FOREX Trading :: Overview

FOREX Trading :: Overview Foreign exchange, forex or just FX are all terms used to describe the trading of the world's many currencies. The forex market is the largest market in the world, with trades amounting to more than USD 1.5 trillion every day. This is more than one hundred times the daily trading on the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange). Most forex trading is speculative, with only a few percent of market activity representing governments' and companies' fundamental currency conversion needs. Unlike trading on the stock market, the forex market is not conducted by a central exchange, but on the “interbank” market, which is thought of as an OTC (over the counter) market. Trading takes place directly between the two counterparts necessary to make a trade, whether over the telephone or on electronic networks all over the world. The main centres for trading are Sydney, Tokyo, London, Frankfurt and New York. This worldwide distribution of trading centres means that the forex market is a 24-hour market.FOREX trading is a very specialized form of day trading. (Day traders invest by buying and selling securities, or opening and closing their market positions, on the same day.) Because of the high margins available in FOREX, investors can control large amounts of currency with relatively small outlays of actual cash. This leverage creates the potential for huge profits as well as huge losses. The would-be FOREX trader must remain aware that, just as with any other investment vehicle, financial loss is always a possibility. The FOREX market provides a variety of unique and attractive investing opportunities. Study the articles of this section carefully, as well as other information and tools for the FOREX market. Safeguard yourself by becoming familiar with various risk management concepts. You'll need an account and trading platform with a reputable broker in order to begin trading. One such firm, known as Easy-Forex, offers full-service-, customizable-, and commission-free trading and support based on your experience and desired activity level. They give you full control over your account, even leverage and spread amounts.A currency trade is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another one. The currency combination used in the trade is called a cross (for example, the Euro/US Dollar, or the GB Pound/Japanese Yen.). The most commonly traded currencies are the so-called “majors” – EURUSD , USDJPY , USDCHF and GBPUSD . The most important forex market is the spot market as it has the largest volume. The market is called the spot market because trades are settled immediately, or “on the spot”. In practice this means two banking days.

Forex Strategy: Trading with Stochastics

Forex Strategy: Trading with Stochastics Stochastics are amongst the most popular technical indicators when it comes to Forex Trading. Unfortunately most traders use them incorrectly. In this article we will review the correct way to use this popular technical indicator.George Lane developed this indicator in the late 1950s. Stochastics measure the current close relative to the range (high/low) over a set of periods.Stochastics consist of two lines:%K – Is the main line and is usually displayed as a solid line%D – Is simply a moving average of the %K and is usually displayed as a dotted lineThere are three types of Stochastics: Full, fast and slow stochastics. Slow stochastics are simply a smother version of the fast stochastics, and full stochastics are even a smother version of the slow stochastics.Interpretation:Buy when %K falls below the oversold level (below 20) and rises back above the same level.Sell when %K rises above de overbought level (above 80) and falls back below the same level.The interpretation above is how most traders and investors use them; however, it only works when the market is trendless or ranging. When the market is trending, a reading above the overbought territory isn't necessary a bearish signal, while a reading below de oversold territory isn't necessary bullish signal.Trending marketWhen the market is trending is necessary to adapt the oscillator to the same conditions: When the market is trending up, then the signals with the higher probability of success are those in direction of the trend “Buy signals”, on the other hand when the market is trending down, selling signals offer the lowest risk opportunities.Thus when the market is trending up, we will only look for oversold conditions (when the stochastics fall below the oversold level [below 20] and rises back above the same level) to get ready to trade, and in the same way, when the market is trending down we will only look for overbought conditions (when the stochastics rise above de overbought level [above 80] and falls back below the same level.Taking all overbought/oversold signals during a trending market will lead us to many whipsaws. If you are not comfortable with the number of signals given, try expanding your trading to other currency pairs.Trend-less marketDuring a ranging market we could use the interpretation explained above to trade off stochastics.DivergenceDivergence trades are amongst the most reliable trading signals in the Forex market. A divergence occurs either when the indicator reaches new highs/lows and the market fails to do it or the market reaches new highs/lows and the indicator fails to do it. Both conditions mean that the market isn't as strong as it used to be giving us opportunities to profit from the market.Stochastics can also be used to trade off divergences.Price behaviorA price behavior can be incorporated into any kind of system or Forex strategy. When using divergences or overbought/oversold condition with a price behavior approach, the probability of success of our signals increases enormously. Why? Because price dictates at the end, how all indicators will behave, it also gives us a lot of information about the probable direction it will take in the future.I hope this article helps you become a better trader.Don't forget to read our risk disclaimer.