Trading Strategy Based On Market Sentiment (Part I)

By Ahmad Hassam

How do you view the forex market is very important. Do you see it as a big mechanical matrix which is devoid of emotions? Most traders have a love hate relationship with the forex market. Most think that the market is either against them or for them.

At anyone time, the market is emanating the emotions of currency speculators around the world. The truth is that forex market is just the compressed display of emotions.

A market is like a big living organism made up of millions of cells. Each cell carries its own functions and interacts with other cells of the body keeping the living organism alive around the clock.

Knowing what the market thinks and how it thinks is crucial to trading success. A forex market comprises millions of participants acting out their perceptions and emotions.

You need to know what the other participants are thinking. Ultimately, you as the trader are dealing with other traders out there whether they are big institutional players or an independent trader.

Market sentiment is the most important factor that drives the currency markets or that matter any financial market. What is the market sentiment? Market sentiment is simply what the majority of the market participants are perceived to be thinking or feeling about the market.

Traders tend to act based on what they feel and think of certain currencies regarding their strengths or weaknesses relative to other currencies. Market sentiment sums up to the overall dominating emotions of the market participants. It explains the current actions of the market as well as the future course of action.

Market sentiment is primarily based on the participating traders emotions. These emotions are one of the greatest factors in the determination of the currency exchange rate. One thing you should know is that market sentiment is not logical.

Market sentiment is like a fickle lover. It is capable of changing its mind based on new information. This incoming new information can upset the existing emotion. Market sentiment can be bearish, bullish or just plain confused.

If the majority of the market participants want to sell the currency, the market sentiment is deemed to be bearish. If the majority wants to buy that currency, the market sentiment is bullish. When most market participants are unsure of what to do at a particular moment, the sentiments end up being mixed up.

Suppose you can understand what the other traders are thinking and why the market is doing what it is doing. You will be in a better position to plan the entry and exit for your trade. Understanding the current market sentiment is important for you. You can exploit it with an appropriate strategy that can help maximize your trading profits. In Part II of this article we will discuss what factors influence the market sentiment in the short term as well as the long term. - 23305

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Know Candlestick Patterns. Learn Forex Trading!

Can You Learn To Trade Like A Hedge Fund Manager? (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

You must have read Part I of how hedge fund managers trade forex. You need to understand that hedge fund managers are always on their nerves edge. They constantly look for strategies that work.

Hedge fund managers aim is to make good money consistently while always on their guard because a trade can go bad any time. If a trade goes bad, they know beforehand how to get out of a bad position before it results in a huge loss. You as individual investors also would put your own money at stake in the hope of making good money.

You should decide whether you want to range trade or trend trade? Many hedge fund managers are trend following traders. If you want to become a trend trader than you need to become a master of predicting and anticipating trends in your favorite currency pairs. If you want to be a contrarian trader and range trade, than you should understand how to scalp.

You also need to decide the time frame that you will trade most. You should decide whether you will use the 5 min charts, 30 min charts, 4 hour charts , daily charts etc and why.

Do you want to hold your position overnight or you are happy as a day trader? If you are in a job, do you have time to trade in the evening or the night and how much time you can spare? What time is best for you?

Learning the art of entry and exit is essential for your success. Should it be single entry, single exit? Should it be single entry, multiple exits? Should it be multiple entries, single exit? Should it be multiple entry, multiple exits?

You should understand the money management rules. Never ever put more than 1% of your equity at stake in a single trade. Learn to calculate the risk/reward ratio.

Now, this is the time to take a test drive of the forex system that you have developed by back testing and forward testing. Back testing can be done on Metatrader and other platforms that are freely available online. Forward test your strategies on a demo account using live data.

Open a mini account and try to test it live with a small amount of money. This way you will not lose much money but will be playing against your emotions.

Ultimately trading is all about developing discipline and controlling emotions. You dont get this feel in demo trading when you know nothing is at stake.

Get intimate with your strategies. There are two primary types of trading strategies"one that has a high percentage of profitable trades and one that has a high profit factor.

The key here is to know exactly what type of market environment your strategy performs well in and what type of market environment your strategy fails in, because only then will you know when it is time to pull the plug.

Drawdown is very important. Know how much drawdown you can afford. You can establish bench mark figures using a back test for each trading strategy. Decide before you trade, how much drawdown is acceptable before you need to pull the plug out of the trade.

The last step of thinking or trading like a hedge fund manager is self reflection. Oftentimes we become so absorbed with trading that we do not notice the obvious.

This is why it is important to spend some time on a weekly or monthly basis to go over or reflect on your trading. You need to establish a certain ROI level for yourself and keep on tweaking your trading strategies until you start achieving that figure. - 23305

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading and swing trading stocks and currencies. Learn Currency Trading. First Trade Your Forex Demo Account!

Currency Volatility and Macro Traders

By Charles Jordan

If you are a global macro trader you trade anything and everything as long as you can find an exploitable edge. The majority of your trades are across asset classes trading stocks, bonds, commodities, and currencies. You are looking for uncorrelated returns from multiple asset classes.

They trade not only different asset classes but multiple strategies within each asset class. For instance in stocks they will trade outright long and short positions, merger arbitrage deals, asset class arbitrage where you trade the equity against debt, and even pairs trading. They do much of the same in commodities and currencies as well. Essentially they are looking for sources of return wherever they can find it.

One of the best places for macro traders to really differentiate themselves from other categories is in the currency carry trade. While most people understand what a directional bet is, one in which you buy or short something and if it goes up or down you make money, many do not understand carry.

To make money in the carry trade you go long a high yielding currency and go short a low yielding currency. By doing this you are able to earn the interest rate differential which is simply the difference between the two currencies interest rates. You can also of course earn money by being right on the trade and the direction.

To really juice the returns available from the carry trade you can and probably should use some degree of leverage. Some traders are modest and only use two to four times leverage while others are aggressive and use up to fifty times leverage. While high leverage is great when you are right they can be disaster when you are wrong as the losses are magnified on the way down just like they are on the way up. Of course is it that easy?

No, it is not. Yes, you can get the carry but if there is excess or even normal volatility depending upon the leverage being used you will blow up in traders terms. If this is the case, and it is, then what should a trade be focusing on when they are trying to execute the carry trade? Well the obvious answer is volatility.

There are a gazillion ways to measure volatility but some of the best ones are by using an actual volatility index. We have the VIX on the SP500 which is a surprisingly good measure of financial volatility and is suitable for currencies as well. But these days we have some volatility indexes from many of the investment banks which make it far easier to measure currency volatility and back test ideas.

If you are an active macro trader that is using the carry trade then you should incorporate a volatility filter. If you are not using the carry trade then you are missing out on a great way to diversify as well as deliver more consistent returns. - 23305

About the Author:

If you need actionable trading ideas then check out The Macro Trader It is a weekly macro currency trading advisory publication with frequent intra-week updates for time-critical analysis and actionable trading ideas.

Choosing A Builder In Costa Rica

By Randy Berg

Today, there are plenty of good options available for investors who have made up their mind for purchasing properties across Costa Rica. Most of these properties are low priced which are economical that suits different budget ranges that makes it affordable for all kinds of buyers. However, for those who want to make investment in properties, the most important factor is choosing a builder in Costa Rica, who can help in searching the best kind of properties that meets high quality standards. There are lot of builders who offer real estate properties in Costa Rica but one needs to look for reputed ones, who can provide them good value and after sales service.

Buying a home is Costa Rica requires good financial planning and understanding your personal requirements to find a suitable home for settling down in the future. There may be many people who may be interested in investing in homes across Costa Rica just for the sake of investment. There may be other buyers who wish to stay along with their family in such real estate homes. You can also come across many buyers who are looking for second homes for enjoying a vacation in Costa Rica. Depending on your purpose of investment, you may be able to find best homes by choosing a builder in Costa Rica who can provide you with the required assistance.

You may need to do a lot of research while choosing a builder in Costa Rica by searching newspaper listings and websites for getting a list of professional builders. It is also a good idea to seek references from friends or talk to existing customers who have purchased properties from the builder. Besides, it helps to visit some of their ongoing building projects to get a good idea about their quality of work. At the same time, it is necessary to check for the credentials of the company to find out, if they are genuine and trustworthy.

If you want to fulfill your dreams of finding the best home, then choosing a builder in Costa Rica who has good market reputation is very important. For this purpose, you can verify their credentials to find out, if they are members of professional bodies such as builder's association or have required ISO certification. You can also visit the builder's office and also ask for customer references to seek their views and opinions and gather their inputs on the builder.

There are several building agencies, which deal with different kinds of properties across Costa Rica. Hence, it is important to talk to different builders and choose the one which best satisfies all the given criteria. Besides, while choosing a builder in Costa Rica, you may also have to check other details, which includes their price, payment process and also their track record, which can influence your final decision.

It is always necessary to have a good knowledge about the legal formalities involved while signing any contract with the builder before making any purchase. Always make sure to read the terms and conditions carefully before signing any agreement. If necessary, you can also consult a lawyer to seek his assistance to help you with the documentation process and avoid any kind of legal troubles in the future. It pays to have patience and perseverance while choosing a builder in Costa Rica, if you want to get the purchase the good quality homes.

You can find lot of good properties across Costa Rica to suit your personal tastes and preference by choosing a builder in Costa Rica who has sound knowledge of the market. All you require is to provide him all the details of the kind of accommodation, which you are keen on buying in Costa Rica with your location preferences and the price range. - 23305

About the Author:

Let Randy Berg help you find affordable properties at Costa Rica Real Estate. Interact with us through our forum.

Are Forex Trading Software Programs Effective or Not?

By Bart Icles

Forex trading software's are great assets to have when one is deeply involved in Forex trading. These software tools are easy to understand and use and can greatly help any trader increase their money making chances. The advantage of having these tools is that it only requires some minimal effort to do, as the software handles most of the complicated analysis and interpretation of the market charts.

Not many people are aware of the benefits such Forex software can have with regards to their Forex education and training. It has only been of late that most experienced Forex traders have started to shed light on the secret methods they've been using in trading. This method utilizes a formulated set of advanced algorithms integrated into their strategies to help predict market trend changes.

Some programs are only able to function in a semi-automated capacity - which you should not use to invest in due to its limitations. You should find a good one that offers full functionality for better results. So it is to important to know which programs are worth spending your money on are, and which one's to avoid.

Trading software programs like Forex Trading Signals Software are designed to connect to a database or server that will pass along vital information regarding Forex prevailing market conditions and trends, therefore giving you notice on what actions to take: buy, sell, or pass. For newbie's, this can present a big problem since it demands from them to make trade decisions on their own volition, which in most cases can prove unfavorable due to their inexperience in the market.

Automated Forex Trading Software is best suited for beginners. It takes all the needed market data and based on program parameters to make the necessary trade actions. When the software program sees favorable circumstances to make a profit, it will do so automatically. If and when the market shifts unfavorably and the trade was not as successful as foreseen, the program protects the traders investment by halting trade, only to resume when the market shifts back up again. This is called a "stop loss" program, which is quite useful and integral to trading with Forex trading softwares.

With a Forex Software program installed in your computer system, you can have the luxury of doing other personal matters and other activities and not get tied down in front of your computer looking and straining at the figures, charts, and other Forex trading data's. You can just monitor it from time to time to see how the program is doing in making money for you. So, choose wisely the kind of Forex software program for your trading in order to produce maximum profitable trades. - 23305

About the Author:

How do you become an awesome forex currency trader? Also, come learn about our forex day trading strategies that work. Start with our free Jump Start strategy.