Giles Coghlan LLB, Lth, MA
HYCM
It is a well known behavioural fact that humans have a round number bias. We just like round numbers. During a visit to the gym recently keeping the RPM’s over 100 was a keen aim. If the RPM’s dropped under 100 something psychologically kicked in to give an extra push in order to hit the ‘big round number’.
This phenomena turns up all over the place. Look at the London Marathon finishing times and how they cluster around the big round numbers of 3 hours, 3:30 hours, and 4 hours.
Most of us are very familiar with pricing that keeps under a big round number. Most goods for about £3 will be priced as £2.99. Staying clear fo the ‘£3’ label, even by a penny, means more sales will be encouraged.
Humans love big round numbers as key reference points. You will have noticed this yourself when you say ‘I will close my position when my equity hits £10,000’ or ‘I will sell the stock when it reaches $100’. This means that traders need to be aware of this impact when trading.
The big round number effect
Whenever you are trading, this has a number of implications for placing orders.
For limit orders: Place buy or sell limit orders at, or near, big round numbers.
For a take profit : Place your TP just a few points BELOW a big round number
For a stop loss: Place your SL just a few points BELOW a big round number.
Also, keep a careful eye out for how big round numbers act as key support and resistance numbers. You will see how influential they are.
High-Risk Investment Warning: Contracts for Difference (‘CFDs’) are complex financial products that are traded on margin. Trading CFDs carries a high degree of risk. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent expert advice if necessary and speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Please think carefully whether such trading suits you, taking into consideration all the relevant circumstances as well as your personal resources. We do not recommend clients posting their entire account balance to meet margin requirements. Clients can minimise their level of exposure by requesting a change in leverage limit. For more information please refer to HYCM’s Risk Disclosure. *Any opinions made in this material are personal to the author and do not reflect the opinions of HYCM. This material is considered a marketing communication and should not be construed as containing investment advice or an investment recommendation, or an offer of or solicitation for any transactions in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee of or prediction of future performance. HYCM does not take into account your personal investment objectives or financial situation. HYCM makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, nor any loss arising from any investment based on a recommendation, forecast, or other information supplied by an employee of HYCM, a third party, or otherwise. Without the approval of HYCM, reproduction or redistribution of this information isn’t permitted.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD bounces back, trades above 1.0860
EUR/USD bounced from a fresh weekly low of 1.0827, as the US Dollar lost steam following a weak ISM Manufacturing PMI report and words from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell reiterated its hawkish message, dismissing potential rate cuts in the near future.
GBP/USD turns north ahead of the weekly close, approaches 1.2700
GBP/USD extended its rebound from near 1.2600 and is approaching 1.2700 on the back of a weaker US Dollar. The Greenback accelerated to the downside following comments from Fed’s Powell.
USD/JPY picks up on higher US yields, 148.70 is a key resistance
The US Dollar trims losses and approaches resistance at 148.70. Higher US yields are supportring the USD ahead of Powell's speech. Hopes of some BoJ monetary policy normalisation in 2024 are expecte to underpin the Yen.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD bounces back, trades above 1.0860
EUR/USD bounced from a fresh weekly low of 1.0827, as the US Dollar lost steam following a weak ISM Manufacturing PMI report and words from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Powell reiterated its hawkish message, dismissing potential rate cuts in the near future.
GBP/USD turns north ahead of the weekly close, approaches 1.2700
GBP/USD extended its rebound from near 1.2600 and is approaching 1.2700 on the back of a weaker US Dollar. The Greenback accelerated to the downside following comments from Fed’s Powell.
Gold resumes advance and approaches record highs
Gold remains near record highs and achieved its highest monthly close ever in November. Global bond yields continue to decline as inflation further cools, supporting the upside in XAU/USD. With central banks expected to remain on hold, the focus will be US labor market data.
Solana likely to extend gains as DeFi airdrop season could boost user base
Solana ecosystem will see airdrops from projects like Jupiter, Marginfi, Drift, Zeta and Jito. Solana users are projected to increase between 30% and 80% from native token launches, according to Messari’s latest report. SOL price extends rally, yielding nearly 4% daily gains.
Tesla Stock News: Cybertruck excitement fails to sustain TSLA price as chart signals more downside
TSLA stock sinks three days in a row despite Cybertruck unveiling. Analysts conclude that Cybertruck will find it difficult to turn a profit. TSLA stock is the midst of forming a bearish Three Black Crows pattern on the daily chart.
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.