Forex basics

The average daily trading volume of the forex market now exceeds 5 trillion U. Dollars, making it the most liquid market in the world. Liquidity refers to how easy it is for market participants to open and close positions without affecting the price of the underlying asset. The concept of liquidity also works hand-in-hand with volatility, which measures the speed and velocity of changing buy and sell prices.

The majority of forex traders love volatile markets because they provide greater opportunities to profit, especially with short-term strategies like scalping and day trading. Forex Trading Risks Most forex traders lose money over time. The profitable minority learn how to overcome these headwinds, often spending hours building skillsets, doing research, and testing new systems and strategies.

In addition, banks around the world seek to manage sovereign and credit risk through bid and ask prices on the interbank quoting system, triggering frequent supply and demand disruptions unrelated to market-moving events or economic releases. These pose a major risk for the typical newcomer who grows complacent between scheduled market movers, failing to place stop losses, or taking too much short-term exposure for their experience level.

These companies are easy to spot because most are domiciled headquartered in off-shore tax havens, rather than in the U. It can also be difficult to get your money back when you choose to close an account at an unregulated broker. Key Forex Trading Terms Currency Pair: Currency pairs consist of two currencies, the base currency on the left top and the quoted currency on the right bottom.

When buying this pair, the trader buys the Euro and sells the U. Alternatively, when selling this pair, the trader sells the Euro and buys the U. Major Pairs: Currency pairs can be sub-divided into major, cross, minor, and exotic pairs. Major pairs include the U. Cross Pairs: Cross pairs consist of any two major currencies, except the U. Unlike major pairs, cross pairs have higher transaction costs, higher volatility, and lower liquidity, increasing potential slippage.

Exchange Rate: Exchange rate shows the price of a base currency, expressed in terms of a counter-currency quoted currency. A rising exchange rate indicates the base currency is appreciating against the counter-currency while a falling exchange rate indicates the base currency is depreciating against the counter-currency. The bid price identifies the current price that market participants can sell short , while the ask price identifies the current price that market participants can buy. The bid price is always lower than the ask price and the difference between the two is called the spread.

Spread: The difference between the bid price and ask price. The spread marks one type of transaction cost for a trade and a profit source for the broker. This cost can greatly reduce profits or increase losses when engaged in high frequency trading strategies, like scalping. One pip is equal to the fourth decimal of most currency pairs. Hedge: A hedge marks a forex transaction intended to offset or protect another position from positive or negative exchange rate risk. Traders, investors, and institutions apply hedging techniques to enhance profits, limit losses, or protect investments.

Margin: Brokers lend money up to a multiple of account capital, called margin, so traders can take leveraged positions. Borrowed funds incur transaction costs through overnight lending rates. For example, a 1 margin allows exposure up to 30 times higher than account capital. Leveraged positions need to build profits in excess of borrowing costs or they lose money.

Leverage: Leverage allows traders to take positions in excess of account capital through broker margin lending. Once you understand it and how to calculate your trade profit, you're one step closer to your first currency trade. Many currency pairs move about 50 to pips per day sometimes more or less depending on overall market conditions.

A pip an acronym for "point in percentage" is the name used to indicate the fourth decimal place in a currency pair, or the second decimal place when JPY is in the pair. The profit you made on the above theoretical trade depends on how much of the currency you purchased. How much each pip is worth is called the "pip value. If the USD is listed first, the pip value may be different.

For trading purposes, the first currency listed in the pair is always the directional currency on a forex price chart. S dollar. If the price on the chart is falling, then the euro is declining in value relative to the dollar. Note One of the best ways to learn about forex is to see how prices move in real time and place some fake trades with an account called a "paper trading account" so there is no actual financial risk to you.

Several brokerages offer online or mobile phone app-based paper trading accounts that work exactly the same as live trading accounts, but without your own capital at risk. There are several online simulators for practicing day trading and honing your forex trading strategy and skills. Understanding the above concepts will help you grasp what's happening when you see a forex pair rising or falling on a chart. If you do the math on the difference in pips between two price points, it will also help you see the profit potential available from such moves.

There are forex exchanges all around the world, so forex trades 24 hours per day throughout the week. The forex market opens at 5 p. EST on Sunday, and it closes at 5 p. EST on Friday. What is "spread" in forex? Brokers will pocket some of that difference as a way of profiting from the trades that they help execute. The more liquid and stable a currency pair is, the less of a spread there will be. Highly volatile pairs with less liquidity will have wider spreads. This allows you to take a slightly bearish or slightly bullish position that limits both your losses and potential upside.

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The smaller currencies—the Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand dollars—are known as commodity block currencies , because they tend to reflect changes in global commodity markets. By strictly focusing on these eight countries, we can take advantage of earning interest income on the most creditworthy and liquid instruments in the financial markets.

Economic data is released from these countries on an almost daily basis, allowing investors to stay on top of the game when it comes to assessing the health of each country and its economy. Predicting Price Movements When you trade in the foreign exchange spot market , you are actually buying and selling two underlying currencies. All currencies are quoted in pairs because each currency is valued in relation to another.

One of the most straightforward Forex trades is to bet on future currency movements, either on the spot market or the futures market. If a trader believes that the economy of the European Union is likely to outgrow the United States, they may choose to sell dollars in anticipation of a stronger euro.

Conversely, someone who believes that the U. Currency futures work in the same way. In a futures contract, traders agree to exchange currencies at a future date at a pre-agreed price. If the actual price of the currency on that date is different from the futures price, one of the traders will earn a profit. Forex markets allow much higher leverage than the stock market. This means you can quickly make extremely high profits—or losses!

Forex Yield and Return When it comes to trading currencies, the key to remember is that yield drives return. Every currency comes with an interest rate set by that country's central bank. A currency trader can accrue interest on the difference between the interest rate of the currency they sold and the currency they bought.

This dynamic allows one of the most popular forex strategies: the carry trade. Carry traders hope to earn money not only by currency appreciation, but also from the different interest rates between currencies. From that, they would have to pay 0. Forex trading isn't just about predicting how prices will change.

Carry trading is a technique where traders profit on the interest rate differential between two currencies. By comparison, stock traders are limited to leverage. However, leverage is a double-edged sword : it can create massive profits when you are correct, but may also generate huge losses when you are wrong.

Even with relatively conservative leverage, the 7. By contrast, a bank savings account would offer minimal interest, but it would be risk-free. The use of leverage exacerbates any sort of market movements. However, these losses can be capped through the use of stops. That price is determined by supply and demand and is calculated based on several factors, including current interest rates, economic performance, sentiment toward ongoing political situations both locally and internationally , and the perception of the future performance of one currency against another.

A finalized deal is known as a spot deal. It is a bilateral transaction in which one party delivers an agreed-upon currency amount to the counterparty and receives a specified amount of another currency at the agreed-upon exchange rate value. After a position is closed, the settlement is in cash. Although the spot market is commonly known as one that deals with transactions in the present rather than in the future , these trades actually take two days for settlement.

Forwards and Futures Markets A forward contract is a private agreement between two parties to buy a currency at a future date and at a predetermined price in the OTC markets. A futures contract is a standardized agreement between two parties to take delivery of a currency at a future date and at a predetermined price.

Futures trade on exchanges and not OTC. In the forwards market, contracts are bought and sold OTC between two parties, who determine the terms of the agreement between themselves. In the futures market, futures contracts are bought and sold based upon a standard size and settlement date on public commodities markets, such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange CME.

Futures contracts have specific details, including the number of units being traded, delivery and settlement dates, and minimum price increments that cannot be customized. The exchange acts as a counterparty to the trader, providing clearance and settlement services. Both types of contracts are binding and are typically settled for cash at the exchange in question upon expiry, although contracts can also be bought and sold before they expire. The currency forwards and futures markets can offer protection against risk when trading currencies.

Usually, big international corporations use these markets to hedge against future exchange rate fluctuations, but speculators take part in these markets as well. In addition to forwards and futures, options contracts are also traded on certain currency pairs. Forex options give holders the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a forex trade at a future date and for a pre-set exchange rate, before the option expires.

Unlike the spot market, the forwards, futures, and options markets do not trade actual currencies. Instead, they deal in contracts that represent claims to a certain currency type, a specific price per unit, and a future date for settlement. This is why they are known as derivatives markets. Uses of the Forex Markets Forex for Hedging Companies doing business in foreign countries are at risk due to fluctuations in currency values when they buy or sell goods and services outside of their domestic market.

Foreign exchange markets provide a way to hedge currency risk by fixing a rate at which the transaction will be completed. To accomplish this, a trader can buy or sell currencies in the forward or swap markets in advance, which locks in an exchange rate. For example, imagine that a company plans to sell U. Unfortunately, the U. A stronger dollar resulted in a much smaller profit than expected.

The blender company could have reduced this risk by short selling the euro and buying the U. That way, if the U. If the U. Hedging of this kind can be done in the currency futures market. The advantage for the trader is that futures contracts are standardized and cleared by a central authority. However, currency futures may be less liquid than the forwards markets, which are decentralized and exist within the interbank system throughout the world. Forex for Speculation Factors like interest rates , trade flows, tourism, economic strength, and geopolitical risk affect the supply and demand for currencies, creating daily volatility in the forex markets.

A forecast that one currency will weaken is essentially the same as assuming that the other currency in the pair will strengthen because currencies are traded as pairs. The trader believes higher U. How to Start Trading Forex Trading forex is similar to equity trading. Here are some steps to get yourself started on the forex trading journey. Learn about forex: While it is not complicated, forex trading is a project of its own and requires specialized knowledge.

For example, the leverage ratio for forex trades is higher than for equities, and the drivers for currency price movement are different from those for equity markets. There are several online courses available for beginners that teach the ins and outs of forex trading. Set up a brokerage account: You will need a forex trading account at a brokerage to get started with forex trading.

Forex brokers do not charge commissions. Instead, they make money through spreads also known as pips between the buying and selling prices. For beginner traders, it is a good idea to set up a micro forex trading account with low capital requirements. Such accounts have variable trading limits and allow brokers to limit their trades to amounts as low as 1, units of a currency. For context, a standard account lot is equal to , currency units.

A micro forex account will help you become more comfortable with forex trading and determine your trading style. Develop a trading strategy: While it is not always possible to predict and time market movement, having a trading strategy will help you set broad guidelines and a road map for trading. A good trading strategy is based on the reality of your situation and finances. It takes into account the amount of cash that you are willing to put up for trading and, correspondingly, the amount of risk that you can tolerate without getting burned out of your position.

Remember, forex trading is mostly a high-leverage environment. But it also offers more rewards to those who are willing to take the risk. Always be on top of your numbers: Once you begin trading, always check your positions at the end of the day. Most trading software already provides a daily accounting of trades. Make sure that you do not have any pending positions to be filled out and that you have sufficient cash in your account to make future trades.

Cultivate emotional equilibrium: Beginner forex trading is fraught with emotional roller coasters and unanswered questions. Should you have held onto your position a bit longer for more profits? How did you miss that report about low gross domestic product GDP numbers that led to a decline in overall value of your portfolio? Obsessing over such unanswered questions can lead you down a path of confusion. That is why it is important to not get carried away by your trading positions and cultivate emotional equilibrium across profits and losses.

Be disciplined about closing out your positions when necessary. Forex Terminology The best way to get started on the forex journey is to learn its language. Here are a few terms to get you started: Forex account: A forex account is used to make currency trades. Remember that the trading limit for each lot includes margin money used for leverage. This means that the broker can provide you with capital in a predetermined ratio.

Ask: An ask or offer is the lowest price at which you are willing to buy a currency. The ask price is generally greater than the bid price. Bid: A bid is the price at which you are willing to sell a currency.

A market maker in a given currency is responsible for continuously putting out bids in response to buyer queries. While they are generally lower than ask prices, in instances when demand is great, bid prices can be higher than ask prices.

Bear market: A bear market is one in which prices decline among currencies. Bear markets signify a market downtrend and are the result of depressing economic fundamentals or catastrophic events, such as a financial crisis or a natural disaster.

Bull market: A bull market is one in which prices increase for all currencies. Bull markets signify a market uptrend and are the result of optimistic news about the global economy. Contract for difference: A contract for difference CFD is a derivative that enables traders to speculate on price movements for currencies without actually owning the underlying asset.

A trader betting that the price of a currency pair will increase will buy CFDs for that pair, while those who believe its price will decline will sell CFDs relating to that currency pair. The use of leverage in forex trading means that a CFD trade gone awry can lead to heavy losses. Leverage: Leverage is the use of borrowed capital to multiply returns.

The forex market is characterized by high leverages, and traders often use these leverages to boost their positions. Since they have used very little of their own capital, the trader stands to make significant profits if the trade goes in the correct direction. The flipside to a high-leverage environment is that downside risks are enhanced and can result in significant losses. Lot size: Currencies are traded in standard sizes known as lots. There are four common lot sizes: standard , mini , micro , and nano.

Standard lot sizes consist of , units of the currency. Mini lot sizes consist of 10, units, and micro lot sizes consist of 1, units of the currency. Some brokers also offer nano lot sizes of currencies, worth units of the currency, to traders. The bigger the lot size, the higher the profits or losses , and vice versa. Margin: Margin is the money set aside in an account for a currency trade.

Margin money helps assure the broker that the trader will remain solvent and be able to meet monetary obligations, even if the trade does not go their way. The amount of margin depends on the trader and customer balance over a period of time. Margin is used in tandem with leverage defined above for trades in forex markets. One pip is equal to 0. The pip value can change depending on the standard lot size offered by a broker. Because currency markets use significant leverage for trades, small price moves—defined in pips—can have an outsized effect on the trade.

Spread: A spread is the difference between the bid sell price and ask buy price for a currency. Forex traders do not charge commissions; they make money through spreads. The size of the spread is influenced by many factors. Some of them are the size of your trade, demand for the currency, and its volatility. Sniping and hunting: Sniping and hunting is the purchase and sale of currencies near predetermined points to maximize profits.

Brokers indulge in this practice, and the only way to catch them is to network with fellow traders and observe for patterns of such activity. Basic Forex Trading Strategies The most basic forms of forex trades are a long trade and a short trade. In a long trade, the trader is betting that the currency price will increase in the future and they can profit from it. Traders can also use trading strategies based on technical analysis, such as breakout and moving average , to fine-tune their approach to trading.

Depending on the duration and numbers for trading, trading strategies can be categorized into four further types: A scalp trade consists of positions held for seconds or minutes at most, and the profit amounts are restricted in terms of the number of pips. Such trades are supposed to be cumulative, meaning that small profits made in each individual trade add up to a tidy amount at the end of a day or time period.

They rely on the predictability of price swings and cannot handle much volatility. Therefore, traders tend to restrict such trades to the most liquid pairs and at the busiest times of trading during the day. Day trades are short-term trades in which positions are held and liquidated in the same day.

The duration of a day trade can be hours or minutes. Day traders require technical analysis skills and knowledge of important technical indicators to maximize their profit gains. Just like scalp trades, day trades rely on incremental gains throughout the day for trading. In a swing trade , the trader holds the position for a period longer than a day; i. Swing trades can be useful during major announcements by governments or times of economic tumult.

Since they have a longer time horizon, swing trades do not require constant monitoring of the markets throughout the day. In addition to technical analysis, swing traders should be able to gauge economic and political developments and their impact on currency movement.

In a position trade , the trader holds the currency for a long period of time, lasting for as long as months or even years. This type of trade requires more fundamental analysis skills because it provides a reasoned basis for the trade. Charts Used in Forex Trading Three types of charts are used in forex trading.

They are: Line Charts Line charts are used to identify big-picture trends for a currency. They are the most basic and common type of chart used by forex traders. They display the closing trading price for the currency for the time periods specified by the user. The trend lines identified in a line chart can be used to devise trading strategies.

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