Been trading for a couple years but still trying to figure out Jackson Hole patterns.
Usually see some volatility around Powell’s speech but wondering if there are specific currency pairs that move more predictably during these events.
EUR/USD and GBP/USD move the most during Jackson Hole. Trade the actual speech, not the hype beforehand. Markets usually price things in early, then whipsaw based on what Powell actually says. If he sounds dovish, dollar drops. Hawkish tone? Dollar rallies. Volatility starts ramping up 30 minutes before and can run for 2 hours after. Widen your stops and don’t hold overnight if you’re worried about gaps. The real money isn’t in the immediate reaction - it’s in the follow-through over the next few days.
DXY can be volatile during Jackson Hole. I prefer waiting an hour after Powell speaks before trading.
Jackson Hole burned me hard in 2019 - lost $800 trying to catch the initial USD/CAD move. Never again.
The real money happens 24-48 hours later when algos and big money start positioning based on what was actually said, not the clickbait headlines.
Now I just wait it out during the speech and hunt for continuation patterns the next day. Way cleaner setups, less like gambling.
AUD and CAD often give better risk/reward than the majors everyone’s glued to.
Jackson Hole creates opportunities but watch out for fake moves initially.
I focus on JPY pairs during these events. They react cleaner than EUR or GBP, which get messy with their own central bank drama.
Here’s the thing: market positioning before the event often matters more than what’s actually said.