USDJPY
On the last post I noted that USDJPY was on a trading range, and the closest zone to watch was between 106.200 – 106.300. Prices reached that zone on the Asian session, and did so on wide high volume bars, breaking-out 106.200 to the downside, which also made the background turn to weak. The price was still sustained for a few hours after demand, but a few hours before London’s open, the activity spiked up again and more selling showed up again as a wide-range down bar, closing on its lows. These lower prices didn’t held up for long though, and after one more demand signal from VSA, the prices broke a down trendline and kept the uptrend until heavy supply hit the market and turned it sideways, onto the trading range we are seeing at the present. USDJPY is also getting to the break-out point of 107.600 support, which is important because that is the last point where many sellers got in. I would like to see a small rally after this downtrend, or the background turning weak, to consider taking short positions. Any position will have to be taken at most at tomorrow’s London session and in a low timeframe, as NFP is on Friday.
AUDJPY
This pair is near a support, at 79.527, and near a down trendline now at 80.100. Yesterday we have seen more demand above the formed support, though the rally after it failed spectacularly after there was no follow-up to the very high volume candle, with VSA showing a minor Supply signal 2 bars afterwards. The correction is showing low volumes, hinting at a temporary lack of supply, and the background is very strong. Reversals at sensitivity 7 have a good record on this pair and timeframe, even weeks back, and one near the support would be a possible long entry point. The safest would be to wait for the trendline break though, for confirmation. Meanwhile the prices are reaching the demand zone and it’s also important to be on the look-out for selling in the form of wide high volume down bars, like was seen on USDJPY yesterday on a similar occasion. Together with USDJPY, if the price/development confirms it, they could be two good pairs to trade against each other (one long and one short), since they are positively correlated by 50% due to the Yen.
After a wide upthrust bar, also marked as heavy supply, on last Wednesday, the Yen broke the support at 107.62 the day after. It broke with healthy volume, and the prices only stopped downtrending on a reverse upthrust, and later a churn, which are volume patterns that show demand.
USDJPY H4 Breakout
On M15 the action can be seen more clearly, and the trading range in the last days is more evident on this lower timeframe. By today’s end of Tokyo session, at 5 am GMT, the market showed supply on very high volume, from the three timeframes – M15, M30 and H1. Right now the prices are trending lower, though on very thin volume due to Japan’s bank holiday on 3rd May. Thinly traded markets can be an opportunity for large players to make their movements however, since there is little to no resistance to any significant organized action.
It would be wise to be on the lookout for more demand/strength between 106.200 – 106.300. To the upside, the price 107.62 is the trigger for short positions, if the supply shown in H4 proves to be consistent. The fact that there are many announcements regarding unemployment on US will surely provide plenty of movements, and make the price reach these critical areas in USD/JPY.
USDJPY M15 Demand Zone
These commodities have been among the biggest rises in prices in the past few months, and coupled with the bond market, give an interesting inter-market view on the global financial markets.
Stock Market
The latest rally has been in a great part, lead by gold/oil groups. Interestingly, bonds have been falling for the past month (interest rates rising) after a climax top, which means there is going to be a shift from interest-rates driven stocks to inflation-driven stocks. Tech stocks, the former stock market leaders, are now laggards, with NASDAQ lagging behind S&P and Dow Jones. Financial stocks, which also lead much of the bull market, have also been weak, despite the stimulus from the Fed and ECB. Getting on defensive/commodity stocks, or staying on the sidelines altogether, it’s probably the best course of action to take at the moment.
Gold
After showing persistent demand between the $1050-$1100, and breaking the long-term down trendline, it didn’t stop until major supply hit the market again. It’s good to note that there is an important resistance at $1306, and the supply here might come from the fact that there are major traders taking profits before it gets there.
On the H4, we can see the current action more clearly – a trading range, with a slight uptrend. $1270 has been a key resistance in the last weeks, with significant supply showing every time the prices approach it. Last Wednesday on FOMC’s announcement, the prices got near this price again, and VSA showed another supply signal (purple dot), along with an high volume (red) later, with prices reversing afterwards. The key levels are therefore this resistance, and the up trendline below. In M15 there is a down trendline at $1260 right now, and as the background there is weak, this will be a good timeframe to look for shorts while prices are kept below $1270.
Brent Crude Oil
Brent Crude Oil uptrend didn’t pick up so fast as gold’s in the beginning, but it has been steadier. Looking at H4, it has been showing supply and down reversals at fresh 3 month highs, and it’s getting to the ‘overbought’ part of the trending channel, so I’d prefer to wait for the prices to reverse to the trendline first. If there are low volume down bars or a bullish test in this area, it’d be another long opportunity, because that would show the supply before was overcame.
Trend and Supply Brent Crude Oil
Following the last update on GBPUSD, shortly after there was a breakout with a volume above average, with strong signals behind. This is seen in zone (1).
8 hours later, there was a churn down bar (2), which was an indication of more buying above the broken level. The long position was taken right after, with the stop-loss below the break-out bar’s low, and the take-profit below the next resistance. After a short correction on low volume, prices kept on rallying, until reaching a climax (red) bar, and VSA showing a supply signal next to it (3). This was a +148 pips move. There is where the trade was closed. Since the background is now weak, there is now a sell signal if the previous low is broken.
Update 7th March: After the low on the supply bar was broken, the prices went down on wide spread, but low volume, which should have been the warning sign to tighten the stoploss. The stoploss was hit above the nearby resistance at 1.42507. Total: 148 – 53 pips = 95 pips
Volumes and Reversals Trading GU
GBPUSD
After the confident 1.42450 and 1.40650 support breakout, prices haven’t managed to make the same thing with 1.38460 support, and now British Pound market tests the 1.40650 resistance level.
During previous 2 weeks bearish market confirmed its sentiment:
In point 1 prices tested 1.43890 resistance level which showed the interest from institutional players and was marked by VSA Indicator as W1 supply signal. Before that, in point 2, market showed, that there were no strong signs of the imbalance near 1.42450 support level which meant, that big players were not going to change its short positions to long ones.
There was a 1.42450 support level breakout on high volume which again showed initial sentiment of the market. As the result of that breakout, the 1.40650 support level went through as well, and the steady downfall of the market stopped at the level 1.3846.
Points 4 and 5 suggest that minor demand signals and low volatility on the bottom of the market is not the sign of the bearish trend finishing. The beginning of a sideways is possible, which is confirmed by neutral background.
Due to the absence of stronger demand signals on the bottom of the market, now it is too early to speak about the change in GBP market sentiment. In current situation it is important to see how the market will behave near the 1.4065 level and above it, if such situation happens. In case of a supply signal near the resistance, or no demand with a volatile down candle after it, it’s possible to take a short position, but only on weak background.
If there is 1.40650 breakout candle on high volume, it will be the time to start searching for long positions.
GBPUSD H4 – Downtrend and VSA
EURUSD
Having tested the 1.10050 short-term support in the point 1, the Euro went above 1.10440 level, and revealed, that there was no smart money interest near the 1.10684 long-term resistance, which was confirmed by low volumes in the point 2. The point 3 is the place where prices went beyond the 1.10440 level, and above average volume on down candle with the supply from VSA indicator showing the bearish sentiment of the market.
EURUSD – Downtrend and Volumes on market Bottom
In the point 4 there was the 1.10050 and 1.09590 support breakout on high volumes – the good sign of confident bearish trend. Next evidence of down sentiment of the market is the point 5, the place, where prices successfully tested 1.09590 level resistance – it remained unbroken. Moreover, it was the good place for big players to add to short positions – that’s what they did, as the high volume volatile down candle showed. After that the 1.09150 level was went through, and the market eventually paused its down motions by 1.08380 level.
The current market situation can’t be called the end of the bearish trend due to the absence of the strong demand VSA indicator signals and to weak background.
Undoubtedly, there are demand signals in the point 6 and 7, but the volumes are not too high to be stopping volume and the up candle volatility after it, is around average.
So in the current situation the full picture will be seen at the 1.09150 resistance level. In case of high volume breakout candle, previous short positions should be closed and possibly reversed for long positions. If there are supply signals at the 1.09150 resistance level or low volumes near it as no demand signal, it’s possible to open new short positions or to add to current shorts.
Australian Dollar went through a 90 pips fall in prices on the US session today, partly because of RBA recently communicating the reasons behind maintaining a low cash rate, with no prospects of raising it soon, and also because of the recent movements in gold, which influences Australia’s major gold exporter economy. Looking at prices and volumes, we can see the same picture – a top in very high volume and several Supply signals, without the volumes slowing down on the way down, and with a weak background.
There are 2 important zones to note in this chart – first, the distribution top, and second, a recent low which showed demand on really high volume. These were the last major professional sell and buy points, respectively, and so they should be the trigger zones to trade, either on a bounce or a break-out – the market will tell. If I see more demand signals near this area I expect the prices to rise yet again, as the professional money is clearly showing it’s buying this bottom, and not letting prices go below their last major buy point.
Control Zones AUDUSD M15
On H1, what jumps immediately to the eye is the major shake-out, which VSA marked as Major Demand; that major demand is what’s dominating this market. Looking at Reversals, we can see that on the highest sensitivity they have been showing all the tops and bottoms, and just 1 hour ago an up reversal was seen. The break of this bar’s top in the next hours would be a good buy point, and looking at M15, that would also be the break of the recent low volume up bars. The areas on M15 should be then watched, and special attention given to other reversals or VSA signals for exits.
