Zone trading is a unique technical analysis approach that aims to identify supply and demand levels in a stock’s price action. It involves dividing a stock’s price movement into different “zones” and analyzing how the stock behaves within each zone. Zone trading provides traders with a structured framework to determine potential support, resistance, and breakout levels.
An Introduction to Zone Trading
Zone trading was developed in the early 2000s by Jeff Drake and Bud Reed as a way to improve the identification of supply and demand levels using the concepts of impulse and corrective moves. The central premise is that a stock’s price tends to move up and down between zones of supply and demand. By studying the price action and volume, traders can identify these key zones.
Some key benefits of zone trading include:
- Provides clear rules for identifying support, resistance, and potential breakout levels
- Zones are dynamic and update based on evolving price action
- Works on any time frame from 1 minute to monthly charts
- Applicable to stocks, futures, forex, and other liquid markets
- Combinable with other technical analysis tools
Overall, zone trading aims to provide traders with an objective way to define areas of supply and demand on a chart. Mastering zone trading analysis can greatly improve a trader’s ability to determine high-probability entry and exit points.
How Zone Trading Works
Zone trading divides price action into alternating zones called impulse moves and corrective moves. Here is an overview of how it works:
Impulse Moves
An impulse move represents a directional, high-momentum move in the stock price. It could be either an up-move or down-move. Impulse moves display 5 waves when analyzed on an intraday chart. These 5 waves often unfold in a zigzag pattern with waves 1, 3, and 5 moving in the overall direction of the trend, and waves 2 and 4 countering the trend.
The impulse move zones are numbered sequentially, starting with Zone 1, as they occur. Zones only update after a corrective move. The high or low formed at the end of an impulse move becomes a dynamically updating supply or demand level.
Corrective Moves
After an impulse wave completes, the stock transitions into a corrective move, which moves counter to the previous impulse wave. Corrective moves are labeled alphabetically, starting with Zone A. They serve to reset the cycle and allow new impulse moves to develop.
Corrective moves generally do not fully retrace the previous impulse zone and often display complex overlapping price action. The corrective move ends when a new impulse move begins.
Zone Flip
Sometimes an impulse move will fail at a previous zone level, which leads to a zone flip. This occurs when price breaks out of a zone but quickly reverses back into the zone. For example, if Zone 3 fails to hold as support during a decline, the Zone 2 high becomes the new demand level.
Retracements
Retracements play an important role in confirming zone levels. Common retracements are 50%, 61.8%, and 78.6%. A retracement into a zone followed by rejection helps validate that zone as an important supply or demand level. These reversal points offer excellent trade entry opportunities.
Major Benefits of Zone Trading
Here are some of the major benefits of using zone trading analysis:
- Objectively defines support and resistance – Zones provide logical areas of potential support and resistance based on previous price action. This removes subjectivity and guesswork.
- Determines market conviction – The size of the impulse move and whether zones hold or flip reveals information about market sentiment and conviction.
- Focuses attention on key levels – Zones narrow down the number of levels to watch. Traders can focus attention on a few specific areas rather than closely watching every peak and trough.
- Spots reversal and breakout setups – Turning points often occur at zones, providing reversal trade opportunities. Breakouts from zones offer robust breakout signals when confirmed.
- Adaptability – Zones seamlessly update based on changing price action. Levels are continually adjusted to reflect the current supply and demand.
- Works across time frames and asset classes – The concepts are applicable to day trading, swing trading, and long-term investing in stocks, futures, forex, and other liquid markets.
Overall, zone trading creates an advantageous structure for analyzing real-time price action. The technique provides clarity in identifying high-probability trade entry and exit points.
How to Define Zones Using Price Action
Defining accurate zones is a critical first step in applying zone trading analysis. Here are some guidelines for identifying zones:
- Focus on clearly impulsive moves that display five waves and retracements less than 78.6%
- For uptrends, connect swing lows to define zones. In downtrends, connect swing highs.
- Consider volume surges, candlestick signals, and other indicators for confirmation
- Use diagonal trendlines to define zones on corrections and impulse moves
- Adopt a consistent methodology for constructing zones across all time frames
It takes practice studying historical charts to master constructing proper zones. Going forward, zones can be adjusted dynamically on live price charts. Pay close attention to price behavior around zones to determine convictions.
Using Zones for Actionable Trading Strategies
Once zones are defined, traders can use the levels to deploy effective trading strategies. Here are some approaches:
Fading Zones
This strategy involves fading zones by entering counter-trend trades when price reaches extremes. For example:
- Sell near the highs of impulse up-moves when Zone resistance holds
- Buy near the lows of impulse down-moves when Zone support holds
Plan the trade based on risk management rules and utilize stop losses. Take profit near the next Zone level.
Trading Zone Breakouts
This strategy captures breakouts from Zones after confirmation:
- Buy stop orders above Zone resistance when upside breakout confirms
- Sell stop orders below Zone support when downside breakout confirms
Often the best breakouts occur after multiple touches confirm the Zone level. Use a protective stop loss when trading breakouts.
Anticipating Zone Flips
Zone flips offer huge trading edge if anticipated correctly:
- Scale into long positions near a Zone expecting an upside flip
- Scale into short positions near a Zone expecting a downside flip
Plan for both breakout and rejection scenarios using stop-losses and profit targets.
Using Zones for Risk Management
Zones provide logical areas to set profit targets and stop losses:
- Set profit targets near the next Zone level in the direction of the trend
- Use Zone highs and lows to set stop losses, especially on breakout plays
- Trail stops below Zone lows on uptrends and above Zone highs on downtrends
This approach ensures trades capture the meat of the move between Zones.
Common Questions and Answers on Zone Trading
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about zone trading:
What chart time frame works best for zone trading?
Zone trading can be used on any time frame from the 1-minute chart up to monthly charts. The best time frame depends on your trading style. Shorter term traders generally use 5-min or 15-min charts. Longer term investors may use daily or weekly charts.
How many zones should you have on a chart?
Limit zones to only the most relevant levels to avoid overcrowding the chart. Typically 3-5 medium term zones and 2-3 short term zones are sufficient. Too many zones creates clutter.
Is it better to buy at the bottom of zones or wait for confirmation?
It’s generally best to wait for confirmation before entering. Allow price to demonstrate commitment to the zone by holding initial tests. Buying prematurely at exact lows often leads to being stopped out frequently.
What if a stock gaps up or down and skips a zone level?
It’s quite common for stocks to gap beyond zones overnight or during extended hours trading. In this case, the gapped zone remains relevant and worth watching in case price returns back to it. Don’t eliminate zones just because of gaps.
How do you determine profit targets using zone trading?
Logical profit targets are the next Zone resistances (for longs) or supports (for shorts) in the direction of the trend. You can also trail stops below key zone levels to lock in gains as the trend progresses.
Conclusion
Zone trading provides traders with a robust methodology for defining and trading key areas of supply and demand on any time frame. By mastering the analysis of impulse and corrective moves, traders can significantly improve identification of support, resistance, breakouts, and reversals. Just a few high-probability zone trades a month can create substantial profits over time.
The techniques work across all liquid markets and assets while eliminating much of the subjectivity associated with traditional technical analysis. Zone trading delivers a structured, rule-based approach to isolating the highest conviction trades. With practice and discipline, zone trading can provide a unique edge for traders in topping or bottoming markets.
Best and Most Trusted Forex Brokers
Based on regulation, award recognition, mainstream credibility, and overwhelmingly positive client feedback, these six brokers stand out for their sterling reputations:
| No | Broker | Regulation | Min. Deposit | Platforms | Account Types | Offer | Open New Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | RoboForex | FSC Belize | $10 | MT4, MT5, RTrader | Standard, Cent, Zero Spread | Welcome Bonus $30 | Open RoboForex Account |
| 2. | AvaTrade | ASIC, FSCA | $100 | MT4, MT5 | Standard, Cent, Zero Spread | Top Forex Broker | Open AvaTrade Account |
| 3. | Exness | FCA, CySEC | $1 | MT4, MT5 | Standard, Cent, Zero Spread | Free VPS | Open Exness Account |
| 4. | XM | ASIC, CySEC, FCA | $5 | MT4, MT5 | Standard, Micro, Zero Spread | 20% Deposit Bonus | Open XM Account |
| 5. | ICMarkets | Seychelles FSA | $200 | MT4, MT5, CTrader | Standard, Zero Spread | Best Paypal Broker | Open ICMarkets Account |
| 6. | XBTFX | ASIC, CySEC, FCA | $10 | MT4, MT5 | Standard, Zero Spread | Best USA Broker | Open XBTFX Account |
| 7. | Vantage | ASIC, CySEC, FCA | $50 | MT4, MT5 | Standard, Cent, Zero Spread | 20% Deposit Bonus | Open Vantage Account |
| 8. | FXTM | FSC Mauritius | $10 | MT4, MT5 | Standard, Micro, Zero Spread | Welcome Bonus $50 | Open FXTM Account |
| 9. | FBS | ASIC, CySEC, FCA | $5 | MT4, MT5 | Standard, Cent, Zero Spread | 100% Deposit Bonus | Open FBS Account |
| 10. | Binance | DASP | $10 | Binance Platforms | N/A | Best Crypto Broker | Open Binance Account |
| 11. | TradingView | Unregulated | Free | TradingView | N/A | Best Trading Platform | Open TradingView Account |
“If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.”
- Warren Buffett
![FXCore100-EA-[UPDATED]](https://bestmt4ea.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/FXCore100-EA-UPDATED-300x300.jpg)
Top Forex Brokers
MOST POPULAR FOREX ROBOT
Number One Robot for Forex Trading.
Based on Price Action and Trend Analysis with Artificial Intelligence.
Works Best with EURUSD & XAUUSD.
You can use this EA on Multiple Accounts with Life Time Premium Support.
MyFXbook, FxBlue & Live Trading Verified.
Monthly Expected Profit is 20% to 200% with very Less Drawdown.
check daily trading result
We will post our trading result daily on our channel. Please join our channel for daily updates.
