Proven FOREX Trading Strategies that Work in 2024

Trading FOREX full time is not for everyone. There are barriers to entry, not least of all that you must have a large pot of cash upon which to fall back on if your FOREX career fails. Most retail traders today have regular day jobs and try to further their trading careers at night or during small breaks in the day. While this is the only way many traders can get ahead, they also know that being offline for extended periods of time means they are missing out on precious opportunities to make lucrative profits. The fact is that a lot of traders are destined to be part timers for the foreseeable future. The realities of holding a job and all that comes with it means there is not always an opportune moment to transition to full-time FOREX trading.

That said, it does not mean you cannot uncover and deploy strategies that eke out every chance of success for the time you are online. In this article, we will share with you some proven tactics to help you soften the blow of missing out on some trading opportunities. If you cannot trade full time, you are in the same boat as most retail FOREX traders. However, you can still use FOREX trading strategies based on part-time schedules that improve your chances of success. 

Here are some top proven FOREX trading strategies that will help you in 2022:

Momentum Trading: Strong price fluctuations in one direction are a favorable sign that a price trend will continue in that direction for some time, as per the tenets of momentum trading and momentum indicators. Similarly, weakening movements suggest that a trend has lost traction and is on the verge of reversing. Price and volume may be considered in momentum techniques, which frequently include visual analytical tools, such as oscillators and candlestick charts.

Range Trading: Range trading is a basic and popular approach based on the premise that prices tend to stay in a consistent and predictable range over time. It works best in markets with consistent and reliable economies, as well as currencies that are not frequently subjected to unexpected news. Range traders depend on being able to buy and sell at expected resistance and support highs and lows. Often, they can do this repeatedly during one or more trading sessions. The relative strength index (RSI), the commodities channel index and stochastics are some of the instruments that trend traders employ to find advantageous trade entry and exit levels.

In a trending market, an asset’s price will continue to break previous resistance levels (forming higher highs in an uptrend, or lower lows in a downtrend), creating a stair-like support and resistance pattern. In a ranging market, however, prices move in an oscillating pattern and remain confined between established support and resistance thresholds. 

When a price reaches the overbought (resistance) level, traders anticipate a reversal in the opposite direction and sell. Similarly, when a price approaches the oversold (support) level, it is considered a buy signal. Finally, if price breaks through this established range, it may be a sign that a new trend is about to take shape. Range traders are less interested in anticipating breakouts (which typically occur in trending markets) and more interested in markets that hover between support and resistance levels without trending in one direction for an extended period.

Range traders use support and resistance levels to determine when to enter and exit trades and what positions to take. To do so, they will often use banded momentum indicators, such as the stochastic oscillator and RSI, to identify overbought and oversold conditions.

Trend Trading: Another popular and often-used FOREX trading approach is trend trading. Beginners will find the principle simple to grasp. The method entails evaluating if a currency price movement is trending upward or downward and then selecting trade entry and exit positions. The relative strength of the trend, as well as the positioning of the currency’s price inside the trend, are used to calculate these points. Moving averages, RSIs, volume measurements, directional indices and stochastics are among the techniques used by trend traders to assess trends.

All these factors will tell them how strong the current trend is and when the market may be primed for reversal. In a trend-trading strategy, the trader does not need to know the exact direction or timing of the reversal; they simply need to know when to exit their current position to lock in profits and limit losses.

Even when a market is trending, there are bound to be small price fluctuations that go against the prevailing trend direction. For this reason, trend trading favors a long-term approach known as position trading. When investing in the direction of a strong trend, a trader should be prepared to withstand small losses with the knowledge that their profits will ultimately surpass losses as long as the overarching trend is sustained. For obvious reasons, trend traders favor trending markets or those that swing between overbought and oversold thresholds with relative predictability. 

To determine the direction and strength of the current trend, traders often rely on simple moving averages and exponential moving averages, such as the moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) and average directional index (ADX). All moving averages are lagging indicators that use past price movement to lend context to current market conditions. In addition to providing insight into the current trend direction and strength, moving averages can also be used to gauge support and resistance levels. When price fails to reach anticipated support and resistance levels, or when a long-term moving average crosses over a short-term moving average, it is thought to signal a reversal. Rather than anticipating the direction of the reversal and entering into a new position, trend traders will use these signals to exit their current position. Once the new trend has manifested, the trader will once again trade in the direction of the current trend.

Price momentum will often change before a price change occurs, so momentum indicators, such as the stochastic oscillator and the RSI, can also be used to help identify exit points. These indicators help traders identify when price is approaching overbought or oversold levels and provide insight into when a change will occur. 

Scalping: Scalping is an intraday trading strategy in which traders buy and sell currencies with the intention of squeezing minute profits out of each transaction. Scalping tactics in FOREX are typically based on a continuous analysis of price movement and an understanding of the spread. Scalpers rely so heavily on the spread that it is critical for them to have a good working relationship with the market makers who set the bid-and-ask prices for a currency pair. Scalpers frequently use professional trading accounts with brokers to gain access to cheaper spreads. Their success is also dependent on their usage of a low-latency platform capable of rapidly and reliably completing several deals at the same time.

To determine what position to take, scalpers use technical analysis and pattern recognition software to confirm trend direction and momentum, locate breakouts and divergences, and identify buy and sell signals in their target period. Like other day traders, they may also track economic events that are likely to impact short-term price movement.

Copy Trading: Amateur traders in the financial markets can use copy trading to automatically replicate positions established and maintained by other, more experienced traders. Unlike mirror trading, which allows traders to replicate certain methods, copy trading transfers a portion of the copying trader’s money to the copied investor’s account. You choose the amount you want to invest, and then you just replicate whatever they do in real-time – whenever that trader makes a deal, your account will make the same deal.

Fundamental Analysis: Traders use fundamental analysis to determine if a currency is undervalued or overvalued by looking at its economic fundamentals. They also use the data to forecast how the currency’s value will change in relation to other currencies in the future. Fundamental analysis can be difficult to understand since it includes many different aspects of a country’s economic data that can be used to forecast future trade and investment trends. It can be made simpler by focusing on a few key signs. Retail sales, GDP, industrial production, CPI, inflation, purchasing managers’ index data, housing statistics and other indicators can all have an impact on a country’s economy – and its currency.

Position Trading: Position trading is a strategy in which traders hold their position over an extended time period – anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of years. As a long-term trading strategy, this approach requires traders to take a macro view of the market and sustain smaller market fluctuations that counter their position. 

Position traders typically use a trend-following strategy. They rely on analytical data (typically slow-moving averages) to identify trending markets and determine ideal entry and exit points therein. They also conduct a fundamental analysis to identify micro and macroeconomic conditions that may influence the market and value of the asset in question. 

News Trading: As a multinational marketplace, FOREX is influenced by global economic events. Understanding economic news events and their potential impact on currency pairs helps traders anticipate short-term (intraday or multi-day) market movements, or breakouts. Major news events include:

●  Interest rate decisions.

●  Economic reports on national unemployment rates, inflation rates, GDP, non-farm payroll and national trade balances.

●  Consumer and business confidence surveys.

●  Appointment announcements, such as the installation of new central bankers.

 No single event is inherently more important than another. Instead of focusing on one variable, traders examine the relationship among them in tandem with current market conditions. It is worth noting that FOREX, like any other global trade market, can be influenced by unscheduled, singular events, such as natural disasters or political changes. These unexpected events, however, are not reliable indicators to use in a news-trading strategy.

News traders rely on economic calendars and indexes, such as the consumer confidence index (CCI), to anticipate when a change will occur and in which direction price will move. With this in mind, they will look for price action to consolidate, which typically signals that a breakout is imminent. 

Swing Trading: Swing trading is a trend-following strategy that aims to capitalize on short-term surges in price momentum. These smaller surges and dips may go against the prevailing trend direction, and thus require a more limited market outlook (examining 15-minute, hourly, daily and weekly price charts, as opposed to analyzing overall market trends).

Because swing trading demands quick action and close market oversight, it is typically favored by day traders who are available to monitor changes in price momentum minute-to-minute. Despite being classified as a short-term trading strategy, this approach demands that traders hold their position overnight (unlike day trading) and may keep them in a trade for a few weeks at a time.

This strategy relies on both technical and fundamental forms of analysis. On the technical side, traders use momentum indicators and moving averages to analyze price movement over multiple days. From a fundamental standpoint, swing traders often use micro and macroeconomic indicators to help determine the value of an asset.

Day Trading: Day traders earn their title by focusing solely on intraday price movements and capitalizing on the volatility that occurs therein. These small market fluctuations are related to current supply-and-demand levels rather than fundamental market conditions.

Day traders use a variety of short-term trading strategies. Some trade the news (using economic calendars and indexes) and change their focus based on global economic events. Others may be scalpers who trade the same asset day over day and analyze intraday price movements using technical analysis (such as fast and slow-moving averages). If they understand the general direction in which the market is trending on a given day, they can follow the trend and exit all their positions before the market closes.

Retracement Trading: A retracement refers to an instance when price reverses direction for a short time before continuing in the direction of the dominant trend. Traders use technical analysis to identify potential retracements and distinguish them from reversals (instances when price changes direction, but does not correct, forming a new trend). If the trader expects a temporary dip or surge in price to be a retracement, they may decide to hold their current position under the assumption that the prevailing trend will eventually continue. On the other hand, if they expect that the market fluctuation is an early sign of a reversal, they may choose to exit their current position and enter into a new one in accordance with the trend reversal.

To distinguish between retracements and reversals, many traders will use a form of technical analysis called Fibonacci retracements (based on the Fibonacci ratio). This is a complicated trading strategy that requires a rock-solid understanding of the information that goes into your decision-making. The best brokers will have research and educational sections on their Websites that provide further guidance on this and other strategies.

Grid Trading: Grid trading is a breakout trading technique that attempts to capitalize on a new trend as it takes shape. Unlike other breakout trading strategies, however, grid trading eliminates the need to know in which direction the trend will take. In a grid-trading strategy, traders create a Web of stop orders above and below the current price. This “grid” of orders essentially ensures that, no matter what direction the price moves, a corresponding order will be triggered. 

Before placing buy and sell stop-orders, traders will first identify support and resistance levels and use this bracketed range as a guide for setting up orders at standard intervals. Support and resistance levels can be calculated using technical analysis or estimated by drawing trend lines onto a price graph to connect price peaks (resistance level) and valleys (support level). Because grid trading does not require insight into the direction of the breakout, orders can be placed ahead of time. Typically, grid traders will lay out their strategy after the market has closed and preemptively create orders for the following day. 

Before you take a leap into the world of FOREX trading, it is best to choose a strategy that is appropriate for your situation. Be sure to fully research and understand what you are trying to achieve and how it makes the most of your situation while accounting for your constraints. As mentioned, some of the strategies are complex and difficult to understand. You will need to devote time to upskill yourself.

The FOREX market runs for 24 hours a day and is a gold mine of opportunities to improve your personal financial situation. However, the FOREX market is also very volatile. This high level of risk means that if traders are not prepared and have not implemented the best strategy, they could miss key opportunities at best, and, at worst, suffer damaging losses.