Foreign Exchange

Foreign Exchange simply means the buying of one currency and selling another at the same time. In other words, the currency of one country is exchanged for those of another. The currencies of the world are on a floating exchange rate, and are always traded in pairs – Euro/Dollar, Dollar/Yen, etc. In excess of 85 percent of all daily transactions involve trading of the major currencies.Four major currency pairs are usually used for investment purposes. They are: Euro against US dollar, US dollar against Japanese yen, British pound against US dollar, and US dollar against Swiss franc. The following notation is used for these currency pairs: EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF. You may consider them as "blue chips" of the FOREX market. No dividends are paid on currencies. The investment profits come from well known "buy low - sell high". If you think one currency will appreciate against another, you may exchange that second currency for the first one and stay in it. In case everything goes as planned, some time later you may make the opposite deal - exchange this first currency back for that other - and collect profits. Transactions on the FOREX market are fulfilled by dealers at major banks or FOREX brokerage companies. FOREX is the world wide market, so when you are sleeping in the North America some dealers in Europe are trading currencies with their Japanese counterparties. Therefore the FOREX market is active 24 hours a day and dealers at major institutions are working in three shifts. Clients may place take-profit and stop-loss orders with brokers for overnight execution. Price movements on the FOREX market are very smooth and without gaps that you face almost every morning on the stock market. The daily turnover on the FOREX market is about $1.2 trillion, so investor can enter and exit position without problems. The fact is that the FOREX market never stops, even on the day of September-11, 2001 you could obtain two-side quotes on currencies. The currency (foreign exchange) market is the largest and oldest financial market in the world. It is also called the foreign exchange market, or "FOREX" or "FX" market for short. It is the biggest and most liquid market in the world, and it is traded mainly through the 24 hour-a-day inter-bank currency market - the primary market for currencies. The forex market is a cash (or "spot") inter-bank market. By comparison, the currency futures market is only one per cent as big.Unlike the futures and stock markets, trading of currencies is not centralized on an exchange. Forex literally follows the sun around the world. Trading moves from major banking centers of the U.S. to Australia and New Zealand, to the Far East, to Europe and finally back to the U.S. In the past, the forex inter-bank market was not available to small speculators due to the large minimum transaction sizes and often-stringent financial requirements. Banks, major currency dealers and the occasional huge speculator used to be the principal dealers. Only they were able to take advantage of the currency market's fantastic liquidity and strong trending nature of many of the world's primary currency exchange rates. Today, foreign exchange market maker brokers such as FX Solutions are able to break down the larger sized inter-bank units, and offer small traders the opportunity to buy or sell any number of these smaller units (lots). These brokers give virtually any size trader, including individual speculators or smaller companies, the option to trade the same rates and price movements as the large players who once dominated the market. Market makers quote buying and selling rates for currencies, and they profit on the difference between their buying and selling rates.

Why Trading FOREX
The cash/spot FOREX markets possess certain unique attributes that offer unmatched potential for profitable trading in any market condition or any stage of the business cycle:A 24-hour market: A trader may take advantage of all profitable market conditions at any time; no waiting for the 'opening bell'. Highest liquidity: The FOREX market with an average trading volume of over $1.5 trillion per day is the most liquid market in the world. That means that a trader can enter or exit the market at will in almost any market condition minimal execution barriers or risk and no daily trading limit. High leverage: A leverage ratio of 50 to 100 is typical compared to a leverage ratio of 2 (50% margin requirement) in equity markets. Of course, this makes trading in the cash/spot forex market a double-edged sword the high leverage makes the risk of the down side loss much greater in the same way that it makes the profit potential on the upside much more attractive. Low transaction cost: The retail transaction cost (the bid/ask spread) is typically less than 0.1% (10 pips or points) under normal market conditions. At larger dealers, the spread could be less than 5 pips, and may widen considerably in fast moving markets. Always a bull market: A trade in the FOREX market involves selling or buying one currency against another. Thus, a bull market or a bear market for a currency is defined in terms of the outlook for its relative value against other currencies. If the outlook is positive, we have a bull market in which a trader profits by buying the currency against other currencies. Conversely, if the outlook is pessimistic, we have a bull market for other currencies and a trader profits by selling the currency against other currencies. In either case, there is always a bull market trading opportunity for a trader. Inter-bank market: The backbone of the FOREX market consists of a global network of dealers (mainly major commercial banks) that communicate and trade with one another and with their clients through electronic networks and telephones. There are no organized exchanges to serve as a central location to facilitate transactions the way the New York Stock Exchange serves the equity markets. The FOREX market operates in a manner similar to the way the NASDAQ market in the United States operates, and thus it is also referred to as an 'over the counter' or OTC market. No one can corner the market: The FOREX market is so vast and has so many participants that no single entity, even a central bank, can control the market price for an extended period of time. Even interventions by mighty central banks are becoming increasingly ineffectual and short-lived, and thus central banks are becoming less and less inclined to intervene to manipulate market prices. Unregulated: The FOREX market is generally regarded as an unregulated market although the operations of major dealers, such as commercial banks in money centers, are regulated under the banking laws. The conduct and operation of retail FOREX brokerages are not regulated under any laws or regulations specific to the FOREX market, and in fact many of such establishments in the United States do not even report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The currency futures and options that are traded on exchanges such as Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) are regulated in the way other exchange-traded derivatives are regulated.

Forex vs. Stock Market
Why FOREX is seen as "a better" option for investors when compared to Stock Market?This article tries to highlight why FOREX is considered a better option for investors when compared to Stock Market.Profit in an up or down marketUnlike the equity market, with FOREX there are no restrictions on short selling. Profit potential exists in the currency market regardless of whether a trader is long or short, or which way the market is moving. Since currency trading always involves buying one currency and selling another, there is no structural bias to the market. This means a trader has an equal potential to profit in a rising or falling market.Pay zero commissions or exchange feesNo commission or exchange fees to trade FOREX online or on the phone. In the equity markets, you must pay both a commission and exchange fees. The over-the-counter structure of the FOREX market eliminates exchange and clearing fees, which in turn lowers transaction costs. Costs are further reduced by the efficiencies created by a purely electronic marketplace that allows clients to deal directly with the market maker, eliminating both ticket costs and middlemen. Because the currency market offers round-the-clock liquidity, you receive tight, competitive spreads both intra-day and night. Stock traders can be more vulnerable to liquidity risk and typically receive wider trading spreads, especially during after-hours trading.Up to 50 times the leverage of trading stocksTrading FOREX gives you up to 50 times the leverage of trading stocks. In stocks, for every $1,000 cash you invest, you control a maximum of $2,000 worth of stocks. The maximum leverage is 2:1. But with FOREX, if you invest $1,000 margin on a foreign currency trade, you can control up to $100,000 in currencies.Trade mini contracts for as little as $300Many brokerages do not allow you to invest in odd lots, but only in blocks of 100 shares at a time. With many stocks valued at between $30 and $200, that can mean an investment of $3,000 to $20,000 or more. But with FOREX, you can invest in foreign currencies for as little as a $300 deposit with mini contracts. The smaller trade size enables you to take smaller risks. The FOREX mini is intended to introduce you to the excitement of currency trading while minimizing your risk. You can try out the demo account and paper trade or you can open up a mini account right now and trade for real. If you like technical trading, FOREX is perfect for youThe strong trends that foreign currencies develop is a significant advantage for technical traders. Unlike stocks, currencies rarely spend much time in tight trading ranges and have the tendency to develop strong trends. Over 80% of volume is speculative in nature and, as a result, the market frequently overshoots and then corrects itself. A technically trained trader can easily identify new trends and breakouts, which provide multiple opportunities to enter and exit positions.Analyzing countries is easier than companiesCountries are often more stable than companies and it's easier to predict their overall economic direction. Currencies are traded in pairs, so if a trader buys one currency, he is simultaneously selling the other. As with a stock investment, it is better to invest in the currency of a country that is growing faster and is in a better economic condition. Currency prices reflect the balance of supply and demand for currencies. Two primary factors affecting supply and demand are interest rates and the overall strength of the economy. Economic indicators such as GDP, foreign investment, and the trade balance reflect the general health of an economy and are therefore responsible for the underlying shifts in supply and demand for that currency. There is a tremendous amount of data released at regular intervals, some of which is more important than others. Data related to interest rates and international trade should be most-closely examined. Trade 24 hours a dayAfter-hours stock trading is not a very liquid or easy market to trade. But with FOREX, you can trade 24 hours a day in the largest, most liquid market in the world.

How the Retail Spot Forex Works
When you use retail spot Forex software, it only requires an internet connection to trade real-time. No extra data-feed is required. All online Forex brokers’ software is real-time, rather than delayed.If you download a free 30-day demo of the software, you can "practice trade" in real-time with the exact same quotes as a live account. The software is exactly the same, and you receive virtual money for the account. You are then able to enter trades in real time, and monitor them just as though it were a real account. You will experience no difference between the demo account and a live account. When you log onto your trading platform, you see your price quotes, and you simply click on the price to sell or buy. It will ask you how many lots or contracts you want, and then you click ok, and you are in. You can also use the charts they provide with the trading platform; they will reflect the movement of the real-time price of their trading platform. With those charts, you usually have the ability to place horizontal lines where you choose (pivot numbers).Each currency is quoted with a pip spread. This is how the dealer makes his money. With most online retail brokers, there are no commissions. For example, I want to buy the Swiss Franc, and the current quote is 1.7205/1.7210. The dealer will give me the 1.7210 price, and I would start the trade -5 points which equals $30.00. In my trade window, I would see my money change as the market price moves back and forth. As it moves in my favor, my negative position is removed as soon as the market is trading 1.7210/1.7215, or higher. In the spot forex market, it is common for currencies to move 100 to 300 pips/points in a 24-hour session. If you like volatility, there is no currency more volatile than the Franc.If you want to see the software in action, just register for it at fxsol.com, and download a free demo. You will get your password and username immediately sent to you by email.