. However, it's essential to exercise caution, conduct thorough analysis, and implement risk management strategies to navigate the markets successfully.
🧿How to be a Trader, not a Gambler⛔Hi.
✅Using technical analysis and fundamental analysis at the same time:
By combining technical and fundamental analysis, you pay attention not only to the patterns and behavior of price action traders in the past, but also to the fundamental and economic factors that act as the driving engine of market movements (macroeconomics). Together, these two approaches provide greater ability to understand market fluctuations and also create a harmonious relationship between charts and economic factors active in the market, allowing you to determine more effective entry and exit points and make your decisions using Take a more comprehensive and principled view.
✅Mastery of a strategy
A strategy for a trader is like a guide to a lost traveler. A trading style helps you stay on track and achieve your long-term goals.
With the strategy in sensitive market conditions, you will not get confused and incur irreparable losses. You also analyze your transactions more accurately.
There are different strategies in forex, but it is better to have a strategy that you completely trust and that is very efficient and profitable.
✅Accuracy of transactions with risk to reward greater than 1 :
A gambler doesn't care when it's the right time to enter a trade. Sometimes the markets do not have the conditions to enter into the transaction and they do not give you a good reward for the risk. Once you have analyzed the market as a professional trader and your entry triggers are activated, you actually have to wait until you can implement the rules of capital management.
In these cases, you should watch until the market gives you a risk to reward of 1 to 2 or 3 and the entry is allowed.
✅Capital management
As a trader, it is necessary for you to have risk management in trading to preserve your capital. Not using capital management may empty your entire financial account. Gamblers do not care about capital management and they may invest their entire assets in one trade. Therefore, it is better to determine the amount of your loss in each trade and exit when the trade does not go according to your expectations. Of course, loss is an inseparable part of the trading system; If the loss is small, a lesson will be learned from it and it will be helpful in the future.
🔔In the end, regardless of the above, like a gambler, your percentage of success versus loss is 50-50 in each trade, but if you follow the above, you can increase your win-to-loss percentage.
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Why Markets Will Always Change – 9 ReasonsThe only thing constant about financial markets is that they change.
And since 2007 or so, with the higher availability of trading different instruments and markets world-wide.
And not to mention, the ability to go long (buy) and go short (sell).
Yes, these everyday possibilities were difficult to find and trade back then.
Now I’m speaking my age in the markets. But it’s important to know, the algorithms are changing the game every single year.
As long as you’re a trader you need to be able to learn, grow, adapt and evolve with every changing markets.
Let’s go into details about WHY the markets are changing…
New and Old Traders (Volume and liquidity)
Traders are the lifeblood of financial markets.
They come in all shades of experience, net worth, strategies and diversity.
Each new trader and investor, brings fresh perspectives, risk appetites, and systems.
And when they execute, it causes a ripple into the market ecosystem.
Similar to the ‘Butter-fly effect’ where one tiny flutter of the wing can cause weather disturbances which could result in a hurricane.
This blend of old and new creates a constant state of flux, volume, liquidity and adds their unique touch to the market canvas.
New Market Information (Local or international)
Information is the bedrock of trading decisions.
In today’s hyperconnected world, news, data releases, and geopolitical events can instantaneously ripple through markets.
Whether it’s an unexpected earnings report, a geopolitical crisis, FOMC or Central Banks decisions, or a technological breakthrough (like AI).
This new information triggers a financial market reaction.
New Micro, Macro, and Fundamentals (Unrelated to charts and price)
Microeconomic factors include things like: individual company performance.
Also think of corporate actions such as mergers and acquisitions. These will also reshape industry landscapes and impact stock prices.
Fundamentals include any internal news related or announcement event that is NOT related to price and volume action on a chart.
While macroeconomic indicators include: GDP growth with money tightening and injection controls.
While Central banks’ decisions on interest rates, inflation rates and monetary policies influence borrowing costs, investment decisions, and market valuations.
These also play a pivotal role in market dynamics.
As these factors evolve over time, they influence market sentiment (how investors feel on what to buy and sell)
And this obviously drives price movements.
World Economic Info (Major changes happening)
Globalization has interconnected economies in ways unimaginable just a few decades ago.
On the one hand we have 6 more countries joining BRICs. Which is showing the political war and dynamic change between the East and the West.
Economic trends in one part of the world can have far-reaching effects elsewhere.
Trade agreements, currency fluctuations and Forex wars, and shifts in supply chains impact various sectors and industries.
And this can also lead to a change in market price, volume and conditions.
Also, when one event kicks in there is a domino effect.
And this can trigger a cascade of events that reverberate across financial markets worldwide.
Sentiment (How the overall feeling is)
Psychological factors like fear, greed, and uncertainty can drive sudden market movements.
Market sentiment is often reflected in buying and selling volumes.
When investors and traders are feeling optimistic and positive – they buy and hold.
When they are feeling down and negative (about positions) – they sell and short.
High volume with buying or selling can indicate strong conviction – for other investors.
While low volume might signify uncertainty.
This ebb and flow of market participation led to constant changes in market trends and patterns.
Then there are other reasons that financial markets are constantly changing including:
Technological Advancements (At an accelerating rate)
As the world evolves and technology compounds at unprecedented levels, we will see innovations in:
Trading platforms
Algorithms
new instruments & markets
high-frequency trading
New AI related trading bots
Better chart pattern recognition plugins
Improved automatic trading developments.
And emerging technologies can change existing business models in a way they can make them obsolete to totally transform them.
These will all influence market behaviour of demand and supply with investors and traders.
Which will cause a shift and change in price and volume.
Regulatory Changes (Boring but inevitable)
Also, rules.
Rules, regs and legs are always updating and changing.
This will also alter trading practices, liquidity, price movement and market structure.
Political Uncertainty (Fun times ahead for the world)
The rate the world is separating and joining forces in all different ways, there is change coming to the financial markets.
With the EU having control over 27 countries economies.
With BRICs adding another 6 countries to theirs.
With other countries breaking away from the US dollar.
While other companies and countries are switching and adopting more to crypto and AI.
The very foundation of politics and control is changing under our very eyes.
And this will definitely have a major shift in economic directions as well as on the markets.
Natural Disasters and health disasters (Brace yourself and keep your masks)
From Global Warming, to less resources available to mind.
From catastrophic events, floods and droughts.
These can all disrupt supply chains, impact production, and affect the prices of commodities and goods.
And then financial markets and prices, will all be affected.
And what about pandemics?
If we have another COVID-19 type event, this will once again create rapid shifts in consumer behaviour.
And this will have a major impact and ripple throughout companies, industries, countries and essentially the world markets.
FINAL WORDS:
You can clearly see, why financial markets will always change.
And as markets continue to shift and adapt, the only constant is change itself.
So it’s our job to adapt or die.
Embrace it, learn from it, love it and enjoy the process along the way.
It means, this journey and income generating source will NEVER get boring.
It can ONLY get better (well we can be optimistic to think that).
Let’s sum up why the financial markets landscape will always change…
New and Old Traders (Volume and liquidity)
New Market Information (Local or international)
New Micro, Macro, and Fundamentals (Unrelated to charts and price)
World Economic Info (Major changes happening)
Sentiment (How the overall feeling is)
Technological Advancements (At an accelerating rate)
Regulatory Changes (Boring but inevitable)
Political Uncertainty (Fun times ahead for the world)
Natural Disasters and health disasters (Brace yourself and keep your masks)
✨❄️🌟 The Tutorial How-To Find a Magic on TradingViewFinancial markets just finished its memorial 2023.
Whatever the numbers at the “Closing bell”, on your monitors and in your portfolios, there is no doubt that 2023 year’s Santa Rally will go down in history as one of the most outstanding in many years.
In November and December, 2023 the U.S. stock market was rallying for the 9th consecutive week in a row.
This was the longest ever upside streak in SP:SPX over the past 20 years, since the fourth quarter of 2003.
Well.. just try to answer what happened with the market the past one time.
Happy New 2024 Year!
✨❄️🌟🎅🎊🌲💫⛄️🌠✨❄️🌟🎅🎊🌲💫⛄️🌠