A currency strength meter tells you which of the 8 major currencies is the strongest and which is weakest at any given moment. Pairing the strongest currency against the weakest gives you the highest-probability directional trade available in the market. This guide explains exactly how to read it, use it, and build it into your backtesting practice on FXAbsolute.
Every forex pair is made up of two currencies. When you buy EURUSD, you are simultaneously buying EUR and selling USD. The relative strength of these two currencies determines whether the pair moves up or down.
A currency strength meter measures each of the 8 major currencies — USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, AUD, CAD, CHF, and NZD — by averaging how that currency is performing across all its pairs. It ranks them from strongest (100) to weakest (0).
There is no single universal formula — different tools calculate strength differently. The most common method is the percentage change average:
Some meters use RSI-based calculations (averaging RSI values across all pairs for a currency) for a smoother, less noisy signal. Others use raw price movement over a lookback window of 1H, 4H, or daily candles.
| Currency | Code | Risk Profile | Key Driver | Strongest When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dollar | USD | Safe Haven / Reserve | Fed rates, DXY | Risk-off, rate hikes |
| Euro | EUR | Neutral | ECB policy, EU economy | Strong EU data, ECB hawkish |
| British Pound | GBP | Risk / Volatile | BoE policy, UK data | BoE hawkish, strong UK GDP |
| Japanese Yen | JPY | Safe Haven | BoJ policy, risk sentiment | Risk-off, global fear |
| Australian Dollar | AUD | Risk / Commodity | China demand, iron ore, RBA | China growth, commodity rally |
| Canadian Dollar | CAD | Risk / Commodity | Oil price, BoC policy | Oil rally, strong US economy |
| Swiss Franc | CHF | Safe Haven | SNB policy, EU stability | Risk-off, European crisis |
| New Zealand Dollar | NZD | Risk / Commodity | RBNZ policy, dairy, China | Risk-on, commodity demand |
Reading this table: find the strong currency in the left column, find the weak currency in the top row. The intersection shows the directional bias for that pair.
| Strong ↓ / Weak → | USD weak | EUR weak | GBP weak | JPY weak | AUD weak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD strong | — | EURUSD sell | GBPUSD sell | USDJPY buy | AUDUSD sell |
| EUR strong | EURUSD buy | — | EURGBP buy | EURJPY buy | EURAUD buy |
| GBP strong | GBPUSD buy | EURGBP sell | — | GBPJPY buy | GBPAUD buy |
| JPY strong | USDJPY sell | EURJPY sell | GBPJPY sell | — | AUDJPY sell |
| AUD strong | AUDUSD buy | EURAUD sell | GBPAUD sell | AUDJPY buy | — |
GBP is the most volatile of the 8 major currencies and offers some of the strongest directional moves when it leads in strength or weakness. Key GBP strength signals:
Use FXAbsolute to backtest currency strength scenarios on real historical GBPUSD, USDJPY, and XAUUSD data. See which strength setups produced the best results over 5 years of market history.
Backtest Currency Strength Strategies Free →What is a currency strength meter?
A currency strength meter measures the relative performance of each major currency across all its pairs, ranking all 8 currencies from strongest to weakest. It helps traders identify which pairs have the most directional momentum.
What does it mean when USD is strong?
When USD is strong, it means the dollar is outperforming other currencies. This typically shows up as EURUSD falling, GBPUSD falling, USDJPY rising, and USDCAD rising simultaneously. USD strength is often driven by Fed hawkishness, strong US economic data, or risk-off sentiment.
Which pair should I trade when GBP is strongest?
When GBP is the strongest currency, look for the weakest currency to pair it against. If JPY is weakest, trade GBPJPY long. If USD is weakest, trade GBPUSD long. Always confirm with price action on the chart before entering.
Can I backtest currency strength strategies?
Yes — use FXAbsolute to replay historical data and tag your trades by whether they were aligned with currency strength. Compare the win rates of strength-aligned trades vs counter-trend trades across 100+ sessions to see the difference.
FXAbsolute gives you 5 years of GBPUSD and USDJPY history free. Practice spotting currency strength scenarios and tracking which setups work best.
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