What is FOREX ?

FOREX (FOReign EXchange market) is an international foreign exchange market, where money is sold and bought freely. In its present condition FOREX was launched in the 1970s, when free exchange rates were introduced, and only the participants of the market determine the price of one currency against the other proceeding from supply and demand.
As far as the freedom from any external control and free competition are concerned, FOREX is a perfect market. It is also the biggest liquid financial market. According to various assessments, money masses in the market constitute from 1 to 1.5 trillion US dollars a day. (It is impossible to determine an absolutely exact number because trading is not centralized on an exchange.) Transactions are conducted all over the world via telecommunications 24 hours a day from 00:00 GMT on Monday to 10:00 pm GMT on Friday. Practically in every time zone (that is, in Frankfurt-on-Main, London, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, etc.) there are dealers who will quote currencies.
FOREX is a more objective market, because if some of its participants would like to change prices, for some manipulative purpose, they would have to operate with tens of billions dollars. That is why any influence by a single participants in the market is practically out of the question. The superior liquidity allows the traders to open and/or close positions within a few seconds. The time of keeping a position is arbitrary and has no limits: from several seconds to many years. It depends only on your trading strategies. Although the daily fluctuations of currencies are rather insignificant, you may use the credit lines, that are accessible even to currency speculators with small capitals ($ 1,000 - 5,000), where the profit may be impressive.

HOW TO EARN?

In contrast to exchange transactions with real supply or real currency the participants of FOREX use trading with a margin deposit; i.e. marginal or leverage trading. In marginal trading, each transaction has two obligatory stages (they can be divided by period of time, which can be as long as you like): buying (selling) of currency at one price, and then selling (buying) it at another (or at the same) price. The first transaction is called opening the position, the second one, closing the position.
Opening a position, a trader furnishes a deposit sum from 0.5 to 4 per cent of the credit line, granted for the transaction. So, in order to buy or sell 100,000 US dollars for Japanese yens, you will not need the whole sum, but only from 500 to 2000 US dollars depending on your policy of controlling risks. When the position is closed, the deposit sum returns, and calculation of profits or losses is done. All the profit or losses caused by the change of currency rates is credited on your account.
Let's take a concrete example of getting a profit from the changing the rate of the Euro, from 0,9162 to 0,9292. If you have anticipated this change by using technical or fundamental analysis, you can buy the Euro cheaper for dollars, and then sell it back at a higher price. For example, if you choose leverage 1:100, then 99,000 dollars of the credit line, granted by the Internet broker, is added to 1000 dollars, and you buy the Euro at the price of 0.9162. As a result of this transaction we get: $ 100,000 / 0.9162 = Euro 109.146, 47.
When the rate changes (an average daily change of Euro is about 70 to 100 pips), you close the position and sell the Euro for dollars, but at the rate of 0.9292. You get 109,146. 47*0.9292 =101,418.89 dollars. Your profit is $ 1,418.89. The same transaction with leverage 1:200 would give you $2, 837.78 of profit, with leverage 1:50 the profit would be 709.45, with leverage 1:25 - 354.72.
We'd like to remind you that the higher the credit leverage, the higher is your profit if the fluctuation of the currency rate was anticipated correctly. However, if your anticipation was wrong, your losses will be bigger.
One cannot feel confident in the FOREX market without a thorough knowledge of the terms used there.
Foreign exchange quotes are a relation between currencies.
USDCHF - the cost of $1 in Swiss Francs.
USDJPY - the cost of $1 in Japanese yens.
EURUSD - the cost of Euro 1 in US dollars.
GBPUSD - the cost of 1 GBP in US dollars. That is, quotes are expressed in the units of the second currency for a unit of the first one. For example, quote USDJPY 108,91 shows that $1 costs 108,91 Japanese yens. Quote EURUSD 0.9561 shows that 1 Euro costs 0.9561 US dollars.
The last figure in the quote is called "pip". The cost of the pip is different for every currency, and depends on the leverage and current quote.
The formula for calculating 1 pip is:
100,000/current quote without commas * Kwhere К=1 at leverage 1:100,К=2 at leverage 1:200,К=0,5 at leverage 1:50,K=0,25 at leverage 1:25. Examples: USDJPY = 108.91 leverage 1:100100.000 / 10891 х 1 = 9,18 USD EURUSD = 0.9561 leverage1:200100.000 / 9561 х 2 =20,92 USD
GBPUSD and EURUSD are direct quotes, i.e. when the chart goes up, GBP and EUR become more expensive, and when it goes down, the currencies become cheaper. USDCHF and USDJPY are backward quotes, and when the chart grows, prices on CHF and JPY fall, and when the chart goes down, the prices grow.
On direct quotes you buy according to ASK and sell according to BID. With backward quotes, you buy according to BID and sell according to ASK . Trading in the FOREX market is realized in lots. When you open a position, you can choose the number of lots you want from 1 to 10. One lot equals $ 100,000. The deposit sum for one lot will vary from $500 to $2000, depending on the credit leverage you choose. Leverage is a financial mechanism that allows crediting speculative transactions with a small deposit. We give you an opportunity to choose a credit leverage in the range of 1:200 to 1:25.
In the course of trading you can fix your profit or cut off your losses according to the commands LIMIT and STOP that have been set up.
LIMIT is set up higher than the current meaning of the price.STOP is set up lower than the current meaning of the price.
With these commands the positions is closed without additional orders when the price reaches the agreed level.
In the process of trading you can create pending positions, that will be activated when the price reaches the agreed level (open price). When creating and closing orders, a temporary delay occurs, and lasts for about 30 to 40 seconds. When you make an inquiry, you are given a real market price, which is the current price at the moment of proposal, not at the moment of inquiry.
The main terms that characterize the account:
Deal, realization of 2 trade transactions, when currency is bought (sold), and then the reverse conversion is realized.
Balance, the sum on the account of a client after the last transaction is conducted.
Floating Profit, the current profit on open positions.
Floating storage, fee for postponement of an opened position over midnight GMT.
Equity = Balance + Floating + Floating storage.
Margin requirement, a necessary deposit sum calculated according to the formula
100,000 / K + 100,000 / K,
where K = leverage, and the number of items equals the number of open positions.
Percentage, index of an account.
Percentage = Equity / Margin Requirement. At Percentage lower than 50 % it's impossible to open new positions.
Margin call, condition of an account when all opened positions are closed by the Internet broker according to current quotes. It occurs at a Percentage lower than 10%. Please note that contrary to the majority of other companies, in PRO-FOREX.com price levels of client's orders may differ from the current price only by 5 pips. However, very rarely are orders executed worse than requests, because of the high market volatility.

Trading the Market

Electronically traded products such as individual stocks, bonds, emini index futures contracts (such as the S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average), or other index futures contracts such as the DAX or the Nikkei Index are traded daily by millions of traders worldwide. In addition to the online trader, these products are traded by institutional traders, hedge funds, mutual funds, specialists, or large producers or users of a commodity. These powerful traders have the ability to move and support markets, and influence price action, often without even entering the market. The actions by these traders continually affect the market environment. Without the ability to observe and understand how these actions affect the market environment, an online trader will find himself lagging behind.However, in order to understand the importance that the market environment has to the online trader, he first must understand trading activity taking place within it. Products such as those mentioned above, are bought and sold by and to traders throughout the trading day. It is useful to compare trading these products to the way a vehicle can travel on a highway, that is in one direction or the other. For a trader, the market in which a product is traded is the highway, and the product being traded is a vehicle occupied, or controlled, by either buyer or seller. At any given moment a battle takes place between a seller and a buyer initiated by one or the other when they choose the one of the two directions in which to drive the vehicle; this battle is for control over the price for the product being traded. After this battle is complete and a trade is made, volume is created.A trader uses the market environment to make the decision of whether he wants to control the vehicle, or price. In some market environments, the trader will want to be the driver; while in other market environments, he might allow the other trader to drive because he has determined that it is in his best interest to do so. The analogy chosen—that of a battle for control of a vehicle on a highway—is to assist in the creation of a picture which will allow a more comprehensive understanding of the market elements which determine the outcome of a trade. By understanding these market elements and how they fit together to form the market environment, a trader will understand the different concepts embodied in MarketDelta™, thereby allowing a trader to utilize MarketDelta™ as if it were both the front windshield and rear-view mirror of his vehicle. With the information provided by MarketDelta™, a trader will be able to control his trading to his advantage, given the particular highway road conditions of the moment—or, the current market environment.Before examining the elements which make up the market environment, it is necessary to understand that, from the perspective of a trader using MarketDelta™, each and every element of the market is comprised of one or more of the following core trading variables: buyer’s action, seller’s action, bid price, ask price, traded price and volume. Each of these variables, their interactions and relationships, come together to form the various elements of the market. MarketDelta™ graphically displays each of these variables and their relationships in a logical multi-dimensional manner so a trader can observe them effectively. Through a trader’s experience and understanding of these variables, MarketDelta™ can allow a trader to make the best use of his knowledge or trading “edge.”

Tips on Choosing the Right Forex Software for Your Needs

If you’re interested in getting started in playing the field in forex trading, then you will find that there are a large number of software programs available. Whether the software programs you need are desktop based or web based, either one can be used in your forex trading. There are many brokers who offer their clients software packages free of charge or they can be a part of opening a trading account with a particular brokerage.Normally the software that will come with your open trading account is the very basic model, with the bare minimum of what you can use, or even need. Occasionally, these brokers will offer extra features at a cost. So when you’re considering which broker to open an account with, you may want to consider what software packages they offer to correspond with your account. There are many web site’s that offer free demo accounts, allowing you to download different packages so you can try before you buy. Using a free demo account will give you a better idea of what software you would like to use and will help prevent buyers remorse.The basic software’s available are the desktop and the web based. Which ever one you choose will depend on your preference and other technical constituents. The forex market is obviously very dynamic which means that you will want to get the software that is the most reliable and up to date connection to the data as possible. Now, let’s talk about your internet speed connection. Your internet speed connection is a very important factor and if you plan on playing the forex game, you will need to go from dial up to either DSL, even broadband if you can afford it. The faster it is, often the better. Your internet connection speed is a major factor when considering what forex trading software to use.Another great consideration would be one of online security. Most web based forex software is generally more secure than the desktop based software packages. If you choose the desktop software, then all of your information and your data are stored in your hard drive, making all your valuable information vulnerable to a number of security infractions. If a virus invades your computer, then all of your personal data and the integrity of your trading system can be jeopardized. If you’re hard drive crashes, then all of your important data will be lost forever. Another threat would be those hackers who can hack their way into your computer and gain access to all of your personal information and trading systems.If you decide to go with the web based trading software then most of the maintenance and security issues are handled by the provider of the package. The internet based foreign exchange systems are readily hosted on secure servers, like the servers that credit cards are processed on. This will give you more protection, with less hassle, as your data is encrypted. Along with this protection, your software provider will protect you from losing data by providing mirrors and backups of your account data.You may also find that internet based software is more convenient, aside from the extra security when you’re considering on what software would best suit your needs. Moreover, the software will run on your regular web browser, so there won’t be any software you would have to download, meaning you will always have access to the most current features and versions of that software. In addition, if you frequently travel, you are sure to appreciate being able to log in to the internet from any computer and have all of your information immediately accessible.Whatever option you decide to use, choose the forex trading software that you personally find easier to use. Just because particular software works wonders for your friend or colleague, doesn’t mean it will work the same for you.If you’re new to the trading game, then it would be best to have two accounts, one with your software of choice and one demo account. Considering that you learn as you play the trading game, you can keep one account that you will actually use to trade real money; and the demo account, to use to test any alternative moves. You can also use your demo account to overshadow the trades in your real account so you can see if you are being too conservative.

Top Ten Basic Terms in Forex Trading

Forex refers to the foreign currency exchange market, the world’s largest financial trading market. Some terms that help a person understand Forex trading include:Bid – to buyAsk – to sellLiquidity – financial ease of transaction, i.e. cashTrading volume – the amount tradedBid/ask spread – the difference between the proposed buying price and the actual selling priceOTC – over the counterExchange rate – the difference between currency values; for instance, a Canadian dollar is valued at .86 of a US dollarHedge funds – large mutual funds companies that control vast amounts of money and are able to manipulate the value of a currency through speculationCentral bank – the national bank of a nation, which usually exerts control over the value of that currencyForex trading is in essence the investment in the currency of one country. Large international corporations that do business in many nations find value in keeping their cash reserves in a variety of nations, and holding their funds in a variety of ways. For example, a US company may have a percentage of its working capital in US dollars, but if it does quite a bit of business in Europe may also find it beneficial to keep a percentage of its money in Euros, in European banks. Many individual investors over the years have discovered that there is profit to be made in investment and speculation in the currency or forex markets.As an example, during the 1970’s the German deutchmark was changing rapidly in value. It was worth anywhere from 1.7 marks to the US dollar to 2.5 US marks to the dollar. When the mark was worth 2.5 it was beneficial to spend dollars buying marks, since the mark would buy more goods or services at that rate. When the mark was only worth 1.7 to the dollar there was less incentive.The forex market itself is not unified. There are many small forex markets specializing in trading various currencies. The most commonly traded currencies in forex trading are the US dollar, the Australian dollar, the British pound sterling, the Japanese yen, and the European Euro. The values of these currencies will vary depending on the market in which an investor is looking, so there is really no such thing as a single, unified dollar rate, but instead there are several dollar rates, which are different according to the market where the trade is occurring. The major cities in which trades occur are London, New York and Tokyo. This covers a 24 hour clock. When Asian trading ends, European trading beings, and when European trading ends, then American trading opens. Of course when American trading ends, it is time for Asian trading to open again, and so on.The most commonly traded currency is the US dollar, involved in 89% of all trades. This is followed by the Euro involved in 37% of all trades, then by the yen in 20% and the pound in 17%. The fastest rising currency in trade is the Euro, but the US dollar is still widely considered the anchor point, and the currency to watch to judge how others will react. Differences in value of currencies come form the daily news. Changes n gross domestic product growth, in inflation, interest rates, budget and tirade deficits, surpluses and other economic conditions will cause changes in currency values. Investors and traders for this reason follow the news very closely. In fact, there are 24 hour cable news channels and many web sites devoted to news of value to currency traders.It wasn’t long ago that the nation of Iran removed its currency from European investment banks. In anticipation of rising world tensions they removed their currency to become less vulnerable to freezing of their assets and to economic warfare, of which forex trading could be a part. The forex market is very susceptible to rumors. In fact the central banks of some countries have at times manipulated the value of their currency by spreading rumors about hikes in interest rates and other economic news that could have an impact on the value of the currency. When this news is false it is called a dirty float

What does it have to do with the Forex Market

Fibonacci strategies in forex trading are strategies for anticipating and capturing significant turns in stocks, stock indices and exchange-traded funds. They use classic principles and applications of Fibonacci numbers and a trading system known as the Elliott Wave. The idea is to calculate and predict key turning points in the markets, analyze business and economic cycles and identify profitable turning points in interest rate movement. Many forex traders benefit from the system and from Fibonacci. But, who is Fibonacci?From 1170 to 1250 Fibonacci was the name used by the Italian mathematician Leonardo Pisano. The son of Guilielmo and a member of the Bonacci family, Fibonacci himself sometimes used the name Bigollo, which may mean good-for-nothing traveller. A brilliant mathematician who wrote several books, Fibonacci was a genius ahead of his day. He is most well known today for the sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, etc, which figures prominently in what is today known as Fibonaccian mathematics, and has a quarterly scholarly journal devoted to it. Fibonacci introduced the western world, which until that time had used the Roman numeral system, to the modern decimal system, imported from Babylonia. The Fibonacci number sequence are studied as part of number theory and have applications in the counting of mathematical objects such as sets, permutations and sequences as well as in computer science.Fibonacci believed that Arabic numerals were simpler and more efficient than Roman numerals. He traveled throughout the Mediterranean world of his day and studied under the major Arab mathematicians of the day, and returned to Pisa around 1200. In the year 1202, when he was 32 years old, he published what he had learned in The Book of Calculation. In it he showed the practical importance of this new to Europeans number system by applying it to commercial accounting and to conversion of weights and measures. He also showed how to apply it to the calculation of interest, money-changing, and many other applications. The book was well received in educated Europe and it had a profound impact on European thought. Still the use of decimal numerals did not become widespread until the invention of printing almost three hundred years later. Fibonacci was honored to be a guest of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II who was a fan of mathematics and science. In the year 1240 his city, the Republic of Pisa honored him by paying him a salary from the city.In practicality Fibonacci’s numbers are used in the run time analysis of Euclid’s algorithm determining he greatest common divisor of two integers. It was also used by Yuri Matiyasevich to solve Hilbert’s tenth problem. The numbers are also used in a formula about diagonals Pascal’s triangle. He said that every positive integer can be written uniquely in a way as the sum of one or more distinct Fibonacci numbers and inn that way the sum does not include any two consecutive numbers, which is called Zeckendorf’s theorem. A sum of Fibonacci numbers that satisfies these ideas is a Zeckendorf representation. They are also used for tuning of musical interments in art to determine the size of formal elements.The numbers are also commonly found in nature. They have been found in the patterns of leaves, grass and flowers, and branching in bushes and trees. Fibonacci numbers can also be found in the arrangement of tines on a pine cone, in raspberry seeds and other natural areas. Commonly Fibonacci numbers are seen in fractal Fuchsian groups and Kleinian groups, and in the solutions to reaction diffusion differential equations. Genes too and enzymes often show Fibonacci patterns.Known in his day and recognized as a genius, he was able to see patterns that escaped most others, and only in the modern age of computers are his numbers and patterns able to be utilized anywhere near what he envisioned them to be used for. His translation of Arabic numerals to replace the rather limited and bulky Roman system of numerals is a debt the entire modern world owes to him. And certainly serious forex traders also owe a debt to this man from Pisa.

Where to Learn More

Trying to decipher what Forex quotes mean can be challenging. Quotes can really help you decide what’s going on in the market and help you make trading decisions. However, you really need to know more about quotes than just how to read them. You should learn different trends that are seen via Forex quotes and be able to apply them to the market today. When you can easily do this, you will find it easy to use the foreign exchange market to make profits.
If you are interested in learning more about how to read and use Forex quotes, there are several things you can do. You can first decide to learn on your own. When you decide this, you should visit reputable websites in order to conduct your studying. You can also get new books on the subject and read on what the quotes mean and how they can help you. Many people love to engage in self-study because it gives them freedom. When you are learning on your own, you can do it at your own pace. You can go through things as quickly or as slowly as you need to and really soak up information you need. Self-study can be done during lunch breaks or late at night. Some people would rather have a more traditional approach to learning however.
Forex markets are a large part of the curriculum at most business schools today. If there is a business school in your area, you may want to contact them about taking a course on the subject. If you are someone who has the time to spare, taking a course with others interested in learning is a great idea. The class may cost more than a book you can buy, but hands-on-learning is often the best form of education. You will likely learn about markets, trading, strategy, and more. So, if you are interested in learning with a group, a course is likely the best option for you. When you become more educated on the subject, you will be able to see exactly why knowing all about Forex quotes can be important in successful trading.