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Technical

Support

A price level where buying pressure tends to overcome selling pressure, preventing further price declines.

Quick answer

Support is a price level where buying is strong enough to stop declines, acting as a floor. Breaking support can signal further falls.

Definition

Support is a price level where demand is strong enough to prevent price from declining further. Buyers step in at support, creating a "floor" where price tends to bounce. Breaking support can signal further declines.

How It Works

  • Price approaches support level
  • Buyers enter, creating demand
  • Price bounces or consolidates
  • Break below = potential further decline

Types of Support

Horizontal Support

Previous lows, round numbers

Trend Line Support

Rising support in uptrends

Moving Average Support

Price bouncing off MAs

Trading Tips

1

Place stop loss below support when going long

2

Broken support can become resistance

3

Look for confluence of multiple support levels

Support Example

Say EUR/USD falls to 1.0800 three times in a month and bounces 50 pips each time. That shelf is support: resting buy orders absorbing every test. The fourth test breaks it, price slides to 1.0750, and old support often becomes new resistance.

How Traders Use Support

Buy near support, never into it blindly. Wait for the bounce to show, place the stop beneath the shelf rather than on it, and flip the level to resistance in your plan once it breaks.

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