What is the 'Matrix'?


The 'Matrix' (Figure 1.1) or Currency Strength Matrix to give it its full name, is a currency strength meter that reads the strength of 8 major currencies based on the daily trends in their respective pairs. The indicator makes it easier for traders to identify the best currency pairs to trade, and have a much more focused approach to their currency trading.

The FX market is a very complex and unique market to trade, not least because of its two sided nature which makes trade selection harder than in other markets, meaning even experienced traders can often find themselves in a trade which they later regret taking. Having a tool like the Matrix at hand, allows traders to filter out 'bad pairs' and allows you to focus on higher probability pairs to trade. 

The Matrix table shown on the website is completed after market close each Friday. The strength is based on the trend (up, down or no trend) on each currency pair, with arrows assigned to each currency based on that trend, giving us the current strongest and weakest currency pairs as the highest probability buy and sell options as we head into the new week.

The Matrix is completed by analyzing each of the 28 currency pairs included therein, Figure 1.2, using rules based trend analysis, that ensures a systematic and consistent approach to reading a price chart that correctly identifies trend, and reduces the possibility of errors, typically associated with misreading a chart.
 
forex cross-pairs currency strength
















There are many more currencies available to trade than those presented in the Matrix, however due to liquidity and the fact that these currencies make up the vast majority of daily trading volume, the Matrix has been restricted to these 8 major currencies making up 28 currency pairs.

As a technical trader, reading a chart consistently is critical in your aim to take money from the market. I say consistently instead of correctly as there is no one correct way, we can all trade differently and therefore see things differently, but we must always individually be consistent in how we do it. Unfortunately however, we are all human and prone to errors, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced trader. In most aspects of our lives we can get away with small errors, but in trading, errors cost money.

In our experience working with clients, the vast majority of these errors, and subsequent loss of money, have been due to a misreading of the chart derived from a lack of consistency and therefore avoidable. These are the worst kind of trading mistakes and eat into your trading capital more than any other. It is for this reason the Matrix was developed in an effort to help traders remove the possibility of discretionary and unnecessary errors resulting in losses. 

Before we get into using and implementing the Matrix in our trading, we must establish the rules for reading a price chart as this is how we determine the strength and scoring we see on the Matrix, Figure 1.1. Firstly it must be remembered that the Matrix shown on the webiste is based of the daily time frame, but the following rules for trend identification can be applied to any time frame. All charts illustrated hereafter are using daily time frames.
 

Next: How to read a chart