The market has formed on daily charts a specific formation, which I call a comb. (This is a sort of short-term trend seen on frame charts any time including intraday, daily, and weekly.)
USD/CHF, USD/JPY, EUR/USD, EUR/JPY and other Euro crosses.
Basic (conservative).
Take a position in the direction of the move on the break of the trendline limiting a comb from one side:
A. Buyon the break of the descending line, OR B. Sellon the break of the ascending line.
Any time.
Entry-stop order.
On the opposite side of the current day range. (Above the previous day high or below the previous day low.)
Recommended. (Automatic and simultaneous with stops.)
Average daily range (P1)End of the day (P2)Other
N/A
Average to High
Average to Low
Positive
The position was open in the The position was open in the direction direction of the medium-term of the main move of the previous day. trend.
RW#1:The position was open A#1:Move your stops closer and against the direction of the place them above (below) the previous medium-term trend. local extreme formed the same day. RW#2:The position was open A#2:Same as above.
against the main move of the previous day.
P1
P2
Buy
Stop
FIGURE 20.1a
Stop
Sell
P2
P1
FIGURE 20.1b
Brief situation description:
The market has formed on intraday charts a comb formation.
Currency recommended for a trade:
USD/CHF, USD/JPY and some EUR crosses.
Trade characteristics:
Optional (risky).
Trade (entry point)
suggestions:
Enter the market on the break of the line.
Entry time:
Any time.
Entry execution:
Entry-stop order.
Stop loss placed:
The opposite side of the day range
The nearest technical level
Other
Reverse if stops triggered:
Recommended.
Target (depends on the time frame):
End of the day (P1)
Average daily range (P2)
Other
Potential profit estimation:
N/A
Profit probability evaluation:
Average
Risks evaluation:
Average
P/L ratio:
Neutral
Potential advantages in favor of the open position:
A.The position was open in the direction of the main move of the day.
B.The break of the line occurred simultaneously with forming of the new
low or new high of the day.
Possible complications, disadvantages,
and risk warnings, and solutions to avoid them:
N/A
Additional notices, recommendations, and trading tips:
To trade combs on an intraday basis is a bit problematic. It is better to trade having some other technical reasons to enter a position, because trading in limited time and space is always difficult for a trader. However, sometimes it works extremely well if you take profit at the right time.
P2
P1
Buy
Stop
FIGURE 20.2a
Stop
Sell
P1
P2
FIGURE 20.2b
Brief situation description:
A flat surface is formed on daily charts.
Currency recommended for a trade:
All majors and crosses.
Trade characteristics:
Optional.
Trade (entry point)
suggestions:
Enter the market on the break of the surface.
Entry time:
Any time.
Entry execution:
Entry-stop order.
Stop loss placed:
The opposite side of the day range
Other technical level
Reverse if stops triggered:
Possible.
Target:
End of the day (P1)
Average daily range (P2)
Other
Potential profit estimation:
N/A
Profit probability evaluation:
Average
Risks evaluation:
Average
P/L ratio:
Neutral
Potential advantages in favor of the open position:
N/A
Possible complications, disadvantages,
and risk warnings, and solutions to avoid them:
N/A
Additional notices, recommendations, and trading tips:
Better when a position is open in the direction of the current medium-term trend. Also, some other reasons should support the idea of such a trade. However, if you trade on an intraday basis, the chance to make profit is quite acceptable. Can also be used for adding a position to another, profitable one.
Average daily range
P2
P1
Buy
Stop
FIGURE 20.3a
Stop
Sell
Average daily
range P2
P1
FIGURE 20.3b
Brief situation description:
A flat surface is formed on intraday charts.
Currency recommended for a trade:
All majors and crosses.
Trade characteristics:
Basic.
Trade (entry point)
suggestions:
Enter the market on the break of the formation.
Entry time:
Any time.
Entry execution:
Entry-stop order.
Stop loss placed:
The opposite side of the day range.
Other technical level.
Reverse if stops triggered:
Recommended.
Target:
End of the day (P1)
Average daily range (P2)
Other
Potential profit estimation:
N/A
Profit probability evaluation:
Average
Risks evaluation:
Average
P/L ratio:
Neutral
Potential advantages in favor of the open position:
N/A
Possible complications, disadvantages,
and risk warnings, and solutions to avoid them:
N/A
Additional notices, recommendations, and trading tips:
Better when a position is open in the direction of the current move. Usually supports the view that the move in this direction will happen during the day. If you trade on an intraday basis, the chance to make profit is quite acceptable. Can also be used for adding a position to another, profitable one.
Stop
Sell
Average daily
range P2
P1
FIGURE 20.4a
P1
Average daily
range P2
Buy
Stop
FIGURE 20.4b
Brief situation description:
The market approaches the major trendline drawn through two (or more) absolutely extreme points. (There should be the whole chart on one side from such a line and a totally free space on the other side.) The trade can be executed only on the approach to a supportive line of the uptrend or at the resisting line of a downtrend.
Currency recommended for a trade:
All majors and crosses.
Trade characteristics:
Basic.
Trade (entry point)
suggestions:
Enter the market 5 to 10 pips before the line in the direction, opposite to the direction of the move.
Entry time:
Any time.
Entry execution:
Limit or market order.
Stop loss placed:
Behind the line.
Reverse if stops triggered:
Recommended. (Trailing stop can also be used.)
Target:
End of the day (P1)
Average daily range
(P2)
Other technical point or reason
Potential profit estimation:
N/A
Profit probability evaluation:
Above average
Risks evaluation:
Below average
P/L ratio:
Positive
Potential advantages in favor of the open position:
N/A
Possible complications, disadvantages,
and risk warnings, and solutions to avoid them:
N/A
Additional notices, recommendations, and trading tips:
The bigger the number of points lying on such a line, the less the probability to commit a profitable trade. I prefer to trade this template on the third or (at the maximum) fourth approach to the line. In the case of the fourth approach, I usually take profit early, using some markets hesitation ahead of the line.
Average daily range
P2
P1
Buy
Stop
FIGURE 20.5a
Stop
Sell
Average
daily P1 range
P2
FIGURE 20.5b
Brief situation description:
The market breaks the major trendline drawn through three or more absolutely extreme points. (There should be the whole chart on one side from such a line and a totally free space on the other side.) The trade can be executed only on the approach to a supportive line of the uptrend or at the resisting line of a downtrend.
Currency recommended for a trade:
All majors and crosses.
Trade characteristics:
Basic.
Trade (entry point)
suggestions:
Enter the market 5 to 10 pips at the break of the line in the direction of the move.
Entry time:
Any time.
Entry execution:
Entry-stop order.
Stop loss placed:
The opposite side of the day range
Other technical level
Reverse if stops triggered:
Recommended. (Trailing stops can be used also.)
Target:
End of the day (P1)
Average daily range (P2)
Other technical point
Potential profit estimation:
N/A
Profit probability evaluation:
Above average
Risks evaluation:
Below average
P/L ratio:
Positive
Potential advantages in favor of the open position:
N/A
Possible complications, disadvantages,
and risk warnings, and solutions to avoid them:
N/A
Additional notices, recommendations, and trading tips:
The bigger the number of points lying on such a line, the less the probability to commit a profitable trade. I prefer to trade this template on the fourth or larger approach to the line. The position can also be turned into a longer-term positional trade, because the break of such a line indicates the possibility of a trend change.
Stop
Sell
P1
Average
daily P2
range
FIGURE 20.6a
Average daily
range P2
P1
Buy
Stop
FIGURE 20.6b
Brief situation description:
There is a CB intervention to support an undervalued currency in progress.
Currency recommended for a trade:
The undervalued currency and all its crosses.
Trade characteristics:
Trade of opportunity.
Trade (entry point)
suggestions:
Enter the market on the run in the direction of the move using entry stops.
Entry time:
Any time.
Entry execution:
Entry-stop order.
Stop loss placed:
The opposite side of the day range
Other technical level
Reverse if stops triggered:
Not recommended.
Target:
End of the day (P1)
Other technical point (P2)
100300 pips (P3)
Potential profit estimation:
100 pips and up
Profit probability evaluation:
Very high
Risks evaluation:
Very low
P/L ratio:
Positive
Potential advantages in favor of the open position:
N/A
Possible complications, disadvantages,
and risk warnings, and solutions to avoid them:
N/A
Additional notices, recommendations, and trading tips:
The intervention always takes place in support of an undervalued currency. Because it always goes against the trend and the most current move in exchange rates, it would be logical to start a trade by placing entry stops above the current day high as soon as the market price moves down 50 to
60 pips from it. Then, on the way down, a trailing stop can be used. It has to trail the market 60 to 100 pips above the most current low. After the intervention has begun and is confirmed, a trailing stop can be used to assure the profit and protect from unexpected losses.
P3 (100300 pips)
Resistance
P2
Open
Entry P1 stop
Buy
Stop
FIGURE 20.7a
CHAPTER 21
A Sample Trade
I
have to admit that I was not going to write a conclusion to Part V or to the book in general. However, there was a perfect and recent sample taken from the real market that clearly illustrates the potential and the power of the templates just described, as well as some other thoughts and ideas about my common sense trading technique. I believe the real market situation shown in Figure 21.1 will give you clearer understanding of when and how the trading ideas described in the book can be applied to real trading. As you see, this particular day not only provided several dif- ferent trading opportunities, but also gave a trader a choice of which trad- ing signal to accept and which to ignore, in accordance with his individual
trading profile and preferences.
On the chart, the market has formed a narrow horizontal channel at the beginning of a trading day and during the Asian session. Then, it broke the upper border of the channel, creating the opportunity to use Box 19.2 and to enter the market in the direction of the break for a quick and rela- tively moderate profit. For a more conservative trader who did not want the risk of entering the market with the position where the profit should be taken fast, there was another opportunity to enter the market. In accor- dance with another trading scheme (see Box 18.3), you can enter the mar- ket because it was moving in just one direction from the open price. If this trading opportunity was also considered an inappropriate one at the mo- ment, another trading opportunity would arise soon. Entering the market on the break of the low of the previous range was recommended in accor- dance with four (!) other different templates, Box 19.1, Box 18.2, Box 20.4, and even Box 18.1.
FIGURE 21.1
Then, the journey began, confirming several other thoughts and ideas described in the book.
First of all, on the way down, the market has formed at least three flat bottoms, and each of them was a clue for a trader that the move in this di- rection most likely would continue.
Second, as you can see, the idea of never opening a position against the main move of the day has also been confirmed, because the bottom pickers most likely were wiped out from the market by its powerful move. Because no major support or trendline was on the markets way during this day, a trade against the main move of the day would never pay off. It is important to remember that under similar circumstances it is usually very difficult (even close to impossible) to choose the right moment when the market may turn to the opposite direction. If you missed all the previous trading signals and opportunities, it would be better to stay away from the market, waiting for another trading day, than to take chances on picking a bottom without having a trading signal in favor of such an attempt.
Third, it is not really important where a position was entered and profit was actually taken. In any case, if during that day the trading strat- egy has been chosen in accordance with one or another template, the profit was unavoidable and would have ranged from 70 to 80 pips and up
A Sample Trade 209
to a couple of hundred pips. However, the real importance of the example is the fact that this particular trading day can be considered as typical for the market. Its behavioral pattern was a common one and seen frequently (with some unimportant variations, of course). Using the templates pro- vides a perfect opportunity to trade with no stress, and without the neces- sity of predicting the future or making forecasts in advance. A simple reaction in accordance with trading signals and basic techniques de- scribed in trading templates would do the job perfectly and would give a trader a great advantage against any other way of trading.
Index
Account size, requirements for, 1617
Amplitude of day range, profit taking based on, 128129
Ascending channel, 8486
Ascending trendline, 7783
Asian trading session, opening position during, 122
Money management: averaging and, 99101 capital reserve and, 99 in false breaks, 82 overview of, 9798
restricting loss and, 9899 risk/reward ratio and, 101102 tactics and strategy in, 98
Money market, 53, 54
Murphy, John, 40
Neckline, 42
New York trading session, opening position after, 122123
No break of trendline, 7980
OHLC chart. See Open-high-low-close bar (OHLC) chart
Omega SuperCharts (end-of-day)
software, 6769
Online trading, 5, 18
Open-high-low-close bar (OHLC) chart,
Opening price:
market drifting in one direction only and, 150153
market drifting up and down from,
148149
Open position:
during Asian trading session, 122 at the break of neckline, 97
choosing an entry point and, 117118 against current market movement,
115, 121
against major market move, 122123 in market movement direction, 120 position liquidation and, 129132 profit-taking and, 125126 risk/reward ratio and, 101102
rules for, 117
Orders, stop and limit, 17
Overtrade risk, 11
Patterns, 4243
Point and figure chart, 4849 Postponed stops, 115
Potential diamond formation, 182183
Potential head and shoulders formation,
184185
Potential triangle formation, 178179
Precise borders formations, 93
Price:
closing, 6466 opening, 6466
Price level, opening positions and,
Probability evaluation technique,
5961
Profit, 55
in broken trendline, 8081
central bank intervention and fixing of, 144
exiting the market and, 125132 in no break trendline, 79 recommendation concerning, 109 in triangle and triangle like
formations, 9192
Profit/loss ratio, 101102
Protective stop, placing, 120
Psychological challenges of speculative trading, 2732