Posts Tagged ‘Forex Traders’
Forex Market Advantages
May 22nd, 2009 | 
Author: Forex Market Advantages What are the advantages of the Forex Market over other types of investments? by Heather Redmond |
Posted in Forex Advantages
Analyzing Your Forex Trading Strategies
Spreads Can Be a Forex Traders Best Friend
Making a Forex trade involves the exchange of currency. The currency is always priced in pairs. When making a trade you must buy one currency while simultaneously selling another. Once you make the commitment to trade you will need to complete the deal. Should you need to exit the trade you will need to buy and/or sell the opposite position. Leaving the trade will require you to sell Euros and buy back in US Dollars.
Spreads are a Forex trader’s friend, because nothing affects your profitability more. Brokers that have the tightest spreads will usually see the most business. This is why just about every broker is claiming to have the tightest spreads in town. Understanding the spread in a Forex spot market is very complicated. The spread is the difference between the bid and the ask price. The quote will be given to you in pips. The “bid” is the price that you can sell currency at. The “ask” is the price you can buy currency at. A pip is the smallest unit by which a cross price quote changes. For example; if the quote you receive between EUR/USD is 1.2222/4, then the spread equals 2 pips. If the quote is 1.22225/40, then the spread is going to equal 1.5 pips. Spreads are important because the affect the ability to make a return on your investment.
The spread is the commission base for all brokers. It is how they make their money. Wider spreads result in larger broker commissions. Creating a wider spread is the result of having higher ask prices and lower bid prices. There are consequences with using this formula. As a trader you will end up paying more when you buy and less when you sell. This lowers your profit potential. Using a broker that has a tighter spread is always in a Forex trader’s best interest.
Just because your broker has a tight spread does not automatically mean you will turn a profit. You will also need a proven trading strategy. If you have poor execution you will not be able to determine if broker you are using has a wide or tight spread. For, only a tight spread executed well will produce the kind of profits that will make you a success. In Forex trading your main goal is to buy low and sell high. Therefore, you will not want to limit your dealings with broker with a wider spread, because that means lower profit earning abilities. A half-pip lower spreads does not sound like much. However, it can easily mean the difference between making a profit and losing your shirt. A good example is when your monitor shows a tight spread, but your trade comes in a few pips higher.
Forex trading is one of the few financial trading methods that does not follow the conventional trading floor. On the inter bank market the larger the ticket size the larger the spread. This is not automatically the same for Forex trading. |
Posted in Forex Strategy
Understanding Basic Forex Strategies – Fundamental Vs. Technical
A person that is new to the world of FOREX trading needs to understand the difference between the two basic trading strategies. Fundamental and technical strategies are quite different from each other and a person needs to stick with one plan. Technical analysis is the more common strategy used by FOREX traders, likely due to its more simplified form. An overview of both strategies is provided below for an accurate understanding: Fundamental Analysis – A person that has decided to use this style of analyzing is essentially putting a value on an entire country, a much more difficult decision. This style of analysis is much harder for a person to learn and is often left for only long term trend prediction. It may at times be used on the short term and several different indicators come in the form of news releases. These include the Consumer Price Index, Purchasing Managers Index and many other indicators. There are also timely meetings that affect the markets. A person that is using this strategy needs to be aware of these different meetings and how the discussion of interest rates, inflation and other issues will affect currency values in the country and around the world. The two most important meetings that affect currency values are the Humphrey Hawkins Hearings and the Federal Open Market Committee. An understanding of these two meetings will allow a FOREX trader to foresee long and short term trends. An economic calendar will keep a person aware of the times that these reports are issued and is essential for anyone following this strategy. Technical Analysis – This is far more common of a strategy for FOREX traders. Analyzing price trends is done on a 24 hours basis since FOREX markets are open around the clock, unlike the equities markets. Since FOREX markets run on a 24 hour cycle, adjustments must be made to any technical analysis that are limited by time factors. Three common styles of analysis include the Fibonnaci Studies, Parabolic SAR Pivot Points and the Elliot Waves. These are all basic strategies of their own and must be decided between. The best place for a beginner to start is with the one that makes them most comfortable. A quality broker will help to explain the differences and help a person to choose the right one for them and their circumstances. Being comfortable with an investment strategy is the only way a person will ever get started. |
Posted in Forex Strategy