TickAtlas
Analysis 10 min read · March 28, 2026

Currency Strength Analysis: Finding the Best Pairs to Trade

Build a currency strength meter using the TickAtlas API. Compare relative strength across all major currencies to find the highest-probability forex trades.

CG
By the TickAtlas team

The Core Idea

Instead of analyzing individual pairs, analyze individual currencies. If USD is the strongest currency and JPY is the weakest, then USDJPY is your highest-probability long trade. This approach eliminates guesswork about which pair to trade by focusing on the underlying currency dynamics.

How to Calculate Currency Strength

For each currency, we look at its RSI readings across all pairs it participates in. A currency that is in an uptrend against most other currencies is "strong." Here is the method:

python
import requests
from collections import defaultdict

API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"
BASE_URL = "https://tickatlas.com/v1"
HEADERS = {"X-API-Key": API_KEY}

# Major pairs and their component currencies
PAIRS = {
    "EURUSD": ("EUR", "USD"),
    "GBPUSD": ("GBP", "USD"),
    "USDJPY": ("USD", "JPY"),
    "AUDUSD": ("AUD", "USD"),
    "USDCHF": ("USD", "CHF"),
    "USDCAD": ("USD", "CAD"),
    "NZDUSD": ("NZD", "USD"),
    "EURGBP": ("EUR", "GBP"),
    "EURJPY": ("EUR", "JPY"),
    "GBPJPY": ("GBP", "JPY"),
}

def calculate_currency_strength() -> dict:
    """Calculate relative strength score for each currency."""
    scores = defaultdict(list)

    for pair, (base, quote) in PAIRS.items():
        resp = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/indicators", params={
            "symbol": pair,
            "timeframe": "H4",
            "indicators": "RSI_14"
        }, headers=HEADERS)

        if resp.status_code != 200:
            continue

        rsi = resp.json()["data"]["indicators"]["RSI_14"]["value"]

        # RSI > 50 means base currency is strong vs quote
        # RSI < 50 means quote currency is strong vs base
        scores[base].append(rsi)
        scores[quote].append(100 - rsi)  # Invert for quote currency

    # Average all scores for each currency
    strength = {}
    for currency, rsi_values in scores.items():
        strength[currency] = sum(rsi_values) / len(rsi_values)

    # Sort strongest to weakest
    return dict(sorted(strength.items(), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True))

# Run it
strength = calculate_currency_strength()
print("Currency Strength Ranking:")
for currency, score in strength.items():
    bar = "=" * int(score / 2)
    print(f"  {currency}: {score:.1f} {bar}")

Finding the Best Trade

python
def find_best_pair(strength: dict) -> dict:
    """Find the pair with the biggest strength differential."""
    currencies = list(strength.keys())
    strongest = currencies[0]
    weakest = currencies[-1]

    # Find the direct pair between strongest and weakest
    pair_name = None
    direction = None

    for pair, (base, quote) in PAIRS.items():
        if base == strongest and quote == weakest:
            pair_name = pair
            direction = "BUY"
            break
        elif base == weakest and quote == strongest:
            pair_name = pair
            direction = "SELL"
            break

    diff = strength[strongest] - strength[weakest]

    return {
        "pair": pair_name,
        "direction": direction,
        "strongest": strongest,
        "weakest": weakest,
        "strength_diff": diff,
        "confidence": "HIGH" if diff > 15 else "MEDIUM" if diff > 8 else "LOW"
    }

# Find the best trade
strength = calculate_currency_strength()
trade = find_best_pair(strength)
print(f"\nBest trade: {trade['direction']} {trade['pair']}")
print(f"  {trade['strongest']} (strong) vs {trade['weakest']} (weak)")
print(f"  Strength differential: {trade['strength_diff']:.1f}")
print(f"  Confidence: {trade['confidence']}")

Example Output

Currency Strength Ranking:
  USD: 62.4 ===============================
  GBP: 56.8 ============================
  EUR: 52.1 ==========================
  CHF: 49.3 ========================
  CAD: 47.5 =======================
  AUD: 44.2 ======================
  NZD: 41.8 ====================
  JPY: 38.1 ===================

Best trade: BUY USDJPY
  USD (strong) vs JPY (weak)
  Strength differential: 24.3
  Confidence: HIGH

Adding Technical Confirmation

Currency strength tells you what to trade. Technical indicators tell you when to enter. Combine both for the best results.

python
def confirmed_trade(pair: str, direction: str) -> dict:
    """Confirm the currency strength trade with technical indicators."""
    resp = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/indicators", params={
        "symbol": pair,
        "timeframe": "H1",
        "indicators": "RSI_14,MACD,ADX_14"
    }, headers=HEADERS)

    data = resp.json()["data"]["indicators"]
    rsi = data["RSI_14"]["value"]
    macd_hist = data["MACD"]["histogram"]
    adx = data["ADX_14"]["value"]

    confirmations = 0
    reasons = []

    if direction == "BUY":
        if macd_hist > 0:
            confirmations += 1
            reasons.append("MACD bullish")
        if rsi > 40 and rsi < 70:
            confirmations += 1
            reasons.append(f"RSI healthy ({rsi:.1f})")
        if adx > 20:
            confirmations += 1
            reasons.append(f"Trend active (ADX {adx:.1f})")
    else:
        if macd_hist < 0:
            confirmations += 1
            reasons.append("MACD bearish")
        if rsi < 60 and rsi > 30:
            confirmations += 1
            reasons.append(f"RSI healthy ({rsi:.1f})")
        if adx > 20:
            confirmations += 1
            reasons.append(f"Trend active (ADX {adx:.1f})")

    return {
        "pair": pair,
        "direction": direction,
        "confirmations": confirmations,
        "max_confirmations": 3,
        "reasons": reasons,
        "go": confirmations >= 2
    }

When to Recalculate

Currency strength changes slowly compared to individual pair movements. Recalculate every 4 hours (aligned with H4 candle closes) for the best balance between accuracy and API usage. The TickAtlas API's efficient indicator endpoint means you can scan all 10 pairs in under 2 seconds.

Further Reading

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