The foreign exchange market, also known as Forex, is an over-the-Counter market for the trading of various currencies. This market effectively determines international currency exchange rates for each country. It includes all components of trading, purchasing and selling currencies in current or predicted values. These include changes in the value of foreign currencies as reflected by market rates in major markets like London, Tokyo, New York, Geneva, and others. These changes are made on a daily basis. Consequently, Forex has a considerable influence on the value of currencies of countries and thus acts as a major player in international trade.
One of the most important concepts of forex trading is leveraging. This means that the trader funds one position that can be leveraged in relation with another position. This leverage may be in the form of a direct trade or in the form of a number of trades conducted simultaneously. Leverage gives extra income to the investor and may lead to a sharp increase in the exchange rate of one currency against another.
Forex markets are characterized by three types of markets: Spot, Day and Forex Interbank Market. Forex Spot Markets is the same as the traditional Forex markets except here, the trades are done directly between two banks using automated software. The aim of the Forex spot market is to facilitate inter-bank trading by matching buyer and seller prices. Day traders are those who buy currencies on the early morning and sell them by evening in the same Forex market. Forex day trading deals with trading the same currencies on the same day throughout the day, however, it is done on the Forex markets during the trading day.
Forex is basically traded in pairs. Two or more such pairs are traded together; usually the most common pair is the US Dollar and the Euro or the English Pound and the Japanese Yen. There are different strategies used to deal with the Forex pairs. Traders will try and profit from short-term fluctuations in price levels between major currencies by trading in these pairs. Longer time frames, where there are fluctuations of the average daily trade, will also see traders making profits.
Another form of trading in the Forex market is through futures contracts. Futures contracts will result in the transfer of a fixed quantity of one commodity to another at a fixed price at any future date. If the supply is less than the demand, the trader will have to sell the commodity and buy another at a higher price. Futures contracts are traded within seconds; hence a trader cannot afford to hold the commodity for too long. A trader who buys a futures contract will be required to pay the difference in the cashier’s check and the delivery charges by delivery date.
Forex is an international market. It involves trading in currencies from all over the world. Currencies can vary considerably in relation to each other depending on political and economic developments. The most commonly traded currencies in the Forex market include US dollars, Canadian dollars, British pounds, European Euros, Japanese Yen, Swiss francs and Australian dollars. The most important factor influencing the exchange rates in Forex is the exchange rate of one currency against another.
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