Dollar Guru (Part II)
Knowing currency correlations between the major pairs can help you a lot in your trading. Suppose you have the data about the currency correlations of the major currency pairs. The correlation between GBP/USD and EUR/USD is 0.68. This correlation coefficient is positive and it means both the pairs move in the same direction 68% of the time.
USD/CHF and EUR/USD have a correlation coefficient of -0.975. This is pretty close to (-1). It means both these pairs move in the opposite direction almost all the time. To be precise 97.5% of the time if USD/CHF moves up, the pair EUR/USD will move down!
You have this information. It tells you how much these pairs move in the same or opposite directions. Suppose you trade both the pairs USD/CHF and EUR/USD by going long at the same time. What you will be doing is in fact canceling both the positions.
If you win on USD/CHF, you will lose on EUR/USD and vice versa. The two trades would effectively cancel each other due to the negative correlation between the two pairs. A savvy investor would go long on USD/CHF and go short on EUR/USD. So you are shorting USD in both the trades and diversifying the USD bearish investment.
You can make trade entry and exit decisions based on currency correlations. Suppose GBP/USD starts showing volatility and approaches a resistance level. You anticipate going long on a breakout.
However, you notice on the charts that the other three pairs are not moving as much as the GBP/USD. EUR/USD is not moving up on the chart. USD/CHF is not moving down on the chart. USD/JPY is not moving down on the chart. This means that the move in GBP/USD is solely pound driven. The move maybe related to some news in the British economy.
You know now that the move in GBP/USD pair is GBP driven. The move is not US Dollar driven. You have isolated the cause of movement in GBP/USD pair and can take advantage of this information. Ignore the GBP driven move. Dont enter into any trade. Wait for a later opportunity. An opportunity that involves simultaneous correlated moves of all the major pairs!
Take another example. Suppose you have entered a short EUR/USD trade. You want to know whether the pair will either proceed down towards your profit target or go against you and cause you to exit the trade with a small loss.
Your EUR/USD has broken the S1 support pivot level. It is heading towards M1. Take a look at the pair EUR/GBP. You find that it has paused at its S1 support pivot level and is showing signs of reversing to the upside.
Knowledge of currency correlations can tell you if EUR/GBP breaks through the S1 level, you are poised for a profitable trade in this type of a situation, However, you should watch the indicators and exit before taking a big loss if it reverses and heads back to the upside. You might consider trading a basket of all the major currencies as you mature in forex trading.
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