The past 2 weeks have spiked the VIX nearly 70%! For a trader this can be golden, especially for options traders looking to sell options and collect premium. Master trader, Steve Moses, joins Merlin for a look at how his trading has changed over the past 2 weeks due to the increase in volatility. Steve also takes a look at historical market data and what we should have learned from it!
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD eases below 1.1700 after EU inflation data
EUR/USD has come under mild selling pressure below 1.1700 in European trading hours on Wednesday. The pair faces headwinds from softer Eurozone inflation data, which weigh on the Euro. Meanwhile, the US Dollar struggles ahead of US jobs report.
GBP/USD hovers around 1.3500 ahead of US data
GBP/USD loses ground to gyrate around 1.3500 on Wednesday after registering modest gains in the previous session. The pair treads water as the US Dollar struggles ahead of the US ADP Employment Change, JOLTS Job Openings and ISM Services Purchasing Managers’ Index due later in the day.
Japanese Yen advances vs. weaker USD amid divergent BoJ-Fed outlooks
The Japanese Yen adds to its modest Asian session gains against a broadly softer US Dollar and reverses a major part of the previous day's decline. The growing acceptance that the Bank of Japan will stick to its policy normalization path marks a significant divergence in comparison to dovish US Fed expectations and is seen as a key factor behind the lower-yielding JPY's outperformance.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD eases below 1.1700 after EU inflation data
EUR/USD has come under mild selling pressure below 1.1700 in European trading hours on Wednesday. The pair faces headwinds from softer Eurozone inflation data, which weigh on the Euro. Meanwhile, the US Dollar struggles ahead of US jobs report.
GBP/USD hovers around 1.3500 ahead of US data
GBP/USD loses ground to gyrate around 1.3500 on Wednesday after registering modest gains in the previous session. The pair treads water as the US Dollar struggles ahead of the US ADP Employment Change, JOLTS Job Openings and ISM Services Purchasing Managers’ Index due later in the day.
Gold remains depressed below $4,500 as key US macro data looms
Gold trims a part of its intraday losses, though it retains its negative bias through the first half of the European session on Wednesday and remains well below the $4,500 psychological mark. As investors digest the recent US attack on Venezuela, the underlying bullish sentiment turns out to be a key factor that prompted some profit-taking around the precious metal.
ADP Employment Report set to show moderate rebound in December after November’s drop
The Automatic Data Processing Research Institute will release its monthly Employment Change Report for December on Wednesday. The ADP report is expected to show that the United States economy created 45,000 jobs in the last month of 2025, to offset the 32.000 net employment loss seen in November.
Implications of US intervention in Venezuela
Events in Venezuela are top of mind for market participants, and while developments are associated with an elevated degree of uncertainty, we are not making any changes to our markets or economic forecasts as a result of the deposition of Nicolás Maduro.
RECOMMENDED LESSONS
Making money in forex is easy if you know how the bankers trade!
I’m often mystified in my educational forex articles why so many traders struggle to make consistent money out of forex trading. The answer has more to do with what they don’t know than what they do know. After working in investment banks for 20 years many of which were as a Chief trader its second knowledge how to extract cash out of the market.
5 Forex News Events You Need To Know
In the fast moving world of currency markets where huge moves can seemingly come from nowhere, it is extremely important for new traders to learn about the various economic indicators and forex news events and releases that shape the markets. Indeed, quickly getting a handle on which data to look out for, what it means, and how to trade it can see new traders quickly become far more profitable and sets up the road to long term success.
Top 10 Chart Patterns Every Trader Should Know
Chart patterns are one of the most effective trading tools for a trader. They are pure price-action, and form on the basis of underlying buying and selling pressure. Chart patterns have a proven track-record, and traders use them to identify continuation or reversal signals, to open positions and identify price targets.
7 Ways to Avoid Forex Scams
The forex industry is recently seeing more and more scams. Here are 7 ways to avoid losing your money in such scams: Forex scams are becoming frequent. Michael Greenberg reports on luxurious expenses, including a submarine bought from the money taken from forex traders. Here’s another report of a forex fraud. So, how can we avoid falling in such forex scams?
What Are the 10 Fatal Mistakes Traders Make
Trading is exciting. Trading is hard. Trading is extremely hard. Some say that it takes more than 10,000 hours to master. Others believe that trading is the way to quick riches. They might be both wrong. What is important to know that no matter how experienced you are, mistakes will be part of the trading process.
The challenge: Timing the market and trader psychology
Successful trading often comes down to timing – entering and exiting trades at the right moments. Yet timing the market is notoriously difficult, largely because human psychology can derail even the best plans. Two powerful emotions in particular – fear and greed – tend to drive trading decisions off course.