Day trading by following trends, also known as "follow the trend," is considered one of the safe strategies with high profitability. In this context, the use of the Average Directional Movement Index (ADX) as a trend detection indicator plays a key role. ADX helps visualize the trend conditions and identifies the strengthening and weakening of trends.
Components of ADX
ADX consists of three main curves: two Directional Indexes (DI) and one ADX. The DI+ and DI- curves help identify bullish or bearish trends, while the ADX curve measures the strength of the trend.
- DI+ and DI-: DI+ above DI- indicates a bullish trend, while DI- above DI+ indicates a bearish trend. The intersection of these two curves indicates a trend change.
- ADX: Indicates the strength of the trend. Values below 20 indicate a weak or no trend, while values above 20 indicate trend strength.
Setup for Day Trading Using ADX
- 1. Preparation:
- Choose major currency pairs.
- Install the ADX indicator with default settings (period 14).
- Also use the Simple Moving Average (SMA) with a period of 200 as an additional filter.
- Use H4 or H1 timeframe for daily trading.
- 2. Setup for BUY Position:
- Price moves above the 200-period SMA curve.
- The DI+ curve is above DI-, and the ADX curve is below the level of 20.
- Enter buy when the ADX curve starts to rise above the level of 20.
- 3. Setup for SELL Position:
- Price moves below the 200-period SMA curve.
- The DI- curve is above DI+, and the ADX curve is below the level of 20.
- Enter sell when the ADX curve starts to rise above the level of 20.
Stop Loss and Take Profit
- Stop Loss: Place it around the nearest swing high (for sell) or swing low (for buy).
- Take Profit: Adjust according to the risk/reward ratio rule or do it manually when the ADX indicates a decline.