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| =='''[[The Basics of Fundamental Analysis]]'''== | | =='''[[The Basics of Fundamental Analysis]]'''== |
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| Fundamental Analysis goes far beyond a simple [[Technical Analysis]] [[Essential_Forex_Trading_Guide | approach]] which is what the typical retail trader will use to make their [[trading]] decisions. Understanding Fundamental Analysis will give you more conviction because you can have confidence that ''you are [[trading]] the real reasons why the market is moving'' rather than simply guessing by using some variation of chart pattern or indicator to make your [[trading]] decisions. | | Fundamental Analysis goes far beyond a simple [[Technical Analysis]] approach which is what the typical retail trader will use to make their [[trading]] decisions. Understanding Fundamental Analysis will give you more conviction because you can have confidence that ''you are [[trading]] the real reasons why the market is moving'' rather than simply guessing by using some variation of chart pattern or indicator to make your [[trading]] decisions. In this Wiki, we will explore [[The Basics of Fundamental Analysis]] including: |
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| When we understand the exact reason why something is happening we suddenly have much more confidence in our [[trading]]. If we can interpret what the market is ''thinking'' then we have the potential to predict which way the market will move next. In other words, if we know what the market is thinking and what it might do next then we can make precise [[trading]] decisions in line with the market's intentions. Doing this will do wonders to help you with your objective of making a profit from your [[trading]]. We simply [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] in line with why the market is doing what it is doing.
| | * [[The_Basics_of_Fundamental_Analysis#The_Basics_of_Fundamental_Analysis | The Basics of Fundamental Analysis]] |
| | * [[The_Basics_of_Fundamental_Analysis#Fundamental_Analysis_and_Real_Life_Scenarios | Fundamental Analysis and Real Life Scenarios]] |
| | * [[The_Basics_of_Fundamental_Analysis#A_Trader's_Personal_Story_on_Fundamentals | A Trader's Personal Story on Fundamentals]] |
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| For example, if there are very good reasons for the market to be scared and go into [[Sentiment_Analysis#Risk_On_and_Risk_Off | risk-off]] mode then [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] will likely fall in [[Sentiment_Analysis#Risk_On_and_Risk_Off | risk-on]] assets. Knowing this, traders can take action to profit from this information. Conversely, if there is a reason for the market to be confident and chase after profits then the market will likely rally in [[Sentiment_Analysis#Risk_On_and_Risk_Off | risk-on]] assets. Having this information offers a huge potential to improve your [[trading]] performance and certainly puts you well ahead of the typical [[Institutional_and_Retail_Traders#What_is_a_Retail_Trader? | retail trader]].
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| We will learn much more about how we can profit from knowing the fundamentals later but for now, it’s important that you understand and have a healthy respect for fundamentals and just how much more powerful they can be to your overall performance.
| | You can access the main Wiki for [[The Basics of Fundamental Analysis]] [[The Basics of Fundamental Analysis | HERE]]. |
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| If we look at the chart below, we can see the EURUSD moved in a volatile upward direction after [[European_Central_Bank | European Central Bank]] head Mario Draghi’s comments vowing to do whatever it takes to preserve the single [[currency]]. However, the [[Institutional_and_Retail_Traders | institutional players]] in the markets started to see [[Economic_Cycles#Deflation | deflationary pressure]] in the EUROZONE and realized this would force the [[European_Central_Bank | European Central Bank]] to take action to maintain its [[Price_Action_Analysis |price]] stability and policy mandates. This coupled with an improving US economy indicated to professional traders that the interest rate differentials, or relative yield curves on US and ECB debt, would widen and thus put downward pressure on the Euro relative to the [[US_dollar | US Dollar]]. You can see that the EURUSD fell quite steeply and there were a lot of profitable [[trading]] opportunities for months for anyone who knew how to take advantage of this information.
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| https://i.imgur.com/f0mnkDL.jpg
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| Don’t worry if you don’t quite understand all this jargon just yet. In the upcoming sections, you will gain a clear understanding of all of this and much more. This is just one example to start our understanding.
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| ===Fundamental Analysis and Real Life Scenarios===
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| Fundamental Analysis absolutely does not require a doctorate in economics, a university degree, or anything other than basic human intelligence and a desire to learn a new subject. And just so that you know we are not lying to you we will use some real-world examples to demonstrate why fundamentals are not something to shy away from. | |
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| So you’re a smart person and you have done some really cool things in your life, right? You have probably accumulated a ton of [[Trading_Routine#Knowledge_Phase | knowledge]] on a variety of different subjects over the years, right? We are willing to bet that you have actually gotten pretty good at certain things that you once had no idea how to do before, right?
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| Ok, so let’s say that you are a carpenter by trade. The first day that you started learning about the subject of carpentry you were probably pretty clumsy with the [[Trading_Tools | tools]] and unsure if you were doing things properly. However, over time and lots of practice with your [[Trading_Tools | tools]] and measurements, you increased your skills in carpentry and eventually, your high level of skills demanded a much higher hourly wage than when you first started out.
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| Or let’s say that you’re an accountant. It probably took you a lot of time to study and learn everything you needed to know in order to become an accountant. You probably obtained a college or university degree that took 3 or 4 years to get. Once you had all the [[Trading_Routine#Knowledge_Phase | knowledge]] down then you had to go out and practice what you learned from your schooling in the real world. It was tough at first but I bet you can now do things with no effort at all that you previously fumbled over and struggled to do.
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| Or maybe you’re a bodybuilder. When you first started out you might have been skinny but after many gruelling [[Forex_Market_Hours | hours]] in the gym, you eventually packed on a bunch of muscle. The first time you hit the bench press it was a struggle to pump 50 pounds but after time and practice, you can now easily lift 5 times that. Do you see the common theme in these examples?
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| Whether you are using numbers and spreadsheets, your body to lift heavy weights, or the finesse you now have as a master carpenter, the [[Developing_your_Trading_Process | process]] you went through to become great is exactly the same thing; ''you learn the basics, you put in a lot of time and practice, and then you became really good at what you do.'' It doesn’t matter what subject you are talking about, the [[Developing_your_Trading_Process | process]] of learning and executing your [[Trading_Routine#Knowledge_Phase | knowledge]] of the fundamentals is the exact same as anything else you want to become great at in life.
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| A basic understanding of fundamentals is all you need to get started and be pretty competent at the same time. If you stick to it you will naturally learn more and more elements and refine your [[Trading_Routine#Knowledge_Phase | knowledge]] and understanding along the way. That is how all learning works. You start out by learning some basic [[Trading_Routine#Knowledge_Phase | knowledge]] and then go out and practice it until you become competent.
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| Learning about the fundamentals is pretty much following the same [[Developing_your_Trading_Process | process]] that you have been doing in all areas of your life for your entire life. The more time you spend with the market using your [[Trading_Routine#Knowledge_Phase | knowledge]] of the fundamentals the better off and more profitable you will become in your [[trading]].
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| ===A Trader's Personal Story on Fundamentals===
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| It seems fitting at this point for me to interject a personal story about how one professional trader came to understand the power of fundamentals for the first time. We will keep this trader nameless for the sake of not creating any bias but he was once a fairly well-known fundamental and [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] [[Trader_Types#Day_Traders | day trader]] on the internet whereas now he prefers to be behind the scenes and do his own thing.
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| Here is his story in his own words:
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| Many moons ago I was working with a start-up [[Forex_broker | Forex brokerage]] in my home city of Toronto. We were a boutique firm that catered to high-net-worth clients. I was the port of call for these wealthy traders. I came to the firm as a former big-shot equities trader that these high-net-worth clients could talk to and have some comfort knowing that they weren’t talking to some dollar phone monkey. Basically, I was a friendly, successful, and highly knowledgeable trader tasked to provide a high level of service that these very wealthy clients expected.
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| I can remember having many long and detailed conversations with these traders and it always blew my mind how similar their [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trading strategies]] were. 100% of them were pure technical traders. I was coming from being a statistical arbitrage and market inefficiency trader so [[Technical_Analysis | technical analysis]] was something that I had never really used before because it just wouldn’t work with what I was doing at the equities [[Trader_Scouting_and_Prop_Firms_Overview_and_Comparison | prop firm]].
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| Some of the systems I was told about were ridiculously complicated and others were as simple as a [[Technical_Analysis#Moving_Averages | moving average]] cross-over system but the key takeaway here is that they were all pure [[Technical_Analysis | technical analysis]] [[Essential_Forex_Trading_Guide | trading methodologies]]. Many of these traders talked a lot about how it was their poor [[trading]] psychology was what was holding them back. A small amount of these wealthy traders talked about having some [[Risk_Management | risk management]] procedures as well. But, I never once heard any of these people talk about fundamental or [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | sentiment based strategies]]. To be honest, I did not even know what the fundamentals were at that point because no one had ever talked to me about them.
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| For the most part, all of these clients were wealthy and had been quite successful in business and in life outside of [[trading]]. But, all of them wanted to add more money to their bottom line through [[trading]] in the exciting world of [[Forex]].
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| We had [[The_Best_and_Most_Popular_Forex_Platforms_for_Demo | client accounts]] with as much as 10 million [[US_dollar | dollars]] in them. However, the one thing that I can truthfully say is that 100% of our clients lost money. Literally 100%, that’s not a joke; we did not have one single profitable client. From time to time a client would go on a tare make a few bucks but they would quickly give it back. This was a time when I saw the most insane destruction of money I had ever seen in my life. I saw clients lose millions, sometimes in just a few days, it was absolutely incredible. Some of these clients would lose more money in a week than I had made in my life up to that point.
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| So there were three major things in common with this group of traders:
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| # They were all wealthy successful people outside of [[trading]].
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| # They all used [[Technical_Analysis | technical analysis]] exclusively for their [[trading]].
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| # They all lost money.
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| Don’t you find that fascinating? I know I sure did. I went from being a hot shot successful arbitrage and inefficiency trader to working with an upscale [[Forex_broker | Forex broker]] where all its clients lost money using various [[Technical_Analysis | technical analysis]] systems. If I’m honest I really didn’t know much about [[Technical_Analysis | technical analysis]] other than what I had read in a few [[Recommended_Forex_Books_for_New_and_Developing_Traders | books]]. At that point, I had never once put [[Technical_Analysis | technical analysis]] into practical application with real [[US_dollar | dollars]] in the real markets because my style was all built around arbitrage and inefficiencies in the US equity markets. I certainly had no [[Trading_Routine#Knowledge_Phase | knowledge]] of the fundamentals either.
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| As a side note, after about 4 years of [[trading]] the US equities market as an arbitrage and inefficiency trader, the US markets started to get more and more efficient making it increasingly difficult for me to make as much money as I was used to making. This is why I got involved with the start-up [[Forex_broker | Forex brokerage]]. It was time to start exploring this hot new Forex market that everyone was talking about and I figured why not do it on the [[Institutional_and_Retail_Traders | institutional]] level….You know, get a paycheck and learn a ton. This is a route I highly recommend for people who need a paycheck and want to learn how to [[Essential_Forex_Trading_Guide | trade Forex]] in their spare time.
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| All right, back to my story. After about six months of watching these traders lose incredible amounts of money, I was dead set on creating a [[Essential_Forex_Trading_Guide | trading methodology]] that would do the exact opposite of what our clients were doing. I knew all these guys were doing was [[trading]] some technical system so it was obvious that I didn’t want to build a [[trading]] system around [[Technical_Analysis | technical analysis]] too. After all, these traders were incredibly successful outside of [[trading]] so it was reasonable of me to assume that they were not raging lunatics but rather that the systems they were using to [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] was what were actually flawed instead.
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| I didn’t know it right away when I set out on my journey to figure out a great [[Forex]] [[Essential_Forex_Trading_Guide | trading methodology]] that was the exact opposite of [[Technical_Analysis | technical analysis]] is actually fundamental analysis. If [[Technical_Analysis | technical analysis]] is black then fundamental analysis is white. In [[trading]] terms, they are the opposite of each other. It took me many months of struggle but I did finally figure out how to apply fundamental analysis in a way that I could day [Essential_Forex_Trading_Guide | trade the Forex market]].
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| =='''[[Objections to Fundamental Analysis]]'''== | | =='''[[Objections to Fundamental Analysis]]'''== |
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| ===Objection #1: Applying the Fundamentals is Unnecessary Because you Only Need to Look at the Charts===
| | There are many ''Traders'' that are opposed to the concept of [[Fundamental Analysis]]. There are various reasons for this but what we will do in this Wiki is point out a few of the most popular objections and then provide some context on why they may not be well-founded objections including: |
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| The first objection people have to fundamentals is that you only need to look at the charts and that applying fundamentals is too complicated and an unnecessary [[Developing_your_Trading_Process | process]].
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| This is not correct for several reasons. In later sections, you will hear us refer to [[Technical Analysis]] as being like driving a car but only using the rearview mirror to navigate your journey. It will work sometimes, such as on a really long and straight road, but overall you will have a lot of accidents and it would be ridiculous to try and drive a car like this.
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| https://i.imgur.com/GHPzAOp.jpg
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| Looking at the above chart is confusing yet many traders think that they can use all kinds of indicators to predict future [[Price_Action_Analysis | price movements]]. Indicators, such as the Stochastic, have nothing to do with why the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] is moving; it merely tells you that the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] has done something and shows you this information in a visual way.
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| Another logical point to consider is that professional [[Institutional_and_Retail_Traders | institutional-level traders]] use [[Trading_Tools | tools]] such as the Bloomberg terminal and Reuters Ikon. These are very famous information gathering terminals that you may have heard of before. They are built specifically to get [[Economic_data_releases | news and information]] to traders as fast as possible. The cost of a Bloomberg terminal is about $2,000 USD per month and comes with a two year contract. So in order to have access to a Bloomberg terminal you basically need to spend $50,000 right off the bat.
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| Why would these fundamental [[Trading_Tools | tools]] be so expensive if big funds and professional traders made their money staring at [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] charts and indicators which can be found for free literally anywhere? Really try and think about that for a minute. Is it actually possible that the road to riches is floating around for free for everyone to take advantage of? It simply doesn’t add up that fundamentals are unnecessary when so many professional traders and [[Risk_Management | money management]] firms are paying such high [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] to get this type of information as fast as possible.
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| Obviously, fundamentals help them make smart [[trading]] decisions which is why they are willing to pay a lot of money for that information. Have you ever heard of a large [[Risk_Management | money management]] firm paying $2,000 per month for a technical indicator [[Trading_Tools | tools]]? Maybe there are some but we would be very surprised if any of them did.
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| ===Objection #2: Fundamentals are too Difficult Unless you have a High-Level University Degree===
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| The next objection that people have, particularly [[Institutional_and_Retail_Traders#What_is_a_Retail_Trader? | retail traders]], is that fundamental [[trading]] is hard or too difficult to understand unless you have been trained at an [[Institutional_and_Retail_Traders | institutional]] fund or have some genius-level degree. If you go through all our information on fundamentals you will see that fundamentals are actually simpler than technicals if you know what to focus on and what to look for.
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| It is true that Fundamental Analysis can get complicated if you let it but we will not be looking deep into corporate earnings and debt sheets to find the information we need to make a good [[trading]] decision. Rather, we have [[Trading_Tools | tools]] that do the heavy lifting for us so that we only need to focus on what is important to the market right now at this moment. We then simply look to [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] in line with what the market thinks is important. Why would we ever want to [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] contrary to what the market is telling us is important? The market is king and we need to [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] in line with the king, not against it.
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| Researching the fundamentals can be broken down into a simple [[Developing_your_Trading_Process | step-by-step process]] that will literally only take you a few minutes each day. It certainly takes much less time than staring at [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] charts all day waiting for some sort of signal for you to be able to place a trade.
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| ===Objection # 3: All News is Priced into the Markets===
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| Another related objection is that all past, present, and future [[Economic_data_releases | news]] is priced into the market at any given time. This is related because understanding the [[Economic_data_releases | news]] is a big part of how [[Institutional_and_Retail_Traders | institutional traders]] [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] using fundamentals.
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| Many so-called experts teach a [[Essential_Forex_Trading_Guide | method]] called Efficient Market Hypothesis or EMH for short. EMH states that all available information is priced into the market making any moves in the market totally random and therefore impossible to make consistent profits.
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| In a short demonstration, we will show why this is complete nonsense and that anyone who perpetuates the myth of EMH has probably never tried to [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] and certainly has never traded successfully. EMH is an academic study that has no real application to the real markets. So if you are unfortunate enough to come across one of these naysayers don’t get discouraged. You can make your stake in the [[Forex]] or any other markets but you need to focus on the correct things which we will uncover in this and many other Wikis on this site.
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| The example that we will use is the [[Central_banks#Japan_%E2%80%93_The_Bank_of_Japan_(BOJ) | Bank of Japan’s]] (BOJ) [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | quantitative easing (QE) program]] which was launched in April 2013 represented at point 1 on the chart below. When this program was made public we found out that it essentially involved the unlimited printing of Japanese Yen in order to devalue the [[currency]] and encourage [[Economic_Cycles#Inflation | inflation]], spending, and growth in the Japanese economy. Of course, according to the basic laws of [[Supply_and_Demand | supply and demand]], when there is an [[Supply_and_Demand | oversupply]] of something the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] will fall and the same is true with [[currency]].
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| https://i.imgur.com/c4Ro6v0.jpg
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| The chart above is a weekly chart of the USDJPY currency pair. Since JPY is the second part of the pair the USD is going up against the JPY. Stated another way, the Yen is going down against the USD. You will notice that the USDJPY was rallying long before the [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | QE program]] was made official because the market was taking clues from the [[Central_banks#Japan_%E2%80%93_The_Bank_of_Japan_(BOJ) | Bank of Japan]] for months before the announcement actually happened and attempted to [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] in [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | QE]].
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| This is a great time to point out that '''when the market expects something to happen it will attempt to [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] it into the market in order to make some nice profits'''. This is another way that we can follow along with the market and make some nice pips as well.
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| In this scenario [[Central_banks#Japan_%E2%80%93_The_Bank_of_Japan_(BOJ) | BOJ]] simply printed more money quicker than the natural rate of [[Supply_and_Demand | demand]] could absorb. When the program was launched there was a very high expectation from some well-respected currency analysts that the value of the Japanese Yen would fall over the following months.
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| The overall expectation was that the pressure of this [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | QE program]] would eventually lead to the [[currency]] depreciating against the USD and rally the USDJPY pair up to 110.00. If the USD goes up against the JPY then this means that the JPY is actually falling.
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| This is a very well-documented [[Economic_data_releases | event]] but when the program was launched the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] did not move up to 110.00 for over a year. It took about 15 months for that piece of [[Economic_data_releases | news]] to get fully priced into the market. This allowed traders plenty of opportunity to get in and take advantage of this move without worrying about missing out the second the [[Economic_data_releases | news]] was announced. Under EMH this kind of [[Economic_data_releases | event]] is impossible, which as we have proven, is obviously completely wrong.
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| At point 2 the USDJPY rallied on the back of [[Speculating | speculation]] that the [[Central_banks#Japan_%E2%80%93_The_Bank_of_Japan_(BOJ) | BOJ]] would have to add to their [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | QE program]] if they were to meet their [[Economic_Cycles#Inflation | inflation]] target of 2%. This is because [[Economic_Cycles#Inflation | inflation]] barely moved up from the first [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | QE]] efforts and the market felt that the [[Central_banks#Japan_%E2%80%93_The_Bank_of_Japan_(BOJ) | BOJ]] would need to step it up to get the job done. This was the market attempting to [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] in the [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | QE2 program]].
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| On October 31, 2014, the [[Central_banks#Japan_%E2%80%93_The_Bank_of_Japan_(BOJ) | Bank of Japan]] announced the expansion of its Quantitative Easing program. However, as you can see from the 1,000+ pip rally after the second [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | QE program]] was announced that there was plenty of time to get in and make a nice profit from this second piece of [[Economic_data_releases | news]].
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| This demonstrates that the market will always attempt to [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] in the [[Economic_data_releases | news]]. However, it’s not able to fully [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] in or even understand the longer-term effects of this [[Economic_data_releases | news]] on the [[currency]] valuation. This is not a unique [[Economic_data_releases | event]] in the [[Forex]] market.
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| It is true that the USDJPY did rally for weeks in anticipation of the [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | QE program]] being launched but by no means was the move even close to being priced into the market. Nor were these expectations priced into the market instantaneously as EMH would have you [[Speculating | believe]]. When [[Monetary_Policy_Tools#Quantitative_Easing | QE]] was launched the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] was around 96.000 and eventually the rally gassed out around 126.000. That’s about a 3,000 pip rally over 2.5 years that you could have been [[trading]] on the long side. That’s right; you could have had an easy [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade idea]] for 2.5 years if you just embraced learning and applying the fundamentals.
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| There are countless more examples, even on short-term day trading [[Forex_Market_Hours | time frames]], of times when the [[Economic_data_releases | news]] is not fully priced into the market. This gives us a chance to see what is going on and get in to take advantage of some nice [[Price_Action_Analysis | price moves]]. The truth lies somewhere in between the market attempting to [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] in the [[Economic_data_releases | news]] and then reacting to the [[Economic_data_releases | news]] itself.
| | * [[Objections_to_Fundamental_Analysis#Objections_to_Fundamental_Analysis | Objections to Fundamental Analysis]] |
| | * [[Objections_to_Fundamental_Analysis#Objection_#1:_Applying_the_Fundamentals_is_Unnecessary_Because_You_Only_Need_to_Look_at_the_Charts | Objection #1: Applying the Fundamentals is Unnecessary Because you Only Need to Look at the Charts]] |
| | * [[Objections_to_Fundamental_Analysis#Objection_#2:_Fundamentals_are_too_Difficult_Unless_you_have_a_High-Level_University_Degree | Objection #2: Fundamentals are too Difficult Unless you have a High-Level University Degree]] |
| | * [[Objections_to_Fundamental_Analysis#Objection_#_3:_All_News_is_Priced_into_the_Markets | Objection # 3: All News is Priced into the Markets]] |
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| The previous objections tend to be the most common reservations that people have when [[Essential_Forex_Trading_Guide | approaching]] fundamentals. There is really no reason to be concerned with these because what we are going to show you next will allow you to see for yourself how simple and how powerful the fundamentals really are.
| | You can access the main Wiki for [[Objections to Fundamental Analysis]] [[Objections to Fundamental Analysis | HERE]]. |
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| =='''[[Fundamental Supply and Demand]]'''== | | =='''[[Fundamental Supply and Demand]]'''== |
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| When discussing fundamental analysis there are some core principles that we need to be aware of. [[Supply_and_Demand | Supply and demand]] are at the heart of fundamental moves in all markets including [[Forex]]. Think of buying as [[Supply_and_Demand | demand]] and selling as [[Supply_and_Demand | supply]]. | | When discussing fundamental analysis there are some core principles that we need to be aware of. [[Supply_and_Demand | Supply and demand]] are at the heart of fundamental moves in all markets including [[Forex]]. In the following Wiki we will explore: |
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| '''Demand'''
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| When we have a situation where buyers are more aggressive than sellers this means [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] will likely be bid up and move higher. When we say bid up what we are referring to is a situation where buyers are more willing to “step up” their buy orders in the hopes of getting a fill on the long side. Going long is the same thing as buying. This is what we refer to as [[Supply_and_Demand | demand]]. When more people want to buy at the current [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] this will cause the sellers to raise their offers to accommodate for the higher [[Supply_and_Demand | demand]]. Essentially, when we have a high-demand situation buyers are more willing to purchase at higher [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] and sellers are less willing to sell at lower [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]]. Aggressive buyers will simply lift the offers to get long instantly. The other reason someone would want to lift the offer is to get out of an existing short [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | position]] immediately. If there is a very real reason for the market to be aggressively buying then you definitely do not want to be holding a short [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | position]] against that positive [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]].
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| '''Supply'''
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| On the other hand, if we have a market where the sellers are more aggressive than the buyers this means that [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] will likely go down. This is a situation where we have more [[Supply_and_Demand | supply than demand]]. Buyers naturally want to buy at lower [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] so they will lower their bids to accommodate for this influx of [[Supply_and_Demand | supply]]. In this situation, sellers will be more willing to step down their offers. Aggressive sellers will simply take the bids in order to get short immediately. The other reason someone would want to take the bid would be to get out of their existing long [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | positions]]. The concept is the same, you don’t want to be stuck holding a [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | position]] that is contrary to the current [[Price_Action_Analysis | price move]] and [[Sentiment_Analysis | market sentiment]] because you could wind up taking a much larger loss than you anticipated.
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| '''Equilibrium'''
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| At any one moment in time, the current [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] is thought to be the equilibrium between the forces of [[Supply_and_Demand | supply and demand]]. As new information is absorbed and disseminated into the market buyers and sellers will move [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] based on what this new information fundamentally means to the [[Sentiment_Analysis#Value_Traders | value]] of the asset that they are [[trading]]. This happens on a tick-by-tick basis every day. [[Sentiment_Analysis | Sentiment]] can and does change many times throughout a single [[Forex_Trading_Sessions | trading session]] but to varying degrees.
| | * [[Fundamental_Supply_and_Demand#Fundamental_Supply_and_Demand | Fundamental Supply and Demand]] |
| | * [[Fundamental_Supply_and_Demand#Demand | Demand]] |
| | * [[Fundamental_Supply_and_Demand#Supply | Supply]] |
| | * [[Fundamental_Supply_and_Demand#Equilibrium | Equilibrium]] |
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| For further information on [[Supply and Demand]] please check out our Wiki page devoted to all things [[Supply and Demand]] [[Supply_and_Demand | HERE]].
| | You can access the main Wiki for [[Fundamental Supply and Demand]] [[Fundamental Supply and Demand | HERE]]. |
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| =='''[[Sentiment Analysis Overview from a Fundamental Perspective]]'''== | | =='''[[Sentiment Analysis Overview from a Fundamental Perspective]]'''== |
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| We have a large Wiki on [[Sentiment Analysis]] [[Sentiment_Analysis | HERE]]. Here we will do a short explanation of [[Sentiment Analysis]].
| | Fundamental Analysis and Sentiment Analysis are two of the most important subjects in Forex trading. In this Wiki, we will take a [[Sentiment Analysis Overview from a Fundamental Perspective]] and explore some ways to trade them including: |
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| The other most common driver of fundamental information is something called [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]]. We have already mentioned [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] a few times now but up to this point we have not provided a definition of what [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] actually is. Let's try and break that down now.
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| Let’s first think of fundamentals as the big ''"Macro Picture"'' of the health of an economy. If the particular economy is performing well and interest rates are rising then we would expect the [[currency]] of that nation to move higher over the long run. People want to invest in growing and stable economies that are performing well so this means that they will need to buy the local [[currency]] of that economy in order to invest in it. This is the most basic picture we can come up with for what fundamentals are.
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| Well, we know that [[currency]] [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] just don’t go up in a straight line. It would be nice but that’s not the reality, unfortunately. Even though the big picture fundamental outlook may be overall positive there will be many days where the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] actually goes down against the fundamental [[Trends | trend]]. In these times this means that the [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] of the day has turned negative and forced [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] to be temporarily out of line with the big picture fundamentals.
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| [[Sentiment_Analysis | Sentiment]], in its most basic form, is the ''"Mood"'' of the market right now in the ''"Current"'' [[Forex_Trading_Sessions | trading session]]. It’s similar to fundamentals except it lasts for much shorter periods of time. [[Sentiment_Analysis | Sentiment]] can be in line with the fundamentals but it can also move [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] in the opposite direction of the fundamentals. The interesting thing about [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] is that it can last anywhere from a few seconds to many weeks depending on how strong that [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] is.
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| The importance of this aspect of [[Supply_and_Demand | supply and demand]] cannot be underestimated. [[Sentiment_Analysis | Sentiment]] is so important that you will spend most of your time trying to identify the [[Sentiment_Analysis | current sentiment]] for your [[trading]] opportunities. This is especially true if you are a shorter-term trader such as a [[Trader_Types#Day_Traders | day trader]]. If you are a [[Trader_Types#Day_Traders | day trader]] you will need to be in tune with how the market is feeling all day while you are [[trading]].
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| [[Trader_Types#Day_Traders | Day traders]] will always want to keep the big picture fundamentals in the back of their minds, but for their biggest concern is what the market is thinking right now so that they can jump in and hopefully make some pips in the [[Forex_Trading_Sessions | current trading session]].
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| The very best [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] happen are when the [[Sentiment_Analysis | current sentiment]] is in line with the big picture fundamentals. These are the easiest [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] because you have the power of the longer-term investors using the fundamentals and the shorter-term hedge fund traders using the [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] all pushing the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] together in the same direction. This is when you can make a lot of pips very quickly with [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] that never try to go against you. This is one of the most important concepts traders should learn.
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| | * [[Sentiment_Analysis_Overview_from_a_Fundamental_Perspective#The_Best_Trades | Sentiment Analysis Overview from a Fundamental Perspective]] |
| | * [[Sentiment_Analysis_Overview_from_a_Fundamental_Perspective#The_Best_Trades | The Best Trades]] |
| | * [[Sentiment_Analysis_Overview_from_a_Fundamental_Perspective#Good_Trades | Good Trades]] |
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| The very best [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] look like the following:
| | You can access the main Wiki for [[Sentiment Analysis Overview from a Fundamental Perspective]] [[Sentiment Analysis Overview from a Fundamental Perspective | HERE]]. |
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| * If fundamentals + and [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] + then buy all day long at good buy points.
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| * If fundamentals – and [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] – then sell/go short all day long at good sell points.
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| | | =='''[[Exchange rates | Exchange Rates]]'''== |
| These are the type of [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] that tend to last longer and move more in terms of pips or [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]]. These are the [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] that can make you a lot of money if you know how to identify the long-term fundamentals combined with the [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] of the day properly.
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| Good [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] look like the following:
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| If fundamentals are ''"Positive"'' and [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] is ''"Negative"'' you have 2 options:
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| # Allow the negative [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] to bring the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] back to where it makes fundamental sense to start buying again.
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| # [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | Trade]] the negative [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] short against the positive fundamentals. This is where knowing how strong [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] is will help you make some profitable [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] against the big-picture fundamentals.
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| If fundamentals are ''"Negative"'' and [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] is ''"Positive"'' you have 2 options:
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| # Allow the positive [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] to bring the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] back to where it makes fundamental sense to start selling again.
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| # [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | Trade]] the positive [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] long against the positive fundamentals. This is where knowing how strong [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] is will help you make some profitable [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] against the big-picture fundamentals.
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| At its most extreme, virtually nothing will stop a market until its participants have been fully satisfied. The markets are simply too large for one entity, authority, or even group of authorities to move [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] in a direction that the markets don’t appear to want. Five billion [[US_dollar | dollars]] of transactions would represent a serious intervention by major a [[Central bank]] but would only represent less than 1% of the daily [[Forex | FX]] volume in the [[Forex_Trading_Sessions#The_London_Session | London trading session]] alone. But, when all of the big players agree that [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] should be moving in a particular direction this can lead to some fantastic [[trading]] opportunities with major upside potential for your [[The_Best_and_Most_Popular_Forex_Platforms_for_Demo | trading account]].
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| In later Wikis, we will expand on the concept of [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] and give you the [[Trading_Tools | tools]] and [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | strategies]] you need to [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] with [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] effectively. But for now, we just want you to understand that fundamentals that you determine by [[Fundamental Analysis]] are the big macro picture of what is going on in an economy and [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] that you determine by [[Sentiment Analysis]] is the mood or the market right now in the [[Forex_Trading_Sessions | current trading session]]. [[Sentiment_Analysis | Sentiment]] is caused by fundamental economic data. [[Economic data releases]] and market-moving information that could come in many forms which we will discuss in other Wikis.
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| =='''[[Exchange Rates]]'''== | |
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| [[Exchange rates]] are an important aspect of understanding the full spectrum of fundamental analysis which is why we created a separate Wiki devoted entirely to [[Exchange rates]]. In the following Wiki, we will explore: | | [[Exchange rates]] are an important aspect of understanding the full spectrum of fundamental analysis which is why we created a separate Wiki devoted entirely to [[Exchange rates]]. In the following Wiki, we will explore: |
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| =='''[[Fundamentals and Sentiment]]'''== | | =='''[[Fundamentals and Sentiment]]'''== |
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| You may recall that the fundamentals, particularly for [[Forex | FX]] [[trading]], tend to revolve around the [[Central banks]] of each nation and the expectations of the market for what that bank will do next with its interest rate policies. The [[Central banks]] use [[Economic_data_releases#Specific_Economic_Indicators | economic indicators]] to determine the state of the economy and then implement the various [[Trading_Tools | tools]] they have at their disposal. They do this with the hopes of improving the indicators they deem important to keep the economy stable and in line with their policy mandates.
| | In the following Wiki, we will explore what both fundamentals and sentiment are and build and expand on previous information from our [[Fundamental Analysis]] Wiki. |
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| To explain this effectively we have to break the concepts of this analysis down into two distinct parts:
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| # '''Fundamentals:''' The first part is the underlying fundamentals that we talked quite a lot about in previous sections. Fundamentals are the big macro picture for the economy being measured. For example, if you are [[trading]] the Australian Dollar then you need to understand the economic situation of Australia and what the [[Central_banks#Australia_%E2%80%93_The_Reserve_Bank_of_Australia_(RBA) | central bank of Australia]] is concerned with.
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| # '''Sentiment:''' What we haven’t looked at too much are the things that are driving the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] right this moment in the here and now. This is called [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] and is the most important thing you need to concern yourself with if you are [[Speculating | considering]] becoming or are a [[Trader_Types#Day_Traders | day trader]].
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| Therefore, we have two core elements that we must be in tune with at all times; the underlying fundamentals and the ever-changing [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]]. This is an extremely important distinction to make so make sure that you have your thinking cap on as you go through this section.
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| The simplest way to understand the difference between fundamentals and [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] is to imagine that the fundamentals are the big picture. This big picture is things that don’t change very often and are the things that are driving [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] over weeks and months. [[Sentiment_Analysis | Sentiment]], on the other hand, are the short-term things that the market participants are obsessing over that are driving [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] over [[Forex_Market_Hours | hours]] and days in the [[Forex_Trading_Sessions | current session]] and beyond.
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| Of course, [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] can take over in the short term and move the [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]] against the big picture fundamental [[Trends | trend]]. However, as long as the core principles remain in play the [[Trends | trend]] will typically resume at some point when the [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] wares off and fades away from the market's memory.
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| The market tends to have a short-term memory when it comes to [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]]. This means that the [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] must be very strong to drive [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] for more than a couple of days. It's pretty common for the market to get really concerned with a [[Economic_data_releases | specific news item]] and move [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] hard in one [[Forex_Trading_Sessions | trading session]] only to completely reverse that move the next [[Forex_Trading_Sessions | session]] because there is some new piece of information that the market is focussing on instead.
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| Understanding that the [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] can be with or against the big picture fundamentals is key. But the best [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trades]] will always be when the [[Sentiment_Analysis | current sentiment]] is in line with the big picture fundamentals. This is because this situation will cause the most number of market participants to [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] in the same direction at the same time. However, it's also key to understand that you can make a lot of pips when the [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] is opposite the fundamentals because the market tends to forget about the fundamentals when there is a reason to think differently.
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| Understanding these two concepts and how they work provides us with the foundations for identifying various [[trading]] opportunities throughout the [[trading]] day. For example, some traders use the short-term [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] as an opportunity to [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] the longer-term [[Trends | trend]] at a much more attractive [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]]. This means that these traders wait for a situation when the [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] is actually opposite to that of the fundamental [[Trends | trend]]. This causes [[Price_Action_Analysis | prices]] to correct in the short term setting up nice opportunities to get in the fundamental [[Trends | trend]] at a better [[Price_Action_Analysis | price]]. At the same time, other traders may take advantage of the counter-trend [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] and [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] in line with it to make a quick profit.
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| As we have already seen, fundamentals are very important to successful [[trading]] but there are other core areas that must be developed if a trader is to become successful for the long run; [[Fundamental Analysis]], [[Sentiment Analysis]], [[Technical Analysis]], [[Risk Management]], and [[Trading psychology]]. The goal should be to get yourself to a point where you are proficient in all these areas so that you can achieve your goals.
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| One of the core things that most traders will likely need to improve is something called ''"Conviction"''. Conviction simply means having confidence in your [[trading]]. Traders use conviction to determine how good a possible [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] is and how likely it is for that [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] to yield a profit. With time and practice your conviction levels will naturally increase making your [[trading]] comfortable and seem like second nature.
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| If you have a high level of conviction in a [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] based on all the things that you understand to be true then generally your chance of success is much higher. If you combine this with your own personal research for a specific opportunity then you have a chance at increasing your conviction level.
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| Traders that do not pay attention to their conviction levels, or simply don’t know how to increase their conviction levels, have very little chance of success. You must constantly be aware of your conviction, measure it, and control it in order to achieve a high level of success. Keep this in mind while researching a [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | trade]] to determine both the underlying fundamentals and the short-term [[Sentiment_Analysis | sentiment]] because your conviction level will directly influence your level of [[Trading psychology]] while you are in a [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | position]]. The more factual reasons you can find to support a [[Fundamental_and_Sentiment_Trading_Strategies | position]], the more comfortable you will feel overall because you will know that you have done all you could to give yourself the best chance of success.
| | You can access the main Wiki for [[Fundamentals and Sentiment]] [[Fundamentals and Sentiment | HERE]]. |
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| [[Central_banks | Central Banks]] are so important to the [[Forex]] market and all other financial markets that we have devoted an entire in-depth Wiki to all things [[Central_banks | Central Banks]]. In the following Wiki on [[Central banks | Central Banks]] we will explore: | | [[Central_banks | Central Banks]] are so important to the [[Forex]] market and all other financial markets that we have devoted an entire in-depth Wiki to all things [[Central_banks | Central Banks]]. In the following Wiki on [[Central banks | Central Banks]] we will explore: |
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| [[Central_banks#Introduction_to_Central_Banks | Introduction to Central Banks]] | | * [[Central_banks#Introduction_to_Central_Banks | Introduction to Central Banks]] |
| [[Central_banks#A_Brief_History_of_Central_Banks | A Brief History of Central Banks]] | | * [[Central_banks#A_Brief_History_of_Central_Banks | A Brief History of Central Banks]] |
| [[Central_banks#Central_Banks_and_Interest_Rates | Central Banks and Interest Rates]] | | * [[Central_banks#Central_Banks_and_Interest_Rates | Central Banks and Interest Rates]] |
| [[Central_banks#Overview_of_what_Central_Banks_do | Overview of what Central Banks do]] | | * [[Central_banks#Overview_of_what_Central_Banks_do | Overview of what Central Banks do]] |
| [[Central_banks#Monetary_Policy_and_Money_Supply | Monetary Policy and Money Supply]] | | * [[Central_banks#Monetary_Policy_and_Money_Supply | Monetary Policy and Money Supply]] |
| [[Central_banks#Central_Bank_Monetary_Policy_Tools | Central Bank Monetary Policy Tools]] | | * [[Central_banks#Central_Bank_Monetary_Policy_Tools | Central Bank Monetary Policy Tools]] |
| [[Central_banks#Hawks_and_Doves | Hawks and Doves]] | | * [[Central_banks#Hawks_and_Doves | Hawks and Doves]] |
| [[Central_banks#Major_Central_Banks | Major Central Banks]] | | * [[Central_banks#Major_Central_Banks | Major Central Banks]] |
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| [[Economic Cycles]] are such an important and vast subject that we have a separate Wiki dedicated to all things on [[Economic Cycles]]. In the following Wiki on [[Economic Cycles]] we will explore: | | [[Economic Cycles]] are such an important and vast subject that we have a separate Wiki dedicated to all things on [[Economic Cycles]]. In the following Wiki on [[Economic Cycles]] we will explore: |
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| [[Economic_Cycles#State_of_the_Economy | State of the Economy]] | | * [[Economic_Cycles#State_of_the_Economy | State of the Economy]] |
| [[Economic_Cycles#Inflation,_Deflation_and_Hyperinflation | Inflation, Deflation and Hyperinflation]] | | * [[Economic_Cycles#Inflation,_Deflation_and_Hyperinflation | Inflation, Deflation and Hyperinflation]] |
| [[Economic_Cycles#Economic_Cycles_and_the_4_Phases | Economic Cycles and the 4 Phases]] | | * [[Economic_Cycles#Economic_Cycles_and_the_4_Phases | Economic Cycles and the 4 Phases]] |
| [[Economic_Cycles#Economic_Data_and_Economic_Cycles | Economic Data and Economic Cycles]] | | * [[Economic_Cycles#Economic_Data_and_Economic_Cycles | Economic Data and Economic Cycles]] |
| [[Economic_Cycles#Indicators_within_the_Economic_Cycle | Indicators within the Economic Cycle]] | | * [[Economic_Cycles#Indicators_within_the_Economic_Cycle | Indicators within the Economic Cycle]] |
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