Posts

Rules for trading in volatile markets

When it comes to trading volatile markets, the first thing to remember is that volatile markets are risky markets. If you don’t have some clear rules and boundaries as you trade, or if you let your emotions run away with you then you are going to lose everything and you are going to lose it fast. In the first section, our head trader outlines the three central rules that have allowed him to survive and thrive in volatile markets for over 20 years. Now, fair warning, for anyone aspiring to be the next Dr Michael Burry or Mark Baum from The Big Short - this is not the report for you. Trading volatility is not about sticking to your guns and risking everything just because you know you are right. This is about tilting the risk-reward ratio in your favor so that you can come out on top. Rule # 1: Forget Your Long Term View Most traders, and I am no exception, like to trade with a bias. That doesn’t mean that I start every day with the s

A guide for understanding Candlestick charts as important analysis tool

Image
As technical analysts, it is our goal to form a view regarding whether a particular share is going up, going down, or moving in a sideways band. Even though there are only three directions in which a share can move, it is sometimes a tricky task to see exactly what a share is doing. Simplicity is essential. When first looking at a chart, get to the grass roots level and have a good look at a share’s price action. You can use a bar chart, a line chart or a candlestick chart. The markets are made up of people’s emotions towards shares. If they predominantly feel fear that they will lose their capital or profits, then the share price will ultimately decrease. If the participants mainly feel greed or hope, the share price will go up. A chart will show this interplay of emotion in a graphic format. A single Western bar The individual building block of a bar chart is a single bar. Drawing a single bar requires an opening price, a high, a low and a closing price.The vertical li

A guide to Rising and Falling Wedge Patterns

Image
Of all the reversal patterns we can use in the Forex market, the rising and falling wedge patterns are two of my favorite. They can offer massive profits along with precise entries for the trader who uses patience to their advantage. One of the great things about this type of wedge pattern is that it typically carves out levels that are easy to identify. This makes our job as price action traders that much easier not to mention profitable. Characteristics of a Wedge The rising and falling wedge patterns are similar in nature to that of the pattern that we use with our breakout strategy. However because these wedges are directional and thus carry a bullish or bearish connotation, I figured them worthy of their own lesson. The first thing to know about these wedges is that they often hint at a reversal in the market. Just like other wedge patterns they are formed by a period of consolidation where the bulls and bears jockey for position. While both patterns can span any numbe