Currency Trading Information

Forex Market Overview


"FX" is an abbreviation of "forex" or "foreign exchange." Foreign exchange is the largest and most liquid market in the world trading approximately $2 trillion every day (that's over 30 times the daily volume of NASDAQ and NYSE combined). The forex market is a cash interbank/interdealer market. In simplest terms, this means the foreign currencies traded in the forex market are traded directly between banks, foreign currency dealers and forex investors wishing either to diversify, speculate or to hedge foreign currency risk. The forex market is not a "market" in the traditional sense due to the fact that there is no centralized location for fx trading activity and, therefore, trades placed in the forex market are considered over-the-counter (OTC). Forex trading between parties occurs through computer terminals, exchanges and over telephones at thousands of locations worldwide. CFOS/FX clients can trade through online forex trading platforms and/or over the telephone directly with a forex broker on our trading desk.

Until recently the forex market has not been available to the small speculator. The large minimum foreign currency transaction sizes and financial requirements left this market in the hands of banks, major foreign currency dealers and the occasional large fx speculator. Now, with the ability to leverage large positions with a relatively small amount of capital (margin), the forex market is now more liquid than ever and available to most investors.

Five major currencies dominate trading in the foreign exchange markets: the U.S. Dollar, Eurocurrency, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and British Pound. The foreign currencies are traded in pairs, also known as crosses, in the forex spot market. For example, purchasing the EUR/USD in the forex spot market simply means the purchaser is buying the Eurocurrency and selling the U.S. Dollar in anticipation of the Eurocurrency gaining value in relation to the U.S. Dollar. Similarly, the seller of a EUR/USD contract would be selling the Eurocurrency against the U.S. Dollar. Official figures show the U.S. Dollar is on one side of 83% of all spot foreign exchange transactions. The "spot" market simply refers to a currency contract with a prompt valuation date requiring settlement within two business days.

Over the past several decades, an increase in international trade and foreign investment has made the economies of the world more interrelated. New opportunities for investors have also been created with the fall of communism and the dramatic growth of the Asian and Latin American economies. Today, supply and demand for a particular currency is the driving factor in determining exchange rates. Many factors such as regularly reported economic figures and unexpected news reports, such as disasters or political instabilities, could also alter the desirability of holding a particular currency, thus influencing international supply and demand for that currency. It should come as no surprise that many shrewd investors have already taken advantage of the fluctuation in exchange rates to profit handsomely.

John Nobile - Senior Account Executive
CFOS/FX - Online Forex Spot and Option Brokerage


MORE RESOURCES:

Currency Trading Market Conditions Remain Challenging: Breakout ...
Daily FX, NY - 22 hours ago
Sharp US Dollar gains have produced profits in several of our currency trading strategies on the week, and a continuation of US Dollar strength would make ...


Currency Trading Market Conditions Difficult to Forecast: Look for ...
Daily FX, NY - Nov 24, 2008
Currency trading market conditions have been especially difficult to predict as of late, and strategy preferences for our forex trading signals are far from ...


Boston Globe

Stocks drubbed at open
CNNMoney.com - 23 hours ago
US crude for January delivery tumbled $3.46 to $50.99 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In currency trading, the dollar fell against the yen and ...
Global markets extend rally CNNMoney.com
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AFP

WSJ(11/11) Currency Trading: Bad Crop: Commodity Currencies
Alibaba News Channel, NEW YORK - Nov 11, 2008
In currency markets gripped by turmoil, investors have targeted one group for special punishment: big commodity exporters. This cluster includes the ...
Euro firms against dollar, pound sinks amid credit turmoil AFP
An investment class that is still thriving The Australian
all 224 news articles


GLOBAL MARKETS-Grim economic outlook pummels stocks, oil slides
guardian.co.uk, UK - 16 hours ago
... also lifting the dollar, so it's possible the dollar will get a bit of a bid out of this, but currency trading is going to be choppy," Reid added. ...


Currency Trading Markets Remain Highly Correlated to Dow Jones ...
Daily FX, NY - Nov 18, 2008
Currency trading markets continue very highly correlated to broader risky asset classes, as the common theme of financial market deleveraging creates strong ...
Currency Trading Markets Remain Highly Correlated to Dow Jones ... Daily FX
all 6 news articles


Stocks ready to bounce back
CNNMoney.com - 20 minutes ago
... to $47.78 a barrel, the lowest since 2005. In currency trading, the dollar edged higher against the yen but slipped versus the euro and the British pound.


Zambia: Let's Curb Illegal Currency Trading, Says ABCZ
AllAfrica.com, Washington - Nov 24, 2008
THE Association of Bureau de Change (ABCZ) has called on relevant authorities to introduce stiff punishment to curb illegal currency trading in Zambia. ...


How currency trading can benefit you
Economic Times, India - Nov 24, 2008
Given frequent sharp movements in the US dollar-rupee rate, it looks as though currency futures are not going to be just another trading instrument; ...


Euro falls against dollar to $1.2593
The Associated Press - 5 hours ago
In other currency trading, the British pound fell to $1.4821 Tuesday from $1.4910, while the dollar bought 92.92 Japanese yen, down from the 93.40 yen it ...

Currency-Trading - Google News

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