A foreign exchange quote may seem a bit confusing at first. However, it's really quite sim
ple if you remember two things:
ple if you remember two things:1) The first currency listed is the base currency and
2) the value of the base currency is always 1.
The US dollar is the centerpiece of the Forex market and is normally considered the 'base' currency for quotes. In the "Majors", this includes USD/JPY, USD/CHF and USD/CAD. For these currencies and many others, quotes are expressed as a unit of $1 USD per the second currency quoted in the pair. For example, a quote of USD/JPY 120.01 means that one U.S. dollar is equal to 120.01 Japanese yen.
When the U.S. dollar is the base unit and a currency quote goes up, it means the U.S. dollar has appreciated in value and the other currency has weakened. If the USD/JPY quote we previously mentioned increases to 123.01, the dollar is stronger because it will now buy more yen than before. The three exceptions to this rule are the British pound (GBP), the Australian dollar (AUD) and the Euro (EUR). In these cases, you might see a quote such as GBP/USD 1.4366, meaning that one British pound equals 1.4366 U.S. dollars. In these three currency pairs, where the U.S. dollar is not the base rate, a rising quote means a weakening dollar, as it now takes more U.S. dollars to equal one pound, euro or Australian dollar.
In other words, if a currency quote goes higher, that increases the value of the base currency. A lower quote means the base currency is weakening.
Currency pairs that do not involve the U.S. dollar are called cross currencies, but the premise is the same. For example, a quote of EUR/JPY 127.95 signifies that one Euro is equal to 127.95 Japanese yen.
Spreads not Commissions
When trading foreign exchange, you are always quoted a 2-sided dealing price where you can buy or sell the trade currency. The difference between the buy and sell price is the spread.
BID and ASK Prices
When trading forex you will often see a two-sided quote, consisting of a 'bid' and 'ask'. The 'bid' is the price at which you can sell the base currency (at the same time buying the counter currency). The 'ask' is the price at which you can buy the base currency (at the same time selling the counter currency).
Factors affecting the market
Currency prices are affected by a variety of economic and political conditions, most importantly interest rates, inflation and political stability. Governments sometimes participate in the Forex market to influence the value of their currencies, either by flooding the market with their domestic currency in an attempt to lower the price, or conversely buying in order to raise the price. This is known as Central Bank intervention. Any of these factors, as well as large market orders, can cause volatility in currency prices. However, the size and volume of the Forex market makes it impossible for any one entity to "drive" the market for any length of time.
Fundamental vs. Technical Analysis
Currency traders make decisions using both technical factors and economic fundamentals. Technical traders use charts, trend lines, support and resistance levels, and numerous patterns and mathematical analysis to identify trading opportunities. Fundamentalists predict price movements by interpreting a wide variety of economic information, including news, government-issued indicators and reports, and even rumor.
The most dramatic price movements however, occur when unexpected events happen. The event can range from a Central Bank raising domestic interest rates to the outcome of a political election or even an act of war. Nonetheless, more often it is the expectations surrounding an event that drives the market rather than the event itself.
The forex market is one of the most popular markets for speculation due to its enormous size, liquidity, and tendency for currencies to move in strong trends. An enticing aspect of trading currencies is the high degree of leverage available. Forex.ca allows positions to be leveraged up to 100:1. Without proper risk management, this high degree of leverage can lead to enormous swings between profit and loss. Knowing that even seasoned traders suffer losses, speculation in the forex market should only be conducted with risk capital funds that if lost will not significantly affect one's personal financial well being.
Rollover
What happens to my open positions at the end of the trading day?Unless specific settlement instructions are provided, FOREX.ca will automatically roll forward all open positions to the next day's value date at the end of each business day, 5:00 pm EST. All rolls will be done at competitive rollover rates, and depending on the currency pairs involved, trades will be executed where the trader will either earn or pay interest, depending on the interest rate differential between the two currencies. If you do not want to earn or pay interest on your positions, simply make sure it is closed at 5pm EST, the established end of the market day.
2) the value of the base currency is always 1.
The US dollar is the centerpiece of the Forex market and is normally considered the 'base' currency for quotes. In the "Majors", this includes USD/JPY, USD/CHF and USD/CAD. For these currencies and many others, quotes are expressed as a unit of $1 USD per the second currency quoted in the pair. For example, a quote of USD/JPY 120.01 means that one U.S. dollar is equal to 120.01 Japanese yen.
When the U.S. dollar is the base unit and a currency quote goes up, it means the U.S. dollar has appreciated in value and the other currency has weakened. If the USD/JPY quote we previously mentioned increases to 123.01, the dollar is stronger because it will now buy more yen than before. The three exceptions to this rule are the British pound (GBP), the Australian dollar (AUD) and the Euro (EUR). In these cases, you might see a quote such as GBP/USD 1.4366, meaning that one British pound equals 1.4366 U.S. dollars. In these three currency pairs, where the U.S. dollar is not the base rate, a rising quote means a weakening dollar, as it now takes more U.S. dollars to equal one pound, euro or Australian dollar.
In other words, if a currency quote goes higher, that increases the value of the base currency. A lower quote means the base currency is weakening.
Currency pairs that do not involve the U.S. dollar are called cross currencies, but the premise is the same. For example, a quote of EUR/JPY 127.95 signifies that one Euro is equal to 127.95 Japanese yen.
Spreads not Commissions
When trading foreign exchange, you are always quoted a 2-sided dealing price where you can buy or sell the trade currency. The difference between the buy and sell price is the spread.
BID and ASK Prices
When trading forex you will often see a two-sided quote, consisting of a 'bid' and 'ask'. The 'bid' is the price at which you can sell the base currency (at the same time buying the counter currency). The 'ask' is the price at which you can buy the base currency (at the same time selling the counter currency).
Factors affecting the market
Currency prices are affected by a variety of economic and political conditions, most importantly interest rates, inflation and political stability. Governments sometimes participate in the Forex market to influence the value of their currencies, either by flooding the market with their domestic currency in an attempt to lower the price, or conversely buying in order to raise the price. This is known as Central Bank intervention. Any of these factors, as well as large market orders, can cause volatility in currency prices. However, the size and volume of the Forex market makes it impossible for any one entity to "drive" the market for any length of time.
Fundamental vs. Technical Analysis
Currency traders make decisions using both technical factors and economic fundamentals. Technical traders use charts, trend lines, support and resistance levels, and numerous patterns and mathematical analysis to identify trading opportunities. Fundamentalists predict price movements by interpreting a wide variety of economic information, including news, government-issued indicators and reports, and even rumor.
The most dramatic price movements however, occur when unexpected events happen. The event can range from a Central Bank raising domestic interest rates to the outcome of a political election or even an act of war. Nonetheless, more often it is the expectations surrounding an event that drives the market rather than the event itself.
The forex market is one of the most popular markets for speculation due to its enormous size, liquidity, and tendency for currencies to move in strong trends. An enticing aspect of trading currencies is the high degree of leverage available. Forex.ca allows positions to be leveraged up to 100:1. Without proper risk management, this high degree of leverage can lead to enormous swings between profit and loss. Knowing that even seasoned traders suffer losses, speculation in the forex market should only be conducted with risk capital funds that if lost will not significantly affect one's personal financial well being.
Rollover
What happens to my open positions at the end of the trading day?Unless specific settlement instructions are provided, FOREX.ca will automatically roll forward all open positions to the next day's value date at the end of each business day, 5:00 pm EST. All rolls will be done at competitive rollover rates, and depending on the currency pairs involved, trades will be executed where the trader will either earn or pay interest, depending on the interest rate differential between the two currencies. If you do not want to earn or pay interest on your positions, simply make sure it is closed at 5pm EST, the established end of the market day.
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