Using RSI as an intraday tool


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  • This article, written by Alan Collins is taken from the FX Trader Magazine (JAN/MARCH 2013 issue).

The Relative Strength Indicator, created by Welles Wilder, has long been used by many market participants in their analysis. For the most part this application has been applied via daily charts, or longer periods, primarily as a means to identify trend. But there are a number of methods that RSI can be used for; 

  • As a measure of an overbought/oversold situation. 
  • An indicator of the underlying trend & of trend breaks. 
  • A buy/sell signal when the 50% line is crossed. 
  • An indicator of possible Divergence 

For the investor or proprietary trader these methods are without doubt tools that, taken in context with other technical indicators, will prove useful. But do they work, and can they be successfully employed, in shorter intraday time frames? In this article I will use the same hourly GBPUSD chart, and the same 8 period RSI, and apply the four methods above to illustrate how to use them and assess whether they’re likely to be beneficial. Lastly I’ll add a lesser known but powerful number of other situations were only warnings of what turns out to be minor profit taking rallies inside the more pronounced trend.

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD mired near 1.0730 after choppy Thursday market session

EUR/USD mired near 1.0730 after choppy Thursday market session

EUR/USD whipsawed somewhat on Thursday, and the pair is heading into Friday's early session near 1.0730 after a back-and-forth session and complicated US data that vexed rate cut hopes.

EUR/USD News

GBP/USD trades on a softer note below 1.2530 ahead of US PCE data

GBP/USD trades on a softer note below 1.2530 ahead of US PCE data

GBP/USD trades on a weaker note around 1.2502 during the early Asian trading hours on Friday. The modest rebound of the US Dollar weighs on the major pair despite weaker US GDP growth numbers. The US Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index data on Friday will be in the spotlight. 

GBP/USD News

USD/JPY holds near 155.50 after Tokyo CPI inflation eases more than expected

USD/JPY holds near 155.50 after Tokyo CPI inflation eases more than expected

USD/JPY is trading tightly just below the 156.00 handle, hugging multi-year highs as the Yen continues to deflate. The pair is trading into 30-plus year highs, and bullish momentum is targeting all-time record bids beyond 160.00, a price level the pair hasn’t reached since 1990.

USD/JPY News

Editors’ Picks

USD/JPY holds near 155.50 after Tokyo CPI inflation eases more than expected

USD/JPY holds near 155.50 after Tokyo CPI inflation eases more than expected

USD/JPY is trading tightly just below the 156.00 handle, hugging multi-year highs as the Yen continues to deflate. The pair is trading into 30-plus year highs, and bullish momentum is targeting all-time record bids beyond 160.00, a price level the pair hasn’t reached since 1990.

USD/JPY News

AUD/USD stands firm above 0.6500 with markets bracing for Aussie PPI, US inflation

AUD/USD stands firm above 0.6500 with markets bracing for Aussie PPI, US inflation

The Aussie Dollar begins Friday’s Asian session on the right foot against the Greenback after posting gains of 0.33% on Thursday. The AUD/USD advance was sponsored by a United States report showing the economy is growing below estimates while inflation picked up.

AUD/USD News

Gold soars as US economic woes and inflation fears grip investors

Gold soars as US economic woes and inflation fears grip investors

Gold prices advanced modestly during Thursday’s North American session, gaining more than 0.5% following the release of crucial economic data from the United States. GDP figures for the first quarter of 2024 missed estimates, increasing speculation that the US Fed could lower borrowing costs.

Gold News

Stripe looks to bring back crypto payments as stablecoin market cap hits all-time high

Stripe looks to bring back crypto payments as stablecoin market cap hits all-time high

Stripe announced on Thursday that it would add support for USDC stablecoin, as the stablecoin market exploded in March, according to reports by Cryptocompare.

Read more

Bank of Japan expected to keep interest rates on hold after landmark hike

Bank of Japan expected to keep interest rates on hold after landmark hike

The Bank of Japan is set to leave its short-term rate target unchanged in the range between 0% and 0.1% on Friday, following the conclusion of its two-day monetary policy review meeting for April. The BoJ will announce its decision on Friday at around 3:00 GMT.

Read more

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