Winning Support and Resistance Strategy
Support and Resistance
Support & Resistance lines - make or break price points
Support and resistance lines conform the most basic analytical tools and are commonly used as visual markers to trace the levels where the price found a temporary barrier. In other words, where price had trouble crossing.
From a strategic point of view, support and resistance levels represent smart places to anticipate a reaction in the price of an asset, and therefore represent a basic tool in technical analysis.
Numerous traders use them, but the
diversity in application and integration tell us that charting is definitely not an exact science and more of an art.
One of the most common mistakes that new traders make is buying too close to a line of resistance or selling too close to a line of support. In this page we provide enough set-ups and real-time examples, to make sure you thoroughly understand this simple yet important dynamic.
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Support and Resistance Levels
Price zones
Don't be disappointed if S&R lines haven't worked for you until now. You see, in reality, support and resistance are price zones, not exact numbers. This is clearly visible when switching from a higher timeframe to a lower one: an horizontal line on a weekly chart can perfectly be made by an horizontal price channel on a one hour chart.
This is why it often what appears to be a break of a support or resistance level is just the market testing it. These 'tests' of support and resistance are usually represented by the candlestick shadows piercing the S&R
levels.
If the market were made by S&R lines and not by people, then the exchange rate would always rise and fall to the same exact price points, over and over again.
But because that rarely happens it's important to think of support and resistance as zones on the chart where people buy and sell.
One way to induce the habit to treat S&R lines as zones is drawing them with fat lines, avoiding a fine-point trace. That way you won't fool yourself into believing you have identified the exact price at which a currency pair is going to turn around and start moving in the opposite direction. And even better: draw the lines, especially the horizontal ones using two lines, an upper and a lower one, or use rectangles to mark the zones. Your chart platform has all these fancy tools for sure.
Identifying Supply and Demand
There where the difference between the number of buyers and sellers get more remarkable, it tends to form a Support or Resistance level. Your next logical quest will be to identify them on a price chart.
Historical and potential levels, can
lead to several constructs: horizontal lines and dynamic trendlines are the most used ones and can be based on significant highs and lows. Lines are also used to delineate price channels as well as classical chart
figures such as triangles and wedges.
Some technical indicators can act as potential levels, such as sentiment chart, moving averages, Pivot Points and
Fibonacci cycles which are commonly used in Elliott Wave analysis.
Round numbers - those quotes ending in 00 or 50- and emotional spikes are often perceived as Support and Resistance levels.
When these levels encompass a larger area on the charts technicians speak of a Support and Resistance Zone.
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Editors' picks
EUR/USD holds above 1.0800 ahead of US inflation data
EUR/USD stays in positive territory above 1.0800 after registering its highest daily close in over a month on Tuesday. The data from the Eurozone showed that the GDP grew at an annual rate of 0.4% in Q1. Focus shifts to April inflation report from the US.
GBP/USD advances above 1.2600, all eyes on US CPI data
GBP/USD preserves its bullish momentum and trades at its highest level in nearly two weeks above 1.2600 in the European session on Wednesday. The US Dollar struggles to find demand and allows the pair to stretch higher ahead of April CPI and Retail Sales data from the US.
Gold climbs above $2,370 as US yields edge lower ahead of inflation data
Gold extends its uptrend and trades above $2,370 in the European session on Wednesday after gaining nearly 1% on Tuesday. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield stays in the red below 4.5% ahead of US inflation data, helping XAU/USD keep its footing.
Ripple’s discounts for institutional clients stir debate among attorneys discussing SEC lawsuit
Ripple price consolidates in a tight range around $0.50 on Wednesday as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) legal battle against payment-remittance firm Ripple intensifies with two key issues in focus this week.
US CPI data expected to show slow progress towards 2% target
The US Consumer Price Index is set to rise 3.4% YoY in April, following the 3.5% increase in March. Annual core CPI inflation is expected to edge lower to 3.6% in April. The inflation report could influence the timing of the Fed’s policy pivot.
