Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Basic: Forex Quotes

Understanding Forex Quotes


Reading a foreign exchange quote is simple if you remember two things:

  1. The first currency listed is the base currency

  2. The value of the base currency is always 1.


As the centerpiece of the forex market, the US dollar is usually considered
the base currency for quotes. When the base currency is USD, think of the quote
as telling you what a US dollar is worth in that other currency.


When USD is the base currency and the quote goes up, that means USD has strengthened
in value and the other currency has weakened. Rising quotes mean a US dollar
can now buy more of the other currency than before.

Majors not based on the US dollar
The three exceptions to this rule are the British pound (GBP), the Australian
dollar (AUD) and the Euro (EUR). For these pairs, where USD is not the base
currency, a rising quote means the US dollar is weakening and buys less of the
other currency than before.


In other words, if a currency quote goes higher, the base currency is getting
stronger. A lower quote means the base currency is weakening.

Cross currencies
Currency pairs that don't involve USD at all are called cross currencies, but
the premise is the same.

Bids, asks and the spread
Just like other markets, forex quotes consist of two sides, the bid
and the ask:


The BID is the price at which you can SELL
base currency.

The ASK is the price at which you can BUY
base currency.


What's a pip?

Forex prices are often so liquid, they're quoted in tiny increments called
pips, or "percentage in point". A pip refers to the fourth decimal
point out, or 1/100th of 1%.


For Japanese yen, pips refer to the second decimal point. This is the
only exception among the major currencies.



Source : www.forex.com
Read More......

Basic: Leverage and Margin

Leverage & Margin


Leverage trading, or trading on margin, means you aren't required to put up
the full value of the position.

Forex trading offers more leverage than stocks or futures - up to 200 times
the value of your account. Of course keep in mind that increased leverage also
increases your risk.


FOREX.com: No debit balances, no margin calls

At FOREX.com, your risk is only limited to funds on deposit. There are no margin
calls in forex trading, so if your account falls below required levels, for
your protection we will close out all positions automatically. You'll never
lose more money than you have in your account.

More leverage means more opportunity - and more risk

It's crucial to remember: increasing leverage increases risk. To limit downside
risk, monitor your account regularly and use stop-loss orders on every open
position.

Source : www.forex.com
Read More......

Basic: Intro to The Market

What's Forex?


"Forex" stands for foreign exchange; it's also known
as FX. In a forex trade, you buy one currency while simultaneously selling another
- that is, you're exchanging the sold currency for the one you're buying. The
foreign exchange market is an over-the-counter market.
Currencies trade in pairs, like the Euro-US Dollar (EUR/USD) or US Dollar /
Japanese Yen (USD/JPY). Unlike stocks or futures, there's no centralized exchange
for forex. All transactions happen via phone or electronic network.

Who trades currencies, and why?
Daily turnover in the world's currencies comes from two sources:


  • Foreign trade (5%). Companies buy and sell products in
    foreign countries, plus convert profits from foreign sales into domestic currency.

  • Speculation for profit (95%).


Most traders focus on the biggest, most liquid currency pairs. "The Majors"
include US Dollar, Japanese Yen, Euro, British Pound, Swiss Franc, Canadian
Dollar and Australian Dollar. In fact, more than 85% of daily forex trading
happens in the major currency pairs.

The world's most traded market, trading 24 hours a day

With average daily turnover of US$3.2 trillion, forex is the most traded market
in the world.


A true 24-hour market from Sunday 5 PM ET to Friday 5 PM ET, forex trading begins
in Sydney, and moves around the globe as the business day begins, first to Tokyo,
London, and New York.

Unlike other financial markets, investors can respond immediately to currency
fluctuations, whenever they occur - day or night.
More Info
"All About the Foreign Exchange Markets in the United States", from
the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Understanding Forex Quotes


Reading a foreign exchange quote is simple if you remember two things:

  1. The first currency listed is the base currency

  2. The value of the base currency is always 1.


As the centerpiece of the forex market, the US dollar is usually considered
the base currency for quotes. When the base currency is USD, think of the quote
as telling you what a US dollar is worth in that other currency.

When USD is the base currency and the quote goes up, that means USD has strengthened
in value and the other currency has weakened. Rising quotes mean a US dollar
can now buy more of the other currency than before.

Majors not based on the US dollar
The three exceptions to this rule are the British pound (GBP), the Australian
dollar (AUD) and the Euro (EUR). For these pairs, where USD is not the base
currency, a rising quote means the US dollar is weakening and buys less of the
other currency than before.
In other words, if a currency quote goes higher, the base currency is getting
stronger. A lower quote means the base currency is weakening.

Cross currencies
Currency pairs that don't involve USD at all are called cross currencies, but
the premise is the same.

Bids, asks and the spread
Just like other markets, forex quotes consist of two sides, the bid
and the ask:

The BID is the price at which you can SELL
base currency.

The ASK is the price at which you can BUY
base currency.

What's a pip?
Forex prices are often so liquid, they're quoted in tiny increments called
pips, or "percentage in point". A pip refers to the fourth decimal
point out, or 1/100th of 1%.

For Japanese yen, pips refer to the second decimal point.
This is the only exception among the major currencies.

Source : http://au.biz.yahoo.com
Read More......

What is Forex Trading Verstion 2?

What Does Foreign Exchange mean?
"Foreign Exchange" refers to money denominated in the currency of another nation or group of nations. Any person who exchanges money denominated in one nation's currency for money denominated in another nation's currency is conducting foreign exchange. That holds true whether the amount of the transaction is equal to a few dollars or to billions of dollars; whether the person involved is a tourist cashing a traveler's check in a restaurant abroad or an investor exchanging hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire a foreign company. In other words, a foreign exchange transaction is a shift of funds from one country and currency to another.

What is Forex Trading?
The Forex (short for Foreign Exchange) market is the 24 hour cash market where currencies are traded, typically via brokers. Foreign currencies are constantly and simultaneously bought and sold across local and global markets and traders' investments increase or decrease in value based on currency movements. Foreign exchange market conditions can change at any time in response to real-time events.

What is an investor's goal in Forex trading?
The investor's goal in Forex trading is to profit from foreign currency movements. Forex trading or currency trading is done in currency pairs. For example, the exchange rate of EUR/USD on August 26, 2003 was 1.0857. This number is also referred to as a "Forex rate" or just "rate" for short. If the investor had bought 1,000 euros on that date, he would have paid 1,085.70 U.S. dollars. One year later, the Forex rate was 1.2083, which means that the value of the euro increased in relation to the U.S. dollar. Therefore, the investor could now sell the 1,000 euros in order to receive 1,208.30 dollars and make a profit of $122.06. Someone buying and then later selling U.S. dollars would have seen a $122.06 loss

Exchange Rate
Because currencies are traded in pairs and exchanged one against the other when traded, the rate at which they are exchanged is called the exchange rate. The majority of the currencies are traded against the U.S. dollar (USD). The four next-most traded currencies are the euro (EUR), the Japanese yen (JPY), the British pound sterling (GBP), Australian Dollar (AUD) and the Swiss franc (CHF). These currencies make up the majority of market trading and are called the major currencies or "the majors."

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

What are the differences and similarities between the stock market and foreign exchange market?
The Forex market is the largest financial market on earth. Average daily trading volume is more than 1.9 trillion. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has an average daily volume of 55 million. Transaction prices in Forex are very low due to the amount of volume and large number of participants.

Trading is not limited to 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM like the NYSE. Forex offers round-the-clock trading and high market liquidity, better execution, and no restriction on falling markets. Like the stock market you can use both fundamental and technical analysis to determine what type of trade you might execute.

The Forex market is global while the stock market is something that takes place only within one country.

What is a pip?
A pip is the minimum fluctuation or smallest increment of price movement in the Forex markets.

Source: Forex Capital Markets

How does leverage work in the Forex market?
The leverage that is used in the foreign exchange markets is one of the highest that investors can obtain. Leverage is a loan that is provided to an investor by the broker that is handling his or her Forex account. When an investor decides to invest in the forex market, he or she must first open up a margin account with a broker. Usually the amount of leverage provided is 50:1, 100:1 or 200:1, depending on the broker and the size of the position the investor is trading.

To trade $100,000 of currency, with a margin of 1%, an investor will only have to deposit $1,000 into his or her margin account. The leverage on a trade like this is 100:1. Although 100:1 leverage may seem extremely risky, the risk is significantly less when you consider that currency prices usually change by less than 1% during intraday trading. Although you can see significant profits using leverage in currency trading is also worth noting that you can also see the same type of significant losses using leverage and trading currencies. That is where a trading style using stop and limit orders come into play to minimize risk.

Source: Investopedia.com Read More......

The Explosion of the Euro Market

The rapid development of the Eurodollar market, where US dollars are deposited in banks outside the US, was a major mechanism for speeding up Forex trading. Likewise, Euro markets are those where assets are deposited outside the currency of origin.

The Eurodollar market first came into being in the 1950s when the Soviet Union's oil revenue -- all in US dollars -- was being deposited outside the US in fear of being frozen by US regulators. This resulted in a vast offshore pool of dollars outside the control of US authorities. The US government therefore imposed laws to restrict dollar lending to foreigners. Euro markets then became particularly attractive because they had fewer regulations and offered higher yields. From the late 1980s onwards, US companies began to borrow offshore, finding Euro markets an advantageous place for holding excess liquidity, providing short-term loans and financing imports and exports.

London was and remains the principal offshore market. In the 1980s, it became the key center in the Eurodollar market when British banks began lending dollars as an alternative to pounds in order to maintain their leading position in global finance. London's convenient geographical location (operating during Asian and American markets) is also instrumental in preserving its dominance in the Euro market. Read More......

Forex Risk Management Strategies


The Forex market behaves differently from other markets! The speed, volatility, and enormous size of the Forex market are unlike anything else in the financial world. Beware: the Forex market is uncontrollable - no single event, individual, or factor rules it. Enjoy trading in the perfect market! Just like any other speculative business, increased risk entails chances for a higher profit/loss.

Currency markets are highly speculative and volatile in nature. Any currency can become very expensive or very cheap in relation to any or all other currencies in a matter of days, hours, or sometimes, in minutes. This unpredictable nature of the currencies is what attracts an investor to trade and invest in the currency market.

But ask yourself, "How much am I ready to lose?" When you terminated, closed or exited your position, did you understand the risks and taken steps to avoid them? Let's look at some foreign exchange risk management issues that may come up in your day-to-day foreign exchange transactions.

• Unexpected corrections in currency exchange rates
• Wild variations in foreign exchange rates
• Volatile markets offering profit opportunities
• Lost payments
• Delayed confirmation of payments and receivables
• Divergence between bank drafts received and the contract price
These are areas that every trader should cover both BEFORE and DURING a trade.

Exit the Forex market at profit targets
Take profit take orders, allow Forex traders to exit the Forex market at pre-determined profit targets. If you are short (sold) a currency pair, the system will only allow you to place a limit order below the current market price because this is the profit zone. Similarly, if you are long (bought) the currency pair, the system will only allow you to place a take profit order above the current market price. Take profit orders help create a disciplined trading methodology and make it possible for traders to walk away from the computer without continuously monitoring the market.

Control risk by capping losses
Stop/loss orders allow traders to set an exit point for a losing trade. If you are short a currency pair, the stop/loss order should be placed above the current market price. If you are long the currency pair, the stop/loss order should be placed below the current market price. Stop/loss orders help traders control risk by capping losses. Stop/loss orders are counter-intuitive because you do not want them to be hit; however, you will be happy that you placed them! When logic dictates, you can control greed.

Where should I place my stop and take profit orders?
As a general rule of thumb, traders should set stop/loss orders closer to the opening price than take profit orders. If this rule is followed, a trader needs to be right less than 50% of the time to be profitable. For example, a trader that uses a 30 pip stop/loss and 100-pip take profit orders, needs only to be right 1/3 of the time to make a profit. Where the trader places the stop and take profit will depend on how risk-adverse he is. Stop/loss orders should not be so tight that normal market volatility triggers the order. Similarly, take profit orders should reflect a realistic expectation of gains based on the market's trading activity and the length of time one wants to hold the position. In initially setting up and establishing the trade, the trader should look to change the stop loss and set it at a rate in the 'middle ground' where they are not overexposed to the trade, and at the same time, not too close to the market.

Trading foreign currencies is a demanding and potentially profitable opportunity for trained and experienced investors. However, before deciding to participate in the Forex market, you should soberly reflect on the desired result of your investment and your level of experience. Warning! Do not invest money you cannot afford to lose.

So, there is significant risk in any foreign exchange deal. Any transaction involving currencies involves risks including, but not limited to, the potential for changing political and/or economic conditions, that may substantially affect the price or liquidity of a currency.

Moreover, the leveraged nature of FX trading means that any market movement will have an equally proportional effect on your deposited funds. This may work against you as well as for you. The possibility exists that you could sustain a total loss of your initial margin funds and be required to deposit additional funds to maintain your position. If you fail to meet any margin call within the time prescribed, your position will be liquidated and you will be responsible for any resulting losses. 'Stop-loss' or 'limit' order strategies may lower an investor's exposure to risk.

Easy-Forex foreign exchange technology links around-the-clock to the world's foreign currency exchange trading floors to get the lowest foreign currency rates and to take every opportunity to make or settle a transaction.

Avoiding/lowering risk when trading Forex:
Trade like a technical analyst. Understanding the fundamentals behind an investment also requires understanding the technical analysis method. When your fundamental and technical signals point to the same direction, you have a good chance to have a successful trade, especially with good money management skills. Use simple support and resistance technical analysis, Fibonacci Retracement and reversal days. Be disciplined. Create a position and understand your reasons for having that position, and establish stop loss and profit taking levels. Discipline includes hitting your stops and not following the temptation to stay with a losing position that has gone through your stop/loss level. When you buy, buy high. When you sell, sell higher. Similarly, when you sell, sell low. When you buy, buy lower. Rule of thumb: In a bull market, be long or neutral - in a bear market, be short or neutral. If you forget this rule and trade against the trend, you will usually cause yourself to suffer psychological worries, and frequently, losses. And never add to a losing position. On Easy-Forex the trader can change their trade orders as many times as they wish free of charge, either as a stop loss or as a take profit. The trader can also close the trade manually without a stop loss or profit take order being hit. Many successful traders set their stop loss price beyond the rate at which they made the trade so that the worst that can happen is that they get stopped out and make a profit. Read More......

Forex Candlestick Chart Patterns


This article provides insight into Candlestick patterns that can be extracted from Foreign exchange charts. A candlestick chart is a style of bar-chart used primarily to demonstrate price movements over a certain time period.

Doji
A name for candlesticks that provide information on their own and feature in a number of important patterns. Dojis form when the body of the candle is minimal as market's open and close are virtually equal.

Hammer
A price pattern in candlestick charting that occurs when the market trades significantly lower than its opening, but rallies later in the day to close either above or close to its opening price. This pattern forms a hammer-shaped candlestick.

Inverted hammer
A price pattern in candlestick charting that occurs when a security trades significantly higher after its opening, but gives up most of all of its intraday gain to close well off of its high. Gravestone - The market gaps open above the previous day's close in an uptrend. It rallies to a new high, then loses strength and closes near its low: a bearish change of momentum. Confirmation of the trend reversal would be an opening below the body of the Shooting Star on the next trading day. If the open and the close are identical, the indicator is considered a Gravestone Doji. The Gravestone Doji has a higher reliability associated with it than a Shooting Star.

Shooting star
A candlestick indicating a reversal. The previous day's candle has a very large body. On the day the shooting star occurs, the price (generally) opens higher than the previous day's close, then jumps well above the opening price during the day, but closes lower than the opening price.

Three white soldiers
Three white soldiers is a bullish reversal pattern that forms with three consecutive long white candlesticks. After a decline, the three white soldiers pattern signals a change in sentiment and reversal of trend from bearish to bullish. Further bullish confirmation is not required, but there is sometimes a test of support established by the reversal.

Three black crows
A bearish reversal pattern consisting of three consecutive black bodies where each day opens higher than the previous day's low, and closes near, but below, the previous low. Read More......