Skip to main content

The Very Basics Of The Forex Market

The forex, or foreign exchange, market is a specialized type of market in which types of currency are exchanged for other types of currency. On average, the daily trade within the forex market is more than $1.9 trillion. As the world’s largest financial market, forex involves trading among central banks, large banks, governments, multinational corporations, large banks, and other institutions and markets of a financial nature. Individuals may also participate in the forex market through banks or brokers, though individuals represent only a small fraction of those trading within the market.


The Levels of Forex


Forex is different from the stock market, which provides the same prices to all participants. With forex, the market is actually divided into various levels. The top level is the inter-bank market that consists of the largest banking firms. The spreads of the inter-market usually are not shared with those outside of this exclusive circle. As the spreads work their way down through the levels, the difference between the ask price and the bid actually widens. This is primarily because those within the inter-bank level are capable of guaranteeing larger numbers of transactions and, as such, can demand a better spread.


The level below the inter-bank market is comprised of the smaller investment banks. The next level is made up by multi-national companies that pay employees in various companies as well as some retail forex market makers and large hedge funds.


Forex Trading Characteristics


Within the forex market, there are a number of different rates, or prices, which depend on what is being traded by the market or bank. In addition, there are a number of recognized trading centers within the forex market, with the main centers being in New York, London, Singapore, and Tokyo. In addition, a number of banks throughout the world participate in forex training. With so many markets located throughout the world, the market is literally open 24 hours per day. As such, traders can make trades immediately when events occur that can impact the market.

Popular posts from this blog

How To Start Trading The Forex Market Part 4

How Currencies are quoted and what moves individual currencies? ONE of the best advantages in FOREX Trading is The amount of money you need to place a trade (known as "margin") is all that can be lost ! You have to know, that despite the super-high leverage offered by some Forex brokers up to (400:1); meaning if you put up $ 1000 the broker will allow you to trade like you really have $400.000). Forex trading is still less riskier than Stock or Futures Trading, where you can loose more than you have deposited in your account. This type of LEVERAGE does NOT EXIST in the equities or futures market In the Equities or Futures markets, very often, sudden and dramatic moves occur, against which you can’t protect yourself, even by having placed your protective stops. Your position may be liquidated at a loss, and you’ll be liable for any resulting deficit in the account. But because of the FX market’s deep liquidity and 24-hour, continuous trading, dangerous trading gaps and limit m...
Read More »

Is It Safe To Invest In Shares Or The Forex

You feel yourself financially able and personally qualified to invest. You can meet the conditions of reasonable stability, reasonable flexibility, and reasonable caution. But nagging doubt remains. Wouldn't you really be better off with your extra cash in a savings account? Or a piece of real estate? In short, is it really safe to invest? Well, how much safety do you require? Since there are no absolutely sure things anywhere, safety must be looked at as a matter of degree. There are no guarantees of success in stock ownership, no guarantees against loss. Even the thoughtful, conscientious investor can be taken to the cleaners. It should be remembered, however, that investment in stocks is a way of sharing in the profit potential of American industry. Is the American economy safe? It seems to be. Since 1900 it has been rising in productivity at an average rate of 4 per cent per year. Our Gross National Product is now nearly $480 billion. By 1965, according to quite conservative es...
Read More »

Forex Exiting Positions At A Right Time

The presented article covers one of the most important (in author’s opinion) aspects of trading in general and FOREX trading in particular – managing of orders and positions. This includes choosing entry points, making decisions about exit points, stop-loss and take-profit of the trader. I hope this article will help new traders, who just began to work with FOREX, and also to experienced traders who trade regularly and regularly make or loose their money to the market. When I started to trade FOREX and made my first big losses and profits I began to notice when very important thing about the whole trading process. While the right time to enter a position was rarely a problem for myself (nearly 80% of all my open positions had gone into the “green” profit zone), the problem was hidden in the determining the right exit point for that position. Not only was it important to cut my risk on the potential losses with stop-loss orders, but to limit my greediness and take profit when I can take...
Read More »