CURRENCY TRADING

LOUIS B. MENDELSOHN

Intermarket Analysis
of Forex Markets
40 MARCH 2008
 Louis B. Mendelsohn is President
and Chief Executive Offi cer of Market
Technologies

M
ost traders stress the role of fundamental information You are probably familiar with equities traders who compare re-
and historical single-market price data in analyzing turns between small-caps and big-caps, one market sector versus
markets for the purpose of price and trend forecast- another, a sector against a broad market index, one stock against
ing. Traders do need to look back at past price action to put another, international stocks versus domestic stocks. Portfolio
current price action in perspective, but they also need to look managers talk about diversification as they try to achieve the
forward to anticipate what will happen to prices if their analysis best performance. Whether they are speculating for profits or
is to pay off in the real trading world. arbitraging to take advantage of temporary price discrepancies,
intermarket analysis in this sense has been part of equities trad-
To be able to look ahead with confidence, however, traders need ing for a long time.
to look in one other direction, and that is sideways to what is
happening in related markets, which has a major influence on Traders in the commodities markets have also been into inter-
price action in a target market. What are the external market market analysis for a long time, trading spreads that have a reli-
forces that affect the internal market dynamics – the intermarket able track record. Farmers have been involved in intermarket
context or environment in which the market you are trading analysis for years although they may not have thought of what
exists? they do in those terms. When they calculate what to plant in
fields where they have several crop choices – between corn and
soybeans, for example – they typically consider current or an-
ticipated prices of each crop, the size of the yield they can expect
Moving beyond single-market analysis from each crop and the cost of production in making their deci-
sion. Th ey do not look at one market in isolation but know that
Intuitively, traders know that markets are interrelated and that
what they decide for one crop will likely have a bearing on the
a development that affects one market is likely to have repercus-
price of the other, keeping the price ratio between the two crops
sions in other markets. No market is isolated in today’s global
financial system. However, technical analysis has traditionally somewhat in line on an historical basis.
emphasized single-market analysis, focusing on one chart at a
time and failing to keep up with structural changes that have oc- Th e price relationships of corn to soybeans or hogs to cattle or
curred in financial markets as the global economy has emerged gold to silver or T-bonds to T-notes have been the subject of
with advances in telecommunications and increasing interna- intra-commodity and inter-commodity spread analysis and have
tionalization of business and commerce. been an integral part of technical analysis of the commodities
markets for decades, long before John Murphy and I brought
Many individual traders still rely upon the same types of mass- the term “intermarket analysis” into vogue.
marketed, single-market analysis tools and information sources
that have been around since the 1970s when I first started in this Th e commodities markets, in turn, have a tremendous effect on
industry. And a large percentage of traders continue to end up the financial markets such as Treasury notes and bonds, which
losing their trading capital. If you’re still doing what the masses have a powerful effect on the equities markets, which have an
are doing, isn’t it likely that you’ll end up losing your hard- effect on the value of the U.S. dollar and forex markets, which
earned money, too? has an effect on commodities . . . Th e ripple effect through all
markets is sort of a circular cause-and-effect dynamic involving
In the forex markets especially, you cannot ignore the broader inflationary expectations, changes in interest rates, corporate
intermarket context affecting the market that you are trading. earnings growth rates, stock prices, forex fluctuations. You can
You still need to analyze the behavior of each individual market hardly name a market that isn’t affected by other markets or,

s
to see the double tops or broken trendlines or indicator crosso- in turn, doesn’t affect other markets. Whatever the market, as-
vers that so many other traders are following because that’s part sets tend to migrate toward the one producing or promising the
of the mass psychology that drives price action. However, it is in- highest return. Th at’s as true for forex as any other market.
creasingly important that you factor into your analysis the exter-

s
nal intermarket forces that influence each market being traded. You have probably heard the expression, “If the U.S. economy
sneezes, the rest of the world catches cold” or that the health of
the U.S. economy is the engine that drives the global economy.
It works both ways as a sneeze elsewhere in the world can have a
Historical roots significant impact on U.S. markets, as was evident in the Asian
financial crisis in 1997 and other incidences over the years that
Intermarket analysis is certainly not a new development for trad- have provided proof, if any was still needed, of how linked to-
ers, having roots in both the equities and commodities markets. day’s global markets are.
MARCH 2008 41
 CURRENCY TRADING
Intermarket analysis: The next logical step financial markets.
So, a quantitative approach to implement intermarket analysis,
Our research in the ongoing development of VantagePoint since
which has been the basis of my research since the mid-1980s,
its introduction in 1991 indicates that, if you want to analyze
is neither a radical departure from traditional single market
the value of the euro versus the U.S. dollar (EUR/USD), for
technical analysis nor an attempt to undermine it or replace it.
instance, you not only have to look at euro data but also at the
Intermarket analysis, in my opinion, is just the next logical de-
data for these other related markets to find hidden patterns and
velopmental stage in the evolution of technical analysis, given
relationships that influence the EUR/USD relationship (see Fig-
the global context of today’s interdependent economies and fi-
ure 1):
nancial markets.
• Australian dollar/U.S. dollar (AUD/USD)
Bottom line: If you want to trade forex markets today, you have
• Australian dollar/Japanese yen (AUD/JPY)
to use a trading tool or adopt an approach or trading strategy
• British pound
that incorporates intermarket analysis in one way or another.
• Euro/Canadian dollar (EUR/CAD)
An important aspect of my ongoing research involves analyz-
• Gold
ing which markets have the most influence on each other and
• Nasdaq 100 Index
determining the degree of influence these markets have on one
• British pound/Japanese yen (GBP/JPY)
another.
• British pound/U.S. dollar (GBP/USD)
Hurricaneomic analysisTM is a perfect example of the inter- • Japanese yen
connectedness of events and markets and how nothing can be
looked at in isolation. Take the spate of hurricanes that hit the
Gulf Coast and Florida in 2005. They did not simply cause lo-
cal damage to the economy of those regions. On the contrary, Figure 1 – Related Markets
there are hurricaneomic effects that will ripple throughout the When you are trading the USD/JPY forex pair, you need to take
world economy for months and years to come, impacting the into account another set of intermarket relationships including
energy markets, agricultural markets, building materials includ- the following markets:
ing lumber, the federal deficit, interest rates, and, of course, the
forex market as it pertains to the U.S. dollar. So, hurricaneomic • 5-year U.S. Treasury notes
analysis goes hand-in-hand with intermarket analysis in looking • Euro/Japanese yen (EUR/JPY)
at events such as natural disasters and their effects on the global • Gold
• Euro/Canadian dollar (EUR/CAD)

42 MARCH 2008
• Euro/U.S. dollar (EUR/USD) shows a high positive correlation – that is the value of the euro
• British pound/Swiss franc (GBP/CHF) and gold prices often go hand in hand, suggesting these markets
• Crude oil are both beneficiaries when funds are flowing away from the
• Nikkei 225 stock average U.S. dollar (see Figure 3).
• S&P 500 Index

Many market inter-relationships are obvious, but others may

seem more distant and unrelated, such as the importance of Figure 3 – Gold and the Euro
stock indices, U.S. T-notes or crude oil prices on pricing of the So gold prices are an important component in performing inter-
USD/JPY forex pair. Research has verified that these related market analysis of the forex market. If you see a trend or price
markets do have an important influence on a target forex mar- signal on a gold chart, it may be a good clue for taking a position
ket and can provide early insights into the forex market’s future in the forex market, where a price move may not have started to
price direction. occur yet. Or vice versa: A forex move may tip off a gold move.
Additionally, through hurricaneomic analysis, data related to One of the factors cited for the rise in oil prices is the weak-
events such as the recent natural disasters in the U.S. can also be ness of the dollar as foreign oil producers viewed increases in
incorporated into forecasting models, along with single-market, oil prices as a way to maintain their purchasing power in U.S.
intermarket, and fundamental data. This results in an analytic dollar terms (see Figure 4). One way to counter the impact of
paradigm that I call Synergistic Market AnalysisTM higher oil prices is a weaker dollar, in what could become a vi-
cious inflationary cycle.
Gold and oil and forex

In some cases, the correlation is inverse, especially for markets

such as gold or oil that are priced in U.S. dollars in interna-
tional trade. If you look at a chart comparing the price of gold
Figure 4 – Oil and the US Dollar
and the value of the U.S. dollar (see Figure 2), you will see that Oil is a key commodity driving global economic growth, and oil
when the U.S. dollar declines, not only do foreign currencies rise prices and forex have a key relationship in the global economy.
For example, when oil becomes expensive it hurts the economy
but gold prices also rise. Studies on data from the last few years
of Japan, which has to rely on imports for most of its energy
have shown a negative correlation between gold and the dollar needs. That weakens the yen. High oil prices benefit the econo-
of more than minus 0.90 – that is, they almost never move in my of a country such as the United Kingdom, which produces
tandem but almost always move in opposite directions. oil. That strengthens the value of the British pound.

Because of oil’s standing in world business and commerce, any-

thing that affects its supply or distribution is likely to produce
Figure 2 – Gold and the US Dollar a response in the forex market. That’s why terrorist attacks or
The value of EUR/USD versus gold prices, on the other hand, natural disasters such as hurricane Katrina, which threaten the

MARCH 2008 43
 CURRENCY TRADING
normal flow of oil supplies, often cause an immediate response Gold and oil aren’t the only commodities affected by changes in
in the forex market. A sudden shift from the dollar to the euro forex values. Exports of agricultural commodities account for a
as the designated currency in crude oil contracts, as Mideast oil sizable share of U.S. farm income. When the value of the dollar
producers have mentioned from time to time, could also cause rises, it tends to curtail buying interest from an importing nation
an immediate decline in the value of the U.S. dollar. as the commodity becomes too expensive in terms of that na-
tion’s domestic currency. When the value of the dollar declines,
Although these are the kinds of shocks that make market analysis it reduces the price to an importing nation in terms of its cur-
difficult for any trader, the more typical scenario usually involves rency and encourages it to buy more U.S. agricultural products.
subtle movements taking place in intermarket relationships that Instead of hedging their soybeans or corn, it may not be too far-
hint a price change may be coming. If you are not using inter- fetched to suggest that U.S. farmers should be learning how to
market analysis, you probably are not going to pick up on all hedge the value of their production in the forex market.
those relationships and the effects they have on markets, as those
clues are hidden from obvious view. Cotton is another commodity market strongly influenced by

44 MARCH 2008
shifts in the forex market, especially with China as a major play- rency becomes more significant in world currency markets, it
er in cotton because of its textile industry. Forex traders worried may have more influence on the Japanese yen than on other
about the impact of China’s revaluation of its currency on the major currencies. Or developments in the British economy may
world’s forex market might even think about trading in the cot- keep the British pound from following the lead of the euro.
ton market.

The amount of influence that one market will have on another

market will naturally shift over time so these relationships are
not static but should be the subject of ongoing study. Forex trad-
Multi-market effect
ers should also be aware that the impact from related markets The forex market is a dynamic marketplace, constantly shift-
may not be instantaneous. It may take some time for a policy ing and evolving. It is not one currency versus the world but
decision or other development to have an impact on the ever- all currencies affecting all other currencies to a greater or lesser
changing marketplace, or an influencing condition may have degree. When you try to examine the multiple effects of five
a bearing on market direction for only a short time, meaning or ten related markets such as forex simultaneously on a target
traders may have only a brief window in which to capitalize on market going back on five or ten years of data to find recurring,
a trading opportunity. predictive patterns, methods such as linear correlation analysis
and subjective chart analysis quickly reveal their limitations and
inadequacies as trend and price forecasting tools.

Analytical challenge Forex market inter-relationships can not be ferreted out with
Intermarket analysis is not an easy task to accomplish for the single-market analysis tools. If you are serious about forex trad-
average forex trader. The complexity of the dynamics between ing, you need to make the commitment to get the right tools
markets and their influences on each other mean that just com- from the get go, or you are likely to struggle to keep your ac-
paring price charts of two currencies and producing a chart of count intact. Since we are talking currencies here, we might in-
the spread difference or a ratio between the two prices is not terject another familiar saying: “Penny wise and pound foolish”
enough to get the full picture of a currency’s strength or weak- when it comes to investing in analytical tools.
ness or its potential for a price move.
Of course, no matter what you spend or what tools you use,
Some analysts like to do correlation studies of two related mar- nothing is 100% correct. Even the best tool can only give you
kets, which measures the degree to which the prices of one mar- mathematical probabilities, not certainties. But your tools don’t
ket move in relation to the prices of the second market. Two need to be perfect to give you a trading edge.
markets are considered perfectly correlated if the price change
of the second market can be forecasted precisely from the price If you have analytical tools that can find and identify the re-
change of the first market. A perfectly positive correlation oc- curring patterns within individual forex markets and between
curs when both markets move in the same direction. A perfectly related global markets, you’ve got all you need to have a leg up
negative correlation occurs when the two markets move in op- on other traders. This insight into price activity over the next few
posite directions. days can give you added confidence and discipline to adhere to
your trading strategies and enable you to pull the trigger at the
But this approach has its limitations because it compares prices
right time without self-doubt or hesitation.
of only two currencies to one another and does not take into ac-
count the influence exerted by other currencies or other markets
on the target market. In the financial markets and especially the Louis B. Mendelsohn is President and Chief Executive Officer of Market
forex markets, a number of related markets need to be included Technologies. Mr. Mendelsohn began trading equities in the early 1970s,
in the analysis rather than assuming that there is a one-to-one followed by stock options. Then, in the late 1970s he started trading
cause-effect relationship between just two markets. commodities, as both a day and position trader. In 1979, he formed
Market Technologies to develop technical analysis trading software for
Nor do the correlation studies take into account the leads and
the commodity futures markets.
lags that may exist in economic activity or other factors affecting
a forex market. Typically their calculations are based only on In 1983, Mr. Mendelsohn pioneered the first commercial strategy back-
the values at the moment and may not consider the longer-term testing and optimization trading software for microcomputers. By the
consequences of central bank intervention or a policy change mid-1980s these capabilities had become the standard in microcomputer
that takes some time to play itself out in the markets. trading software for both equities and futures, fueling the growth of
today’s multi-million dollar technical analysis software industry.
The Canadian and Australian dollars, for example, are consid-
ered to be “commodity currencies.” They may be highly corre- Recognizing the emerging trend toward globalization of the world’s
lated when some development influences raw commodity prices financial markets, in 1986 Mr. Mendelsohn again broke new ground in
in general, and they may move in tandem as the value of the technical analysis when he developed the first commercial intermarket
U.S. dollar or other major currencies move in the other direction analysis software in the financial industry for microcomputers. Building
by varying amounts. on his extensive research in the 1980s involving intermarket analysis,
in 1991 Mr. Mendelsohn released VantagePoint Intermarket Analysis
But the Australian dollar is more sensitive to developments in
Software, which makes short term market forecasts based upon the
Asia and may be more responsive to what is happening in that
area of the world, at least for a while. Likewise, as China’s cur- pattern recognition capabilities of neural networks.

MARCH 2008 45