Forex Currency Heat Map

Forex heat map — which currency is strongest today?

The heat map shows the percentage change of every currency against every other, colour-coded green (strengthening) to red (weakening). Read across a row to see how one currency is doing against the rest; a row that is all green means that currency is the day's strongest. Pair the strongest currency with the weakest for the cleanest trending pair.

How to trade with a currency heat map

1. Find the extremes. Identify the currency with the most green (strongest) and the most red (weakest).
2. Trade the pair between them. Strong vs. weak produces the smoothest trends — e.g. if USD is strongest and JPY weakest, USD/JPY is the pair.
3. Avoid strong vs. strong. Two strong currencies against each other (e.g. EUR/GBP when both are green) tend to chop.
4. Confirm with the signals. Check that the chosen pair's 1H/4H signal agrees before entering.

How the map is calculated

Each cell is the percentage change of the row currency against the column currency since the previous daily close. The diagonal is empty (a currency against itself); the map is anti-symmetric, so EUR→USD +0.40% implies USD→EUR −0.40%. Averaging a row gives a crude single-number strength index. Because only nine currencies are shown, a currency can look "strongest" simply because one large counterpart (usually USD or JPY) had a big move — always check the screener change column to see which pair actually drove the reading.

Worked example

Suppose at 12:00 UTC the USD row is green everywhere (+0.3% to +0.6%) and the JPY column is red against everyone except CHF. USD is the strongest, JPY the weakest. USD/JPY is the trend pair; the 4H signal should read Buy. EUR/USD (strong vs. weak in reverse) is a short candidate. EUR/CHF — both mildly green — is one to leave alone. If US CPI is due at 12:30, wait: the map will be redrawn within minutes of the print.

Pitfalls

• It is a daily snapshot. A currency that gapped at the Sunday open shows strength all day even if it has been falling since 02:00 UTC. Cross-check with the intraday chart.
• Strength is not a signal by itself. Extreme readings (a whole row above +1%) often precede mean reversion, especially into the New York close.
• Timing. Strength rotates at the session opens — recheck at 07:00 and 12:30 UTC. See the sessions guide.