Top Fundamental Trading Strategies You Should Know

Fundamental trading strategies are popular among traders who want to make informed investment decisions based on real-world data and events rather than solely on technical analysis. Fundamental trading strategies help you invest long-term by providing insights about the currency's strength and potential for future growth. Our article will discuss the top fundamental strategies you must know as a forex trader.

What are fundamental trading strategies?

Fundamental trading strategies are a popular way to make investment decisions based on real-world data and events. Understanding fundamental analysis as a trader is critical to making informed trading decisions. Traders can gain valuable market insights and make better trading decisions by analyzing economic indicators, interest rates, geopolitical events, commodity prices, and the economic calendar.

Top fundamental trading strategies

Leveraged Carry Trade

The Leveraged Carry Trade strategy involves buying a currency with a high interest rate, selling the one with a low interest rate, and gaining (or losing) from the interest rate differential. This strategy is used when the high interest currency is in an uptrend and the low interest currency is in a downtrend. It is a longer-term investment strategy that allows traders to potentially benefit from the accumulating interest over time. To execute this strategy, you sell a low interest currency and use the funds from this trade to purchase a high interest currency. This way, you will earn higher interest on the high interest currency and pay lower interest on the low interest currency. Since this strategy is conducted through leverage, you can control a larger opposition with a smaller amount of invested capital. For example, if you have $1,000 in your account and want to use a leverage ratio* of 1:10, you can control a position of $10,000 in the market with only 1/10th of the amount in your account. Hence, even a small difference in the interest results in significant gains or losses. *For Australian citizens & residents, please refer to our product offering and the leverage limits in accordance with the PIO.

Economic Calendar Analysis

As a forex trader, you should be aware of the economic calendar and upcoming news releases that may impact the currency markets. Key economic indicators such as GDP, inflation, employment data, and central bank announcements are included. You can anticipate potential market movements and adjust your positions by staying current on these events.

Geopolitical Events

Elections, trade wars, and other geopolitical events can significantly impact the forex markets. These occurrences can cause market volatility and have an impact on currency values. To use this strategy as a forex trader, you should know these events and understand their potential impact on the markets.

Macroeconomics Events

Macroeconomics is an important component of forex fundamental trading strategies. To make informed trading decisions, it is necessary to analyze the broader economic environment, such as economic indicators, government policies, and global events. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an important macroeconomic indicator that traders monitor. GDP is an important indicator of a nation's financial condition because it measures the total value of goods and services produced. Traders can use GDP data to assess a country's economic growth and make currency value decisions. Inflation is another important macroeconomic indicator. Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services. Inflationary pressures can cause currency depreciation and harm a country's economic growth. Traders can use inflation data to make currency value decisions. Currency values can be influenced by government policies such as interest rate decisions and fiscal policies. To maintain economic stability, central banks around the world adjust interest rates on a regular basis. These decisions can greatly impact currency values, so traders should stay up to date on policy changes. Finally, global events like natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and pandemics can have an effect on currency values. Traders should stay current on these events and their potential market impact.

Commodity Prices

Commodity prices are important in fundamental trading strategies. Commodities are raw materials traded on financial markets, and price changes can affect currency values. Here's an example of how commodity prices can affect currency values: Assume a country is a major oil exporter, and the price of oil rises due to rising demand and supply constraints. This can increase the country's export revenues, which can lead to currency strengthening. On the other hand, if oil prices fall, this can result in lower export revenues and a weakening of the country's currency. Similarly, if a country is a major importer of a commodity, such as gold, a drop in the price of gold can reduce import costs and potentially strengthen the country's currency. On the other hand, a rise in the price of gold can increase import costs and potentially weaken the country's currency. You should stay informed about commodity prices and their potential impact on currency values. Using commodity price charts and news sources, you can monitor price changes and identify potential trading opportunities. You can make informed trading decisions and profit from market movements if you understand the relationship between commodity prices and currency values.

Bond Spreads

Bond spreads are an essential component of fundamental trading strategies. Bond spreads are the difference in yield between two bonds with different credit ratings, and they can be used to assess the creditworthiness of a country or company. You can assess a country's or company's creditworthiness and make informed trading decisions by analyzing bond spreads. You can monitor changes in bond spreads and identify potential trading opportunities using tools such as bond spread charts and news sources. You can potentially benefit from market movements by understanding the relationship between bond spreads and credit risk. If the yield spread between the bonds of one country (let's say Europe) is more than the other country (let's say the US), it indicates that the market is perceiving the European economy to be stronger, strengthening the EUR or EUR/USD in the forex market. In such a situation, you will open a long position in EUR and exit positions in USD*. The bond spreads strategy is generally used as a long-term trading investment strategy. This is because changes in bond spreads typically occur over a longer period and may take time to impact currency values. Therefore, it helps monitor long-term trends in the forex market. *This is an example only to enhance a consumer's understanding of the strategy being described above and is not to be taken as Blueberry Markets providing personal advice.

Risk Reversals

Risk reversals as a fundamental strategy involve comparing the implied volatility of a call option and a put option with the same strike price and expiration date. In forex trading, call options and put options are contracts that allow traders to buy or sell a specific currency pair at a specific price (known as the strike price) at expiration. A call option is a contract that gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy a specific currency pair at a predetermined price, known as the strike price, on or before the option's expiration date. On the other hand, a put option is a contract that gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to sell a specific currency pair at a predetermined price, on or before the option's expiration date. A risk reversal is created by purchasing a call option and selling a put option with the same strike price and expiration date. The implied volatility difference between call and put options can be used to gauge market sentiment and potential currency value changes. If the implied volatility of the call option is greater than that of the put option, traders are more bullish on the currency and expect it to rise. If the implied volatility of the put option is higher than that of the call option, it indicates that traders are more bearish on the currency and expect it to fall in value. Risk reversals are a fundamental strategy traders can use to make informed trading decisions. Based on their assessment of market sentiment and potential changes in currency value, they can take a bullish or bearish position on the currency. They can monitor changes in implied volatility and identify potential trading opportunities using tools such as risk reversal charts and news sources.

Option Volatilities

Option volatility is a measure of how much the price of a currency pair is expected to fluctuate over a given time period. Option volatility is measured in forex trading using the implied volatility of option contracts. Traders can use option volatilities to gain insight into market sentiment and potential changes in currency values. High levels of implied volatility indicate that traders anticipate more significant movements in currency prices, which can indicate market uncertainty or potential changes. Low levels of implied volatility indicate that traders expect smaller movements in currency prices, which can indicate market stability or a lack of significant changes.

• When a currency pair is in a downtrend, but the volatility is high, it indicates a bearish continuation and signals traders to enter short positions.
• When a currency pair is in an uptrend, but the volatility is also high, it indicates a bullish continuation and signals traders to enter long positions.

Intervention

Intervention is a fundamental forex trading strategy in which central banks or government agencies intervene to influence currency values in the currency market. Intervention can take several forms, including direct market intervention by buying or selling currencies, monetary policy changes, and verbal intervention by government officials through statements. It aims to promote stability, manage risk, and support the country's economic goals. However, the effectiveness of the intervention as a policy tool can be limited by a number of factors, including market conditions, the magnitude of the intervention, and the response of other market participants. Forex traders can use intervention as a fundamental strategy by monitoring central bank and government officials' statements and actions. This information can offer insights into potential changes in currency values and market sentiment. Intervention can be the direct purchase or sale of currency, interest rate changes and even verbal policy changes. For example, if the UK's central bank announces that it will sell GBP in the market, as a trader, you would expect the value of GBP to fall and enter short positions. On the other hand, if the same central bank or government announces that it will buy more GBP from the forex market, it will indicate that there will be a potential rise in GBP's value, and you will enter long positions instead*. *This is an example only to enhance a consumer's understanding of the strategy being described above and is not to be taken as Blueberry Markets providing personal advice.

Correlation

Correlation involves analysing the relationship between two or more currency pairs. By doing this, significant trading opportunities can be identified and you can enter or exit the market accordingly. This strategy indicates if there is a strong positive or negative correlation between two currencies, helping you identify if the currency pairs will move in the same or opposite direction, respectively. However, it's important to remember that correlations can shift over time, so traders should keep an eye on their analysis and adjust their strategies as needed. When you trade multiple currency pairs that are strongly correlated, you can apply your risk management strategy across different currency pairs and reduce potential risks. Alternatively, you can diversify your portfolio by trading multiple non-correlated currency pairs to benefit from falling and rising markets. However, it is important to note that diversification cannot guarantee profits or eliminate all risks, and traders must still use sound risk management practices in their trading activities.

Picking the Strongest Pairing

Picking the strongest pairing is a forex strategy that involves identifying a currency pair that has the strongest trend and highest potential to grow in the market. The identification is based on several factors like economic indicators, political events, central bank policies and more. It is necessary to note that selecting the strongest pairing requires thoroughly examining the fundamental factors that influence currency markets. To stay current on market conditions affecting the currency pairings they are interested in trading, traders must keep an eye on the latest economic data and news releases. Furthermore, traders must understand technical analysis to identify trends and price patterns supporting their fundamental analysis. You can pick the strongest pairing and trade it by analysing the economic indicators of that country, like the GDP, inflation, trade balances, employment levels and more. When you compare these indicators across different countries, you can identify which currency can increase or decrease in value against the other. For example, let us consider that you analyse the economic indicators of the US, which prove to be stronger than that of the Eurozone. This means that USD is going to have a stronger trend than EUR. Hence, you will look to enter buy positions in USD/EUR with an expectation of the USD strengthening against the EUR*. *This is an example only to enhance a consumer's understanding of the strategy being described above and is not to be taken as Blueberry Markets providing personal advice.

Trade with the fundamental forex strategies today

Fundamental forex strategies provide valuable insights by analysing the country's economic indicators and keeping a close eye on the market news, political events and policy change. Sign up for a live trading account or try a risk-free demo account on Blueberry Markets.