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These two reversals both began when the market was within pips of a big round number prices, which in this instance was found at the 0. None of these reversals started after they had touched the big round number itself, they began after the market had moved through the resistance level which was found pips below at 0. If you had marked the big round number along with the two resistance levels found pips away on your chart before the market reached this point, you could have used them as places to watch for entries into short trades, because you know that a large percentage of the reversals which take place in the market will occur when the market is within pips of a big round number level.
If you were planning to look for an entry into a trade upon the market returning to one of these resistance levels, what you need to do is watch for a price action pattern to form once the market had managed to spike through one of the levels. A large bearish engulfing candle or bearish pin bar forming would be a good sign the market is likely going to reverse away from the level, as would multiple swing highs forming at similar prices to one another, like the three highs you can see in the image above.
The one thing to remember though, if you do plan on trading the levels using price action patterns, is that you want to see the pattern form on the time-frame you use to take your trades off. Another place you guaranteed to find high probability support and resistance levels is inside supply and demand zones. Notice how the big reversal which ended up causing the up-swing to come to an end, began once it had touched one of the resistance levels seen inside the supply zone? This is because the levels inside the supply zone have a much higher probability of being successful than the levels seen outside the zone, due to the fact the supply zone was created by the bank traders placing sell trades.
If they planned on making the market move back into the zone to get more sell trades placed, they would do so when it hits one of the levels inside the zone, as they know traders will place their stops losses at the resistance levels in the zone when under the impression a reversal is about to take place. You can see that whilst the levels that were created before the zone formed did cause a few small retracements to take place, they did not actually cause a large reversal to begin like one of the support levels inside the demand zone did.
The reason for that, was because the small reversals which formed after the market had hit the support levels seen outside the zone, were created as a result of the bank traders taking profits off their sell trades, not because they were placing buy trades to make the market reverse.
Please check your pip math. Pip value is read at 4th place after decimal.
Yen is 2nd place after decimal. Thanks for help Matthew. I am excited to read everything you write. It makes all sense especially when combined with supply and demand zones strategy. Full explanation of strategy of banks and hedge funds traders is excellent. As far as I tested forward and back tested, it brings much better success rate.
But since the trend is down, the price is likely to eventually fall through that minor support level without much problem. Areas of minor support or resistance provide analytical insight and potential trading opportunities. In the example above, if the price does drop below the minor support level, then we know the downtrend is still intact. But if the price stalls and bounces at or near the former low, then a range could be developing.
If the price stalls and bounces above the prior low, then we have a higher low and that is an indication of a possible trend change. Major support and resistance areas are price levels that have recently caused a trend reversal. If the price was trending higher and then reversed into a downtrend, the price where the reversal took place is a strong resistance level. Where a downtrend ends and an uptrend begins is a strong support level.
When the price comes back to a major support or resistance area, it will often struggle to break through it and move back in the other direction.
For example, if the price falls to a strong support level, it will often bounce upward off it. The price may eventually break through it, but typically the price retreats from the level a number of times before doing so. It helps to isolate a longer-term trend, even when trading a range or chart pattern. The trend provides guidance on the direction to trade in. For example, if the trend is down but then a range develops, preference should be given to short-selling at range resistance instead of buying at range support.
The downtrend lets us know that going short has a better probability of producing a profit than buying. If the trend is up and then a triangle pattern develops, favor buying near support of the triangle pattern. Buying near support or selling near resistance can pay off, but there is no assurance that the support or resistance will hold. Therefore, consider waiting for some confirmation that the market is still respecting that area. If buying near support, wait for a consolidation in the support area and then buy when the price breaks above the high of that small consolidation area.
When the price makes a move like that, it lets us know the price is still respecting the support area and also that the price is starting to move higher off of support. The same concept applies to selling at resistance. Wait for a consolidation near the resistance area, then enter a short trade when the price drops below the low of the small consolidation. When buying, place a stop loss several cents or ticks or pips below support, and when shorting, place a stop loss several cents, ticks, or pips above resistance.
If you're waiting for a consolidation, place a stop loss a couple cents, ticks, or pips below the consolidation when buying. When selling, the stop loss goes a couple cents, ticks, or pips above the consolidation. When entering a trade, have a target price in mind for a profitable exit. If buying near support, consider exiting just before the price reaches a strong resistance level. If shorting at resistance, exit just before the price reaches strong support.
The manual method for calculating support and resistance levels requires only observation and knowledge of the built-in drawing functions. The ones who prevail will push the Forex pair in their respective direction. The downtrend lets us know that going short has a better probability of producing a profit than buying. Take a look at the picture below. The thicker parts of the trend show where the price finds support. One of the most common ways to trade key levels is simply by trying to go with the market flow after the price has shown its bias toward a support or a resistance level.
You can also exit at minor support and resistance levels. For example, if you're buying at support in a rising trend channel, consider selling at the top of the channel. For example, if you're buying near triangle support within a larger uptrend, you may wish to hold the trade until it breaks through triangle resistance and continues with the uptrend. There is also a concept that old support can become new resistance or vice versa. This isn't always the case but does tend to work well in very specific conditions, such as a second chance breakout.
Asset prices will often move slightly further than we expect them to. This doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it is called a false breakout. Support and resistance are areas, not an exact price.
Expect some variability in how the price acts around support and resistance. It is unlikely to stop at the exact same price as before.
False breakouts are excellent trading opportunities. One strategy is to actually wait for a false breakout, and enter the market only after it occurs.
occurs when falling prices stop, change direction, and begin to rise. Support and resistance are key concepts that help traders understand, analyze and act on chart patterns in the financial markets. Support describes a price level​.
For example, if the trend is up, and the price is pulling back to support, let the price break below support and then buy when the price starts to rally back above support. Similarly, if the trend is down, and the price is pulling back to resistance, let the price break above resistance and then short-sell when the price starts to drop below resistance.
The downside to this approach is that a false breakout won't always occur. Waiting for one means good trading opportunities could be missed.
Therefore, it is typically best to take trading opportunities as they come. If you happen to catch the odd false breakout trade, that's a bonus. Because false breakouts occur on occasion, the stop loss should be placed a bit of distance away from support or resistance, so that the false breakout isn't likely to hit your stop loss position before moving in your anticipated direction.
Support and resistance are dynamic, and so your trading decisions based on them must also be dynamic. In an uptrend, the last low and last high are important. If the price makes a lower low, it indicates a potential trend change, but if the price makes a new high, that helps confirm the uptrend.
Focus your attention on the support and resistance levels that matter right now. Trends often encounter trouble at strong areas. They may eventually break through, but it often takes time and multiple attempts.
Mark major support and resistance levels on your chart, as they could become relevant again if the price approaches those areas. Delete them once they are no longer relevant—for example, if the price breaks through a strong support or resistance area and continues to move well beyond it. Also mark the current and relevant minor support and resistance levels on your chart.
These will help you analyze the current trends, ranges, and chart patterns. These minor levels lose their relevance quite quickly as new minor support and resistance areas form. Keep drawing the new support and resistance areas, and delete support and resistance lines that are no longer relevant because the price has broken through them. If you're day trading, focus on today and don't get too bogged down with figuring out where support and resistance were on prior days.