How To Use Currency Correlation Properly

By
TradersDNA

Understanding the susceptibility of your whole portfolio to market volatility is critical to becoming a successful trader. This is especially true when it comes to FX trading. Because currencies are valued in pairs, no one pair trades in isolation from the others. Once you understand their correlations and how they fluctuate you may utilize them to manage the exposure of your whole portfolio. 

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What is a correlation? 

The explanation for currency pairings dependency is simple, if you trade the British pound against the Japanese yen, you’re actually trading a derivative of the GBP/USD and USD/JPY paintings, hence, GBP/JPY must be connected to one, if not both, of there other currency pairings. The interdependence of currencies, on the other hand, arises from more than just the fact that they exist in pairs. While certain currency pairings will move in lockstep, others may move in opposing directions as a result of more complicated cases. 

To put it in simple words, correlation is a statistical measure of the relationship between two securities in the financial sector. Between -1.0 and +1.0 is the correlation coefficient. A correlation of +1 indicates that the two currency pairings will always move in the same direction. A correlation of -1 indicates that the two currency paintings will always move in the opposite direction. 

Correlations are changing 

Correlation fluctuation is making it even more vital to track changes in correlation. Sentiment and global economic forces are extremely dynamic, changing on a daily basis. Today’s strong correlations between two currency paintings may not reflect the longer-term link between the two. As a result, looking at the six-month trailing correlation is equally cruel. 

This gives a better idea of a typical sic-mont connection between the two currency pairing, which is generally more accurate. Diverging monetary policies, a currency pair’s susceptibility to commodity prices, as well as distinctive economic and political circumstances are just a few of the reasons why correlations shift. 

Calculating the correlation 

Calculating your own correlation pairs is the greatest approach to stay current on their direction and strength. This may appear to be a challenging task, but it is actually pretty straightforward, due to the fact that there is a list of Forex strategies that can be helpful during the process. Correlations for a large number of inputs may be easily computed using the software. Simply, using a spreadsheet tool, such as Microsoft Excel can be useful to calculate the basic correlation. You can obtain historical daily currency values from several charting software which you can then import into excel. 

The one-year, six-, three-, and one-month trailing readings provide the most thorough perspective of correlation similarities and differences across time. However, you may choose which or how many of these readings to examine. 

The following is a step-by-step breakdown of the correlation calculating process.

  •  Obtain pricing information for your two currency pairings such as GBP/USD. 
  • Create two separate columns, one for each of these couples. Then for each of them, fill in the columns with the previous daily prices that occurred within the time period you are looking at. 
  • Type +correl( in an empty space at the bottom of one of the columns. 
  • You should obtain a range of cells in the formula box if you have highlighted all of the numbers in the price columns. 
  • To indicate a new cell, you need to type a comma. 
  • Steps 3-5 should be repeated for the other currency. 
  • Make the formula seem like =CORREL by closing it. 
  • The resultant number denotes the correlation between the two currency pairings. 

Even if correlations alter over time, updating your figures once every week or at the very least once a month is typically a smart idea.

Using correlation while trading forex 

After calculating the correlation, the trader needs to know how to use it efficiently. For starters, they can assist you in avoiding joining two positions that are mutually exclusive. Knowing the EUR/USD and USD/CHF move in opposite ways approximately 100% of the time, for example, you can see that having a portfolio of long EUR/USD and long USD/CHF is essentially the same as having no position, since as the correlation illustrates, when EUR/USD rises, USD/CHF sells off. Because the correlations are so high, holding long EUR/USD and long AUD/USD or NZD/USD is comparable to doubling on the same position. 

Another thing to think about is diversification. Because the EUR/USD and AUD/USD have historically had a low correlation, traders can make these two work to their advantage, to diversify their risk while rationing a core directional approach.

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