How to Read Forex Charts
Understanding Candlestick Charts
Every candlestick shows four price points: open, high, low, and close. A green (or white) candle means the closing price was higher than the opening price, indicating buying pressure. A red (or black) candle shows selling pressure. For Andorra traders, focusing on daily and 4-hour candlesticks is ideal because they align with the European session, which overlaps with your local timezone (CET).
Identifying Trends
Trendlines are drawn by connecting higher lows in an uptrend or lower highs in a downtrend. For example, if EUR/USD makes a series of higher lows on the daily chart, it signals a bullish trend. Andorra traders can use moving averages (e.g., 50-period and 200-period) to confirm the trend direction. When the 50-period MA crosses above the 200-period MA, it is a 'golden cross' and a buy signal.
Key Support and Resistance Levels
Support is a price level where buying interest is strong enough to prevent further decline. Resistance is where selling pressure halts an advance. Draw horizontal lines at obvious swing highs and lows. For Andorra traders, these levels are especially useful when trading during the London open (08:00 GMT) because price often reacts to key levels at session starts.
Using Technical Indicators
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) measures overbought (above 70) and oversold (below 30) conditions. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) shows trend momentum. For example, if RSI is above 70 on the 1-hour chart of USD/CHF, consider taking profit rather than entering a new buy. Always combine indicators with price action for more reliable signals.