|

Forex Strength and Comparison for Week 39

Welcome to my "Strength and Comparison" article for the coming week. The article "Ranking, Rating and Score" has also been published. When looking at the Currency Strength in the table here below we can see that the CAD lost a lot of strength in the last 3 weeks. The CHF and the AUD became stronger in the last week and the NZD weaker. For more details read both of my articles where the necessary Charts and Tables are provided.


 

______________________________________

13 Weeks Currency Score Strength


The 13 Weeks Currency Strength and the 13 Weeks Average are provided here below. This data and the "13 weeks Currency Classification" are considered for deciding on the preferred range. Because it is not ideal nor desired to change the range for a currency every single week, we perform several checks to avoid this.

  1. First of all the strength over a period of 13 weeks. See each row for more information.
  2. Then the 13 weeks average, see the last row called "Avg. 13 wks."
  3. The number of weeks that a currency is stronger than another currency can also be evaluated.
  4. The TA Charts for each Time Frame can also be consulted.

For analyzing the best pairs to trade looking from a longer term perspective the last 13 weeks Currency Classification can be used in support.
This was updated on 25 September 2016 and is provided here for reference purposes:
Strong: USD, JPY, NZD. The preferred range is from 6 to 8.
Average: CHF, AUD. The preferred range is from 4 to 5.
Weak: EUR, GBP, CAD. The preferred range is from 1 to 3.

 

_____________________________________

The Weak Currencies

In the last weeks the CAD became a lot weaker. According to the Currency Strength table here above the Avg. 13 Weeks of the CAD is lower than the EUR which is a weak currency. The CAD scored also 7 times lower than the EUR in the last 13 weeks. For these reason the classification of the CAD has changed from Average to Weak.
The GBP is clearly still the weakest currency with the lowest score of 1.
Here below you can see the Weekly Currency Score Chart for the weak currencies with 6 months data as a reference.


 

_____________________________________

Currency Score Comparison


"Comparison table" and the "Ranking and Rating list"

The Forex Currency Comparison Table compares each currency with its counterpart based on the Currency Score. For more information about the currency Score of this week you can read the article "Forex Ranking, Rating and Score" which is published every week together with this article.
By using the comparison table directly below you can get a view without the volatility and statistics as opposed to the "Ranking and Rating list". Only the strength of each currency against the counterparts is analyzed by using the Technical analysis charts of the 4 Time Frames that are also used for the "Ranking and Rating List". 
The information from the Comparison Table is the source for calculating the "Ranking and Rating List" where this list additionally uses the volatility and statistics for creating the best and worst performer in the list from number 1 to 28.

"Comparison table" and the "Currency Score Chart"

The additional value of this table compared to the Currency Score table is that the Comparison Table compares the strength between the currencies of each pair. By subtracting the strength of the weaker currency from the stronger currency we have a way to compare each pair combination. 
The comparison table provides a way to compare currencies from a longer term perspective of 13 weeks and also simultaneously taking the current trend into account. By coloring the currencies in the X and Y axis according to their Classification we can show what the best combinations are. In doing this we apply 2 rules to make it clearer.

  1. First of all only better classified currencies in combination with weaker classified currencies are "Approved" when there is a Currency Score difference of at least 1 in the current week.
  2. The only exception is when 2 currencies are similarly classified but the Currency Score difference is equal to or more than 4.
  3. It means that each currency should be as far apart from each other as possible in the range from 1 to 8. The classification of the currencies in question may change in the longer term. By using the difference of 4 which is exact the half of the range it seems a safe approach for trading 2 currencies which are similarly classified.
  4. Even though currencies may be in the same classification a currency may be in a weaker/stronger period and may even change its classification in the future. See the current classification for the coming period at the beginning of this article.


 

______________________________________

Putting the pieces together


Based on the last "13 Weeks currency classification" and the "Currency Comparison Table" the most interesting currencies for going long seem to be the:
JPY, CHF and AUD. 
These are strong or average currencies from a longer term perspective when looking at the last "13 Weeks currency classification".

For going short the same analysis can be done and the following currencies seem to fit best:
GBP and CAD. 
These are weak or average currencies from a longer term perspective.

Currencies with a high deviation seem less interesting to trade because they are less predictable. These currencies seem to be at the moment e.g. the:
CHF and NZD. 
Unless these currencies offer a clear opportunity based on the longer term it seems best to be avoided. However, these currencies may offer opportunities for the short term trader.

Some of the pairs in the "Currency Comparison Table" comply for a longer term trade based on the Technical Analysis (TA) of the Daily and Weekly chart. For the coming week these seem to be: GBP/JPY, GBP/CHF, CAD/JPY, GBP/AUD, GBP/USD, EUR/JPY, AUD/CAD and GBP/NZD

 

______________________________________

Besides this article I also use the Forex "Ranking, Rating and Score" which is also available once a week on my blog at FxTaTrader.com. In the article "Ranking, Rating and Score" we look in more detail at the absolute position of the currencies and pairs.


It is recommended to read the page Currency score explained and Models in practice for a better understanding of the article. If you would like to use this article then mention the source by providing the URL FxTaTrader.com or the direct link to this article. Good luck in the coming week.

______________________________________

DISCLAIMER: The articles are my personal opinion, not recommendations, FX trading is risky and not suitable for everyone.The content is for educational purposes only and is aimed solely for the use by ‘experienced’ traders in the FOREX market as the contents are intended to be understood by professional users who are fully aware of the inherent risks in forex trading. The content is for 'Forex Trading Journal' purpose only. Nothing should be construed as recommendation to purchase any financial instruments. The choice and risk is always yours. Thank you.

Author

Frank Oznar

Frank Oznar

FxTaTrader

Technical Analysis of the trading markets has fascinated me since the early 1990's. I was then about 25 years old. During the years my studies and work made it possible to look into Technical analysis from an economic and a scientific point of view.

More from Frank Oznar
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD picks up pace and reaches two-day tops around 1.1820 at the end of the week. The pair’s move higher comes on the back of renewed weakness in the US Dollar amid growing talk that the Fed could deliver an interest rate cut as early as March. On the docket, the flash US Consumer Sentiment improves to 57.3 in February.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

Gold climbs further, focus is back to 45,000

Gold regains upside traction and surpasses the $4,900 mark per troy ounce at the end of the week, shifting its attention to the critical $5,000 region. The move reflects a shift in risk sentiment, driving flows back towards traditional safe haven assets and supporting the yellow metal.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP rebound amid risk-off, $2.6 billion liquidation wave

Bitcoin edges up above $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as dust from the recent macro-triggered sell-off settles. The leading altcoin, Ethereum, hovers above $1,900, but resistance at $2,000 caps the upside. Meanwhile, Ripple has recorded the largest intraday jump among the three assets, up over 10% to $1.35.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans. 

XRP rally extends as modest ETF inflows support recovery

Ripple is accelerating its recovery, trading above $1.36 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors adjust their positions following a turbulent week in the broader crypto market. The remittance token is up over 21% from its intraday low of $1.12.