Sharing a strategyFor my scalping or Intraday trade, I created this pine script combining various indicator (namely the famous Alphatrend by @KivancOzbilgic, Previous Day Close and 52WeeksHigh/Low) into one indicator.
If price goes above the PDC and Alphatrend is a buy then I will make quick long trade. If price goes below the PDC and Alphatrend is a sell then I will make quick short trade. I added a percentage based on PDC to give me where I need to put my stoploss. Not really important as I always have proper risk reward ratio but it comes handy most of the time.
Metals
How to Get Funded and Become a Forex Prop Trader in 2025?How to Get Funded and Become a Forex Prop Trader in 2025: A Step-by-Step Action Plan
With prop trading firms offering funding to skilled traders, 2025 presents an excellent opportunity to trade with significant capital while limiting your personal risk. Here’s a detailed roadmap to getting funded and becoming a successful prop trader in the forex market.
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📌 Step 1: Build a Profitable Trading Strategy
Before applying to a prop firm, you need a tested and profitable strategy that aligns with prop firm risk rules. Here’s what to focus on:
✅ Choose a Trading Style
• Scalping – Quick, small trades (requires low spreads and fast execution).
• Day Trading – Intraday trades with clear setups (most prop firms allow).
• Swing Trading – Holding trades for days/weeks (lower stress, fits many prop firm rules).
• Algorithmic Trading – Using bots or EAs (some firms allow automation).
✅ Develop a High-Probability Edge
• Top-Down Technical Analysis (Identify trends using multiple timeframes).
• Price Action & Market Structure (Support/resistance, breakouts, trendlines).
• Risk-Reward Ratios (Aim for at least 1:2 RR on trades).
• News & Fundamentals (FOMC, NFP, CPI, interest rate decisions).
✅ Backtest & Optimize Your Strategy
• Use Forex Tester 5 or TradingView’s replay mode to test past market conditions.
• Run at least 100-200 trades in a demo account.
• Maintain a win rate above 50% with an R:R of 1:2 or higher.
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📌 Step 2: Master Risk & Money Management
Most prop firms fail traders due to poor risk management. Here’s how to avoid that:
✅ Follow Strict Drawdown Rules
• Daily Drawdown: Most firms allow 5% max daily loss.
• Overall Drawdown: 8-10% max loss before account termination.
• Solution: Risk only 0.5% - 1% per trade.
✅ Position Sizing
• Lot Size Calculator: Always use a calculator to match risk per trade.
• Adjust for Volatility: Trade smaller lots on high-impact news days.
✅ Risk-Adjusted Growth
• Withdraw profits monthly to secure earnings.
• Scale up gradually instead of over-leveraging.
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📌 Step 3: Get Funded by a Prop Firm
🚀 Top Prop Firms in 2025 for Forex Traders
• FTMO – Up to $400,000 funding, 90% profit share.
• My Forex Funds (MFF) – Up to $600,000 funding, 85% profit split.
• The Funded Trader – 80-90% profit split, offers aggressive scaling.
• Fidelcrest – Allows scalping, news trading, and EAs.
• E8 Funding – Low drawdown rules, 80% split.
📈 How to Pass a Prop Firm Challenge
Most firms require a two-phase evaluation:
1. Phase 1: Profit target (8-10%) within 30 days without exceeding the daily/overall drawdown.
2. Phase 2: Lower profit target (4-5%) within 60 days with the same risk rules.
3. Funded Stage: Trade firm capital with a profit split (usually 75-90% to the trader).
🛠️ Pro Tips to Pass a Prop Firm Challenge
✅ Risk only 0.5% per trade (low risk = higher success rate).
✅ Trade high-probability setups only (2-3 trades per day max).
✅ Avoid trading the first & last 15 minutes of sessions (high spreads).
✅ Use a prop firm challenge simulator before applying.
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📌 Step 4: Optimize & Scale Your Trading Career
🔹 Get Multiple Funded Accounts
• Many firms allow traders to manage multiple accounts.
• Use copy trading software (e.g., Trade Copier, FXBlue) to replicate trades across accounts.
• Some firms have a combined max funding of over $2 million.
🔹 Transition to a Full-Time Forex Trader
1. Withdraw Profits Monthly – Secure earnings and reinvest.
2. Diversify Income Streams – Consider trading signals, coaching, or selling EAs.
3. Trade with Institutional Mindset – Focus on consistency over big wins.
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📌 Step 5: Use Trading Tools & AI Bots for an Edge
🔹 Best Forex Trading Tools in 2025
📊 TradingView & MT5 – Best for charting & analysis.
📉 AutoRisk Calculator – Automates lot sizing based on risk %.
🤖 AI & Algo Bots – AI-powered news sentiment analysis & high-frequency trading.
📅 Forex Factory & Myfxbook – Economic calendar & trade tracking.
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📌 Step 6: Stay Ahead in the Forex Market
🚀 Follow Pro Traders – Learn from institutions & hedge funds.
📊 Analyze Market Cycles – 2025 will be affected by interest rates & global policies.
📉 Avoid Overtrading – Focus on quality over quantity.
📈 Invest in Continuous Learning – Join trading communities & courses.
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🎯 Final Thoughts: The Fastest Way to Become a Forex Prop Trader in 2025
✅ Develop a tested, profitable strategy.
✅ Master risk & money management.
✅ Apply to top prop firms & pass the evaluation.
✅ Scale with multiple funded accounts.
✅ Stay disciplined, patient, and focused on long-term success.
Learn Supply and Demand Basics in Gold XAAUSD Trading
In this article, we will discuss the basic principles of Smart Money Concepts in Gold trading.
I will explain to you how Gold price relates to supply and demand on the market. What is a fair value and how to identify it.
We will discuss a relation between a fair value and supply and demand and why is it so important to learn to recognize the imbalance.
Gold Price
First, let's briefly discuss how the price of Gold is valued .
Gold price is determined by the basic economic principles of supply and demand.
Supply is defined by the actions of the sellers and selling volumes.
While a demand is defined by the activity of buyers and the volumes they wish to purchase.
When supply exceeds demand, it leads to a decline in prices.
Increased selling pressure leads to lower prices as sellers compete to attract buyers.
Above, you can see how the excess of demand pushes Gold prices up rapidly.
When demand exceeds supply, we see an increase in the price of the financial asset.
In the example above, you can see how the excess of supply leads to a depreciation of a Gold price.
Imbalance & Fair Value
The excess of supply or demand on the market is also called an imbalance in Smart Money Concept trading SMC.
The imbalance causes strong bullish or bearish movement on the market.
However, such moves do not last forever.
At some moment, reaching a particular price level, the market will stop growing or falling, and the market will find the equilibrium in supply and demand.
Such an equilibrium is also called a fair value in SMC trading.
On the chart above, Gold was growing rapidly. After reaching some price level, the growth stopped and the market found a fair value.
Supply finally absorbed the excess of demand.
Sideways Movement & Range
When the market finds a fair value, it usually starts trading in sideways . The sideways movement forms a horizontal range - a horizontal parallel channel.
Such ranges signify that the market participants agree about a current price of an asset.
Above, you can see that after a strong up movement, Gold found a fair value and a consolidation within a horizontal range started.
Fair Value Range
When you spotted the range, you should remember that the market may stay within that for a very long period of time.
The trigger that will make the market reassess the fair value is typically a some important fundamental factor, the surprising geopolitical or economic event that will create a new imbalance on the market.
A strong signal that the market strives to find a new fair value is the breakout of one of the boundaries of the range. It is a signal of a violation of a current fair value.
You can see that Gold found a fair value and was stuck for quite a long period within a wide horizontal range. Then, because of the release of significant US fundamental news, an imbalance occurred. Fair value range was violated, and the price found a new fair value higher.
Trading Tips
When the imbalance on the market occurs and it violates the fair value, the price tends to find a new fair value around significant liquidity zones.
That is why it is so critical to pay attention to them.
Also, the laws of supply and demand, imbalance and fair value work on any time frame and can be applied for any trading style.
Learn to perceive a price chart from a Supply and Demand perspective in order to master Smart Money Concept trading strategy.
❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️
Learn High Impact Fundamental News in GOLD XAUUSD Trading
Before you open any trade on Gold, always check the economic calendar first.
In this article, you will learn the best free economic calendar and high impact fundamental news that can influence Gold prices.
I will teach the important actions to take and a trading strategy to follow both before and after news releases to improve your Gold trading strategy.
Free Economic Calendar
The economic calendar that I use for Gold trading is on Tradingview.
The news that influence Gold prices are high impact US news.
To display only such news, you should set the filters .
You should click "Only High Importance" and in the list of countries choose only the United States.
All 3 star US news may influence Gold prices dramatically.
Real Impact
In Gold trading, the release of high impact fundamental news is one of the major causes of trading positions being closed in a loss . Because such news may make the market completely irrational, increasing the volatility.
Look how strongly Gold prices dropped, immediately after US personal spending news were posted.
Remember, though, that there is no guarantee that Gold will react to this news. Quite often, the market will not be affected at all.
The release of US GDP did not influence Gold at all and the market continued consolidating.
Beware of False Signals
In order to protect your trading account from unexpected losses,
I recommend not opening any trading position 3 hours ahead of the news.
Usually, during that period, the markets start slowing down , preparing for the news.
Most of the breakouts, signals that you will see in such a period will be false .
3 hours before the US Durable Orders fundamental news, Gold broke and closed below a key daily horizontal support. From a technical analysis standpoint, it was a strong bearish signal.
However, that signal was false, and the price went up rapidly after the news.
Safest Strategy
If you have an active trade, 10 minutes ahead of the release of the fundamentals, protect your position.
Simply take a stop loss and move it to entry level.
If the price rapidly reverses after a news release, you will close the position with a 0 loss.
Here is a long trade on Gold that we took with my trading academy members.
10 minutes ahead of US unemployment data, we moved stop loss to entry level.
Fundamental news made the market bearish, and the price went down.
Our decision to protect a trading position helped us to avoid losses.
Alternatively, you can close your active trade 10 minutes ahead of the news.
Be Patient
After the release of the news, I suggest waiting for the close of an hourly candle before you take any trade.
With the first hourly candle close after the news, you will see how the market participants price in its impact, letting you make a better decision.
That is how Gold reacted to US Inflation data. Any trade should be opened at least after the hourly candle close to let the market price in its real effect.
These 3 simple rules will help you to cut losses cause by the fundamental news.
Integrate them in your trading strategy to increase your profits.
Never forget to monitor the economic calendar and good luck in your trading.
❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️
3 Must-Know Chart Patterns to Spot Winning Trades!Morning Trading Family
Understanding chart patterns is super important for trading success! In this video, I’ll walk you through the top 3 patterns every trader should know: Head and Shoulders, Double Top/Bottom, and Bullish/Bearish Flags. I’ll show you how to spot them, when to jump into a trade, and how to manage your risk. Whether you’re trading stocks, forex, or crypto, these patterns can make a big difference. We’ll even look at live charts together to keep it simple. Let me know in the comments which pattern is your favorite!
Kris/Mindbloome Exchange
Trade What You See
Mastering XAUUSD Gold Trading: A Trading Plan For Success!🌟 In this video, I share my detailed trading plan and emphasize why a well-structured strategy is 🔑 to success. Learn how to trade Gold 🪙 using a trend continuation approach while leveraging TradingView's powerful tools and features to gain a real edge in the markets. 🖥️✨
Here’s what we’ll cover:
📊 Trend Analysis: A top-down review of market direction to identify opportunities.
📈 Market Structure & Price Action: Key insights into how price moves and behaves.
🎯 Trade Planning: Using higher timeframe support and resistance levels to set stop loss and target points.
🛠️ TradingView Features: Practical tools to refine your analysis and boost efficiency.
This video is an in-depth guide to trading effectively with a proven strategy, enhanced by TradingView's unique capabilities. 🚀 Please remember, this is not financial advice. 📜
Sticky Inflation, Falling Pound, Pure Chaos in USD pairs!Last week was pure chaos. The dollar flexed like it’s been hitting the gym, while the pound? Let’s just say it’s practicing free-fall techniques. Sterling slipped so hard it might need a parachute soon. 🪂💸
Meanwhile, inflation is still that uninvited party guest who refuses to leave. UK CPI? Sticky. US CPI? Stubborn. And central banks? They’re in the corner pretending it’s not happening. 🙈📉
Here’s what we’re unpacking this week:
👉 Monday : ECB speeches. Expect fancy words, minimal action. 🙄
👉 Tuesday : US PPI drops. Prices rising faster than your blood pressure? Find out! 📈
👉 Wednesday : The big show. UK & US CPI—will inflation finally chill, or are we doomed to more rate drama? 🥶🔥
👉 Thursday : Aussie employment data hops in. Will it jumpstart the AUD? 🦘💵
👉 Friday : China’s GDP report. Rebound or flop? Either way, it’s gonna ripple through the markets. 🌏💣
George’s Hot Take:
Dollar: Still the king. 👑💪
Sterling: In the doghouse. 🐶🚪
Inflation: Like gum on your shoe—it’s not going anywhere. 😤🥿
🎧 Tune in for all the market madness, trading insights, and just the right amount of sarcasm. Because hey, the markets don’t care about your feelings—but we’ll at least laugh about it with you. 😏
🎙️ Listen now and stay ahead of the curve! 🎧
What is an ETF? | The Modern Investor’s Secret WeaponWhy ETFs Are Like a Financial Swiss Army Knife ?
Warren Buffett famously stated that 90% of his wife’s inheritance would go into one simple investment: a low cost S&P 500 index fund, likely an ETF (Exchange Traded Fund). ETFs, which now manage over $13 trillion in assets worldwide, combine the benefits of diversification and simplicity by bundling various stocks, bonds, or other assets into a single investment product.
1. Understanding ETFs
ETFs allow you to invest in a collection of assets that often track specific indices, sectors, or asset classes. Key benefits include:
- Diversification: Gain broad exposure without picking individual stocks.
- Liquidity: Trade ETFs like stocks throughout the trading day.
- Transparency: Daily disclosure of holdings ensures clarity about your investments.
Passive investing with ETFs has surged in popularity over active strategies due to lower fees and higher transparency
2. The Impact of Fees
While ETFs are cost effective, they do charge fees (expense ratios).Even small differences in fees can compound significantly over time, reducing long term returns:
- A 0.05% fee might cost $6K over 20 years on a $100K investment growing at 10% annually.
- A 1.00% fee could cost $112K over the same period.
Thus, keeping costs low is critical, especially for long-term investors.
What qualifies as “low cost”?
- Under 0.10%: Very low, often for funds tracking major indices.
- 0.10%–0.25%: Still affordable, typically for niche or strategy-focused ETFs.
- Above 0.50%: High; these funds require careful evaluation to justify their costs.
3. Leading ETF Providers
Major ETF providers dominate the industry:
- BlackRock (iShares): $3.2 trillion AUM, 452 funds, 0.30% average fees.
- Vanguard: $3 trillion AUM, 86 funds, 0.09% average fees, known for reinvesting profits to lower costs.
- State Street (SPDR): $1.5 trillion AUM, 158 funds, 0.27% average fees, creator of the first US-listed ETF (SPY)
4. Top ETFs by Popularity
Some ETFs hold significant assets due to their simplicity, reliability, and low fees :
- S&P 500 funds (SPY, VOO, IVV): Track the largest US companies
- Total US Market (VTI): Covers small, mid, and large-cap US stocks
- Thematic Funds (VUG, VTV): Focus on growth or value stocks
- Nasdaq 100 (QQQ): Heavy on tech companies like Apple and Microsoft
- Bond ETFs (BND, AGG): Represent the US investment-grade bond market
These ETFs serve as essential building blocks for diversified portfolios
5. Concentration in US Markets
US indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 are increasingly dominated by a handful of companies:
- The top 10 stocks make up 39% of SPY and 52% of QQQ.
- Companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon account for 34% of the S&P 500.
While this concentration can amplify gains in bull markets, it also increases vulnerability during downturns.
6. Exploring Specialized ETFs
Beyond broad-market funds, ETFs can target specific regions, sectors, or investment strategies. Choosing the right ETF mix depends on your financial goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. For simplicity, Warren Buffett recommends sticking to an S&P 500 index fund, while globally diversified options like VT are also available.
Final Takeaway
ETFs have revolutionized investing with their low costs, transparency, and accessibility. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned investor, understanding what's inside the ETF and how it aligns with your strategy is key to building a successful portfolio.
How to Analyze a Stock ? Key Questions to Ask Before You InvestShould I invest in this stock ? This is a common question investors face many times
But where do you begin? What should you look for, and what pitfalls should you avoid?
This guide will walk you through the essential steps to analyze a stock, focusing on the business itself rather than the stock chart. Since earnings per share (EPS) growth drives returns, it’s crucial to understand how revenue growth and margin expansion contribute over time.
Before buying any stock, ask yourself these six critical questions:
1.Company: What does the business do?
2.Economics: How does it generate revenue?
3.Opportunities: What are the potential upsides?
4.Risks: What challenges could it face?
5.Financials: What do the numbers reveal?
6.Valuation: Is the price justified?
1.What’s the Business?
- Mission: A clear mission drives long-term success. For example, Google’s mission, “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” is simple yet powerful. Does the company’s mission align with a growing trend or an unmet need?
- Leadership: Effective leadership, especially from founder-led teams or CEOs with a strong track record, often outperforms. Assess the team’s vision, execution skills, and employee approval ratings.
- Products: Are the company’s offerings essential, innovative, or part of a growing market? Consider their uniqueness, potential obsolescence, and innovation history.
2.How Do They Make Money?
- Revenue Mix: Is the company’s revenue diversified or reliant on a single product or customer? A diverse mix offers stability, while over-reliance can be risky.
- Unit Economics: Examine profitability metrics like gross margin and operating margin. Where does the bulk of profit come from?
- Key Metrics: Identify metrics like annual recurring revenue (ARR) for subscriptions or gross merchandise value (GMV) for e-commerce that best reflect the company’s performance trends.
3.What Could Go Right?
- Market Growth: Does the company operate in a growing industry, such as AI or renewable energy?
-Innovation: Look for ongoing R&D and a track record of successful product launches.
-Moat Expansion: Assess the company’s competitive advantage, whether it’s a strong brand, proprietary technology, or cost leadership.
4. What Could Go Wrong?
-Market Disruption: Is the company prepared for sudden changes, like new technologies or regulations?
-Competition: Strong rivals can erode market share. Analyze customer reviews and competitor benchmarks.
- Moat Erosion: A shrinking competitive edge—such as declining pricing power or poor retention—can signal trouble.
5.What Do the Numbers Say?
- Profitability: Check revenue growth, gross margins, and net income for consistent improvements.
- Solvency: Assess the balance sheet for debt-to-equity ratios, cash reserves, and financial stability.
- Liquidity: Positive and consistent cash flow indicates sustainability and growth potential.
6.Is the Price Right?
- Valuation Metrics: Use Price to Earnings (P/E), Price to Sales (P/S), or other relevant metrics depending on the company’s growth stage. Compare these to peers and market standards.
-Investment Horizon: Longer investment timelines can justify higher valuations if growth potential exists.
-Focus on Fundamentals: Valuation matters only if the business is strong. Avoid being tempted by low prices without underlying value.
By breaking a company into these six dimensions, you can turn complex decisions into actionable insights. Start with the business fundamentals, evaluate opportunities and risks, and finish by assessing valuation.
What stock will you analyze next? Let’s put this framework into action now
How Can You Trade Silver Online?How Can You Trade Silver Online?
Silver’s dual role as an industrial metal and investment asset makes it a fascinating market for traders. Its price volatility, global demand, and diverse trading options offer exciting opportunities for those looking to diversify their strategies. In this article, we’ll explore how to trade silver online, key market drivers, and what makes it such a unique asset.
What Makes Silver an Attractive Asset?
Silver is a unique asset that appeals to traders for several reasons, particularly its dual demand in industrial applications and silver investing for portfolio diversification. While gold is primarily an investment metal, silver is used in electronics, solar panels, and even medicine, equating to steady demand regardless of market conditions. This industrial relevance adds a layer of complexity to its price movements, which offers opportunities for a comprehensive analysis.
The metal is also known for its market volatility. Prices can swing significantly within short periods, creating numerous trading opportunities for those who monitor its fluctuations. Despite this volatility, silver remains highly liquid, meaning traders can buy or sell substantial amounts without causing major disruptions to the market.
For those trading and investing in silver, affordability is a key aspect that sets it apart. With a much lower price than gold, it’s accessible to a broader range of market participants. This affordability allows traders and investors to hold larger positions, which can help with diversification. Lastly, silver has long been seen as a hedge against economic uncertainty, often serving as a so-called safe-haven asset during periods of instability, alongside other precious metals like gold.
Silver Trading Hours
Silver trading operates nearly around the clock, opening at 11:00 pm GMT on Sunday and closing at 10:00 pm GMT on Friday. However, the market closes for short overnight breaks during the week, usually for around an hour each day between 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm GMT. It’s important to note that trading hours may vary depending on a trader’s location, but the market always follows this GMT schedule.
Key Factors That Influence Silver Value
Silver online trading is influenced by a mix of economic, industrial, and geopolitical factors, making it difficult for traders and investors to analyse silver market movements. Recognising these key factors is vital for anyone exploring how to trade silver.
- Supply and Demand Dynamics: The balance between a metal's availability and its demand significantly impacts its value. Industrial applications, such as electronics and solar panels, drive demand, while mining production and recycling affect supply. Disruptions in mining or shifts in industrial needs can lead to price fluctuations.
- Economic Indicators: Inflation rates, interest rates, and overall economic health play crucial roles. During inflationary periods, it often attracts investors seeking to hedge risks, potentially driving up prices. However, higher interest rates designed to quell inflation can make non-yielding assets like silver less appealing.
- Geopolitical Events: Global uncertainties, such as political tensions or conflicts, can increase its appeal as a so-called safe-haven asset, leading to price surges.
- Currency Strength: Since silver is priced in US dollars, its value often moves inversely to the dollar. When the dollar weakens, silver value typically rises, and vice versa.
- Market Speculation: Investor sentiment and speculative trading can lead to rapid price changes. Large trades or shifts in market sentiment can cause significant volatility, affecting the metal’s market value.
Different Ways to Trade Silver Online
When it comes to trading silver online, there are several ways to access the market, each with its own appeal and considerations.
1. Silver CFDs (Contracts for Difference)
Most traders interact with CFDs on silver. CFDs enable traders to trade based on silver's price movements without needing to own the physical asset. They can trade on both rising and falling prices, making CFDs a flexible option. CFDs also offer leverage, offering a way to control larger positions with a smaller initial investment. However, it’s essential to understand the risks, as leverage amplifies both potential returns and losses.
Silver CFD trading is available at FXOpen. Check the real-time chart on the free TickTrader trading platform.
2. Spot Silver Trading
Spot silver trading refers to the buying and selling of silver at its current market price, known as the "spot price," with settlement occurring immediately. Unlike silver futures or options, where traders agree to buy or sell silver at a predetermined price on a future date, spot trading reflects the present value of silver for direct exchange.
3. Silver Futures
Futures are contracts where traders agree to buy or sell silver at a specified price on a future date. They are ideal for those looking to speculate on longer-term trends. Futures require a margin account and involve high leverage, which can lead to significant returns or losses.
4. Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
Silver ETFs provide exposure to the metal without needing to handle the metal physically. These funds are traded on stock exchanges and offer a more traditional investment route. While they’re less volatile than leveraged products like CFDs, they also lack the flexibility of short-term trading.
5. Silver Mining Stocks
Companies that mine silver are often used to invest in silver online, though they can be an indirect trading avenue. While stock prices often correlate with silver, they can also be influenced by other factors, such as a company’s operational performance or management decisions.
Comparing Silver with Other Precious and Industrial Metals
Silver occupies a unique position in the commodities market, bridging the gap between precious metals like gold and industrial commodities such as copper. Understanding these relationships can be an essential part of a silver trading strategy.
Silver vs Gold
Both are precious metals and often serve as so-called safe-haven assets during economic uncertainty. However, silver is more volatile than gold. This increased volatility stems from silver's significant industrial applications, which account for about 50% of its demand, compared to gold's 10%. Consequently, silver's price is more susceptible to fluctuations in industrial demand.
Additionally, accessibility in silver as an investment is important to note, since it’s more abundant and less expensive per ounce than gold.
Silver vs Platinum and Palladium
Platinum and palladium are also precious metals with substantial industrial uses, particularly in automotive catalytic converters. Palladium has seen a surge in demand due to stricter emission standards, leading to higher prices.
Silver, while used in various industries, has a more diversified application base, including electronics, solar panels, and medical devices. This diversification can lead to different demand dynamics compared to platinum and palladium. Moreover, silver's market is larger and more liquid, offering more trading opportunities.
Silver vs Industrial Commodities (e.g., Copper)
Silver shares some characteristics with industrial metals like copper, as both are essential in the manufacturing and technology sectors. However, silver's dual role as an investment asset and industrial commodity sets it apart.
While copper prices are primarily driven by construction and infrastructure developments, silver's price is influenced by both industrial demand and investor sentiment. This duality can lead to unique price movements not typically observed in purely industrial metals.
Silver Correlation with Other Assets
Silver exhibits some interesting correlations with other assets that can help traders better anticipate market movements.
Gold-Silver Correlation
Historically, silver and gold move in tandem due to their shared status as precious metals. However, silver tends to be more volatile, with sharper price swings during market upheavals. This relationship isn’t always consistent—during periods of intense industrial demand or unique market shocks, silver can diverge from gold, making it harder to analyse its market moves. Still, silver is an exciting trading option.
Equity
Silver often reacts inversely to stock market trends. When equities perform well, silver can lose appeal as investors shift to riskier assets. In contrast, during downturns, silver may gain traction as a defensive asset.
US Dollar
Like many commodities, silver has an inverse correlation with the US dollar. When the dollar strengthens, silver prices typically fall, as a stronger dollar makes it more expensive for foreign buyers and vice versa.
Crude Oil
Silver shares an indirect connection with oil prices, as energy costs significantly impact mining and refining processes. Rising oil prices can increase production costs, potentially influencing the silver supply.
Risks of Trading Silver
Silver trading online comes with its own set of risks, tied to its unique characteristics as both a precious metal and an industrial commodity.
- Volatility Risks: Silver is known for its price swings, which can be more pronounced than gold due to its smaller market size. These sharp movements create opportunities but also expose traders to the potential for significant losses, especially if positions aren’t carefully managed.
- Geopolitical and Economic Uncertainty: While silver often acts as a so-called safe haven, it may be difficult to analyse its price movements. For example, a strengthening US dollar or unexpected global events can cause sudden price drops, catching traders off guard.
- Market Sentiment: Speculation and emotional trading can also drive silver’s price, leading to rapid and sometimes irrational movements. This requires traders to exercise caution and use risk management strategies, such as position sizing and stop-loss levels.
- Market Liquidity: Although silver is generally liquid, certain market conditions can lead to reduced liquidity, making it challenging to execute trades at desired prices. This can result in slippage and losses.
- Regulatory Changes: Changes in regulations, such as margin requirements or trading restrictions, can impact silver markets. For instance, historical events like "Silver Thursday" in 1980 saw regulatory shifts that led to significant market disruptions.
The Bottom Line
Silver’s unique combination of industrial and investment demand, along with its market volatility, makes it an exciting asset for traders. Understanding the factors that influence its price and the different ways to trade it is essential for navigating this dynamic market. If you’re ready to explore silver CFD trading, open an FXOpen account today to access competitive spreads, advanced tools, and a reliable platform for your trading needs.
FAQ
How Can I Trade Silver Online?
Online silver trading can be done through various platforms offering spot markets, futures, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and Contracts for Difference (CFDs). CFDs are particularly popular for online traders, as they allow speculation on silver’s price movements without owning the metal.
Can You Trade Silver in Forex?
The silver code XAG is typically used for trading against the US dollar as the XAG/USD pair. This pairing allows traders to speculate on silver prices relative to the dollar’s strength, combining commodity and currency market dynamics. However, silver can be traded against other currencies, for example, the euro.
Which Pair Correlates With Silver?
Silver (XAG/USD) is most closely correlated with gold (XAU/USD). Both metals often move in similar directions due to their shared status as so-called safe-haven assets, though silver’s industrial demand adds unique price drivers.
What Is the Best Time to Trade Silver?
The best time to trade silver depends on a trader’s trading strategy. However, the most active trading hours for silver are during the overlap between the London and New York sessions, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm GMT (winter time) or from 12:00 am to 4:00 pm GMT (summer time). These times offer high liquidity and volatility, creating more opportunities for traders.
This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
Choppy Market: Patience and Key Levels to WatchThis chart highlights a low-probability trading environment with corrective structures and low volatility. Key focus areas:
Upside Breakout: Watch for impulsive moves above the 30M trendline and 4H LQZ for short-term bullish setups.
Downside Correction: A steeper drop into the 15M or 1H LQZ may provide higher-probability long opportunities.
Stay Patient: Avoid trading inside the choppy range; wait for clear reactions at liquidity zones or strong breakouts with momentum.
How to Identify a Bearish Reversal in Gold Trading
In this article, I will explain to you 4 efficient strategies to identify a bearish reversal with technical analysis in Gold trading.
You will learn price action, SMC and technical indicator strong bearish signals.
First, let me remind you that different bearish signals may indicate a different magnitude and a degree of a potential reversal.
While some signals will be reliable for predicting short term reversals, some will be more accurate in projecting long-term ones.
One more thing to note is that one of the best time frames for bearish reversal confirmations on Gold is the daily . So, all the cases that will be explained will be on a daily time frame strictly.
XAUUSD Bearish Reversal Signal 1 - Bearish Price Action Pattern.
One of the perfect indicators of the overbought state of a bullish trend on Gold is bearish price action patterns.
I am talking about classic horizontal neckline based patterns like head & shoulders, inverted cup & handle, double/triple top and descending triangle.
Typically, these patterns leave early bearish clues and help to predict a coming downturn movement.
A strong bearish signal is a breakout of a horizontal neckline of the pattern and a candle close below.
The price may continue falling at least to the next key support then.
Above is the example of a head and shoulders pattern on Gold, on a daily. Its formation was the evidence of the overheated market. Bearish breakout of its neckline confirmed that, and the price continued falling.
Bearish Reversal Signal 2 - Rising Channel Breakout.
When the market is trading in a healthy bullish trend, it usually starts moving with the boundaries of a rising channel.
It can be the expanding, parallel or contracting channel.
Its support will represent a strong vertical structure, from where new bullish waves will initiate after corrections.
Its breakout will quite accurately indicate a change of a market sentiment and a highly probable bearish reversal.
Look at this rising parallel channel on Gold chart on a daily. The market was respecting its boundaries for more than 3 months.
A bearish violation of its support was an accurate bearish signal that triggered a strong bearish movement.
Bearish Reversal Signal 3 - Change of Character & Bearish Price Action.
One of the main characteristics of a bullish trend is the tendency of the market to set new higher highs and higher lows. Each final high of each bullish impulse is always higher than the previous. Each final low of each bearish movement is also higher than the previous.
In such a price action, the level of the last higher low is a very significant point.
The violation of that and a formation of a new low is an important event that is called Change of Character CHoCH.
It signifies the violation of a current bullish trend.
After that, one should pay attention to a consequent price action, because CHoCH can easily turn into just an extended correctional movement.
If the market sets a lower high and a new lower low then, it will confirm the start of a new bearish trend.
That is the example of a confirmed Change of Character on Gold on a daily. To validate the start of a new bearish trend, we should let the price set a lower high and a form a bearish impulse with a new lower low.
Bearish Reversal Signal 4 - Death Cross.
Death cross is a strong long-term bearish reversal signal that is based on a crossover of 2 moving averages.
On a daily time frame, it is usually based on a combination of 2 Simple Moving Averages: one with 50 length and one with 200 length.
The signal is considered to be confirmed when a 50 length SMA crosses below 200 length SMA.
It is commonly believed that it signifies that the market enters a long-term bearish trend.
On the chart, I plotted 2 Moving Averages. When the blue one crosses below the orange one, a global bearish trend on Gold will be confirmed
The 4 bearish signals that we discussed will be useful for predicting short term, mid term and long term bearish reversals on Gold.
While price action patterns will indicate local bearish movements, Death Cross will confirm a global trend change.
Learn to recognize all the signals that we discussed to make more accurate trading and investing decisions.
❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️
The Importance of Stop Loss and Emotional Discipline in TradingThe Importance of Stop Loss and Emotional Discipline in Trading
“The market doesn’t care about your emotions; it follows its own rules.”
One of the most critical aspects of successful trading is setting a stop loss and sticking to it. Here's why:
Protect Your Capital
Trading without a stop loss is like driving without brakes. A stop loss helps limit your losses and keeps your trading capital safe for future opportunities.
Stay Disciplined
Many traders make the mistake of moving their stop loss further away out of fear of being stopped out. This is a slippery slope that can lead to even larger losses. Stick to your plan, no matter what.
Remove Emotions from Trading
Fear and greed are your worst enemies. By predefining your stop loss, you eliminate emotional decision-making in the heat of the moment.
Focus on Risk Management
Before entering a trade, always ask yourself:
What’s my risk-reward ratio?
How much am I willing to lose if the trade goes against me?
Learn to Accept Losses
Losses are a natural part of trading. A stop loss isn’t a failure; it’s a tool to protect you and keep you in the game for the long term.
Key Tip:
Never remove your stop loss hoping the market will “come back.” Hope is not a strategy—discipline and planning are.
Let your emotions stay out of your trades. Protect your capital, trade your plan, and let the market do the rest.
How to Identify Significant Liquidity Zone in Gold Trading
A liquidity zone is a specific area on a price chart where the market orders concentrate.
In this article, I will teach you how to identify the most significant liquidity zones on Gold chart beyond historical levels.
Liquidity Zones
First, in brief, let's discuss where liquidity concentrates.
Market liquidity concentrates on:
1. Psychological levels
Above, you can see a clear concentration of liquidity around a 2500 psychological level on Gold price chart.
2. Fibonacci levels
In the example above, we can see how 382 retracement of a major bullish impulse attracts market liquidity on Gold XAUUSD daily time frame.
3. Horizontal support and resistance levels and trend lines.
In that case, an area based on a classic support/resistance level was a clear source of market liquidity on Gold.
Significant Liquidity Zone
A significant liquidity zone will be the area where psychological levels, Fibonacci levels, horizontal support and resistance levels and trend lines match .
Please, note that such an area may combine the indicators, or any other technical tools.
Such zones can be easily found even beyond the historic levels.
Look at a price chart on Gold on a daily.
Though the market has just updated the ATH, we can spot the next potentially significant liquidity zone with technical analysis.
We see a perfect intersection of a rising trend line, 2600 psychological level based on round numbers and a Fibonacci extension confluence of 2 recent bullish impulses.
These technical tools will compose a significant liquidity zone.
The idea is that Gold was rallying up because of the excess of demand on the market. We will assume that selling orders will be placed within that liquidity zone and the excess of demand will be absorbed by the supply.
It will make the price AT LEAST stop growing and potentially will trigger a correctional movement.
Learn to recognize such liquidity zones, it will help you a lot in predicting Gold price movements.
❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️
All Stars Aligned: Bitcoin, Gold, Fiat, and DebtThis post explores the idea that Bitcoin, often referred to as "digital gold," might one day replace gold as the preferred store of value.
Gold’s price (shown in yellow) has traditionally been sensitive to inflation, which is influenced by money printing, as indicated by the US M2 money supply (shown in white on the chart). Geopolitical and economic insecurity also drives demand for gold, the "safe-haven" metal. To add further context, I've also included US debt (shown in red).
The chart reveals that the market seems to have found some form of equilibrium at current levels, with gold’s price finally tracking the M2 money supply and debt parameters closely. Interestingly, Bitcoin (shown in orange) has mirrored this behavior in a similar fast-paced manner.
Around the $3,000 mark for gold and near $100,000 for Bitcoin, both assets are aligning with the money supply and debt trends. This suggests that any further price increases could be limited unless additional money is printed or debt increases. Of course, a Black Swan event could disrupt this equilibrium at any time.
I also used TradingView’s Correlation Coefficient tool to examine the relationship between Bitcoin and gold. The correlation is impressively high at 0.87, indicating an almost perfect alignment between the two assets.
The chart supports the idea that Bitcoin is tracking gold closely, strengthening the notion that Bitcoin could indeed be positioning itself as the "digital gold" of the future.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Safe Haven Volume-Weighted Cross-Asset Correlation Insights1. Introduction
Safe-haven assets, such as Gold, Treasuries, and the Japanese Yen, are vital components in diversified portfolios, especially during periods of market uncertainty. These assets tend to attract capital in times of economic distress, serving as hedges against risk. While traditional price correlation analyses have long been used to assess relationships between assets, they often fail to account for the nuances introduced by trading volume and liquidity.
In this article, we delve into volume-weighted returns, a metric that incorporates trading volume into correlation analysis. This approach reveals deeper insights into the interplay between safe-haven assets and broader market dynamics. By examining how volume-weighted correlations evolve across daily, weekly, and monthly timeframes, traders can uncover actionable patterns and refine their strategies.
The aim is to provide a fresh perspective on the dynamics of safe-haven assets, bridging the gap between traditional price-based correlations and liquidity-driven metrics to empower traders with more comprehensive insights.
2. The Role of Volume in Correlation Analysis
Volume-weighted returns account for the magnitude of trading activity, offering a nuanced view of asset relationships. For safe-haven assets, this is particularly important, as periods of high trading volume often coincide with heightened market stress or major economic events. By integrating volume into return calculations, traders can better understand how liquidity flows shape market trends.
3. Heatmap Analysis: Key Insights
The heatmaps of volume-weighted return correlations across daily, weekly, and monthly timeframes provide a wealth of insights into the behavior of safe-haven assets. Key observations include:
Gold (GC) and Treasuries (ZN): These assets exhibit stronger correlations over weekly and monthly timeframes. This alignment often reflects shared macroeconomic drivers, such as inflation expectations or central bank policy decisions, which influence safe-haven demand.
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
These findings highlight the evolving nature of cross-asset relationships and the role volume plays in amplifying or dampening correlations. By analyzing these trends, traders can gain a clearer understanding of the market forces at play.
4. Case Studies: Safe-Haven Dynamics
Gold vs. Treasuries (GC vs. ZN):
Gold and Treasuries are often considered classic safe-haven assets, attracting investor capital during periods of inflationary pressure or market turbulence. Volume-weighted return correlations between these two assets tend to strengthen in weekly and monthly timeframes.
For example:
During inflationary periods, both assets see heightened demand, reflected in higher trading volumes and stronger correlations.
Geopolitical uncertainties, such as trade wars or military conflicts, often lead to synchronized movements as investors seek safety.
The volume-weighted perspective adds depth, revealing how liquidity flows into these markets align during systemic risk episodes, providing traders with an additional layer of analysis for portfolio hedging.
5. Implications for Traders
Portfolio Diversification:
Volume-weighted correlations offer a unique way to assess diversification benefits. For example:
Weakening correlations between Gold and Treasuries during stable periods may signal opportunities to increase exposure to other uncorrelated assets.
Conversely, stronger correlations during market stress highlight the need to diversify beyond safe havens to reduce concentration risk.
Risk Management:
Tracking volume-weighted correlations helps traders detect shifts in safe-haven demand. For instance:
A sudden spike in the volume-weighted correlation between Treasuries and the Japanese Yen may indicate heightened risk aversion, suggesting a need to adjust portfolio exposure.
Declining correlations could signal the return of idiosyncratic drivers, providing opportunities to rebalance holdings.
Trade Timing:
Volume-weighted metrics can enhance timing strategies by confirming market trends:
Strengthening correlations between safe-haven assets can validate macroeconomic narratives, such as inflation fears or geopolitical instability, helping traders align their strategies accordingly.
Conversely, weakening correlations may signal the onset of new market regimes, offering early indications for tactical repositioning.
6. Limitations and Considerations
While volume-weighted return analysis offers valuable insights, it is essential to understand its limitations:
Influence of Extreme Events:
Significant market events, such as unexpected central bank announcements or geopolitical crises, can create anomalies in volume-weighted correlations. These events may temporarily distort the relationships between assets, leading to misleading signals for traders who rely solely on this metric.
Short-Term Noise:
Volume-weighted correlations over shorter timeframes, such as daily windows, are more susceptible to market noise. Sudden spikes in trading volume driven by speculative activity or high-frequency trading can obscure meaningful trends.
Interpretation Challenges:
Understanding the drivers behind changes in volume-weighted correlations requires a strong grasp of macroeconomic forces and market structure. Without context, traders risk misinterpreting these dynamics, potentially leading to suboptimal decisions.
By recognizing these limitations, traders can use volume-weighted correlations as a complementary tool rather than a standalone solution, combining it with other forms of analysis for more robust decision-making.
7. Conclusion
Volume-weighted return analysis provides a fresh lens for understanding the complex dynamics of safe-haven assets. By integrating trading volume into correlation metrics, this approach uncovers liquidity-driven relationships that are often missed in traditional price-based analyses.
Key takeaways from this study include:
Safe-haven assets such as Gold, Treasuries, and the Japanese Yen exhibit stronger volume-weighted correlations over longer timeframes, driven by shared macroeconomic forces.
For traders, the practical applications are clear: volume-weighted correlations can potentially enhance portfolio diversification, refine risk management strategies, and improve market timing. By incorporating this type of methodology into their workflow, market participants can adapt to shifting market conditions with greater precision.
When charting futures, the data provided could be delayed. Traders working with the ticker symbols discussed in this idea may prefer to use CME Group real-time data plan on TradingView: www.tradingview.com - This consideration is particularly important for shorter-term traders, whereas it may be less critical for those focused on longer-term trading strategies.
General Disclaimer:
The trade ideas presented herein are solely for illustrative purposes forming a part of a case study intended to demonstrate key principles in risk management within the context of the specific market scenarios discussed. These ideas are not to be interpreted as investment recommendations or financial advice. They do not endorse or promote any specific trading strategies, financial products, or services. The information provided is based on data believed to be reliable; however, its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Trading in financial markets involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Each individual should conduct their own research and consult with professional financial advisors before making any investment decisions. The author or publisher of this content bears no responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided or for any resultant financial or other losses.
Rolling Correlations and Applications for Traders and Investors1. Introduction
Markets are dynamic, and the relationships between assets are constantly shifting. Static correlation values, calculated over fixed periods, may fail to capture these changes, leading traders to miss critical insights. Rolling correlations, on the other hand, provide a continuous view of how correlations evolve over time, making them a powerful tool for dynamic market analysis.
This article explores the concept of rolling correlations, illustrates key trends with examples like ZN (10-Year Treasuries), GC (Gold Futures), and 6J (Japanese Yen Futures), and discusses their practical applications for portfolio diversification, risk management, and timing market entries and exits.
2. Understanding Rolling Correlations
o What Are Rolling Correlations?
Rolling correlations measure the relationship between two assets over a moving window of time. By recalculating correlations at each step, traders can observe how asset relationships strengthen, weaken, or even reverse.
For example, the rolling correlation between ZN and GC reveals periods of alignment (strong correlation) during economic uncertainty and divergence when driven by differing macro forces.
o Why Rolling Correlations Matter:
Capture dynamic changes in market relationships.
Detect regime shifts, such as transitions from risk-on to risk-off sentiment.
Provide context for recent price movements and their alignment with historical trends.
o Impact of Window Length: The length of the rolling window (e.g., 63 days for daily, 26 weeks for weekly) impacts the sensitivity of correlations:
Shorter Windows: Capture rapid changes but may introduce noise.
Longer Windows: Smooth out fluctuations, focusing on sustained trends.
3. Case Study: ZN (Treasuries) vs GC (Gold Futures)
Examining the rolling correlation between ZN and GC reveals valuable insights into their behavior as safe-haven assets:
o Daily Rolling Correlation:
High variability reflects the influence of short-term market drivers like inflation data or central bank announcements.
Peaks in correlation align with periods of heightened risk aversion, such as in early 2020 during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
o Weekly Rolling Correlation:
Provides a clearer view of their shared response to macroeconomic conditions.
For example, the correlation strengthens during sustained inflationary periods when both assets are sought as hedges.
o Monthly Rolling Correlation:
Reflects structural trends, such as prolonged periods of monetary easing or tightening.
Divergences, such as during mid-2023, may indicate unique demand drivers for each asset.
These observations highlight how rolling correlations help traders understand the evolving relationship between key assets and their implications for broader market trends.
4. Applications of Rolling Correlations
Rolling correlations are more than just an analytical tool; they offer practical applications for traders and investors:
1. Portfolio Diversification:
By monitoring rolling correlations, traders can identify periods when traditionally uncorrelated assets start aligning, reducing diversification benefits.
2. Risk Management:
Rolling correlations help traders detect concentration risks. For example, if ZN and 6J correlations remain persistently high, it could indicate overexposure to safe-haven assets.
Conversely, weakening correlations may signal increasing portfolio diversification.
3. Timing Market Entry/Exit:
Strengthening correlations can confirm macroeconomic trends, helping traders align their strategies with market sentiment.
5. Practical Insights for Traders
Incorporating rolling correlation analysis into trading workflows can enhance decision-making:
Shorter rolling windows (e.g., daily) are suitable for short-term traders, while longer windows (e.g., monthly) cater to long-term investors.
Adjust portfolio weights dynamically based on correlation trends.
Hedge risks by identifying assets with diverging rolling correlations (e.g., if ZN-GC correlations weaken, consider adding other uncorrelated assets).
6. Practical Example: Applying Rolling Correlations to Trading Decisions
To illustrate the real-world application of rolling correlations, let’s analyze a hypothetical scenario involving ZN (Treasuries) and GC (Gold), and 6J (Yen Futures):
1. Portfolio Diversification:
A trader holding ZN notices a decline in its rolling correlation with GC, indicating that the two assets are diverging in response to unique drivers. Adding GC to the portfolio during this period enhances diversification by reducing risk concentration.
2. Risk Management:
During periods of heightened geopolitical uncertainty (e.g., late 2022), rolling correlations between ZN and 6J rise sharply, indicating a shared safe-haven demand. Recognizing this, the trader reduces exposure to both assets to mitigate over-reliance on risk-off sentiment.
3. Market Entry/Exit Timing:
Periods where the rolling correlation between ZN (Treasuries) and GC (Gold Futures) transitions from negative to positive signal that the two assets are potentially regaining their historical correlation after a phase of divergence. During these moments, traders can utilize a simple moving average (SMA) crossover on each asset to confirm synchronized directional movement. For instance, as shown in the main chart, the crossover highlights key points where both ZN and GC aligned directionally, allowing traders to confidently initiate positions based on this corroborative setup. This approach leverages both correlation dynamics and technical validation to align trades with prevailing market trends.
These examples highlight how rolling correlations provide actionable insights that improve portfolio strategy, risk management, and trade timing.
7. Conclusion
Rolling correlations offer a dynamic lens through which traders and investors can observe evolving market relationships. Unlike static correlations, rolling correlations adapt to shifting macroeconomic forces, revealing trends that might otherwise go unnoticed.
By incorporating rolling correlations into their analysis, market participants can:
Identify diversification opportunities and mitigate concentration risks.
Detect early signs of market regime shifts.
Align their portfolios with dominant trends to enhance performance.
In a world of constant market changes, rolling correlations can be a powerful tool for navigating complexity and making smarter trading decisions.
When charting futures, the data provided could be delayed. Traders working with the ticker symbols discussed in this idea may prefer to use CME Group real-time data plan on TradingView: www.tradingview.com - This consideration is particularly important for shorter-term traders, whereas it may be less critical for those focused on longer-term trading strategies.
General Disclaimer:
The trade ideas presented herein are solely for illustrative purposes forming a part of a case study intended to demonstrate key principles in risk management within the context of the specific market scenarios discussed. These ideas are not to be interpreted as investment recommendations or financial advice. They do not endorse or promote any specific trading strategies, financial products, or services. The information provided is based on data believed to be reliable; however, its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Trading in financial markets involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Each individual should conduct their own research and consult with professional financial advisors before making any investment decisions. The author or publisher of this content bears no responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided or for any resultant financial or other losses.
The Psychology of Wealth
🔸The psychology of wealth centers on cultivating a mindset that aligns your thoughts, beliefs, and actions with abundance, financial success, and prosperity.
🔸The affirmations you’ve mentioned—such as "money comes easily," "I deserve success," and "I’m in control of my future"—are key components of a wealth-oriented mindset. This approach isn’t just about positive thinking; it’s about rewiring your brain, creating empowering habits, and developing the emotional resilience needed to achieve financial and personal success.
🔸Here’s a breakdown of how these affirmations and principles relate to the psychology of wealth:
1. "Money Comes Easily"
▪️Belief in Ease and Flow: This statement fosters a belief that financial opportunities are abundant and accessible. When you believe money can come easily, you’re more likely to notice opportunities, attract resources, and act on them confidently.
▪️Shift from Scarcity to Abundance: Many people operate with a scarcity mindset, feeling money is hard to earn. By affirming that money comes easily, you break free from this limiting belief and open yourself to creative solutions and ideas.
🔸Actionable Steps:
▪️Identify opportunities in your field or new markets.
▪️Develop skills that make earning money simpler and more sustainable.
2. "I Deserve Success"
▪️Self-Worth and Wealth: Believing you deserve success ties your financial achievements to your sense of self-worth. If you subconsciously feel undeserving, you may sabotage your efforts or settle for less.
▪️Breaking Limiting Beliefs: Many people are conditioned by childhood experiences or societal expectations to believe success is reserved for others. Reaffirming that you deserve success challenges these limiting beliefs.
🔸Actionable Steps:
▪️Reflect on past achievements and recognize your value.
▪️Engage in self-care and personal growth activities to reinforce your worthiness.
3. "There Is an Abundance of Money"
▪️Abundance Mentality: This statement helps shift from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. Believing there’s enough wealth for everyone fosters collaboration, innovation, and generosity.
▪️Law of Attraction: When you focus on abundance, you’re more likely to act in ways that attract wealth and prosperity into your life.
🔸Actionable Steps:
▪️Practice gratitude daily to focus on what you already have.
▪️Seek out stories or examples of abundance to reinforce this belief.
4. "Nothing Can Stop Me from Success"
▪️Resilience and Determination: This affirmation builds a mindset of resilience and perseverance. It reminds you that challenges are temporary and that you have the power to overcome obstacles.
▪️Reframing Failure: By adopting this belief, you view setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow, rather than insurmountable barriers.
🔸Actionable Steps:
▪️Break big goals into manageable steps to maintain momentum.
▪️Develop a "growth mindset," where challenges are viewed as essential for improvement.
5. "I’m in Control of My Future"
▪️Empowerment and Responsibility: This belief emphasizes personal accountability and the ability to influence your financial destiny. It counters feelings of helplessness and external blame.
▪️Focus on What You Can Control: While you can’t control every external event, you can control your reactions, decisions, and efforts.
🔸Actionable Steps:
▪️Set clear financial and personal goals.
▪️Continuously educate yourself about wealth-building strategies, such as investing, saving, and entrepreneurship.
Final Thoughts
The psychology of wealth is about more than financial gain—it’s about cultivating a mindset of abundance, gratitude, and empowerment. By believing that money comes easily, you deserve success, and you are in control of your future, you set the stage for proactive behaviors and sustained growth. Pair these beliefs with practical strategies, and you’ll find yourself on a path toward financial freedom and personal fulfillment.
Timeframes and Correlations in Multi-Asset Markets1. Introduction
Understanding correlations across timeframes is essential for traders and investors managing diverse portfolios. Correlations measure how closely the price movements of two assets align, revealing valuable insights into market relationships. However, these relationships often vary based on the timeframe analyzed, with daily, weekly, and monthly perspectives capturing unique dynamics.
This article delves into how correlations evolve across timeframes, explores their underlying drivers, and examines real-world examples involving multi-asset instruments such as equities, bonds, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. By focusing on these key timeframes, traders can identify meaningful trends, manage risks, and make better-informed decisions.
2. Timeframe Aggregation Effect
Correlations vary significantly depending on the aggregation level of data:
Daily Timeframe: Reflects short-term price movements dominated by noise and intraday volatility. Daily correlations often show weaker relationships as asset prices react to idiosyncratic or local factors.
Weekly Timeframe: Aggregates daily movements, smoothing out noise and capturing medium-term relationships. Correlations tend to increase as patterns emerge over several days.
Monthly Timeframe: Represents long-term trends influenced by macroeconomic factors, smoothing out daily and weekly fluctuations. At this level, correlations reflect systemic relationships driven by broader forces like interest rates, inflation, or global risk sentiment.
Example: The correlation between ES (S&P 500 Futures) and BTC (Bitcoin Futures) may appear weak on a daily timeframe due to high BTC volatility. However, their monthly correlation might strengthen, aligning during broader risk-on periods fueled by Federal Reserve easing cycles.
3. Smoothing of Volatility Across Timeframes
Shorter timeframes tend to exhibit lower correlations due to the dominance of short-term volatility and market noise. These random fluctuations often obscure deeper, more structural relationships. As the timeframe extends, volatility smooths out, revealing clearer correlations between assets.
Example:
ZN (10-Year Treasuries) and GC (Gold Futures) exhibit a weaker correlation on a daily basis because they react differently to intraday events. However, over monthly timeframes, their correlation strengthens due to shared drivers like inflation expectations and central bank policies.
By aggregating data over weeks or months, traders can focus on meaningful relationships rather than being misled by short-term market randomness.
4. Market Dynamics at Different Frequencies
Market drivers vary depending on the asset type and the timeframe analyzed. While short-term correlations often reflect immediate market reactions, longer-term correlations align with broader economic forces:
Equities (ES - S&P 500 Futures): Correlations with other assets are driven by growth expectations, earnings reports, and investor sentiment. These factors fluctuate daily but align more strongly with macroeconomic trends over longer timeframes.
Cryptocurrencies (BTC - Bitcoin Futures): Highly speculative and volatile in the short term, BTC exhibits weak daily correlations with traditional assets. However, its monthly correlations can strengthen with risk-on/risk-off sentiment, particularly in liquidity-driven environments.
Safe-Havens (ZN - Treasuries and GC - Gold Futures): On daily timeframes, these assets may respond differently to specific events. Over weeks or months, correlations align more closely due to shared reactions to systemic risk factors like interest rates or geopolitical tensions.
Example: During periods of market stress, ZN and GC may show stronger weekly or monthly correlations as investors seek safe-haven assets. Conversely, daily correlations might be weak as each asset responds to its unique set of triggers.
5. Case Studies
To illustrate the impact of timeframes on correlations, let’s analyze a few key asset relationships:
o BTC (Bitcoin Futures) and ES (S&P 500 Futures):
Daily: The correlation is typically weak (around 0.28) due to BTC’s high volatility and idiosyncratic behavior.
Weekly/Monthly: During periods of broad market optimism, BTC and ES may align more closely (0.41), reflecting shared exposure to investor risk appetite.
o ZN (10-Year Treasuries) and GC (Gold Futures):
Daily: These assets often show weak or moderate correlation (around 0.39), depending on intraday drivers.
Weekly/Monthly: An improved correlation (0.41) emerges due to their mutual role as hedges against inflation and monetary uncertainty.
o 6J (Japanese Yen Futures) and ZN (10-Year Treasuries):
Daily: Correlation moderate (around 0.53).
Weekly/Monthly: Correlation strengthens (0.74) as both assets reflect broader safe-haven sentiment, particularly during periods of global economic uncertainty.
These case studies demonstrate how timeframe selection impacts the interpretation of correlations and highlights the importance of analyzing relationships within the appropriate context.
6. Conclusion
Correlations are not static; they evolve based on the timeframe and underlying market drivers. Short-term correlations often reflect noise and idiosyncratic volatility, while longer-term correlations align with structural trends and macroeconomic factors. By understanding how correlations change across daily, weekly, and monthly timeframes, traders can identify meaningful relationships and build more resilient strategies.
The aggregation of timeframes also reveals diversification opportunities and risk factors that may not be apparent in shorter-term analyses. With this knowledge, market participants can better align their portfolios with prevailing market conditions, adapting their strategies to maximize performance and mitigate risk.
When charting futures, the data provided could be delayed. Traders working with the ticker symbols discussed in this idea may prefer to use CME Group real-time data plan on TradingView: www.tradingview.com - This consideration is particularly important for shorter-term traders, whereas it may be less critical for those focused on longer-term trading strategies.
General Disclaimer:
The trade ideas presented herein are solely for illustrative purposes forming a part of a case study intended to demonstrate key principles in risk management within the context of the specific market scenarios discussed. These ideas are not to be interpreted as investment recommendations or financial advice. They do not endorse or promote any specific trading strategies, financial products, or services. The information provided is based on data believed to be reliable; however, its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Trading in financial markets involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Each individual should conduct their own research and consult with professional financial advisors before making any investment decisions. The author or publisher of this content bears no responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided or for any resultant financial or other losses.
Trading is not a get rich quick scheme🔸Patience
▪️Market Timing: Not every moment is the right time to trade. Waiting for the ideal setup is crucial. For example, a patient trader waits for patterns, trends, or specific signals to align with their strategy.
▪️Compounding Growth: Wealth through trading often comes from compounding small, consistent gains rather than chasing big wins. This takes time to materialize.
▪️Recovery Time: Losses are inevitable. Patience allows traders to focus on gradual recovery rather than impulsively trying to "win back" losses.
🔸Discipline
▪️Sticking to the Plan: A trading plan is your blueprint. Discipline ensures you execute trades based on logic, not emotion.
▪️Avoiding Overtrading: The temptation to trade constantly can lead to unnecessary risks. A disciplined trader knows when to step back.
▪️Risk Management: Proper position sizing, setting stop losses, and avoiding over-leveraging are all practices rooted in discipline.
🔸Consistent Effort
▪️Continuous Learning: Markets evolve, and so must traders. Keeping up with new strategies, tools, and market conditions is essential.
▪️Routine Analysis: Reviewing past trades to learn what worked and what didn’t helps improve strategies.
▪️Building Experience: Expertise comes from time spent observing patterns, managing emotions, and handling a variety of market scenarios.
🔸Mindset
▪️Long-Term Thinking: Focus on building wealth slowly rather than chasing immediate profits.
▪️Resilience: Markets can be unpredictable. A strong mindset helps traders stay focused after setbacks.
▪️Adaptability: Successful traders adapt their strategies to fit different market conditions instead of forcing trades.
🔸The Journey, Not the Destination
▪️The idea of "getting rich" in trading is often a trap that leads to rushed decisions and excessive risk-taking. Instead, embrace the process:
▪️Track your progress: Measure success in terms of skill improvement, not just profits.
▪️Celebrate small wins: These build confidence and keep you motivated for the long haul.
▪️Remember, trading is a craft—those who approach it with respect, patience, and consistent effort are the ones most likely to achieve sustainable success.
What I wish I knew when I started Trading1. Study and Trade One Pair Only
Focusing on a single currency pair can streamline your learning and help you master market dynamics.
🔸Choose a Pair: Start with major pairs like EUR/USD or USD/JPY. These have high liquidity and predictable patterns.
🔸Understand Its Behavior: Learn the fundamentals and technical characteristics of the pair, such as its volatility, reaction to news, and typical trading hours.
🔸Backtesting and Practice: Use historical data to understand how the pair moves under different market conditions.
2. Losses Are Part of Trading
No trader is immune to losses. Handling them effectively is crucial for long-term success.
Mindset:
🔸Accept Losses as Learning Opportunities: View losses as part of the cost of doing business, akin to inventory in retail.
🔸Detach Emotionally: Avoid the temptation to revenge trade or let losses affect your confidence.
Practical Strategies:
🔸Set Risk Parameters: Only risk 1-2% of your trading account per trade. This limits the damage of a losing streak.
🔸Use Stop Losses: Predetermine the point at which you will exit a trade if it goes against you. This protects you from devastating losses.
🔸Keep a Journal: Document each trade, including reasons for entering, outcomes, and what you learned. Over time, patterns will emerge to guide improvement.
3. Develop Discipline and Patience
🔸Stick to a Trading Plan: Define your entry, exit, and risk management strategies before trading.
🔸Trade Less, Win More: Focus on high-probability setups instead of trading excessively.
🔸Give Yourself Time: Mastery in Forex trading can take years. Trust the process and aim for consistent improvement.
4. Build Resilience to Handle Losses
Self-Care:
🔸Step away from the charts after a big loss to regain perspective.
🔸Engage in activities that reduce stress, like exercise or meditation.
Review and Improve:
🔸Evaluate losing trades to identify errors.
🔸Adjust your strategy if recurring issues are found.
🔸Focus on the Big Picture:
🔸Track your performance over months or years, not days. This helps put individual losses into perspective.
Copper as a leading indicator for recessionToday, I was analyzing the charts, trying to determine whether a recession might be on the horizon, as the levels at which the U.S. indices are trading don’t seem sustainable to me at all. While scanning through various global indices— including the DAX, which I believe has already peaked —I also looked at copper as a leading indicator.
This led me to the idea for this educational article.
Using Copper Prices as a Leading Economic Indicator: A Guide to Spotting Recession Signals
Copper, often called "Dr. Copper," is a valuable leading indicator in economic analysis due to its widespread use in various industries. Because copper is essential in construction, manufacturing, and electrical applications, its price is highly sensitive to economic conditions. By monitoring copper price trends, you can gain insights into future economic performance and potentially spot signs of an approaching recession.
Here’s how to interpret and use copper prices as an early signal of economic health.
1. Why Copper is a Reliable Economic Indicator :
Copper’s demand is closely linked to economic activity. In times of economic growth, the demand for copper rises, as it’s used in buildings, infrastructure, electronics, and automobiles. Conversely, when economic activity slows down, demand for copper falls, and prices usually decline as a result.
Copper’s price trends are therefore often seen as a reliable barometer of economic health, sometimes predicting recessions before official economic data confirms it. This makes copper prices a useful tool for investors, businesses, and economists to anticipate changes in the economic cycle.
2. Tracking Copper Price Trends as Economic Signals :
To use copper prices as a recession indicator, pay attention to both long-term and short-term price trends:
Long-Term Trends: Sustained declines in copper prices may indicate weakening industrial demand, which can signal a broader economic slowdown.
Short-Term Drops: A sharp drop over a shorter period might suggest that an economic contraction could be imminent, as industries are potentially scaling back production due to reduced demand.
3. Analyzing Copper Prices Alongside Other Economic Indicators :
Copper prices on their own provide valuable insight, but they’re more powerful when considered alongside other economic indicators:
Copper vs. GDP Growth: Copper prices often move in tandem with GDP growth. A consistent drop in copper prices can signal a slowdown in GDP, providing an early recession warning.
Copper vs. Manufacturing Data: Manufacturing output and copper prices are highly correlated. When copper prices fall alongside declining manufacturing data, this suggests weakening demand across multiple sectors, reinforcing recessionary signals.
Copper vs. Other Commodities: When copper prices drop while other commodities like gold rise (a safe-haven asset), it may highlight investors’ concerns about future economic health. A divergence in copper and gold prices can serve as an additional recession indicator.
4. Observing Copper’s Relationship with Bond Yields and Stock Markets
Copper and Bond Yields: A simultaneous drop in copper prices and bond yields often reflects reduced growth expectations and lowered inflation forecasts, both of which can be early signals of economic contraction.
Copper and Stock Markets: Copper price declines can also precede downturns in the stock market, especially in sectors like industrials and materials that rely heavily on strong economic activity. A falling copper price can thus foreshadow declines in stocks tied to economic growth.
5. Considering Global Influences on Copper Demand
Copper’s demand is significantly influenced by global economic conditions, particularly in major economies like China, the largest consumer of copper worldwide:
China’s Economic Health: Since China consumes a large portion of the world’s copper, changes in its economy directly impact copper prices. A slowdown in China’s economy could indicate lower global demand, often preceding a broader economic downturn.
Supply Chain Factors: While copper prices largely reflect demand, they can also be influenced by supply chain disruptions, such as mining issues or trade restrictions. It’s important to distinguish these factors from demand-based price changes when interpreting copper’s economic signals.
Practical Tips for Using Copper as a Recession Signal:
Here are some actionable steps for using copper prices as an early warning of economic downturns:
Establish Price Decline Thresholds: Significant declines in copper prices (e.g., 15-20% over a few months) have historically preceded recessions. Establishing such thresholds based on historical data can help signal potential slowdowns.
Combine Copper with Other Indicators: Look at copper prices alongside yield curves, consumer confidence data, and manufacturing PMI. Copper price declines are often more reliable when they coincide with other recessionary indicators.
Stay Updated on Market Reports: Monitoring industry reports, forecasts, and economic analyses regarding copper can provide insight into whether price changes are due to demand shifts or short-term supply issues.
Conclusion:
Copper prices act as a reliable economic gauge because they are so tightly linked to industrial activity. Sustained declines in copper prices often signal a reduction in demand, hinting at a possible economic downturn before other indicators confirm it. By observing copper prices in conjunction with other economic signals, investors, analysts, and businesses can better anticipate recessions and make informed decisions based on early economic insights.
By integrating copper price trends into your economic analysis toolkit, you can gain a clearer picture of potential economic slowdowns, giving you an advantage in strategic planning and investment decisions.
Practical Application of Order Blocks in Trading🔸In trading, especially in the context of institutional and supply-demand-based strategies, order blocks, imbalances, breakers, and entry points are all critical elements for spotting potential high-probability trade setups. Here’s a breakdown of each:
1. Order Blocks
🔸Definition: Order blocks are areas where large institutional orders (by banks, funds, etc.) are believed to have been placed, often leading to sharp price movements. These typically form after a period of consolidation, when a large entity enters the market to create momentum in a particular direction.
Types:
▪️Bullish Order Block: An area where institutions have placed buy orders, resulting in an upward price move. It’s generally identified by a down candle (in a bullish trend) before a strong upward move.
▪️Bearish Order Block: An area with concentrated sell orders, leading to a strong price decline. It’s marked by an up candle (in a bearish trend) before a sharp downward move.
▪️Use in Trading: Traders look for price to return to these areas as potential entry points, expecting the area to act as support (for bullish order blocks) or resistance (for bearish order blocks).
2. Imbalances
🔸Definition: Imbalances (also called Fair Value Gaps or FVG) occur when there is a strong price movement in one direction, leaving a "gap" in liquidity. ▪️IThis happens when there’s more demand or supply than what the current orders can fulfill, leading to a price spike.
▪️Identification: Look for consecutive candles moving in the same direction without much overlap in their wicks. This often leaves a gap between the high of one candle and the low of the next.
▪️Use in Trading: Since price often "rebalances" itself, traders may expect price to return to this area before continuing its trend, using it as a potential point for entries in the direction of the larger trend.
3. Breakers
🔸Definition: A breaker is a failed attempt at reversing a trend, usually involving a break of structure that indicates a reversal but then fails, with price moving back in the original trend's direction.
Types:
▪️Bullish Breaker: When a downtrend is invalidated, but instead of continuing downwards, price reverses back up. The previous support level that price broke and closed below may now act as a support zone.
▪️Bearish Breaker: When an uptrend is invalidated, but price moves back down, often causing previous resistance to act as resistance again.
▪️Use in Trading: Breakers are often used to identify failed reversals where traders might enter in the direction of the initial trend, as these zones tend to have strong support or resistance.
4. Bullish and Bearish Breakers in Trading
Bullish Breaker:
▪️A level created after a failed bearish structure, turning into support as the price breaks upward.
Look for confirmation of price moving above this level, with entry points often at or just above the zone.
Bearish Breaker:
▪️A level created after a failed bullish attempt, creating a resistance zone as price breaks lower.
Traders enter trades when price retests this breaker level and shows signs of rejection.
5. When to Enter Trades
▪️Order Block Entry: Look for price to return to an order block zone (after creating it), confirming it as a valid area of support or resistance. Confirmation methods include candlestick patterns or lower timeframe support/resistance creation.
▪️Imbalance Entry: Price may "fill" imbalances, and traders can look to enter as price retraces to this level with signs of rejection or confirmation. Watch for candles rejecting at the edge of the imbalance zone.
▪️Breaker Entry: Wait for price to test the breaker zone and show signs of rejection, typically with a smaller time-frame entry trigger (like a lower high or low in structure).
▪️Risk Management: When entering trades based on these points, place stops beyond the zone or recent high/low, and target areas of the next significant support/resistance or opposite liquidity pools.
6. Tips for Effective Use
🔸Multi-Timeframe Analysis: Check higher timeframe levels for stronger order blocks or breakers and use lower timeframes to refine entry.
🔸Wait for Confirmation: Often, a test of these areas with a reversal candlestick pattern (like a pin bar or engulfing candle) on a lower timeframe will provide better entries than immediately entering.
🔸Volume Confirmation: Higher volume in these areas can suggest more institutional interest and improve the chance of a successful trade.
🔸Mastering these concepts involves observing how price interacts with these levels across different market conditions, which enhances accuracy over time.