I want to begin dissecting how to read price action in the context of supply and demand. In my personal trading, I do not use any indicators because I know how to read pure price action. It tells you everything you need to know. It informs you when and where the buyers and sellers are stepping in and out of the market. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t use indicators to increase your probability, but, if you can learn how to read price action it will make you less reliant on indicators and an overall better trader. Just think, if you can read the market without any indicators, you will be a much better trader when you start to add a couple of your favorite indicators that already work for you. So, let’s start to look at a couple of examples of how I read price action. Just note, that this works on all asset classes and all time frames like the 1m, 60m, 4h, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.
After price makes a significant move in either direction, there is always a pullback (or consolidation). When price pulls back to an opposing area of supply/demand, if the original direction is going to continue, you want to a see a new low or high created which you can see in the example below.
But what happens when a new low/high is not created? When price pulls back to a supply/demand level and fails to create a new low/high, that often (not always) means that price will do one of two things: price will either go deeper into the original supply/demand level or it will go through that level. Let’s take a look at an example of each.
In this 1st example (below), we can see an area of supply was formed and made a move lower, then price pulled back into that supply. Now, if the sellers are really starting to take control, we should see price react strongly out of that supply, creating a new low as it breaks the most recently formed pivot. As you can see that did not happen, price failed to create a new low and then went higher to retest that area of supply. In this case, since that area of supply had been all used up (a wick was formed that took out the entire level) price went higher, breaking through this area of supply.
In the 2nd example (below), price fails to make a new high (because it never broke the most recently formed pivot) after pulling back to demand. Price then pulls back deeper into the demand level and fails a 2nd time to make a new high. On the 3rd test of the demand level, price breaks through it.
Notice the difference between the 1st example and the 2nd one – in the 1st example when price pulled back, it cleared out the area of sellers because it pulled back to the top of the supply level, leaving no sellers behind, allowing price to break cleanly through it. In the 2nd example, price barely touches the demand level, leaving behind a lot of buyers still waiting there when price returned. When price did finally break through, it wasn’t as clean as in the first example because there were still buyers in that area, just not enough to cause a significant turn in price.
This is price action in its purest form. You do not need indicators if you know how to read price action. That doesn’t mean you can’t use indicators, but once you know how to read price action, you will use them for their more beneficial purpose, which is to increase probability, not tell you when to buy or sell. Indicators are not reliable on their own, but when combined with price action they will be much more effective. Now, price action can go a lot deeper than this. At a later time I will get more in-depth on how this type of analysis can be actionable for you.
There is substantial risk associated with trading in the financial markets. You are solely responsible for your own financial decisions. Information on Ryan Miller Trading Economics is for educational purposes only. Ryan Miller Trading Economics will not be held responsible for any losses you incur. Ryan Miller Trading Economics does not provide any trading advice and is not a professional investment service. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. There is a substantial risk of loss associated with trading currencies, securities, options, futures, equities and options on futures and currencies. Currencies, Futures, Options, Bonds, Equities and other securities trading all have large potential rewards, but they also have large potential risk and may result in monetary losses. You must be aware of the risks and be willing to accept them in order to invest or trade in these markets. Ryan Miller Trading Economics is neither a solicitation nor an offer to Buy/Sell currencies, futures, options, bonds, or equities. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those discussed on this website. The past performance of any trading system or methodology is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD keeps losses below 0.6550 ahead of RBA Bullock's presser
AUD/USD is keeping losses below 0.6550 in Asian trading on Tuesday. The Aussie Dollar remains offered after the Reserve Bank of Australia extended the pause while markets digest the less hawkish policy statement ahead of Governor Bullock's press conference.
USD/JPY holds gains below 150.00 on the expected BoJ rate hike
USD/JPY holds gains below 150.00, as the Japanese Yen stays vulnerable amid a classic 'sell the fact' trading on the hawkish BoJ decision. The BoJ lifted the interest rate by 10 basis points (bps) from -0.1% to 0% for the first time since 2007 and abandoned the YCC framework.
Gold price flat-lines above one-week low, awaits the crucial Fed decision on Wednesday
Gold price oscillates in a range and is influenced by a combination of diverging forces. Hawkish Fed expectations, elevated US bond yields and a bullish USD cap the upside. Geopolitical risks lend some support to the XAU/USD ahead of the key FOMC meeting.
Bitcoin price shows weakness, but new BTC whales have created solid support at $56,400
Bitcoin price downside momentum continues to gain strength, giving sidelined and late bulls a chance to buy the dip. The market remains focussed on the oncoming halving, expected to kick off the next bull cycle. For the meantime, however, spot BTC ETFs remain the main play in the market.
Lots of tension ahead of this week's Fed decision
Last week, we got a strong round of US economic data accompanied by hotter US inflation reads. The takeaway of course is that there might be a lot more pressure on the Fed to be looking to scale back its rate cut outlook at this week’s meeting.
RECOMMENDED LESSONS
Making money in forex is easy if you know how the bankers trade!
Discover how to make money in forex is easy if you know how the bankers trade!
5 Forex News Events You Need To Know
In the fast moving world of currency markets, it is extremely important for new traders to know the list of important forex news...
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...
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.