Short Trades

On the short side, our first example is the NZD/USD on March 20, 2006 (Figure 3).

We see the price cross below the 20-period EMA, but the MACD histogram is still positive, so we wait for it to cross below the zero line 25 minutes later. Our trade is then triggered at 0.6294. Like the earlier USD/JPY example, the math is a bit messy on this one because the cross of the moving average did not occur at the same time as when MACD moved below the zero line like it did in our first EUR/USD example. As a

 esult, we enter at 0.6294. Our stop is the 20-EMA plus 20 pips. At the time, the 20-EMA was at 0.6301, so that puts our entry at 0.6291 and our stop at 0.6301 + 20pips = 0.6321. Our first target is the entry price minus the amount risked or 0.6291 - (0.6321-0.6291) = 0.6261. The target is hit two hours later and the stop on the second half is moved to breakeven. We then proceed to trail the second half of the position by the 20-period EMA plus 15 pips. The second half is then closed at 0.6262 at 7:10 EST for a total profit on the trade of 29.5pips.

Source: FXtrek Intellichart The example in Figure 4 is based on an opportunity that developed on March 10, 2006, in the GBP/USD. In the chart below, the price crosses below the 20-period EMA and we wait for 10 minutes for the MACD histogram to move into negative territory, thereby triggering our entry order at 1.7375. Based on the rules above, as soon as the trade is triggered, we put our stop at the 20-EMA plus 20 pips or 1.7385 + 20 = 1.7405. Our first target is the entry price minus the amount risked, or 1.7375 - (1.7405 - 1.7375) = 1.7345. It gets triggered shortly thereafter. We then proceed to trail the second half of the position by the 20-period EMA plus 15 pips. The second half of the position is eventually closed at 1.7268 at 14:35 EST for a total profit on the trade of 68.5 pips.

Coincidently enough, the trade was also closed at the exact moment when the MACD histogram flipped into positive territory.

Figure 4: Five-Minute Momo Trade, GBP/USD

Source: FXtrek Intellichart