Price Action Trading - Definition & How it works

Written by Updated on 23 May, 2024

Price Action Trading - Definition & How It Works


Hey there! Let's dive into the fascinating world of price action and how it can enhance your trading decisions. Price action is the movement of an asset's price over a specific period, serving as a reliable basis for technical analysis in stock, commodity, and security chart trading. As a short-term trader, you can rely exclusively on price action to make informed trading decisions.

Unlock the secrets of price action trading! By analyzing past price movements, technical analysis reveals trends and formations that can guide your trading decisions. Read on to learn how price action can work wonders for you.

Price Action Trading

Price action trading revolves around the belief that price movements provide the most trustworthy information for day traders. While various technical analysis platforms are available, price action trading requires focusing on price movements to time your stock trading effectively. For instance, observing an upward movement in a stock's price indicates that people are buying it. Pay attention to the investors' aggressiveness in purchasing and analyze the bids, trading volume, and offers. This way, you can identify pullbacks and trading waves, enabling you to make informed trading decisions.

How Price Action Trading Works

Price action strategy can be broken down into easy-to-follow steps:

  1. Understand the Concept of Supply and Demand

Recognize that supply and demand are fundamental principles applicable to all markets. When demand is low and supply is high, it leads to an increase in the market price, known as support. Conversely, when demand is high, and supply is low, it results in a decrease in the market price, known as resistance. Identifying these turning points at the right time is crucial. Be thorough with the concept of support and resistance to effectively implement a price action strategy.

  1. Observe Price Patterns With Trend Lines

To achieve success in trading, it's imperative to understand market trends and biases within the relevant time frame and have a macro view of the market. Price action provides several tools to analyze market trends, with trend lines and price swings being the most important.

Market movements often follow a zigzag pattern, forming price swings instead of moving in a straight line. Observe the direction, momentum, and magnitude of these swings to highlight the market structure and set the stage for various trading setups. A bullish market trend is indicated by high highs and high lows, while low highs and low lows indicate a bearish trend. Draw trend lines by connecting pivots in the price swings and extend them to the right. These lines will help you track market trends and observe the price action effectively.

  1. Use Candlestick Signals to Identify Trade Entries

Candlesticks are visual representations of price movements in financial markets, displaying open, high, low, and closing prices. These signals offer valuable insights into price movements, allowing you to determine whether an asset's price is moving upwards, downwards, or nowhere. For micro price analysis, focus on specific chart patterns and perform bar-by-bar analysis.

- Pin Bar Pattern: This pattern features candles with long wicks or tails, representing price rejections and sharp reversals. The wick signifies the price range that was rejected, indicating a potential movement in the opposite direction. Based on these candlestick patterns, you can decide whether to take a short or long position. It is a useful strategy in both trending and range-bound market conditions.

- Inside Bar Pattern: This pattern consists of two bars, with the smaller bar falling within the low and high range of the larger or outer bar, known as the mother bar. An inside bar pattern occurs during market consolidation, indicating a potential reversal or turning point.

- Fakey Pattern: This candlestick pattern appears when an inside bar breaks out momentarily before closing back within the low and high range of the mother bar. In this pattern, the price initially breaks the pattern from an inside bar but then reverses, triggering movement in the opposite direction.

- Three Candle Reversal Pattern: This pattern involves three candles: a bearish candle in red, a bullish candle in green, and a candle showing a higher low and lower high. The green candle should have a higher low and close above the high of the third candle. This pattern signals a potential reversal and is more reliable than a two-bar candle pattern.

- Head and Shoulders Pattern: This pattern forms when an asset's price rises, falls, rises higher, falls again to a lower high, and ends with a moderate drop. When employing the price action strategy, you can use this pattern to identify entry points and set stop losses. Typically, the end of the first shoulder serves as the entry point, while the end of the second shoulder functions as the stop loss.

These candlestick patterns help you observe, describe, and analyze the market, enabling you to make profitable trades using the price action strategy.

Experience Hassle-Free Trading with Axis Direct

Enjoy hassle-free trading with Axis Direct. Our platform offers a range of trading tools, charts, and patterns for informed decision-making. With user-friendly navigation, you can execute trades effortlessly and stay on top of the market. Experience seamless trading with Axis Direct and capitalize on investment opportunities with ease.

Conclusion

Price action trading is a powerful approach that analyses past price movements to uncover trends and formations. By understanding the trends of the market, traders can make educated selections based on pure price data, enhancing their chances of success in the dynamic world of trading.

Disclaimer: Trading involves financial risk. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. Trade responsibly and be aware of the potential risks involved.