What is Support and Resistance in Forex?

Two of the most frequently discussed forex technical analysis concepts are support and resistance. Support is commonly denoted as a “floor” that is holding the prices up. On the other hand, resistance is when the rising costs stop and de-escalate, i.e., fall. Hence, resistance is a “ceiling” that prevents price rise.

The support level is the price at which the sellers seem to run out of steam and buyers start taking control. The resistance level is the price at which demand for a currency appears to fall while supply rises.

Unlike in other markets, these levels do not reflect actual values but rather the points at which one side of the market switches direction.

In simple words, support is the level at which the downtrend is likely to stop or reverse while resistance is the level at which the uptrend is likely to halt or reverse.

Even though the first impression of the concepts might seem easy to grasp, they come in various forms, and new traders find them challenging to master.

A price break of either of them leads to the next level and may not be exact. They often have a small range of zone coverage with the possibility of breaches without breaking. So, they help to establish points of possible direction.

Whether you’re a newbie or an expert trader, the next support and resistance level is always a mystery. However, technical analysis can assist you in finding the closest support and resistance level in the capital markets.

What is Support and Resistance in Forex?

A stage of support occurs due to the concentration of buying interest or demand that pauses the downtrend. When the prices of the financial instrument reach a lower limit, buying concentration increases. On the other hand, resistance zones include increased costs due to selling interests.

There are two significant forms of support and resistance, namely, Major and Minor.

• “Minor” support or resistance refers to the temporary delays in the falling or rising prices in larger markets.
• “Major” support or resistance stops decreasing or increasing costs and changes the more significant market trend direction.

In theory, support is a stage wherein strong buying power prevents further price decline, and therefore, buyers avail a cheaper deal. But, on the other hand, sellers resist a sale, as they have a worse deal. Under such a circumstance, demand overcomes the supply and prohibits a price decrease below the support.

Meanwhile, resistance is the price struggling to rise from the current state. Under such a circumstance, the selling power obstructs further price rise, and the cost becomes closer to resistance and expensive. Given the case, sellers offer more to sell, whereas buyers tend to stray away. Therefore, the supply overcomes the demand and prohibits prices from rising above the resistance.

After reaching a certain support or resistance level, the price either bounces back or violates the price level until it hits the next level. A few trade beliefs rely on the opinion that the two zones won’t break.

Therefore, based on these two levels, traders can bet on the trade direction when the price halts or breaks. Traders obtain a slight loss if the price doesn’t move in their chosen path and might incur substantial profits if it does.

Basics of Support and Resistance

Most traders come across support and resistance within a few months. It is a very basic indicator of price movement that is visible through technical as well as fundamental analysis.

For example, let’s assume you were a trader and had a stock position between a few months, e.g., April to December, and expect the price to increase.

Unfortunately, over the months, you noticed that the cost of stock remains stagnant at $50. At this point, you are stuck with a resistance level, commonly referred to as the “ceiling,” because the trade chart shows no increase in the different price levels.

On the contrary, the trade chart also shows the support value by stopping asset prices from moving further downwards. Once marketers notice an asset has reached a support level, they endure buying opportunities and push up the spiral upwards until it obtains the resistance level. The cycle remains ongoing for months.

Trendlines

The concept of trendlines is vital for understanding support and resistance.

• A stagnant level prevents the rise or fall of asset prices, and a static barrier leads to an upward or downward trend. Therefore, price barriers constantly flicker undeniably.
• An upside market trend creates resistance levels, slows down asset price rise, and moves the price towards the trendlines.
• It happens due to uncertainty of a sector or issue and might even occur due to profit booking.
• Once the price comes closer to either side of the trendline, the trendline will behave similarly to the support and resistance level.
• Traders would wait for such buying and selling pressure and consider entry because the price changed course from this point in the past on the trendline.
• Technical traders decide entry and exit strategies based on the support and resistance identification points and reflect an asset’s directions.

Support and resistance would become non-existential if people were rational and didn’t make cognitive errors, take shortcuts, or choose heuristics. Traders find it challenging to predict the increase or decrease in prices because of the belief in the asset’s underlying value and, therefore, increase the volume more than required.

Whole Numbers

Many inexperienced fairly value stocks at whole numbers and tend to buy or sell assets. Therefore, stop orders or target prices by large investment banks or retailers often have whole number prices instead of $30.67. The target price or price target is the estimated value of security determined by an analyst within the next 12 to 18 months.

The valuation is based mainly on the company issuing the stock. Since the orders are at the same level, they act as price barriers. At this point, if clients sell at $33, only extreme purchases can take the sales, and therefore, a resistance level would build up.

Indicators

A constantly changing moving average is used by technical analysts and technical indicators to predict short-term behaviour. However, the tools have become much more potent for traders that can identify support and resistance levels. A moving average on a chart is constantly changing line-based historical price data.

The line helps the trader to identify support and resistance. Moreover, whenever the trends go up, the support level is determined by the moving average. Similarly, the line shows resistance zones on a downward spiral of a moving average line. Thus, traders can use the moving middle line to determine entry or exits and anticipate the moving average of a stock.

Often traders exit trades when the price line diminishes below the moving average and reverse actions when it crosses the line. Besides this, a few other indicators help traders. For example, Fibonacci retracement is a short-term trader tool for identifying potential support or resistance levels.

Zone Significance

Investors and traders often clarify areas of support or resistance based on price charts and the significance of price levels based on touches, historical moves, volume, and time. The trading decisions are based on the historical support or resistance levels when prices bounce off.

Similarly, support or resistance zones become significant based on advances or declines of currency pairs. For example, steep resistance may occur during an uptrend, then a slow and steady advance, without attracting attention. Hence, market psychology is one of the critical reasons for driving the indicators.

Based on historical buying or selling volumes, the support and resistance levels may also become more robust at specific price levels. Price diminishes whenever a high volume of trading activity occurs and boosts sales. Moreover, traders want to close the trade at a breakeven point than at a loss. Also, the support and resistance levels obtain higher significance with extended periods of testing.

indicators Used to Identify Support and Resistance

Horizontal Levels: The fundamental concept of support and resistance involves plotting horizontal lines that connect previous price highs (resistance) and lows (support). These lines are easily identifiable on price charts and represent significant barriers.

Trendlines: By drawing trendlines that connect a sequence of higher lows (indicating support) or lower highs (indicating resistance), traders can visually depict the prevailing trend and potential zones of support and resistance.

Moving Averages: Moving averages, especially popular ones like the 50-day and 200-day moving averages, possess the ability to serve as dynamic levels of support and resistance. As prices approach these moving averages, they might react as potential points of reversal.

Fibonacci Retracements: Derived from mathematical ratios, such as 38.2%, 50%, and 61.8%, Fibonacci retracement levels are frequently utilized to pinpoint potential areas of support and resistance during price retracements.

Pivot Points: Pivot points are calculated based on the previous day’s closing, high, and low prices. They yield potential levels of support and resistance for the ongoing trading session.

Bollinger Bands: Comprising a moving average (typically spanning 20 periods) and two bands set at a specific number of standard deviations, Bollinger Bands tend to trigger price reactions as they are approached. They can indicate levels of potential resistance and support.

Volume Profile: The Volume Profile displays traded volume at different price levels, with regions of high volume potentially translating into areas of support or resistance.

Psychological Levels: Psychological levels, encompassing round numbers like 1.2000 or 100.00, often garner substantial trader attention. These levels can prompt buying or selling interest, leading to instances of support or resistance.

Ichimoku Cloud: The Ichimoku Cloud indicator generates multiple lines that signify possible support and resistance levels, driven by historical price data.

Parabolic SAR: Utilizing dots above or below the price, the Parabolic SAR serves as a signal for potential reversal points. In instances where these dots switch positions, it may suggest a shift in trend and the potential establishment of new support or resistance levels.

Remember, while these tools provide valuable insights, it’s crucial to interpret them in conjunction with historical data and chart patterns to identify potential support and resistance zones accurately. Traders often combine multiple indicators and methods to enhance their decision-making processes.

Support and Resistance Reversal

When either of the support and resistance level is broken, support can become resistance and vice versa. If the prices of underlying instruments go below a support level, it is very likely that the prices will face resistance the next time it reaches back to the resistance that was previously a support level.

Visual identification of support and resistance through price charts can help traders in predicting price trends. The change of support to resistance and resistance to support will allow traders to make better decisions regarding stop loss and take profit.

Steep Movements

Support and resistance levels are generally broken through steep price movements. However, the new support and resistance levels that are created after the steep price movements are likely to be much stronger than previous levels. This is because a rapid price movement will be halted by severe competition and opposing forces.

This opposing force will be much stronger than the one that supported or resisted the small price movement. Hence, sudden steep price movements create much stronger support and resistance.

Effect on Trading Volume

When significant support or resistance level is reached, a lot of traders will be closing their position or opening new positions. Hence, the trading volumes will increase when the prices are close to the support and resistance level. Increased trading volume will in turn increase liquidity and stability in the prices.

Hence, the trading volumes are high at major support and resistance levels. It has been witnessed that higher trading volume will further strengthen the support and resistance level and it will become stronger.

Key Takeaways

• When you observe a pattern of the price testing specific values without breaking through it, that region of resistance or support is likely more powerful.
• The more times the price tests that set value without breaking through, the more likely it is to become that level of resistance or support.
• The support and resistance levels become stronger each time they restrict further price movement
• A support level can become resistance and vice versa if they are broken but not certainly
• Capital markets work due to the rationality of opinion and it is never certain that a support or resistance level will reverse the trend.
• Traders must not open bigger positions solely on the basis of support and resistance as it is risky
• The understanding of support and resistance levels can be a big advantage for technical analysis
• Support and resistance levels that are witnessed on monthly or weekly charts are much stronger compared to the ones visible on minutes and hours charts

Conclusion

Technical traders use support and resistance as tools for forex analysis. Support is the floor, whereas resistance is the ceiling of the price trend. Moreover, a zigzag upscale represents a bull market.

Traders selling when the price reaches resistance and buying at a support level are following the bounce method. Meanwhile, buying when the resistance level breaks up and selling with a support price breakdown is known as break trade.

The area of resistance or support becomes stronger as many times the level gets tested. When either level breaks, they often get interchanged i.e. support becomes resistance or resistance becomes support.

Support and resistance play a key role in predicting price movements and trend reversals in forex trading.

FAQs on Support and Resistance in Forex