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FOREX

Combine SMAs, MSS, and P/D for High-Accuracy Trend Reversals (EURJPY Case Study)

Identifying a true trend change early—before the rest of the market notices—is one of the most profitable skills a trader can develop. Yet most traders fall into the trap of using too many tools, creating analysis paralysis and second-guessing.

In this article, we simplify the entire process into a clear, powerful, and repeatable framework based on:

  • Simple Moving Averages (20, 50, 100, 200 SMA)
  • MSS / SMS (Market Structure Shift / Smart Money Shift)
  • Premium & Discount zones
  • Top-down trend alignment
  • Technical + fundamental confluences
  • Momentum confirmation

You will see exactly how to blend all of these into one precise system—and how to apply it to real-market setups such as the current EURJPY structure.


1. Start With the Foundation: The 20/50/100/200 SMA Meaning

Every SMA serves a specific purpose. Instead of using them as random trend lines, think of them as layers of trend memory.

SMA 20 → Short-term momentum

If price is above the 20:

  • Buyers are currently in control
  • Intraday pullbacks are more likely to hold

SMA 50 → Medium-term strength

If price is above the 50:

  • Momentum is still bullish
  • The market structure supports continuation

SMA 100 → Structural bias

Above SMA 100:

  • Market bias is bullish
    Below SMA 100:
  • Bias is weakening

SMA 200 → Long-term trend

Above SMA 200:

  • Macro trend is bullish
  • Any sells are corrective, not reversals
    Below SMA 200:
  • Macro bias shifts bearish

These SMAs remove 50% of confusion immediately.
You simply identify which timeframe’s SMAs matter:

  • Swing traders → 4H and Daily SMAs
  • Intraday traders → 1H and 15M SMAs

2. Determine TRUE Trend Direction Using HTF SMAs

Before doing anything else:

  • If price is above all major SMAs → no bearish trend exists
  • If price is below all major SMAs → no bullish trend exists

This prevents traders from taking weak counter-trend trades based on emotion.

In our EURJPY example:

  • Price is above the 20, 50, 100, 200 SMA on the Daily
  • Price is above the 50, 100, 200 SMA on the 4H

👉 HTF trend is fully bullish.
Any sell setups form only as short-term corrections unless structure shifts.


3. Use Premium/Discount Zones to Know Where Big Money Operates

Institutional trading happens in two key areas:

Premium = expensive price → sell side opportunities

Discount = cheap price → buy side opportunities

If you’re selling:

  • You MUST be inside a premium zone
  • Else, you’re shorting at lows where Smart Money is buying

If you’re buying:

  • You MUST be inside a discount zone
  • Else, you’re buying at highs where Smart Money is taking profits

In the EURJPY setup:

  • Price is currently inside 4H and 1H premium
  • This is the correct location for a sell idea

But location alone is not enough — you need confirmation of a shift.


4. MSS & SMS: The Heart of Real Trend Reversals

A true reversal always follows the same sequence:

1️⃣ MSS – Market Structure Shift (Internal break)

This shows weakness, loss of power, or early distribution.

2️⃣ SMS – Smart Money Shift (Break of major swing low/high)

This is the OFFICIAL reversal.

No SMS = No trend reversal
It’s that simple.

Most traders confuse these two and end up taking premature trades.

In the EURJPY chart:

  • MSS is present
  • SMS is NOT present yet

Therefore:

  • A short-term sell is possible
  • A long-term reversal is not yet confirmed

5. Add SMA20/50 Momentum Confirmation

Once structure weakens, we add momentum logic:

Bullish → Bearish momentum shifts only when:

  1. Price closes below the 20 SMA
  2. Price closes below the 50 SMA
  3. Retest fails → new lower high forms

When this happens, sellers now dominate intraday and short-term flows.

For EURJPY:

  • Price is barely touching the 20 SMA
  • It has not broken the 50 SMA
  • Momentum is weakening but not yet bearish

This is why traders feel “uncertain”—the market has not fully shifted.


6. Blend Technical and Fundamental Bias Without Confusion

Here is a simple formula:

Long-Term Fundamentals = Direction of macro flow

(Interest rate differentials, monetary policy, institutional bias)

Short-Term Fundamentals = Temporary corrections

(News, data releases, sentiment shifts)

How this applies to EURJPY:

  • Long-term → EURJPY bullish
  • Short-term → JPY showing strength after recent economic expectations

So:

  • Expect short-term bearish corrections
  • Expect long-term bullish continuation unless SMS occurs

This prevents traders from confusing a temporary correction with a true trend change.


7. The Full Framework: A Simple Decision-Making Model

Here is the complete checklist:


A. Step 1 — Identify HTF Trend using SMAs

✔ Above SMA100/200 → bullish
✔ Sell only in premium


B. Step 2 — Mark premium/discount zones

✔ Only sell at premium
✔ Only buy at discount


C. Step 3 — Look for MSS

✔ Internal weakness
✔ Price rejecting supply


D. Step 4 — Wait for SMS to confirm

❌ No SMS → correction only
✔ SMS → trend shift confirmed


E. Step 5 — Check 1H SMA20/50 for momentum

❌ Price above = no reversal
✔ Price below = bearish momentum


F. Step 6 — Check fundamentals

✔ Short-term fundamentals align with correction?
✔ Long-term fundamentals align with main trend?


8. What This Means for Trading EURJPY Right Now

✔ Location is correct for a sell (premium zone)

✔ MSS shows early weakness

✔ Fundamentals support a temporary pullback

✔ Rejection from supply supports the idea

But…

❌ No 1H SMS

❌ No break below SMA20/50

❌ HTF SMAs show strong bullish trend

This means:

Your sell setup is valid — but it is a counter-trend corrective trade, not a trend reversal.

Swing reversal sellers must wait for:

  • A clean SMS on the 1H or 4H
  • SMA20/50 break and retest
  • A confirmed lower high

Only then does the bearish leg become a true swing move.


9. Final Thoughts: Eliminating Confusion and Trading with Precision

Trend clarity comes from layered confluence, not from guessing.

To eliminate confusion:

  • Let SMAs define your trend
  • Let premium/discount define your location
  • Let MSS/SMS define your confirmation
  • Let fundamentals define your expectations
  • Let momentum (SMA20/50) give timing

When all layers align, entries become obvious.
When they don’t, you trade lightly or wait.

This is the difference between a confused trader and a consistent, confident trader.


Luther ai_fx

Just a regular guy earning from providing high quality content and reviews online.

View Comments

  • This is an excellent breakdown — clear, structured, and truly trader-friendly. You’ve taken complex concepts like MSS/SMS, HTF alignment, and multi-SMA logic, and distilled them into a framework that feels both practical and powerful. What really stands out is the way you tie everything together: trend memory through SMAs, institutional zones, structural logic, and momentum confirmation.

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Luther ai_fx

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