Wednesday, 15 June 2011

Learn The Active Benefits That Can Be Acquired By Using Forex Indicators For Trading

By Beynne Jeiks


Below we provide a composite of forex indicators explained. An indicator, in general, is one that signals a change. In forex world, it means currency fluctuations. Currency fluctuations are affected by several factors. To monitor or predict these changes, two broad categories of indicators are used: technical and economic. A technical approach is one that uses price history changes and chart patterns. Some examples would be stochastic oscillator, moving average convergence divergence or MACD, and RSI or relative strength index. Economic indicators are, just that, based on economic data. The common economic measurements are GDP growth, unemployment, CPI, retail sales, and industrial production.

First, we will look more closely at the technical signals. To ascertain which direction, up or down, is more prevalent, the RSI is a useful gauge. This normalized indicator compares the positive moves versus the negative ones. This comparison generates values from zero to one hundred. Hence, a ratio of over seventy would indicate an overbought situation and a value below thirty would indicate an oversold condition relative to expectations.

Another technical indicator compares the difference between the underlying currencies exponential moving averages. This is known as the moving average convergence divergence indicator. By graphing the differential moving average against the moving average of the differential, any cross over points would indicate a trend change.

To gauge the sustainability of an uptrend or downtrend, the stochastic oscillator is a good indicator. This metric generates values from zero to a hundred in percentage terms based on observations of closing prices. In an uptrend, the closing prices are focused on the upper end of a period's trading range and similarly in a downtrend, the prices tend to close near the bottom end. This results in two bands of lines encapsulating overbought and oversold regions. A movement or divergence from these bands is an indication of a trend change.

For forex indicators explained, one needs to include economic factors. GDP growth is the most prevalent economic indicator. It reflects the change in the gross domestic product, or an economy's total value of its output which is the goods and services it produces. GDP is measured on an annual, quarterly, and sometimes monthly basis. Although GDP growth shows the change in economic output, it should not be viewed in isolation.

Another indicator that measures productivity and its capacity is industrial production. This metric reflects the manufacturing growth of an economy as well as the amount of used capacity. An increase in unused capacity can be an indication of slowing economic growth and, hence, a weaker currency indicator.

For example, other indicators should be considered when determining the strength of an economy. Among these are unemployment and housing statistics. When there is a large population that is at unrest or unproductive, it can result in greater political and economic instability. An engaged and productive population growth is ideal for maintaining a strong currency.

Unemployment also affects consumption. Retail sales are, therefore, another economic indicator. Retail sales is the sum total of major broad line retail receipts. A growth in retail sales tends to indicate positive sentiment as the population feels comfortable with increasing expenditures in view of bullish times ahead.

Lastly, GDP and retail prices are affected by inflation. The value of goods and services can vary depending on input costs. To gauge inflation, the consumer price index or CPI is used. This index measures the change in value of a set group of goods and services. This index, along with the PPI or producer price index, can help determine the profit or surplus of an economy. A composite understanding of these indicators along with the technical signal previously discussed, provides a good forex indicators explained overview.




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