[I]In the Currency Strength table the JPY was the strongest currency while the EUR was the weakest. The NZD gained 2 points last week. All the other Currencies remained around the level of the previous week with a maximum difference of just 1 point. [/I]For more details read my full article “Forex Strength and Comparison for Week 9 / 2017” where the relevant Charts and Tables are provided.
[B] 13 Weeks Currency Score Strength[/B]
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.
- First of all the strength over a period of the last 13 weeks is considered. See each row for more information.
- Next the 13 weeks average is considered, see the last row called “Avg. 13 wks.”
- The number of weeks that a currency was stronger than another currency can also be considered.
- The Technical Analysis (TA) Charts for each Time Frame could 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 12 February 2017 and is provided here for reference purposes:
[I]Strong: USD, NZD, CAD. The preferred range is from 6 to 8.[/I]
[I]Neutral: CHF, AUD. The preferred range is from 4 to 5.[/I]
[I]Weak: JPY, EUR, GBP. The preferred range is from 1 to 3.[/I]
When looking at the Average 13 wks. Score the CAD is the strongest of all while the EUR remains the weakest. The currencies are grouped together around a level which makes clear to what classification they fit best.
For some currencies this may not be very clear, a good example at the moment is the AUD being a Neutral currency but having an Average 13 wks. score of 5,3077 being between the Strong and Neutral currencies.
This currency is gaining a lot of strength in the last 3 weeks and is clearly the strongest of the Neutral currencies, which are the CHF and AUD.
Another currency that is gaining a lot of strength is the JPY with an Average 13 wks. score of 3,3846 being between the Neutral and Weak currencies.
[B]Classification review[/B]
The JPY is gaining strength lately and seems to be bottoming. It had a Score of 5 in week 3 (15-1-2017). After that it went lower again but in the last 4 weeks the lowest Score was 4 and it is currently at 8. It was in the last 2 weeks in the range of the Stronger currencies and as can be seen in the chart below it has a lot of momentum. The USD seems the weakest of the stronger currencies and together with the CAD it lost strength last week.
[B]Currency Score Comparison[/B]
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.
- 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.
- The only exception is when 2 currencies are similarly classified but the Currency Score difference is equal to or more than 4.
- 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 at the half of the range it seems a safe approach for trading 2 currencies which are similarly classified.
- 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.
[B]Putting the pieces together[/B]
Based on the last “13 Weeks currency classification” and the “Currency Comparison Table” the most interesting currencies for going long seem to be the:
[I]AUD, NZD and CAD.[/I]
These are Strong or Neutral 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:
[I]EUR, GBP and CHF.[/I]
These are Weak or Neutral currencies from a longer term perspective.
Currencies with a high deviation seem less interesting to trade because they are less predictable. A good example at the moment is/are e.g. the:
[I]AUD and JPY.[/I]
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: [B][I]GBP/JPY, GBP/AUD, EUR/NZD, GBP/NZD, GBP/CAD and AUD/CHF.[/I][/B]
Besides this article I also use the Forex “Ranking, Rating and Score” which is also available once a week on my blog. 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”, “Introduction to the FxTaTrader Forex Models” and “Statistics and Probabilities” for a better understanding of the article. If you would like to use this article then mention the source by providing the URL or the direct link to this article. Good luck in the coming week.
[B]DISCLAIMER:[/B] 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 a recommendation to purchase any financial instruments. The choice and risk are always yours. Thank you.