Forex blog

With the worldwide risk appetite seems to be cautiously making a comeback European stocks are likely to open high as they are backed up by impressive performance both in Asia and America. According to Mr. Matt who is a dealer at CMC Markets, oil reached a five month high and this will be a good sign for the petrochemicals market even as some positive Chinese economic data is also making an addition to all this.

Mr. Matt called FTSE 100 index of London, which is reopening after a long time gap, up with 72.7 points at 4316.0. DAX index of Frankfurt was called down 6.4 pints at 4893.0 and CAC-40 index in Paris up by three points at 3241.0. He also observed one more thing which is the fading of the fear of swine flu as victims are still not informed properly outside Mexico.

In the meantime the share markets of Asia were also on the higher side with the coal miners and cyclical stocks growing in the worldwide economy. Though the trading was low with the markets of Thailand, Japan, and South Korea stayed closed. In Taiwan shares witnessed a growth of 0.7 percent after gaining twelve percent while Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3 percent with the approval of the plan of developing coastal economic area near Taiwan. Hang Seng Index of Hong Kong was 0.1 percent higher.

On Monday American stocks increased with the traders making a bet that economic recovery was soon approaching, providing desirable lift for the commodity processors and banking sector. The Standard & Poor’s 500 also shifted positive for the current year and it was closed at the topmost position since January 8th, it rose 29.71 points at 907.23. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 214.32 at 8426.72. This was their biggest close since January 13th. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 44.34 and it closed at 1763.54 which was is biggest close since November 4th.

As for the currencies, the euro following its fresh run up at $1.3371 felt weaker from $1.3404. In the recent weeks the recent currency has rallied in the middle of a worldwide improvement in the risk appetite but on the other hand the euro zone is staying behind. Mr. Jan who is the head of Asian research at Rabobank was of the view that majority of the people will be concerned because of the development prospects in the euro zone didn’t improved as it did in America.

Mr. David who is a market analyst was of the view that the prices of the oil will probably test the $55 barrel level prior to facing the confrontation. In the meantime, the June bund futures agreement begun at 121.97, it came down by 0.02. In a different place spot gold was over nine hundred dollars a troy ounce, after a very impressive performance in New York.

Forex basics

The largest financial market in the world, Foreign Exchange market, Forex or FX market, all the terms are used to describe the business of trading of the world's various currencies, with more than $2 trillion changing hands every day. Being an international foreign exchange market, Forex is a market where money is sold and bought freely. FOREX was launched in the 1970s, to become the biggest liquid financial market today, dealing in more than hundred times the daily trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

FOREX is a perfect market to invest in, as it is free from any external control and free competition. Mostly, all Forex trading are tentative and unlike the stock market trading, the Forex market is not conducted by a central exchange, but on the “interbank” market, which is thought of as an OTC (over the counter) market. The trading takes place between the two dealers, either over the telephone or through Internet, all over the world. The major trading centers are the ones at Sydney, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo and New York, making Forex a 24-hour market.

Forex Trading requires the employing fundamental as well as technical analyses. These analysis help a trader to foresee and determine the development in the price trends of currencies, based on which, he attempts to predict market changes and make profits. Fundamental analysis can be said to use techniques to analyze the value of a state’s currency with the help of its economic indicators, quality markets and political events and associations. Political stability also influences the exchange rate at Forex. Its not just that Forex Trading is intutive, rather its technical

While Technical analysis engages the study of patterns of price trends and movements, making it easier for the trader to predict the path of the future developments in the Forex market. The primary data for a technical analysis are values, be it the highest or the lowest values, the price of opening and closing in a definite period of time, and the amount of transactions taking place. Any factor, be it economic, political or psychological, having little or some influence on the value or the price, has already been measured by the market to be included in the price. We offer some very useful Tips for New Forex Traders.

Forex

Foreign Exchange (FOREX) is the arena where a nation's currency is exchanged for that of another. The foreign exchange market is the largest financial market in the world, with the equivalent of over $1.9 trillion changing hands daily; more than three times the aggregate amount of the US Equity and Treasury markets combined. Unlike other financial markets, the Forex market has no physical location and no central exchange (off-exchange). It operates through a global network of banks, corporations and individuals trading one currency for another. The lack of a physical exchange enables the Forex market to operate on a 24-hour basis, spanning from one zone to another in all the major financial centers.

How to Make Money with Auto Forex Trading

Auto Forex trading stands consistent to its name. Being able to make moneytrading even if you are resting seems questionable but it's possible. There's an automated form of Forex trading in which you are permitted to set up the criteria that you need in order to make your trading work.

Then you just let a software work your own trades automatically. It's definitely a very easy system to use. All that you need to initially do is make your very own goals and just know what you really want to achieve. Basically, you must set your own principles and standards regarding what are your desired goals and what do you aim to achieve.

You must then initially write down whatever you really want then prepare and arrange it in order to utilize it with your own trading strategy. It's very critical that you set up a trading strategy. This will function as the one that you will have to incorporate your needs that are associated with your goals that. Also, it shall help you in defining the existing rules required to set the system signals in the automated system. These are helpful keys to the success of your own auto Forex trading.

After this, you must set the system parameters accordingly with the pairings that you've set. With this, each system will acquire its own parameters. Also with this, you can come up with variations if you plan to change them.

Research may also be required to be able to find out the range regarding the pairings that would interest you. After you finish setting all up, you must then have to set up the stop signal. The greatest choice for this set up is to make it stop instantly when any of your own trades or exchanges is in trouble or terribly threatened.

Adding up to this, you also might need more added research to be able set up the correct signals in its proper position. Auto Forex trading systems commonly include brokers, tutorials, and other things that can aid you to set up your very own signals. Then you must test and check the signal software as soon as you've set it up. After you've done this, you will then be able to set up the program itself. Auto Forex trading system will then take care of the trades as it adheres to the signals that you set up.

Auto Forex trading is an easy way of performing Forex trading even if you're working part time or even having a full time job. It also can serve as your own reliable personal assistant. All that you have to do is just set everything up properly and let it handle the Forex trading. There are so many effective Auto Forex trading systems, it has definitely become a very significant program for all in the Forex trading world. Getting your own Auto Forex trading program can help you in a lot of ways and you can also have more time doing other stuffs. It is such a very reliable tool.

Funnel system

his lens is about giving the cold hard facts of Ty Coughlin and the inner circle's Reverse Funnel System. The reverse funnel system is a marketing system that was launched less then 30 days ago, and has caused QUITE a stir since it was released to the public.

The reverse funnel system is based off the premise of creating total automation for your home business, able to sign you up $1000 sales without having to call people, close them, or do anything other then send traffic to your Reverse Funnel System.

In this lens I will be exploring what exactly the Reverse Funnel System is, and shed light on whether it is a scam or there is real data and science to back the claims up.

If you would like to get any questions you have answered about The Reverse Funnel System you can reach me at 619-866-4174.

I would be happy to answer questions, share with you the data I have, and help you get a better understanding of what the reverse funnel system really is...and what it entails to be successful.

Top 10 currency traders



% of overall volume, May 2008
Rank Name Volume
1 Flag of Germany Deutsche Bank 21.70%
2 Flag of Switzerland UBS AG 15.80%
3 Flag of the United Kingdom Barclays Capital 9.12%
4 Flag of the United States Citi 7.49%
5 Flag of the United Kingdom Royal Bank of Scotland 7.30%
6 Flag of the United States JPMorgan 4.19%
7 Flag of the United Kingdom HSBC 4.10%
8 Flag of the United States Lehman Brothers 3.58%
9 Flag of the United States Goldman Sachs 3.47%
10 Flag of the United States Morgan Stanley 2.86%

Top 10 currency traders

When people think of trading in a market, with investments, they think of the stock market. While they think of people buying, selling, or trading stocks, they never think of people buying, selling, and trading currency. When people hear of a dollar or currency going up and down, or "gaining and losing" against another currency, they are hearing of the results of the forex market. The forex market is the foreign exchange market, where banks, other entities and other people buy and sell currency on a huge market. The 24 hour a weekday market is really three major markets; the US market, the UK market, and the Asian market. All of these markets work together to allow these companies and individuals to trade the currencies to make the most on their investments. While there are tons of organizations and individuals that trade daily, there are many powerhouses that control a majority of the trading. The top ten traders fall under three major categories; the US, the UK, and other countries.


% of overall volume, May 2008
Rank Name Volume
1 Flag of Germany Deutsche Bank 21.70%
2 Flag of Switzerland UBS AG 15.80%
3 Flag of the United Kingdom Barclays Capital 9.12%
4 Flag of the United States Citi 7.49%
5 Flag of the United Kingdom Royal Bank of Scotland 7.30%
6 Flag of the United States JPMorgan 4.19%
7 Flag of the United Kingdom HSBC 4.10%
8 Flag of the United States Lehman Brothers 3.58%
9 Flag of the United States Goldman Sachs 3.47%
10 Flag of the United States Morgan Stanley 2.86%

Exchange-Traded Fund


Exchange-traded funds (or ETFs) are open ended investment companies that can be traded at any time throughout the course of the day. Typically, ETFs try to replicate a stock market index such as the S&P 500 (e.g., SPY), but recently they are now replicating investments in the currency markets with the ETF increasing in value when the US Dollar weakens versus a specific currency, such as the Euro. Certain of these funds track the price movements of world currencies versus the US Dollar, and increase in value directly counter to the US Dollar, allowing for speculation in the US Dollar for US and US Dollar denominated investors and speculators.

Option


A foreign exchange option (commonly shortened to just FX option) is a derivative where the owner has the right but not the obligation to exchange money denominated in one currency into another currency at a pre-agreed exchange rate on a specified date. The FX options market is the deepest, largest and most liquid market for options of any kind in the world.

Swap

The most common type of forward transaction is the currency swap. In a swap, two parties exchange currencies for a certain length of time and agree to reverse the transaction at a later date. These are not standardized contracts and are not traded through an exchange

Future


Foreign currency futures are exchange traded forward transactions with standard contract sizes and maturity dates — for example, $1000 for next November at an agreed rate [4],[5]. Futures are standardized and are usually traded on an exchange created for this purpose. The average contract length is roughly 3 months. Futures contracts are usually inclusive of any interest amounts.

Forward


One way to deal with the foreign exchange risk is to engage in a forward transaction. In this transaction, money does not actually change hands until some agreed upon future date. A buyer and seller agree on an exchange rate for any date in the future, and the transaction occurs on that date, regardless of what the market rates are then. The duration of the trade can be a one day, a few days, months or years. Usually the date is decided by both partie

Financial instruments

Spot

A spot transaction is a two-day delivery transaction (except in the case of trades between the US Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Turkish Lira and Russian Ruble, which settle the next business day), as opposed to the futures contracts, which are usually three months. This trade represents a “direct exchange” between two currencies, has the shortest time frame, involves cash rather than a contract; and interest is not included in the agreed-upon transaction. The data for this study come from the spot market. Spot transactions has the second largest turnover by volume after Swap transactions among all FX transactions in the Global FX market. NNM

Technical Analysis in foreign exchange


Technical Analysis trading is utilized in the FX markets as a way to determine future price movements of a particular currency. Traders utilize technical indicators to measure overbought and oversold levels. The common use indicator being the Bollinger band or RSI (relative strength index) which measures the particular strength of movement built in a current pairs trending direction. A new wave of measurement tool being utilized amongst traders is VSA or volume spread analysis.The success with the VSA method is that your looking to follow the volume,whether tick volume or not is still a relevant substitute to utilize in determining when professional money is buying or selling. Adair,L,:"Trading Volume Spread Analysis""Free Press Release": Retrieved on 2009-07-27

Fundamental trading in foreign exchange


Fundamental trading is determined on the basis on regulatory,statutory and economic changes which occur with-in various countries, FX traders are more concerned if central governments will raise rates on its particular currency. Likewise traders also to look to countries which are dependent on commodities or commodity driven such ie. Australian dollar or Canadian dollar which are heavily influenced by commodities prices.

Algorithmic trading in foreign exchange


Electronic trading is growing in the FX market, and algorithmic trading is becoming much more common. According to financial consultancy Celent estimates, by 2008 up to 25% of all trades by volume will be executed using algorithm, up from about 18% in 2005.[citation needed]

An algorithmic trader needs to be mindful of potential fraud by the broker. Part of the weekly algorithm should include a check to see if the amount of transaction errors when the trader is losing money occurs in the same proportion as when the trader would have made money.

Market psychology


Market psychology and trader perceptions influence the foreign exchange market in a variety of ways:

Flights to quality
Unsettling international events can lead to a "flight to quality," with investors seeking a "safe haven." There will be a greater demand, thus a higher price, for currencies perceived as stronger over their relatively weaker counterparts. The Swiss franc has been a traditional safe haven during times of political or economic uncertainty.[12]
Long-term trends
Currency markets often move in visible long-term trends. Although currencies do not have an annual growing season like physical commodities, business cycles do make themselves felt. Cycle analysis looks at longer-term price trends that may rise from economic or political trends. [13]
"Buy the rumor, sell the fact"
This market truism can apply to many currency situations. It is the tendency for the price of a currency to reflect the impact of a particular action before it occurs and, when the anticipated event comes to pass, react in exactly the opposite direction. This may also be referred to as a market being "oversold" or "overbought".[14] To buy the rumor or sell the fact can also be an example of the cognitive bias known as anchoring, when investors focus too much on the relevance of outside events to currency prices.
Economic numbers
While economic numbers can certainly reflect economic policy, some reports and numbers take on a talisman-like effect: the number itself becomes important to market psychology and may have an immediate impact on short-term market moves. "What to watch" can change over time. In recent years, for example, money supply, employment, trade balance figures and inflation numbers have all taken turns in the spotlight.
Technical trading considerations
As in other markets, the accumulated price movements in a currency pair such as EUR/USD can form apparent patterns that traders may attempt to use. Many traders study price charts in order to identify such patterns.

Political conditions


Internal, regional, and international political conditions and events can have a profound effect on currency markets.

All exchange rates are susceptible to political instability and anticipations about the new ruling party. Political upheaval and instability can have a negative impact on a nation's economy. For example, destabilization of coalition governments in India, Pakistan and Thailand can negatively affect the value of their currencies. Similarly, in a country experiencing financial difficulties, the rise of a political faction that is perceived to be fiscally responsible can have the opposite effect. Also, events in one country in a region may spur positive or negative interest in a neighboring country and, in the process, affect its currency.

Economic factors


These include: (a)economic policy, disseminated by government agencies and central banks, (b)economic conditions, generally revealed through economic reports, and other economic indicators.

  1. Economic policy comprises government fiscal policy (budget/spending practices) and monetary policy (the means by which a government's central bank influences the supply and "cost" of money, which is reflected by the level of interest rates).
  2. Economic conditions include:
    Government budget deficits or surpluses
    The market usually reacts negatively to widening government budget deficits, and positively to narrowing budget deficits. The impact is reflected in the value of a country's currency.
    Balance of trade levels and trends
    The trade flow between countries illustrates the demand for goods and services, which in turn indicates demand for a country's currency to conduct trade. Surpluses and deficits in trade of goods and services reflect the competitiveness of a nation's economy. For example, trade deficits may have a negative impact on a nation's currency.
    Inflation levels and trends
    Typically a currency will lose value if there is a high level of inflation in the country or if inflation levels are perceived to be rising [. This is because inflation erodes purchasing power, thus demand, for that particular currency. However, a currency may sometimes strengthen when inflation rises because of expectations that the central bank will raise short-term interest rates to combat rising inflation.
    Economic growth and health
    Reports such as GDP, employment levels, retail sales, capacity utilization and others, detail the levels of a country's economic growth and health. Generally, the more healthy and robust a country's economy, the better its currency will perform, and the more demand for it there will be.
    Productivity of an economy
    Increasing productivity in an economy should positively influence the value of its currency. Its effects are more prominent if the increase is in the traded sector

Most traded currencies


Currency distribution of reported FX market turnover
Rank Currency ISO 4217 code
(Symbol)
% daily share
(April 2007)
1 Flag of the United StatesUnited States dollar USD ($) 86.3%
2 Flag of EuropeEuro EUR (€) 37.0%
3 Flag of JapanJapanese yen JPY (¥) 17.0%
4 Flag of the United KingdomPound sterling GBP (£) 15.0%
5 Flag of SwitzerlandSwiss franc CHF (Fr) 6.8%
6 Flag of AustraliaAustralian dollar AUD ($) 6.7%
7 Flag of CanadaCanadian dollar CAD ($) 4.2%
8-9 Flag of SwedenSwedish krona SEK (kr) 2.8%
8-9 Flag of Hong KongHong Kong dollar HKD ($) 2.8%
10 Flag of NorwayNorwegian krone NOK (kr) 2.2%
11 Flag of New ZealandNew Zealand dollar NZD ($) 1.9%
12 Flag of MexicoMexican peso MXN ($) 1.3%
13 Flag of SingaporeSingapore dollar SGD ($) 1.2%
14 Flag of South KoreaSouth Korean won KRW (₩) 1.1%
Other 14.5%
Total 200%

Money Transfer/Remittance Companies


Money transfer companies/remittance companies perform high-volume low-value transfers generally by economic migrants back to their home country. In 2007, the Aite Group estimated that there were $369 billion of remittances (an increase of 8% on the previous year). The four largest markets (India, China, Mexico and the Philippines) receive $95 billion. The largest and best known provider is Western Union with 345,000 agents globally.

Money Transfer/Remittance Companies


Money transfer companies/remittance companies perform high-volume low-value transfers generally by economic migrants back to their home country. In 2007, the Aite Group estimated that there were $369 billion of remittances (an increase of 8% on the previous year). The four largest markets (India, China, Mexico and the Philippines) receive $95 billion. The largest and best known provider is Western Union with 345,000 agents globally.

Non-bank Foreign Exchange Companies


Non-bank foreign exchange companies offer currency exchange and international payments to private individuals and companies. These are also known as foreign exchange brokers but are distinct in that they do not offer speculative trading but currency exchange with payments. I.e., there is usually a physical delivery of currency to a bank account.

It is estimated that in the UK, 14% of currency transfers/payments[10] are made via Foreign Exchange Companies.[11] These companies' selling point is usually that they will offer better exchange rates or cheaper payments than the customer's bank. These companies differ from Money Transfer/Remittance Companies in that they generally offer higher-value services.

Retail foreign exchange brokers


There are two types of retail brokers offering the opportunity for speculative trading: retail foreign exchange brokers and market makers. Retail traders (individuals) are a small fraction of this market and may only participate indirectly through brokers or banks. Retail brokers, while largely controlled and regulated by the CFTC and NFA might be subject to foreign exchange scams.[8][9] At present, the NFA and CFTC are imposing stricter requirements, particularly in relation to the amount of Net Capitalization required of its members. As a result many of the smaller, and perhaps questionable brokers are now gone. It is not widely understood that retail brokers and market makers typically trade against their clients and frequently take the other side of their trades. This can often create a potential conflict of interest and give rise to some of the unpleasant experiences some traders have had. A move toward NDD (No Dealing Desk) and STP (Straight Through Processing) has helped to resolve some of these concerns and restore trader confidence, but caution is still advised in ensuring that all is as it is presented.

Investment management firms


Investment management firms (who typically manage large accounts on behalf of customers such as pension funds and endowments) use the foreign exchange market to facilitate transactions in foreign securities. For example, an investment manager bearing an international equity portfolio needs to purchase and sell several pairs of foreign currencies to pay for foreign securities purchases.

Some investment management firms also have more speculative specialist currency overlay operations, which manage clients' currency exposures with the aim of generating profits as well as limiting risk. Whilst the number of this type of specialist firms is quite small, many have a large value of assets under management (AUM), and hence can generate large trades.

Hedge funds as speculators

About 70% to 90%[citation needed] of the foreign exchange transactions are speculative. In other words, the person or institution that bought or sold the currency has no plan to actually take delivery of the currency in the end; rather, they were solely speculating on the movement of that particular currency. Hedge funds have gained a reputation for aggressive currency speculation since 1996. They control billions of dollars of equity and may borrow billions more, and thus may overwhelm intervention by central banks to support almost any currency, if the economic fundamentals are in the hedge funds' favor.

Central banks


National central banks play an important role in the foreign exchange markets. They try to control the money supply, inflation, and/or interest rates and often have official or unofficial target rates for their currencies. They can use their often substantial foreign exchange reserves to stabilize the market. Milton Friedman argued that the best stabilization strategy would be for central banks to buy when the exchange rate is too low, and to sell when the rate is too high—that is, to trade for a profit based on their more precise information. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of central bank "stabilizing speculation" is doubtful because central banks do not go bankrupt if they make large losses, like other traders would, and there is no convincing evidence that they do make a profit trading.

The mere expectation or rumor of central bank intervention might be enough to stabilize a currency, but aggressive intervention might be used several times each year in countries with a dirty float currency regime. Central banks do not always achieve their objectives. The combined resources of the market can easily overwhelm any central bank.[7] Several scenarios of this nature were seen in the 1992–93 ERM collapse, and in more recent times in Southeast Asia.

Commercial companies


An important part of this market comes from the financial activities of companies seeking foreign exchange to pay for goods or services. Commercial companies often trade fairly small amounts compared to those of banks or speculators, and their trades often have little short term impact on market rates. Nevertheless, trade flows are an important factor in the long-term direction of a currency's exchange rate. Some multinational companies can have an unpredictable impact when very large positions are covered due to exposures that are not widely known by other market participants.

Banks

Banks

The interbank market caters for both the majority of commercial turnover and large amounts of speculative trading every day. A large bank may trade billions of dollars daily. Some of this trading is undertaken on behalf of customers, but much is conducted by proprietary desks, trading for the bank's own account. Until recently, foreign exchange brokers did large amounts of business, facilitating interbank trading and matching anonymous counterparts for small fees. Today, however, much of this business has moved on to more efficient electronic systems. The broker squawk box lets traders listen in on ongoing interbank trading and is heard in most trading rooms, but turnover is noticeably smaller than just a few years ago.

Market participants


Unlike a stock market, where all participants have access to the same prices, the foreign exchange market is divided into levels of access. At the top is the inter-bank market, which is made up of the largest investment banking firms. Within the inter-bank market, spreads, which are the difference between the bid and ask prices, are razor sharp and usually unavailable, and not known to players outside the inner circle. The difference between the bid and ask prices widens (from 0-1 pip to 1-2 pips for some currencies such as the EUR). This is due to volume. If a trader can guarantee large numbers of transactions for large amounts, they can demand a smaller difference between the bid and ask price, which is referred to as a better spread. The levels of access that make up the foreign exchange market are determined by the size of the "line" (the amount of money with which they are trading). The top-tier inter-bank market accounts for 53% of all transactions. After that there are usually smaller investment banks, followed by large multi-national corporations (which need to hedge risk and pay employees in different countries), large hedge funds, and even some of the retail FX-metal market makers. According to Galati and Melvin, “Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, and other institutional investors have played an increasingly important role in financial markets in general, and in FX markets in particular, since the early 2000s.” (2004) In addition, he notes, “Hedge funds have grown markedly over the 2001–2004 period in terms of both number and overall size” Central banks also participate in the foreign exchange market to align currencies to their economic needs.

How to start in forex

Do you see the potential to profit from trading currencies, but learning to trade just seems too intimidating? Have you watched enthusiastically to the recent crash of the dollar, but simply do not know how to go about trading?
While it is simple to start Forex trading online, the maintenance of long-term profitability is not an easy task. You have probably heard that 90% of Forex traders lose money in the long run. If indeed this is true, is the result of a couple of different factors.
Overtrading: Every job costs you a few snags-Consider your jobs well before you make them. Each defective trade, even if it is released quickly, drains equity. Mismanagement of money: A bad trade can wipe out a year's patient, intelligent trading. Manage your risks by using orders stop loss, so you never risk too high a percentage of your capital on a single trade. Lack of knowledge: If you never marketed before Forex, educate yourself! Successful traders were not born that way. The difference between success and failure in the forex market largely depends on knowledge and education of a trader. For the beginning trader, a good education is essential before investing in the changes. Find a program that you feel comfortable with, and begin practicing on a demo account.
Trading on the foreign exchange market provides unique opportunities for profit, but it is also very risky. Make sure you know what you are getting into before you start to negotiate, and start trading only when you feel comfortable in your knowledge and skills.

Know forex

Forex dealing is all about playing with stocks and money from other countries and corresponding forms of products. One nation’s money is considered against the money from another country to figure the value. The entire value is taken into review when buying and selling stocks on the FX markets. Most countries have management over the total worth of their country with regards to monies. Individuals speculating in the FX markets include banking institutions, large businesses, international administrations and finance companies.

Forex pedia.

"What does all this mean??" Browse our comprehensive glossary of foreign exchange trading terms for a quick and easy introduction into the world of currency trading. Brush up on your terminology with our complete FX trading dictionary here:

Forex market.

Trading information for beginners

If you’re a new to the forex (foreign exchange) market, you probably have a lot of questions. Making money in a global currency market is an exciting prospect; you’re probably wondering how, and what you need to get started. A lot of information on the internet is geared toward the knowledgeable trader who has at least experienced the stock market. Not everyone has the benefit of Wall Street experience. We are here to help you out if you’re not all that stock savvy and don’t have a financial background.
So, what is foreign currency exchange?
The basic term, foreign currency exchange, is used to explain the exchange of one country’s currency for another’s. If you’ve every traveled out of the country, you probably cashed in your American dollars to find that the trade was nowhere near equal. Forex is the same thing on a much larger scale – it’s similar to the market except it deals in liquid assets at all times. It’s the process of buying and selling cash from nations around the world.

Forex currency trading.

If you read about investing, you've seen the word forex trading. But because forex doesn't get much publicity in the major publications and websites, many investors don't know that forex is just short for "foreign exchange". So trading the forex market is simply trading foreign currencies.
As recently as ten years ago, currency trading had high barriers to entry, so only large banking and institutional firms had access to the tools and systems required to play in the forex trading game. Recently, however, technology has developed to the point that any individual investor can hop right in and trade with one of the many online platforms.
When buying and selling in the forex currency trading system market, you'll see that there are four "currency pairs" that dominate the percentage of trades. Those four are the Euro vs U.S. Dollar, US Dollar vs Japanese Yen, US Dollar vs Swiss Franc, and US Dollar vs British Pound.

Economic Indicators.

United States

US July Existing Home Sales Up 7.2% To 5.24 Mln Rate
Dow Jones | Fri, Aug 21 2009, 14:00 GMT
Existing-home sales rose to their highest level in nearly two years from June to July as cheaper prices and the availability of tax credits continued to entice buyers.

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Euro Zone

Euro-Zone Pvt Sector Output Stabilizes In August
Dow Jones | Fri, Aug 21 2009, 08:29 GMT
The euro zone's private sector output stabilized in August, marking the end of 14 months of contraction, with support from the first increase in manufacturing output since May last year, data from Markit Economics showed Friday.

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United Kingdom

UK Businesses Gain Confidence, But Wary On Economy - Survey
Dow Jones | Thu, Aug 20 2009, 23:01 GMT
U.K. businesses are becoming more upbeat about their prospects, even as they appear to share the Bank of England's view that it is far from certain the recovery will be strong or sustained.

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Japan

Japan Portfolio Flows Table, Week of 9 - 15 Aug 2009
Dow Jones | Wed, Aug 19 2009, 23:50 GMT
Japan Portfolio Flows Table, Week of 9 - 15 Aug 2009

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Australia

Australian Merchandise Imports Up Adj 4% In July Vs June
Dow Jones | Thu, Aug 20 2009, 01:37 GMT
Australian merchandise imports rose 4% to A$16.97 billion in July from A$16.29 billion in June in seasonally adjusted terms, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Thursday

Forex trader chart.

FOREX.com's currency charts combine a rich, intuitive interface with easy access to the tools and resources you demand for forex trading.

Forex Trader Chart
Click here to enlarge

Traders seeking a robust, yet easy-to use charting tool will find FOREXTrader Charts to be a comprehensive technical analysis package. A streamlined layout makes it easy to access commonly used features and indicators.

Whether you use Stochastics, Bollinger Bands, Moving Averages or Fibonacci, you can find over 60 technical and line studies right within the charting application.

  • Monitor currency trades and orders directly on the charts.

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Working of forex trading


Forex trading is the act of trading currencies from different countries against each other. Forex is acronym for foreign exchange.
For example, in Europe the currency in circulation is called the Euro (EUR) and in the United States, the currency in circulation is called the US Dollar (USD).
An example of a forex trade is to buy the Euro while simultaneously selling the US Dollar. This is called going long on the EUR/USD.
Forex trading is typically done through a broker or market maker. As a forex trader you can choose a currency pair that you feel is going to change in value and place a trade accordingly.