Tuesday, December 30, 2014

EUR/USD continues to trade quietly

EUR/USD continues to trade quietly in the final year of 2014. In Tuesday’s European session, the pair is trading in the mid-1.21 range. The euro is struggling, having lost about 350 points in the past two weeks. On the release front, Spanish CPI posted a sharp decline of 1.1%, while Eurozone Private Loans came in at -0.9%, matching the forecast. In the US, today’s highlight is CB Consumer Confidence. The markets are expecting a strong reading for December, with the estimate standing at 94.6 points.
Greece was in the spotlight on Monday, but this time it was a political crisis rather than trouble with the country’s bailout plan. Greece lawmakers failed to elect a new president for a third time, leaving Prime Minister no choice but to dissolve parliament. A  general election has now been scheduled for January 25. The country’s controversial bailout agreement promises to be a major election issue. The bailout agreement ends in February, and Greece owes EUR 260 billion to the troika (EU, ECB and the IMF). Negotiations between Greece and the troika are on hold until after the election. The bailout agreement forced Greece to implement stiff austerity measures have proven deeply unpopular, and the Syriza Party, which leads in the polls, wants to cancel the bailout agreement and write off much of the country’s debt. Such a move could send shock waves across European markets, as other bailout countries such as Ireland would be tempted to follow Greece’s precedent and opt out of their financial obligations to the troika. The latest Greek saga will be closely watched by the markets as we move closer to Greek election day.
EUR/USD ratio is pointing to gains in short positions on Tuesday. This is not is consistent with the pair’s movement, as the euro has posted small gains. The ratio has a majority of long positions, indicative of trader bias towards the euro moving to higher ground.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Stock Market Learning Trends

Traders need to remember that they need to center their trading decisions on supply areas on their charts, demand, and trend also.  So while the premium chart with Bollinger Bands is not the holy grail of technical analysis, it is something that a stock trader can use as a important support tool.
An explanation of uptrends and downtrends are as follows: an uptrend is a series of higher lows and higher highs, while a downtrend is a series of lower highs and lower lows. Simple enough, right? Very often a trader will use a moving average or two, or even a trendline to help them to determine their trend. When used properly, these tools can be extremely helpful. Traders need to choose one or twi indicators to use and learn them inside and out.
Using your trendline tool, you will need to draw in either an uptrend or a downtrend line. As you may know, a trendline must have  at least  three touches to be proven a valid, tradable trendline. Yes, this is in both up and downtrends. As long as you stick to your stop loss rules and manage your winning trades accordingly, this can help you get into trades much earlier perhaps even at the very beginning of a new trend. Bollinger Bands are great but you need to learn how to use them when trading.
Stock Market Learning Trends

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Bollinger Bands

John Bollinger is a giant in today’s trading community. His Bollinger Bands sharpen the sensitivity of fixed indicators, allowing them to more precisely reflect a market’s volatility. By more accurately indicating the existing market environment, they are seen by many as today’s standard and most reliable tool for plotting expected price action. Now, in Bollinger on Bollinger Bands, Bollinger himself explains how to use this extraordinary technique to compare price and indicator action and make sound, sensible, and profitable trading decisions.
Concise, straightforward, and filled with instructive charts and graphs, this remarkable book will be essential reading for all serious traders, regardless of market. Bollinger includes his simple system for implementation, and techniques for combining bands and indicators.
Learn how to use Bollinger Bands

Monday, December 22, 2014

EUR/USD has edged higher in the Asian and European sessions.

EUR/USD has started the week with slight gains, as the pair trades in the mid-1.22 range in Monday’s European session. The euro had awful week, losing about 200 points. EUR/USD is trading at its lowest level since July 2012. On the release front, German Import Prices posted a decline of 0.8%. Later in the day, Eurozone Consumer Confidence will be released. In the US, today’s only event is Existing Homes. The markets are expecting the indicator to soften in November, with an estimate of 5.21 million.
Recent releases out of Germany, the Eurozone’s largest economy, have been cause for optimism. The January forecast for German Consumer Climate came in at 9.0 points, a notch above the estimate of 8.9 points. This marked the fourth straight rise for the indicator, pointing to stronger optimism from consumers as we head into the New Year. These strong numbers come on the heels of German Business Climate, which improved to 105.5 points, up from 104.4 a month earlier. This edged above the forecast of 105.4 points. On the inflation front, German PPI, which tracks manufacturing inflation, improved to 0.0% in November, up from -0.2% a month earlier. Like the consumer confidence indicator, this release is on an upward trend. Strong German consumer and business confidence numbers are welcome news, as the Eurozone economy continues to struggle.
EUR/USD has edged higher in the Asian and European sessions.
1.2143 is a strong support level.
1.2286 is a weak resistance line. 1.2407 is stronger. EUR/USD ratio is pointing to gains in long positions on Monday. This is not consistent with the pair’s movement, as the euro has posted slight gains. The ratio has a majority of long positions, indicative of trader bias towards the euro continuing to move to higher ground.

Friday, December 19, 2014

USD/CHF Daily

 USD/CHF  Daily
14::05 GMT - Little change last several hours with prices trading      either side of 0.9800. Close res. is still around 0.9820 followed by  0.9847.  A subsequent move above here, if seen, should target 0.9865 next. The overhead res. is at 0.9898. Sup. is a few pipseither side of 0.9750. N.I.
R5: 0.9898 * Aug 12 high
R4: 0.9972 * 2012 high
R3: 0.9898 * Aug 12 high
R2: 0.9865  projection
R1: 0.9847  Thurs high
S1: 0.9750~  recent high/low
S2: 0.9719 * Thurs low
S3: 0.9675  recent high
S4: 0.9625  intraday level
S5: 0.9592 * Wed low

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Gaps are a magnet for a stock price

The simplicity of trading for short term profits or long term wealth for retirement is really down to the basic dynamics concerned with how to actually trade in an effective, objective and logical manner.Thus if there are only three things you can do in the market after all, that is buy it, sell it or do nothing. It doesn’t get much simpler then that stick to your trading plan.  Once you are in a trade you have to decide for yourself what you are going to do next. Traders need to gain experience and keep working to improve their performance.
New traders are either going to win on the trade, lose on it or maybe break even from time to time but whatever the outcome, this is the one true unknown element and thus, is what makes the act of trading not so easy. When traders kept records and got consistently better at finding decent trades, they soon learned that if they took the smart profits off the table when they had the chance to do so, they made money consistently. When traders didn’t, They would lose money. Yes we all want the most out of trades when we take them but we never really know how far they will run, so why not take a profit that is possible rather than hope the trade is going up more this is a mistake. Most successful traders hope this makes an impact in their results and more money in their accounts.
Trading Gap Zones

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

USD/JPY

The Japanese yen has made huge gains on Tuesday, as USD/JPY trades in the high-115 range on Tuesday. Late in the European session, the pair is trading under the 116 line, marking a 4-month low. On the release front, Japanese Manufacturing PMI was unchanged at 52.1 points. Later in the day, Japan will release Trade Balance. In the US, today’s major events are Building Permits and Housing Starts.
The yen has served as an unwilling punching bag for the US dollar for months, and last week USD/JPY pushed above the 121 line. However, the Japanese currency has turned the tables this week, as the yen has gained 200 points on Tuesday and some 320 since the start of the week. The safe-haven yen took advantage of a dip in the Chinese Flash Manufacturing PMI, which came in at 49.5 points. This pointed to contraction in the PMI for the first time May and raises concerns about the soft global economy.
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party registered a convincing election victory on the weekend, giving Prime Minister Abe a comfortable majority in the lower house of parliament. However, winning the election is likely to be the easy part, as the economy is stumbling and Abe’s economic reforms will face resistance from the upper house. Growth and inflation have not met the government’s target and the yen has tumbled to around 120 under “Abenomics”, with the BoJ implementing radical monetary easing. Meanwhile, the Japanese Tankan indices were a mix in the Q3 readings. The Manufacturing Index dipped to 12 points, down from 13 points in Q2. There was better news from the Non-Manufacturing Index, improving to 16 points, up from 14 points in Q2. The yen showed little response to these key releases.

Monday, December 15, 2014

USD/JPY has posted gains on Monday

USD/JPY has posted gains on Monday, following huge losses last week as the yen rebounded. In the European session, the pair is trading just shy of the 119 line. On Sunday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic party swept to victory in parliamentary elections. On the release front, the all-important Tankan releases were mixed. In the US, there are no major events to start off the week. Empire State Manufacturing Index looked awful, slipping to -3.6 points. Later in the day, we’ll get a look at Industrial Production. Both indicators are expected to improve, which could give the US dollar a boost. There are no Japanese releases on Monday.
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party registered a convincing election victory, giving Prime Minister Abe a comfortable majority in the lower house of parliament. However, winning the election is likely to be the easy part, as the economy is stumbling and Abe’s economic reforms will face resistance from the upper house. Growth and inflation have not met the government’s target, and the yen has tumbled to around 120 under “Abenomics”, with the BoJ implementing radical monetary easing. Meanwhile, the Japanese Tankan indices were a mix in the Q3 readings. The Manufacturing Index dipped to 12 points, down from 13 points in Q2. There was better news from the Non-Manufacturing Index, improving to 16 points, up from 14 points in Q2. The yen showed little response to these key releases.
USD/JPY posted strong gains early in the Asian session, testing resistance at 118.69. The pair then retracted. In the European session, the pair has pushed higher and broken above the 118.69 line. USD/JPY is steady early in the North American session.
118.69 has switched to support role as the dollar has pushed higher. It could see further activity in the North American session. 117.94 is stronger.
On the upside, 119.63 is an immediate resistance line. USD/JPY ratio is pointing to gains in long positions on Monday. This is consistent with the pair’s movement, as the yen has posted losses. The ratio has a majority of long positions, indicative of trader bias towards USD/JPY continuing to gain ground.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

USD/JPY has posted strong gains on Thursday

USD/JPY has posted strong gains on Thursday, following strong gains by the yen for most of the week. In the European session, the pair is trading in the mid-118 range. The yen lost ground after Japanese Core Machinery Orders tumbled by 6.4%. As well, Tertiary Industry Activity disappointed with a reading of -0.2%. In the US, today’s major events include unemployment claims and retail sales. There are no Japanese releases on Thursday.
Japanese manufacturing took a downturn in October, as Japanese Core Machinery Orders swooned, posting a decline of 6.4%. This was the first decline since June, and was much worse than the estimate of -2.1%. Tertiary Industry Activity also disappointed with a drop of 0.2%, its second decline in three readings. The economy is clearly in trouble, as two consecutive quarters of negative growth mean that the country is officially in recession. Another ominous sign is that consumer confidence indicator continues to weaken. Not surprisingly, the Japanese consumer is less optimistic, as Consumer Confidence softened for a fourth straight month, falling to 37.7 points in November.
USD/JPY posted strong gains early in the Asian session, breaking above resistance at 117.94. The pair continued to post gains in European trade, testing resistance at 118.69. The pair has since retracted.
117.94 has reverted to a support role as the dollar has pushed higher. The next support line is 116.66.
On the upside, 118.69 is under strong pressure. 119.63 is stronger. USD/JPY ratio is pointing to gains in long positions on Thursday, resuming the trend we saw earlier in the week. This is not consistent with the pair’s movement, as the yen has posted losses. The ratio has a majority of long positions, indicative of trader bias towards USD/JPY gaining ground.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

EUR/USD is showing little movement on Wednesday

EUR/USD is showing little movement on Wednesday, as the pair is trading in the high-1.23 range. On the release front, it’s a quiet day, with no major events out of the Eurozone or the US. In the Eurozone, French Industrial Production disappointed, posting a decline of -0.8%. In the US, today’s highlight is Crude Oil Inventories.
The Eurozone continues to struggle with low inflation levels, and a senior ECB official is warning of deflation dangers. Speaking in Washington on Tuesday, an ECB board member Peter Praet said that falling oil prices could push Eurozone inflation into negative territory. Such a scenario would spell bad news for the sluggish Eurozone economy and could push the euro to lower levels.
German numbers have been mixed recently and the trend has continued this week. On Tuesday, Trade Balance climbed to EUR 20.6 billion, marking a 3-month high. This easily beat the estimate of 18.1 billion. On Monday, German Industrial Production didn’t look sharp, posting a weak gain of 0.2%. This was a sharp drop from the 1.4% gain a month earlier. As the Eurozone’s largest economy, the euro is sensitive to German data and could lose more ground if key German data misses expectations.
EUR/USD has shown little movement in the Asian and European sessions.
1.2407 remains a weak resistance line. 1.2518 is stronger.
1.2286 is a strong support level.
Current range: 1.2286 to 1.2407 EUR/USD ratio is pointing to gains in short positions on Wednesday, continuing the trend we saw a day earlier. This is not consistent with the pair’s movement, as the euro is almost unchanged. The ratio is pointing to a majority of short positions, indicative of trader towards the dollar posting gains.

Monday, December 8, 2014

EUR/USD was flat in the Asian session

EUR/USD is almost unchanged on Monday, following gains a day earlier. In the European session, the pair is trading in the mid-1.22 range. The wobbly euro finds itself at its lowest level against the dollar since August 2012. On the release front, there are no major releases out of the Eurozone or the US. German Industrial Production dropped to 0.2%, while Eurozone Sentix Investor Confidence came in at -2.5 points. In the US, today’s sole event is the Labor Market Conditions Index, a new indicator which the Federal Reserve introduced in October.
Eurozone numbers were not impressive to start off the week. German Industrial Production posted a weak gain of 0.2%, compared to a 1.4% gain a month earlier. Investor confidence remains low, as the Eurozone Sentix Investor Confidence report recorded a decline of 2.5 points, a fourth straight decline.EUR/USD was flat in the Asian session. The pair has edged lower in European trade, breaking support at 1.2286.
1.2286 is a weak resistance line. Will the pair break below this line? 1.2407 is stronger.
1.2143 is a strong support level. EUR/USD ratio is pointing to gains in long positions on Monday. This is not consistent with the pair’s movement, as the euro has posted small losses. The ratio has a majority of long positions, indicative of trader bias towards EUR/USD moving upwards

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Trading Penny Stocks

Strategies act as a blueprint and are the foundational piece from which success is built on. Without a developed strategy, a team, company or individual will not know exactly what steps to take when certain events occur, instead their decisions will be impulsive and derived from emotions and immediate satisfaction.
 Recognizing the importance of strategies is crucial to achieving success in investing, especially in penny stock investing. What is even more critical is the implementation and disciplined execution of a strategy.  A different beast than the traditional blue chip stocks, penny stocks contain an element of intrigue and mystery. Often relating to companies who have very little to be judged upon, penny stocks require a disciplined and strategic approach that differs from their more known counterparts. A developed strategy for an investor should be holistic and take all applicable information into consideration.
In this book I'll teach you EVERYTHING you need to know in order to develop a strategy that will provide profitable capital gains and be unique to your specific situation and goals. I'll show you how to understand, analyze and predict the different factors that drive penny stock prices and what they mean to your portfolio.
Great Books on Penny Stocks

Friday, December 5, 2014

Candles with Big Volume

If you’re going to compete in the game of trading, make sure you have an edge or you will lose your money to someone who does. There are many indicators to buy into a market. Some are opportunities that lead to low risk and high reward buying opportunities that end up being very profitable trades. Some are traps that lead to losses for the new trader and profits for the professional. One of the best ways to get that extra education and experience is to trade like those traders who have the most success in their field, like financial institutions being those individuals. This is why your trading strategy models the most successful investors, funds and banks and takes their outlook on the market and applies it for ourselves.  Always be aware of the potential traps and pitfalls in any trades you do.
Trading Candles

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

XAU/USD

Gold is flat on Wednesday, as the spot price stands at $1201.10 in the European session. On the release front, there are two key releases – ADP Nonfarm Employment Change and ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI.
Gold prices have taken traders on a roller coaster ride early in the week. On Sunday, gold dropped sharply after Swiss voters rejected a proposal to boost the Swiss National Bank’s gold reserves. Had the motion passed, the SNB would have been required to purchase some 1500 metric tons of gold over five years. Gold prices sank to $1142 per ounce early on Monday, but reversed directions and has posted huge gains, climbing close to 5% on the day. Still, the long-term range for gold remains bearish, as the US economy strengthens and the markets prepare for a rate hike in 2015.
XAU/USD has shown little movement in the Asian and European sessions. The pair continues to trade close to the key $1200 line.
1200 is fluid and could see more action during the day. It is currently a weak support level.
1215 is an immediate resistance line. 1240 is stronger.
Current range: 1200 to 1215. XAU/USD ratio is pointing to gains in long positions on Wednesday. This is consistent with the pair’s movement, as gold has posted very small gains. The ratio has a majority of long positions, indicative of trader bias towards gold moving to higher gold.

USD/JPY is showing little movement on Wednesday

USD/JPY is showing little movement on Wednesday, as the pair trades in the mid-119, within striking distance of the psychologically important 120 level. On the release front, ADP Nonfarm Employment Change slipped to 208 thousand, well off expectations. Later in the day, we’ll get a look at ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI. The markets are expecting a slight improvement in the November release, with an estimate of 57.5 points. There are no Japanese releases on Wednesday.
The Japanese yen continues its disappearing act, as USD/JPY has its sights on the 120 level, which hasn’t been breached since April 2009. On Monday, the yen lost ground after a weak report from Average Cash Earnings, which slipped to 0.8% in October, short of the forecast of 0.5%. The softer reading points to less disposable income for the Japanese worker, which means a drop in spending. On Monday, the Moody’s rating agency downgraded Japan’s debt from Aa3 to A1, citing “heightened uncertainty” over the ability of the government to reduce the debt. The downgrade is seen as a response to Prime Minister Abe’s decision to delay a sales tax hike and the negative GDP reading, which means that the country is officially in a recession.
USD/JPY has shown limited movement throughout the day.
118.89 remains a weak support level. 117.94 is stronger.
119.93 is an immediate resistance line.USD/JPY ratio is pointing to gains in short positions on Wednesday, reversing the direction seen a day earlier. This is not consistent with the pair’s movement, as the yen has posted small gains. The ratio has a majority of long positions, indicative of trader bias towards the dollar moving to higher ground.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Complete Guide to Volume Price Analysis.

Forex For Beginners is the prequel to my first two books, A Three Dimensional Approach to Forex Trading, and A Complete Guide to Volume Price Analysis. It is your primer to the world of forex. It has been written to lay the foundations and provide the framework for getting started in the world of forex, in what I believe is the correct way. My other books then build on what you will learn here, to further develop your trading skills and knowledge.The book explains everything, from the pure mechanics to the trading methodology that I advocate, and which I have used in all my own trading and investing for over 17 years. Forex For Beginners is also dedicated to all those traders who have asked me to write such an introduction, based on my knowledge and my methodology. This book is for you.
Books on Forex Trading

USD/JPY has gained close to 100 points on Tuesday

USD/JPY has gained close to 100 points on Tuesday, as the pair trades above the 119 line. Is the pair headed for the 120 level? On the release front, Japanese Average Cash Earnings fell to 0.5% in October, missing expectations. In the US, there are no major releases. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen will deliver remarks in Washington.
The Japanese yen continues its disappearing act, as the currency is trading above  the 119 line. The yen lost ground on a weak report from Average Cash Earnings, which slipped to 0.8% in October, short of the forecast of 0.8%. The softer reading points to less disposable income for the Japanese worker, which means a drop in spending. On Monday, the Moody’s rating agency downgraded Japan’s debt from Aa3 to A1, citing “heightened uncertainty” over the ability of the government to reduce the debt. The downgrade is seen as a response to Prime Minister Abe’s decision to delay a sales tax hike and the negative GDP reading which means that the country is officially in a recession.
USD/JPY posted gains late in the Asian session. The pair continues to move higher in European trade and broke above resistance at 118.89.
118.89 has reverted to a support role as the yen has sustained sharp losses. 117.94 is stronger.
119.93 is a strong resistance line.USD/JPY ratio is pointing to gains in long positions on Tuesday, reversing the direction seen a day earlier. This is consistent with the pair’s movement, as the yen has posted sharp losses. The ratio has a majority of long positions, indicative of trader bias towards the dollar continuing to move to higher ground.