What are Trendlines in Forex Trading?

Trendlines in forex provide clear market signals for placing long or short orders. With trendlines, you can easily identify if a particular trend will continue or reverse. In this article, we take a look at everything about trendlines and more.

What is the trendline in forex?

A trendline is a price line that is made by connecting the market price lows in an uptrend and market price highs in a downtrend. It provides support and resistance levels for successfully placing market entry or exit orders. Trendlines also depict market trends through price fluctuations and provide the potential value of the currency pairs in the future.

Example of trendline

Let us assume you want to trade USD/EUR. The price chart for the currency pair depicts a trendline in the upward direction, starting at 1 on a particular trading day, reaching 2.5 as the high price level in the middle of the day and closing at 2.2. Hence, when the trendline starts trading in an uptrend, the initial point can be considered as the support price level, below which the prices will stop falling and reverse into an uptrend. At this point, you can place long or buy orders to purchase more USD/EUR in the uptrend. The trendline will start from the first highest price level, assumed to be 1.5, and expand from thereon by continuing to connect all high price levels like 2.2, 2.5 and more before closing at 2.2. This signals that the overall market trend of USD/EUR is a continuous bullish trend, and it is the ideal time to enter the market.

What do trendlines tell you?

A trendline tells us about the prevailing currency pair price action in the forex market. It is a graphical representation of the currency pair’s support and resistance levels that signal if the market will continue in the same direction or reverse. Based on the trendline’s direction, you can place long or short orders to profit from rising or falling markets. A trendline also shows the speed of the price fluctuation along with the direction. If a trendline has many price breaks and is more zig-zag, it represents a speedy price fluctuation, also known as a volatile market. On the other hand, if the trendline is smoother with fewer zig zags, it represents a slow price fluctuation, also known as a less volatile market.

What are trendline channels?

A trendline channel is a set of several parallel trendlines which are used to identify the current market trend and potential buy and sell signals. One trendline is formed by connecting the high price levels in the market, while the other is formed by connecting the low price levels in the market. When the currency pair prices move between these two parallel trendlines, it is known to fluctuate between the trendline channels. These trendline channels can identify continued uptrends or downtrends in the market.

• When the market is bullish, trendlines are plotted below the currency pair’s price action, and the trend channel line is placed above the high price levels of the price movement, indicating an uptrend continuation.
• When the market is bearish, trendlines are plotted above the currency pair’s price action, and the trend channel line is placed below the low price levels of the price movement, indicating a downtrend continuation.

In a bullish trend, the trendline also works as the support line, which can be used as an entry signal. However, in a bearish trend, the trendline works as the resistance line and can be used as an exit signal.

• Enter the trade with an upward-sloping trendline and place stop-loss orders below the trendline to minimise losses and take profit orders at the opposite trendline.
• Exit or short the trade with a downward sloping trendline and place stop-loss orders above the trendline to minimise losses and take profit orders at the opposite trendline.

How to draw trendlines in technical analysis

To draw trendlines in technical analysis, you need at least two high price levels or low price levels in the downward or upward direction, respectively. Once you have the swing highs in the downtrend, you draw a trendline below the market price to determine a trendline. When you have swing lows in an uptrend, you draw a trendline above the market price to determine a trendline. A trend becomes valid after drawing the trendline when at least three or more swing highs or lows are considered. The validity strengthens when the market price touches the trendline since it is then proven that more and more traders are using the trendlines as support and resistance levels. Here are six easy steps in which you can draw a trendline –

• Open the currency pair’s trading chart and add the trendlines to the chart by using the draw tool.
• Add the trendlines, mark the support and resistance levels, and other buy and sell signals for a clearer picture of the market behaviour.
• Study the price chart to identify the ongoing market trend.
• If the identified trend is a bullish trend, place an entry or buy order. If the trend is a bearish trend, place a short or sell order.
• After placing the trade, set your stop loss and take profit orders according to the trendlines you have added to the chart to minimise trading risks and maximise profits.

Tips for trendline trading

Always try and connect swing highs or lows

The minimum number of swing highs or lows needed to form a valid trendline is three. However, it's best to connect as many swing highs or lows as possible, as the greater number of points leads to better trendline analysis. If you connect multiple swing highs or lows to form a trendline, it will remain valid even in the long term. Moreover, accurately connecting swing lows to other swing lows, and swing highs to other swing highs to form a trendline channel ensures that no candlestick in the chart can break the trendline.

Sell bearish trendlines and buy bullish trendlines

Bearish trendlines indicate a downtrend continuation in the market and hence provide ideal signals to short or sell the bearish market. This happens because the prices are expected to fall even further and entering long positions could incur losses. On the other hand, bullish trendlines indicate an uptrend continuation in the market and hence provide ideal signals to long or buy the bullish market. This happens because the prices are expected to rise even further, and entering short positions could incur losses. When you trade trendlines in the current market direction, you are able to utilise the full potential of the trendlines.

Top trendline indicators

Trendline indicators can be used by combining the trendline with several trends identifying indicators. Another way to use trendline indicators is by using the tools and techniques available on the MetaTrader 4 platform. By visiting the MT4 page on the trading platform’s website, one can download add-on trendline indicators and customise them per your trading strategies. The top three trendline indicators that can be used in technical analysis are –

1. Simple Moving Average

The Simple Moving Average is used to identify the average currency pair price level. It considers the prices over a period of time and divides the observation into a number of periods to smooth out the data and eliminate any noise from the prices. A flat fx line represents the Simple Moving Average, and the closer the current market prices are to the average price, the higher the possibility of the trend continuing in the current direction. If the currency pair’s current market price has deviated from the average price, it signals a market reversal.

2. Stochastic Oscillator

A Stochastic Oscillator is a technical indicator that can identify market reversals through trendline analysis. It consists of two lines: the %K and %D lines.

• The %K line is used to compare the highest high and lowest low price levels to identify the price range between which the currency pair is trading.
• %D line is calculated as a moving average of the %K line. Lastly, the closing prices of the currency pairs are displayed as a percentage of this range.

A trend reversal is underway when the %K and %D lines intersect.

• During an uptrend, if the two lines cross each other from below with the closing currency pair prices being near the lowest low levels, it indicates a bearish reversal and provides signals to exit the market.
• During a downtrend, if the two lines cross each other from above with the closing prices being near the highest levels, it indicates a bullish reversal and provides signal to enter the market.

3. Relative Strength Index (RSI)

RSI is an oscillating indicator that gives values between 0 to 100 to indicate if the market is overbought or oversold.

• When the RSI value is above 70, it indicates an overbought market and signals a downtrend reversal, providing ideal price levels to sell or short the trade.
• When the RSI value is below 30, it indicates an oversold market and signals an uptrend reversal, providing ideal price levels to long or buy the trade.

Trendlines with RSI help in determining the exact market direction during that particular time period which helps make forex trading decisions accordingly.

Trendline breakout strategy

Breakouts within a trend can identify the price level at which the markets can potentially reverse. A trendline breakout strategy helps identify just that, with the help of multiple trendlines crossing the current currency pair prices. When the currency pair price crosses a trendline from above or below, it signals a price breakout and market reversal.

• When a price breakout occurs on a downtrend trendline, it indicates a bullish reversal and signals traders to enter long or buy orders.
• When a price breakout occurs on an uptrend trendline, it indicates a bearish reversal and signals traders to enter short or sell orders.

The bullish reversal is confirmed as soon as the current downtrend prices cross the trendline from below and start showing uptrend signals. Similarly, the bearish reversal is confirmed as soon as the current uptrend price crosses the trendline from above and starts showing downtrend signals.

Start trading with trendlines today

Trading with trendlines can identify the ideal positions where you should place successful trade orders. You can analyse the market trends and combine them with several other indicators to place short or long orders in the forex market. With Blueberry forex trading platform you can enjoy seamless order execution, tight spreads, 24/7 customer support, and more. Sign up for a live trading account or try a demo account.