May 30, 2006
FOREX Training
Knowledge is the key to successful FOREX trading. The knowledgeable trader has greater awareness of how the market moves and more chances of making profitable transactions. Without knowledge you are shooting in the dark. You may succeed on a few deals but the odds are that you are going to lose in the long run.
Thankfully there's lots of information available about the FOREX and how to trade. You can find hundreds of web sites with useful advice and there are just as many books about all aspects of FOREX trading. If self-learning is not your style, there are training courses available that guide you step-by-step through the intricacies of Foreign Exchange.
Forex Trading Platform No Software Download, 5 Minutes $50 Start. Credit Card Deposit.
If you have the time and the inclination, you can find all the facts you need on the Internet or in your public library. The problem with Internet sources, however, is that the information is generally unstructured. You may find bits and pieces of useful data, but finding a source that presents it in a step-by-step fashion is more difficult.
Study courses, on the other hand, present their material in a logical and structured manner that aids in understanding FOREX trading. The investment involved in a FOREX course may well worth the time saved in seeking out similar information on your own. There are courses available for both beginners and intermediate traders.
The cost of a FOREX course varies from free to $1000 or more. As with most things, you get what you pay for. Free Internet courses may give you the basics needed to begin trading, but usually omit the in-depth training needed to analyze charts and plot trading strategies.
There are two basic types of study courses. You can attend a class with a group of people, or you can sign up for an online course that is taken over the Internet. Classes are available in most major cities. You can attend a class to learn the basics or sign up for more advanced courses if you are an experienced trader. The advantage of these courses is that you get personalized attention – any questions you have can be answered directly by the instructor. The disadvantage is that you must follow the class schedule – if you miss one class it can't be made up at a later time.
Seminars are also a possibility for learning about FOREX. Seminars are usually aimed at experienced traders, but if you know the basics you could benefit from a 1 or 2 day seminar. These are available in most major cities, and you could expect to see seminars offered every couple of months. They are usually conducted by well-known FOREX professionals who can offer new insights and strategies in FOREX trading.
If you prefer to study at your own pace you should investigate online FOREX courses. You can log on to a website any time of the day or night and go through the course material as you see fit. If you have any questions, you can usually communicate with an instructor by email. Responses could take anywhere from minutes to days.
A variation of online courses is CDROM courses. These are done on your computer, but you order the study materials from a company and they arrive by mail. There may be little after market service offered with CDROM learning materials. If you have questions you may not be able to contact an instructor for answers. However, each company has their own policy about this, so find out what their service provides before putting down your money.
Other types of home training include video lessons. These can be watched in the comfort of your living room and are similar to attending a FOREX training seminar.
The best kind of FOREX training can be with an individual trainer or mentor. This would be someone with many years of FOREX experience who can offer insights and strategies learned through the course of conducting thousands of transactions. FOREX mentors usually charge a lot of money – thousands of dollars is not unheard of. Whether the cost is worth it is up to the individual to decide. Working with a master trader can provide valuable insight into the psychology of FOREX trading.
Posted by Forex at 08:04 AM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2005
FOREX Tools
There are many tools available to the FOREX trader for analyzing the market as well as for buying and selling currencies. Software tools are a necessary part of FOREX because of its volume and volatility. Software can be used to automate some of the trading procedures and safeguard against losses.
In order to make rational, successful trades, the FOREX trader needs information – lots of information. Current exchange rates are the tip of the iceberg – the trader needs historical data as well as current information about political and economic conditions that could affect currency prices. All this information is provided by many FOREX brokers on their web sites.
Easy Forex (FX) Website 1000's of Easy-Forex Investors Can't be Wrong! Only $50 Start
Successful FOREX trading relies on making accurate assessments of current political and economic conditions. Being able to predict whether a currency will fall or rise against another currency allows the FOREX trader to profit from currency movements.
There are two basic trading methods for buying and selling currencies. Reactive trading means the trader responds to changes in the political or economic climate. Speculative trading means the trader makes buying decisions based on predictions on how the market will respond to current events. While most FOREX trading is speculative, both types of trade require up-to-the-minute information and an analysis of current and historical conditions.
Traders rely on both fundamental and technical analyses. Fundamental analysis is based on news information about political conditions, economic policies, trade patterns, interest rates and unemployment rates. Technical analysis relies on historical charting to identify trends and patterns over time. Information needed for both types of analyses is available in real time on the Internet. Most online brokers offer live news feeds and streaming rates for observing minute by minute changes in the market.
All this information can help you decide which currencies to buy. More tools are available to help you minimize your risk and maximize your profits.
The Risk Probability Calculator (RPC) can be used to identify trades that have more potential gain than potential loss. The RPC can also help you target exit points to end the trade.
Pivot Points can be used to predict movements of currency prices. They are calculated as an average of the currencies high, low and closing prices. Pivot Point Calculators tell you whether prices fall in the normal trading range or extreme trading ranges.
Pip value calculators are used to tell you the value of each pip (smallest currency unit) according to various sized lots. Pip calculators can tell you the actual profit or loss that will result from movements in the FOREX.
Once a trader has decided which currency pair to trade, he logs on to his online account provided by his broker. The desired currency pair is entered and the current exchange rate appears on the screen. The amount of the trade is entered (how much currency you wish to buy). Some brokers may give you the option of specifying the amount you wish to risk. This automatically enters a 'stop loss rate' into your order.
After the details of the trade are entered, you will be taken to a confirmation screen where you can accept the current price on screen. You may be given the option of 'freezing' the quoted price, meaning the price of your transaction is exactly what you see on screen without any slippage. Accept the rate and your deal is running.
Just as you can enter a 'stop loss rate' to automatically sell the currency if it falls below a certain rate, you can enter a 'take profit rate' to automatically sell the currency when it reaches a certain level. If you don't enter a 'take profit rate' you need to monitor the movement of the currency to decide when to close the deal and take either your profits or your losses.
Posted by Forex at 01:19 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2005
FOREX Trading Strategies
To be a successful FOREX trader you need a trading strategy. There is no one set strategy that is good for all traders; rather, each trader needs to develop his or her individual approach to the FOREX. Some traders rely solely on technical analysis while others prefer fundamental analysis, but many successful FOREX traders use a combination of both to get a broad overview of the market and for plotting entry and exit points.
Technical analysis relies on one key concept: Prices move by trends. The common saying in FOREX is 'The trend is your friend.' Market movements have identifiable patterns that have been studied over many years and a thorough understanding of these trends and how they can be read forms the basis of a good trading strategy.
Easy Forex (FX) Website 1000's of Easy-Forex Investors Can't be Wrong! Only $50 Start
There are many analytical tools available to understand market movements. The beginner FOREX trader is well advised to study each one separately for getting a working knowledge of their concepts and application. Once one has been understood, keep on using it while studying others. Each tool tends to reinforce the others.
Support and resistance levels are used in many FOREX trading strategies. 'Support' refers to the price level that is repeatedly seen as the bottom – when the price reaches this level it tends to rise. Resistance levels are upper prices that the currency rarely trades beyond. Support and resistance levels contain price movements for a period of time.
When currency prices break through support or resistance levels, the prices are expected to continue in that direction. For example, if the price rises above the previous resistance level, it is seen as bullish – the price should continue to rise.
To find support and resistance levels, price charts need to be analyzed for unbroken support and resistance levels. Charts can be analyzed in any time frame; however longer time frames establish more important support/resistance levels. Traders can use support/resistance levels to determine when to enter or exit a transaction.
Moving averages are another common tool in FOREX trading strategies. The simple moving average (SMA) shows the average price in a given period of time over a specified period of time. Moving averages serve to eliminate short term price fluctuations giving a clearer picture of price movements. FOREX traders can plot a SMA to determine when prices have a tendency to rise or fall. If prices cross above the SMA they have a tendency to keep on rising. Conversely, prices below the SMA have a tendency to continue their downward motion.
These are two examples of trading strategies that can be used individually or in combination. In practice, the FOREX trader should have a repertoire of trading tools to examine market conditions and to support the findings of one study or another. If several indicators show that the market is moving in a particular direction the trader can act with more assurance than when relying on a single indicator.
Similarly, fundamental analysis can be used to reinforce technical findings, or vice versa. Ideally, the FOREX trader will take several indicators into account when plotting a trading strategy.
Every trading strategy should provide clear guidelines about when to enter a trade, what to expect in terms of market movement, when to exit a trade, and how much loss can be accepted in case the deal moves against the trader. Following these simple guidelines and learning about technical analysis can help you become a successful FOREX trader.
Posted by Forex at 12:28 AM | Comments (0)
October 31, 2005
Calculating FOREX Profits and Losses
FOREX currencies are traded in much smaller divisions than cash. Whereas the smallest division in US cash is the penny ($0.01), US currency can be traded on the FOREX in divisions of $0.0001. This smallest division is called the pip (short for Price Interest Point – sometimes just called 'points'). Since currencies are traded in large lots of (say) $100,000 - small movements in value can generate substantial profits and losses. In a lot of US$100,000 one pip is worth $10 so an increase in 40 pips (4/10 of one cent) can generate a profit or loss of $400.
Currencies are traded in lots of various sizes. The standard lot is 100,000 units of the base currency. A unit is the currency name e.g. one unit of US dollars is the dollar. So a standard lot of US currency is worth $100,000. FOREX trades can have lots of various sizes - a mini lot is 10,000 units, but the most trades are done using standard lots.
Various currencies have different sized pips. The US dollar is expressed in pips of 0.0001 while the Japanese yen is expressed in pips of 0.01. The value of a pip depends on the size of a lot and the currency pair traded. Currency pairs with USD as the quote (second) currency (e.g. CAD/USD) always have a pip value of $10 per standard lot or $1 per mini lot. A pip value calculator can be used to calculate other currencies.
Order Types
A trader has at his disposal different types of orders to make FOREX trades. A clear understanding of each type of order is necessary to be a successful FOREX trader.
Easy Forex (FX) Website 1000's of Easy-Forex Investors Can't be Wrong! Only $50 Start
Market Order – is an order to buy or sell at the current market price. They can be used to enter or exit a trade. Market orders should be used with care because in fast-moving markets there may be a difference between the price seen at the time a market order is given and the actual price of the transaction. This is due to slippage – the amount the market moves in the few seconds between giving an order and having it executed. Slippage could result in a loss or gain of several pips.
Limit Order – is an order to buy or sell at a certain limit. They can be used to buy currency below the market price or sell currency above the market price. When buying, your order is executed when the market falls to your limit order price. When selling, your order is executed when the market rises to your limit order price. There is no slippage with limit orders.
Stop Order – is an order to buy above the market or to sell below the market. They are most commonly used as stop-loss orders to limit losses if the market moves contrary to what the trader expected. A stop-loss order will sell the currency if the market falls below the point set by the trader.
One Cancels the Other (OCO) – this order is used when placing a limit order and a stop-loss order at the same time. If either order is executed the other is cancelled, allowing the trader to make a transaction without monitoring the market. If the market falls, the stop-loss order will be executed, but if the market rises to the level of the limit order, the currency will be sold at a profit.
Example OCO Transaction:
Buy: 1 standard lot EUR/USD @ 1.3228 = $132,280
Pip Value: 1 pip = $10
Stop-Loss: 1.3203
Limit: 1.3328
This is an order to buy US dollars at 1.3328 and to sell them if they fall to 1.3203 (resulting in a loss of 25 pips or $250) or to sell them if they rise to 1.3328 (resulting in a profit of 100 pips or $1,000).
Here's another example:
The current bid/ask price for US dollars and Canadian dollars is
USD/CDN 1.2152/57
...meaning you can buy $1 US for 1.2152 CDN or sell 1.2157 CDN for $1 US.
If you think that the US dollar (USD) is undervalued against the Canadian dollar (CDN) you would buy USD (simultaneously selling CDN) and wait for the US dollar to rise.
This is the transaction:
Buy USD: 1 standard lot USD/CDN @ 1.2157 = $121,570 CDN
Pip Value: 1 pip = $10
Stop-Loss: 1.2147
Margin: $1,000 (1%)
You are buying US$100,000 and selling CDN$121,570. Your stop loss order will be executed if the dollar falls below 1.2147, in which case you will lose $100.
However, USD/CDN rises to 1.2192/87. You can now sell $1 US for 1.2192 CDN or sell 1.2187 CDN for $1 US.
Because you entered the transaction by buying US dollars (buying long), you must now sell US dollars and buy back CDN dollars to realize your profit. You sell US$100,000 at the current USD/CDN rate of 1.2192, and receive 121,920 CDN for which you originally paid CDN$121,570. Your profit is $350 Canadian dollars or US$287.19 (350 divided by the current exchange rate of 1.2187).
Posted by Forex at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2005
How to Get Started In FOREX Trading
You may have been hearing about the foreign exchange market (FOREX) and the investment advantages it offers. You would like to try it out, but don't know where to start. This short guide will give you the basics in FOREX and tell you what you need to participate in this fast growing field.
Foreign exchange used to be limited to large players such as national banks and multi-national corporations. In the 1980's the rules were revised to allow smaller investors to participate using margin accounts. Margin accounts are the reason why FOREX trading has become so popular. With a 100:1 margin account, you can control $100,000 with a $1,000 investment.
Forex Trading Platform No Software Download, 5 Minutes $50 Start. Credit Card Deposit.
FOREX is not simple, however, and education is needed to make wise investment decisions. Although it is relatively easy to start trading on the FOREX, there are risks involved, so finding out as much as possible about the market is a good move for any beginner.
FOREX traders usually require a broker to handle transactions. Most brokers are reputable and are associated with large financial institutions such as banks. A reputable broker will be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as protection against fraud and abusive trade practices.
Opening a FOREX account is as simple as filling out a form and providing the necessary ID. The form will include a margin agreement that states that the broker can interfere with any trade it deems to be too risky. This is to protect the interests of the broker – most trades, after all, are done using the broker's money. Once your account has been established, you can fund it and begin trading.
Many brokers have different types of accounts to suit the needs of individual investors. Mini accounts allow you to get involved in FOREX trading for as little as $250, while standard accounts may have a minimum deposit of $1000 to $2500 depending on the broker. The amount of leverage – using borrowed money – varies with accounts. High leverage gives you more money to trade for a given investment.
HOWEVER – beginner traders are advised get accustomed to FOREX by doing paper trades for a period of time. Paper trades are practice transactions that don't involve real capital. They allow you to see how the system works while learning how to use the various software tools that are at provided by most FOREX brokers.
Most online brokers have demo accounts that allow you to make free paper trades for up to 30 days. Every new FOREX investor is strongly advised to use these demo accounts at least until they are showing consistently steady profits.
Each broker has their own set of software tools to aid in making transactions, but there are a few tools that are common to all FOREX brokers. Real time quotes, news feeds, technical analyses and charts, and profit and loss analyses are some of the features you should expect to see on most online brokers' web sites.
Almost every broker operates on the Internet. To access their online services you should have a reasonably modern computer, a fast Internet connection, and an up-to-date operating system such as Windows XP. Once your account is set up, you can access it from any computer – just enter your account name and password. If for some reason you are not able get access to a computer, most brokers will allow you to make trades over the phone.
Posted by Forex at 12:42 AM | Comments (0)
October 25, 2005
FOREX versus Futures
The origins of today's futures market lies in the agriculture markets of the 19th century. At that time, farmers began selling contracts to deliver agricultural products at a later date. This was done to anticipate market needs and stabilize supply and demand during off seasons.
The current futures market includes much more than agricultural products. It is a worldwide market for all sorts of commodities including manufactured goods, agricultural products, and financial instruments such as currencies and treasury bonds. A futures contract states what price will be paid for a product at a specified delivery date.When the futures market is played by speculators, the actual goods are not important and there is no expectation of delivery. Rather, it is the futures contract itself that is traded as the value of that contract changes daily according the market value of the commodity.
Forex Trading Platform No Software Download, 5 Minutes $50 Start. Credit Card Deposit.
In every futures contract there is a buyer and a seller. The seller takes the short position and the buyer takes the long position. The futures contract specifies a buying price, a quantity and a delivery date. For example: A farmer agrees to deliver 1000 bushels of wheat to a baker at a price of $5.00 a bushel. If the daily price of wheat futures falls to $4.00 a bushel, the farmer's account is credited with $1000 ($5.00 - $4.00 X 1000 bushels) and the baker's account is debited by the same amount. Futures accounts are settled every day.
At the end of the contract period, the contract is settled. If the price of wheat futures is still at $4.00 the farmer will have made $1000 on the futures contract and the baker will have lost the same amount. However, the baker now buys wheat on the open market at $4.00 a bushel - $1000 less than the original contract, so the amount he lost on the futures contract is made up by the cheaper cost of wheat. Similarly, the farmer must sell his wheat on the open market for $4.00 a bushel, less than what he anticipated when entering the futures contract, but the profit generated by the futures contract makes up the difference.
The baker, however, is still in effect buying the wheat at $5.00 a bushel, and if he hadn't entered into a futures contract he would have been able to buy wheat at $4.00 a bushel. He protected himself against rising prices but he loses if the market price drops.
Speculators hope to profit by the daily fluctuations in the futures market by buying long (from the buyer) if they expect prices to rise or by buying short (from the seller) if they expect prices to fall.
FOREX
The foreign exchange market (FOREX) has several advantages over the futures market. FOREX is a more liquid market – as the largest financial market in the world it dwarfs the futures market in daily exchanges. This means that stop orders can be executed more easily and with less slippage in the FOREX.
The FOREX is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Most futures exchanges are open 7 hours a day. This makes FOREX more liquid and allows FOREX traders to take advantage of trading opportunities as they arise rather than waiting for the market to open.
FOREX transactions are commission-free. Brokers earn money by setting a spread – the difference between what a currency can be bought at and what it can be sold at. In contrast, traders must pay a commission or brokerage fee for each futures transaction they enter into.
Because of the high volume of trading FOREX transactions are almost instantly executed. This minimizes slippage and increases price certainty. Brokers in the futures market often quote prices reflecting the last trade – not necessarily the price of your transaction. The FOREX is less risky than the futures market because of built-in safeguards in the trading system. Debits in futures are always a possiblility because of market gap and slippage.
Posted by Forex at 01:46 PM | Comments (0)
FOREX Brokers
Most FOREX traders use a broker to handle their transactions. What exactly is a broker? Strictly speaking, a broker is an individual or a company that buys and sells orders according the investor's decisions. Brokers earn money by charging a commission or a fee for their services.
A FOREX broker needs to be associated with a large financial institution such as a bank in order to provide the funds necessary for margin trading. In the United States a broker should be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as protection against fraud and abusive trade practices. Before trading FOREX you need to set up an account with a FOREX broker. You may feel overwhelmed by the number of brokers who offer their services online. Deciding on a broker requires a little bit of research on your part, but the time spent will give you insight into the services that are available and fees charged by various brokers.
Forex Trading Platform No Software Download, 5 Minutes $50 Start. Credit Card Deposit.
The best advertising is word-of-mouth advertising, and this is just as valid in FOREX trading as it is for any other type of business. Talk to friends and associates to see who they are dealing with and find if they have any complaints or difficulties in dealing with a particular broker.
You could try selecting a few online brokers and contact their Internet help desks to see how quickly they respond to enquiries and whether or not they answer questions to your satisfaction. Keep in mind, however, that pre-sales service may be better than after sales service. This can be true for any online business, not just FOREX brokers.
Customer satisfaction and safety are just part of the story. You want to find a broker who executes orders quickly and with minimum slippage. All online brokers should offer automatic execution and have clear policies regarding slippage. They should be able to tell you how much slippage can be expected in both normal and fast-moving markets.
Next you want to know the fees involved. What is the spread? Is spread fixed or variable according to the type of account? Are mini accounts subject to wider spreads? Are there any other charges? Smaller spreads mean more profit for the trader, but there may be a trade-off between spread and service. Look at the overall picture before deciding to go with a particular broker.
Margin accounts are the lifeblood of FOREX trading, so be sure you understand the broker's margin terms before setting up an account. You need to know the margin requirements and how margin is calculated. Does margin change according to the currency traded? Is it the same every day of the week? Some brokers may offer different margins for mini and standard accounts.
Trading software is very important for the online FOREX trader. Get a feel for the options that are available by trying out a demo account at a few online brokers. Above all, you are looking for reliability and the ability to perform well in fast-moving markets. The software should offer automatic trading and may have special features such as trailing stops and trading from the chart. Some features may only be available at an extra cost, so be sure you understand what your trading needs are and how much the broker charges to provide them.
Other information to find out about includes the broker's policy regarding minimum account balances, interest payments on account balances, which currencies can be traded and whether or not non-standard sized lots can be traded. You should also find out whether clients' funds are insured and the extent of that insurance.
Posted by Forex at 12:40 AM | Comments (0)
October 24, 2005
FOREX Glossary
Here are some of the most common terms used in FOREX trading.
Ask Price – Sometimes called the Offer Price, this is the market price for traders to buy currencies. Ask Prices are shown on the right side of a quote – e.g. EUR/USD 1.1965 / 68 – means that one euro can be bought for 1.1968 UD dollars.
Bar Chart – A type of chart used in Technical Analysis. Each time division on the chart is displayed as a vertical bar which show the following information – the top of the bar is the high price, the bottom of the bar is the low price, the horizontal line on the left of the bar shows the opening price and the horizontal line on the right of bar shows the closing price.
Forex Trading Platform No Software Download, 5 Minutes $50 Start. Credit Card Deposit.
Base Currency – is the first currency in a currency pair. A quote shows how much the base currency is worth in the quote (second) currency. For example, in the quote - USD/JPY 112.13 – US dollars are the base currency, with 1 US dollar being worth 112.13 Japanese yen.
Bid Price – is the price a trader can sell currencies. The Bid Price is shown on the left side of a quote - e.g. EUR/USD 1.1965 / 68 – means that one euro can be sold for 1.1965 UD dollars.
Bid/Ask Spread – is the difference between the bid price and the ask price in any currency quotation. The spread represents the broker's fee, and varies from broker to broker.
Broker – the intermediary between buyer and seller. Most FOREX brokers are associated with large financial institutions and earn money by setting a spread between bid and ask prices.
Candlestick Chart - A type of chart used in Technical Analysis. Each time division on the chart is displayed as a candlestick – a red or green vertical bar with extensions above and below the candlestick body. The top of the extension shows the highest price for the chart division and the bottom of the extension shows the lowest price. Red candlesticks indicate a lower closing price than opening price, and green candlesticks indicate the price is rising.
Cross Currency – A currency pair that does not include US dollars – e.g. EUR/GBP.
Currency Pair – Two currencies involved in a FOREX transaction – e.g. EUR/USD.
Economic Indicator – A statistical report issued by governments or academic institutions indicating economic conditions within a country.
First In First Out (FIFO) – refers to the order open orders are liquidated. The first orders to be liquidated are the first that were opened.
Posted by Forex at 12:47 PM | Comments (0)
Introduction to Fundamental Analysis
FOREX traders almost always rely on analysis to make plan their trading strategies. There are two basic types of FOREX analysis – technical and fundamental. This article will look at fundamental analysis and how it used in FOREX trading.
Fundamental analysis refers to political and economic conditions that may affect currency prices. FOREX traders using fundamental analysis rely on news reports to gather information about unemployment rates, economic policies, inflation, and growth rates.
Fundamental analysis is often used to get an overview of currency movements and to provide a broad picture of economic conditions affecting a specific currency. Most traders rely on technical analysis for plotting entry and exit points into the market and supplement their findings with fundamental analysis.
Easy Forex (FX) Website 1000's of Easy-Forex Investors Can't be Wrong! Only $50 Start
Currency prices on the FOREX are affected by the forces of supply and demand, which in turn are affected by economic conditions. The two most important economic factors affecting supply and demand are interest rates and the strength of the economy. The strength of the economy is affected by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), foreign investment and trade balance.
Indicators
Various indicators are released by government and academic sources. They are reliable measures of economic health and are followed by all sectors of the investment market. Indicators are usually released on a monthly basis but some are released weekly.
Two of the most important fundamental indicators are interest rates and international trade. Other indicators include the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Durable Goods Orders, Producer Price Index (PPI), Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI), and retail sales.
Interest Rates - can have either a strengthening or weakening effect on a particular currency. On the one hand, high interest rates attract foreign investment which will strengthen the local currency. On the other hand, stock market investors often react to interest rate increases by selling off their holdings in the belief that higher borrowing costs will adversely affect many companies. Stock investors may sell off their holdings causing a downturn in the stock market and the national economy.
Determining which of these two effects will predominate depends on many complex factors, but there is usually a consensus amongst economic observers of how particular interest rate changes will affect the economy and the price of a currency.
International Trade – Trade balance which shows a deficit (more imports than exports) is usually an unfavourable indicator. Deficit trade balances means that money is flowing out of the country to purchase foreign-made goods and this may have a devaluing effect on the currency. Usually, however, market expectations dictate whether a deficit trade balance is unfavourable or not. If a county habitually operates with a deficit trade balance this has already been factored into the price of its currency. Trade deficits will only affect currency prices when they are more than market expectations.
Other indicators include the CPI – a measurement of the cost of living, and the PPI – a measurement of the cost of producing goods. The GDP measures the value of all goods and services within a country, while the M2 Money Supply measures the total amount of all currency.
There are 28 major indicators used in the United States. Indicators have strong effects on financial markets so FOREX traders should be aware of them when preparing strategies. Up-to-date information is available on many websites and many FOREX brokers supply this information as part of their trading service.
Posted by Forex at 12:02 AM | Comments (0)




