Day Trading - Moving Averages vs Support and Resistance

When day trading the SP and Nasdaq futures, do you rely on your moving averages more than your support & resistant areas?

During the first hour of trading, the support and resistance zones on the SP and Nasdaq futures are the most important things to watch. The moving averages have not yet had a chance to come into play.

After that, if a trend is developing I watch several key exponential and simple moving averages on the 2 minute, the 5 minute and the 13 minute SP and Nasdaq futures charts.

These specific moving averages give reliable support and resistance for the market as long as the slope of the moving averages are fairly steep, indicating a trend. When there is no trend, the moving averages are flat and pretty much worthless.

When a trending market makes a countertrend move, and hits a key moving average on two or more different time frames at the same time, the probability of a good trade setup increases dramatically. If you get three hits at the same time, it's even better. Sometimes you'll see one key moving average get hit on the five minute SP chart at the same time another moving average is hit on the 13 minute Nasdaq chart. This also gives a good trade setup.

Eventually, a trending market will reach the next major support or resistance zone. At that point the zones once again become more important than the moving averages.

In afternoon trading, the market has often broken through a support or resistance zone several times. In that case, the zone is no longer useful, and new areas of support and resistance can usually be found. When I find them, I send my subscribers an RBI Intraday Update with the new support or resistance areas, and a description of what I think the market will do if it moves above or below them.

Mike Reed is author of TradeStalker's RBI Trader's Updates. He has been trading the Market for 23 years. His support and resistance numbers have been published on the internet since 1996. Mike's nightly support and resistance zones are specific and incredibly accurate. He offers an unlimited free trial of his nightly TradeStalker RBI Trader's Updates. http://www.TradeStalker.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Currency Trading Information:

Related Articles

Crisis of Confidence in the EU
The European Union (EU) constitution was dealt a double blow, first by a French "no" vote on 29-May and then by a follow on "no" from the Netherlands on 01-Jun. To add insult to injury, one low level Italian diplomat quickly called for a referendum in Italy to decide if a return to the lira was warranted.
How Currencies are Traded in the FOREX Market
Currencies are traded in dollar amounts called "lots". At 100:1 leverage, one lot is equal to $1000 which controls $100,000 of a given currency.
FOREX 101: Make Money with Currency Trading
For those unfamiliar with the term, FOREX (FOReign EXchange market), refers to an international exchange market where currencies are bought and sold. The Foreign Exchange Market that we see today began in the 1970's, when free exchange rates and floating currencies were introduced.
Forex Profits
The Forex Market-What, When and Why?Forex, FX and the Forex market are some common abbreviations for the Foreign Exchange market. Actually it is the largest financial market in the world, where money is sold and bought freely.
The Margin Advantages of Trading FOREX.
There is one aspect that is considered as one of the best advantages of FOREX Trading. This is related to the amount of money you need to place a trade, this is known as "margin", and in short, this is all that can be lost in a the case you had a bad trade.
Factors Influencing a Currency Pair Exchange Rate
IntroductionThe exchange rate refers to the value of the US dollar against the values of currencies of other countries. Such a rate helps determine how much we pay for imported goods and services and how much we receive for what we export, among other things.
5 Questions You Need To Have Answered Before You Back-Test Your Forex System
As 90-95% of new forex traders lose money within the first 3-6 months this article helps to guide new forex traders by asking 5 questions that the forex trader needs to know prior to back-testing their forex system.Let us jump right in.
Where is the Market Going?
If you ask me whether the market will have moved up or down by this time next year, well I may as well flip a coin, because I don't know.If you ask me whether the market will have moved up or down by this time next month, well again, I may as well flip a coin, because I still don't know.
Forex Signal, Forex Signals Advice
There are lot's of Forex signals providers out there. New Forex traders might be thinking of looking for a reliable Forex signals provider.
FOREX Trading Philosophy
Keen on starting FOREX trading? Why would you not be? Many beginning FOREX traders are captivated by the allure of easy money. FOREX websites offer 'risk-free' trading, 'high returns' and 'low investment' - these claims have a grain of truth in them, but the reality of FOREX is a bit more complex.
How To Choose Wisely A FOREX Broker
Most traders use a FOREX broker to handle their transactions. What exactly are brokers? Strictly speaking, brokers are individuals or companies that buy and sell orders according the investor's decisions.
How Do Other Countries Devalue Their Currencies?
Countries devalue their currencies only when they have no other way to correct past economic mistakes - whether their own or mistakes committed by their predecessors.The ills of a devaluation are still at least equal to its advantages.
Stock Market Report: Day Trading or Swing Trading Online? Stock Investing Information
Profitable day traders recognize that momentum trading is among the fastest & most effective ways to harvest BIG piles of cash in the stock market.The problem is that if you don't know what stocks to look for and how to approach them while limiting your risk, you won't even get close to making some profits.
The Basics of Forex
Foreign exchange market is also known as Forex or FX market. To date, it is the world's biggest "economic bazaar".
Options Trading - Advantages and Disadvantages
What is Options Trading?An option is simply granting someone the right to buy or sell something in the future. In the case of Dow index futures options, when someone buys a Dow call option they are buying the right to purchase that underlying Dow future at a specific price, known as the "strike price," at a future point in time, known as the "expiration date.
Day Trading Course or Day Trading Technique Seminar: Learn Day Trading Education
Profitable day traders recognize that momentum trading is among the fastest & most effective ways to harvest BIG piles of cash in the stock market.The problem is that if you don't know what stocks to look for and how to approach them while limiting your risk, you won't even get close to making some profits.
Discovering Turnaround Candidates
There are many types of investment methodology out there. All of them has their own merits.
Option Arbitrage in the Forex Market
What is arbitrage? Arbitrage is the simultaneous buying and selling of identical financial instruments taking advantage of price discrepancies between different brokers, exchanges, clearing firms, etc. and thus locking in a profit.
Forex Scams: How to Spot Them A Mile Away
In recent years, investors have witnessed increased number of investment opportunities and offerings. While the complexity and success of these investment products vary, technological innovation has made the Forex market one of the fastest growth areas.
Forex Trading
Foreign exchange market, or better known as FOREX, is the world's largest and most prolific financial exchange market originated on 1973. Bearing the status of largest and most prolific currency exchange market, FOREX is the center stage where a vast majority of the currency trading or FOREX trading takes place, with a total daily turnover of currency worth more than $1.