Forex Trading Stradegy : Technical strategies based on crossovers

In this article we will study the various kinds of crossovers and how to exploit, interpret and confirm them based on the interaction of indicators with the price and each other. The crossover strategy is popular and easy to use and identify, but it can also be troublesome because of its tendency to generate conflicting and false signals unless it is confirmed by other types of data.

Crossovers are thought to signal momentum change in the markets. When the main indicator crosses a predefined signal line, the trader will interpret this as a warning sign that something is changing with respect to either momentum of the price action, or its direction. But as we mentioned, crossovers are relatively common, and a strategy based on them alone is unlikely to work well in the absence of confirmation from other sources.

The signals generated by a crossover can be useful in a ranging or trending market, but in a trending market, a crossover is a less significant development than in a ranging market.

Let us examine the various basic crossover strategies.

Moving Average Crossovers

Moving average crossovers occur when a faster moving average rises above or false below a slower one. For example, when a 13-day SMA (simple moving average) rises above a 100-day SMA, or when an 14-day EMA falls below a 50-day SMA, we will be studying a moving average crossover. In this type of crossover, the signal line is not static, and must be provided by the trader manually. This flexibility makes MA crossovers much more adaptable to changing market conditions, and in trending markets, MA’s can be greatly useful for our trading choices.

MA crossovers can be useful for both range trading, and trend following, but since moving averages generate smoother and more reliable signals in trending markets with relatively low volatility, the most successful use of the MA crossover is also in a trending market. Many traders choose to use a simple moving average for the slower MA, and an exponential moving average for the fast component. But this is not a necessity. Depending on the preference of the trader with regard to indicator sensitivity to price action, an EMA can be used or discarded altogether.