Interest rates are the most important financial variable for the market and the economy. No matter what market you trade, you need to keep close watch on interest rate changes. Whether you trade currencies, stocks, futures, options, commodities, ETFs, bonds or invest in mutual funds or if you are real rich in a hedge fund, the return can be seriously affected by the interest rate changes. A Yield Curve is very important in finance. It gives you the picture of different interest rates in the economy. A Yield Curve is infact a relationship between the different interest rates and the time to maturity of different treasury bills, notes, bonds in the economy. When you trade the interest rates, you need to keep an eye on the yield curve!

When you look at a Yield Curve these interest rates are plotted on the vertical axis with the time to maturity of these financial instruments on the horizontal axis. There can be three different shapes of a Yield Curve. The Normal Curve, The Flat Curve and the Inverted Curve. Now as said before there are two types of interest rates in the economy; short term and long term. The return offered on the Treasury Bills is the short term interest rate while the return offered on the Treasury Notes and Bonds are long term interest rates. Let’s discuss these three different shapes now. On the Normal Curve, the short term interest rates are lower than the longer term interest rates as investors need a premium to invest long term. A Normal Curve represents normal economic activity where investors get rewarded for investing long term in the form of a higher long term interest rate on these financial instruments in the shape of a premium over the short term interest rates.

When you find the Yield Curve to be Flat, it means that all the interest rates in the economy are equal. What this indicates is that economic activity is slowing down. Now, most of the time you will come accross the Normal Yield Curve. But sometimes, you will find the Yield Curve to be Flat.

An inverted yield curve develops when the longer term interest rates become lower than the short term interest rates. Now, an inverted yield curve develops when the economy goes into a recession or during times of financial crisis when the traders flock to the safety of longer term US Treasury Bonds.

Eurodollars have a highly liquid market meaning you can get in and get out without paying a large spread due to the large market in them. They also have less volatility. However, you can also trade the 10 year Treasury Notes (T Notes) and the Treasury Bonds (T Bond) that have a maturity period of higher than 10 years. However, T Notes and T Bonds have a much higher volatility as compared to Eurodollars.You can also trade options on these interest rate futures contracts. Some people trade the volatility. So, you have to know what you want before you trade these instruments! Many investors and traders trade interest rates by investing in Eurodollars. Eurodollars are short term futures contracts that have a low margin requirement meaning retail traders and investors can also trade Eurodollars.

Trading interest rate futures is no different than trading other futures contracts. When you trade interest rate futures, you need to pick your entry and exit points carefully including the worst case scenario that might include taking a margin call. You also need to keep in mind what the economic calendar has in store for you for that day.

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A Doji Candlestick Pattern is very easy to spot but it forms rarely when the opening and the closing prices of a security or a currency pair are the same. So there is no stick on the Doji Candlestick Pattern. It is all wicks with no candle body. In essence, a Doji Pattern looks like a cross. There are a few variation to this important pattern. Read this article to know more how profitable this pattern can be.

For a Doji to be created, a trading day must begin and end with the same price. A whole lot of trading takes place during the day but when it is all said and done, the security price is right back where it had started in the morning.

What’s so special about the Doji pattern? The special thing about this pattern is that it is a signal that the market is about to turn. Doji is an indication that the battle between the bulls and the bear has been equal. The day ended with a draw between the bulls and bears but the next day one side is going to overpower the other.

So how is a Dragonfly Doji is formed? It is formed when the security price opens. It is traded down during the early part of the day. At some point in the trading day, the price action starts to recover and climb. It eventually closes at the high which happens to equal the open of the day. Something unique! Now, a Dragonfly Doji is a unique variation to the Doji Candlestick Pattern. It is formed when the opening, the closing and the high prices are all equal. Something quite rare and unique.

So when a Dragonfly Doji Pattern is formed, the bears had been in control of the market at the start. But at some point in the trading day, the bulls become active and step in. Bulls start buying. This takes the prices up and at the end of the day, the security price ends up right where it had started. In other words, the open, the close and the high for the day are the same.

The low on this pattern can be taken as the support level because this was the level at which the bears entered the market and started buying. Dragonfly Doji is considered to be a bullish candlestick pattern.

The second important variation to the Doji is the Bearish Gravestone Doji. This pattern is formed when the open and close of the day is equal to the low of the day. This is something opposite to the Dragonfly Doji where the open, the close and the high were equal. When a Bearish Gravestone Doji Pattern is formed, it is a signal that a prolonged downtrend is about to start in the market.

A Doji pattern is very easy to spot on the candlestick chart as there is no body just the wick. Open close and either low or high all three are equal and the candle looks more like a cross. When you spot the Doji, get ready for a trend change in the price action.

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