( Article ) Is Gold a Hedge Against Inflation and Currency Weakness?

Until the Fed announced an expansion of its quantitative easing program two weeks ago, gold had begun to fade into relative obscurity. Sure, gold had risen in value from a low of $710/ounce back up to $900/ounce, but prices were still off 10% from the highs reached in 2008. Meanwhile, risk aversion had begun to decline and the stock market had begun to rise, such that pundits were talking more about stocks and less about gold.

Since the Fed’s announcement, however, gold has been thrust back into the spotlight. The same trading session that saw a record fall in the Dollar and a record rise in Treasury prices, also witnessed a 7% spike in gold futures prices. ” ‘Money is being pushed into the system and that’s creating the inflationary threats that the markets are contemplating…Commodities are a decent way to hedge against that potential threat,’ ” observed one trader.

Other analysts, however, caution that rising gold prices are a sign of the fear/crisis mentality, not inflation. “There are just not a lot of alternatives for global investors. You will see more and more investors moving into gold as a safe haven, and you will see more institutions putting money into commodities indexes.” In other words, gold is being driven by the safe-haven trade, which is evidenced by an increasing correlation with Treasury bonds. One commentator calls it a hedge against uncertainty: “The demand for gold is for gold coins, a massive flurry of bullion buying by ETF’s (and investors), and the institutions and traders buying the hell out of it. The reason is simple… pure fear.”

With the exception of the perennial gold bulls and conspiracy theorists, the short-term consensus is that due to “massive spare capacity now opening up in the global economy, soaring unemployment and a dysfunctional banking system – it would be very hard for central banks to generate a surge in inflation even if they wanted to.” This analyst further argues that the Fed is undertaking the expansionary program under the implicit assumption that it will have to siphon this money out of the financial system, if and when the economy recovers.

Of course, there is not even a consensus that gold is a good hedge against inflation. Mike Mish points out that the correlation between the US money supply and the price of gold is not very robust. When examined relative to a basket of currencies (rather than the Dollar), however, the relationship suddenly becomes much stronger. Especially when you filter out fluctuations in the value of the Dollar (which is affected by many factors unrelated to inflation), “gold is doing a reasonably good job of maintaining purchasing power parity on a worldwide basis.” This can be seen in the above chart:

Ascertaining a relationship ultimately depends on the time period of analysis, and the currency(s) in which prices are being tracked. Given also gold’s notorious volatility, it probably makes sense to use special inflation protected securities, rather than gold, as an inflation hedge.

(Latest News ) US Dollar Forecast Turns Bullish Despite S&P 500 Winning Streak

The US Dollar gained despite the sixth-consecutive week of S&P 500 rallies, breaking its correlation to safe-haven flows and confounding forex trading markets. Fairly steady improvement in global financial market conditions has arguably decreased the US Dollar’s sensitivity to major risk barometers. Yet a single week’s results hardly signals that risk tides have truly turned, and there is little reason to believe that recent developments reflect a permanent shift in the US Dollar’s trading dynamics.

Fundamental Outlook for US Dollar: Bullish
- US Dollar gains traction as carry trade takes a hit- Consumer Price Index Falls for First time since 1955, US in Deflation?- S&P 500 rallies hurt US Dollar, but outlook depends on future risk trends
The US Dollar gained despite the sixth-consecutive week of S&P 500 rallies, breaking its correlation to safe-haven flows and confounding forex trading markets. Fairly steady improvement in global financial market conditions has arguably decreased the US Dollar’s sensitivity to major risk barometers. Yet a single week’s results hardly signals that risk tides have truly turned, and there is little reason to believe that recent developments reflect a permanent shift in the US Dollar’s trading dynamics. The 20-day correlation between the Euro/US Dollar and the S&P 500 now stands at its lowest levels since January—at which point market sentiment took a sharp turn for the worse and the US Dollar rallied sharply. The two situations are far from identical, but overall economic headwinds would suggest that global financial crises are far from over. A turnaround in the S&P 500 and other key risk barometers would likely force US Dollar appreciation against the Euro and other major counterparts.
The Euro/US Dollar’s recent break to the downside certainly improves US Dollar outlook, and a relatively empty week of economic event risk suggests that currencies will largely trade off of technicals and risk-related flows. Economic calendars are sparsely populated with largely second-tier data releases. Possible exceptions include US Existing and New Home Sales reports and subsequent Durable Goods Orders data. Overall trends clearly show that the domestic economy remains in recession, but traders remain on the lookout for so-called “second derivative” improvements. In mathematics the “second derivative” is the rate of change in change. In this case, overall growth levels are clearly negative. A second derivative improvement would imply that the rate of contraction slows—thereby making way for a reversal in negative growth rates. Economic bulls cite the recent pickup in US Home Sales as early signs of “second derivative” changes, but it is far from clear that early signs of recovery will be sustained.
We will pay close attention to US Home Sales results, but we maintain that currencies are more likely to move off of broader financial market developments. If the US Dollar regains its tight correlation to risky assets, it will be most important to watch movements in the S&P 500 and other key risk measures. Given six consecutive weeks of advances, we believe it is only a matter of time before we see a sharp correction in domestic equity markets.

( Article ) World Share Market

World Share Market

Stock market means a market where the trading of company shares, stocks, and bonds take place on a large scale along with issuing and redemption of the securities and other financial instruments. Shares offered by companies,pooled investment products like unit trusts and bonds are the securities that are generally traded in share markets. In order to trade certain security in the market, the security has to be listed in it.

Global share market participants range from small individual stock investors to large-scale hedge fund investors.

Another type of stock market may include traders going for verbal bids, while the other may be virtual, where a network of computers trade via electronic servers. Over the last couple of years, following an immense growth on electronic communication, the virtual share market is now growing phenomenally; the advantage being the cost-effectiveness and speed of transactions.

Some major roles of world share markets are:

Raising capital for companies
Facilitating company growth
Mobilizing Savings for Investment
Redistribution of wealth
Acting as a barometer of the economy
Government capital-raising for development projects
Creating investment opportunities for small investors

( Article ) The Psychological Factors of the Forex Market

There are so many factors that influence a currency's worth from the economic, political, and even social status of the country at hand. As opposed to other global markets, the Forex market is so big, no one person can have any serious affect on the rise or decline of any currency.

However, the opposite is not true. Many different aspects of the Forex market can influence Forex traders and how and what they decide to trade. Before we get into the psychological factors that influence Forex traders, we should talk a little bit about the primary means by which traders decide what to trade.

Forex analysis is of utmost importance when deciding what position to open or close. Analysis is of course categorized into two types: Technical and Fundamental. Most Forex traders use technical analysis and view the same charts, which leads to many traders around the globe trading in the same way and thereby causing a trend.

Fundamental analysis, however, should not by any means be ignored. Current events such as terrorist acts, war, big political or financial announcements can also take a big toll on the direction in which the market moves.

Rumors vs. Real Developments
As we said, the world's current events must not be ignored when trading Forex, as it can affect the market as much as anything else. Many traders have a news website open aside their trading platform, so they stay on top of world events. However, when paying attention to world events, it is very important to differentiate between real accurate news and fabricated rumors reported on the various media channels.

Many financial institutions will deliberately release a news report about a financial development, with the intention of making the market move up or down, depending on a current position. Before acting on a piece of news, verify that it is in fact real, then after you established that it is, check again!

Intervention and the Resulting Fear
As we have said, since the Forex market is so big, no one person or institution can have a real impact on the price of currencies. However, temporary fluctuations have been known to occur as a result of intervention by one institution or another.

Just to site an example, In 2002 the Bank of Japan watched the USD depreciate at a rate they believed was too rapid. They worried about the effect this would have on the competitiveness of Japanese exports to the US. The Japanese government decided to get involved and buy large sums of USDs, sometimes reaching numbers as high as 10 billion at a time. The market did not sit by quietly when one of these orders were placed. The USD would jump up to 150 pips within a few minutes. The Japanese government employed this tactic more than once and at different prices every time.

Now here is where it gets interesting. It was not the 10 billion USDs that made the market jump, what is 10 billion in a market of 4 trillion? What caused this fluctuation was the fear or emotional reaction that traders had to any talk of intervention on the part of the Japanese government.

The first piece of advice any Forex expert will tell you is, when trading Forex, leave all emotion out of the equation.

Follow the Leader Mentality
Many traders make the error of following a lead and assuming that if so many people are doing it, it must be the right move. What they do not realize is that those “so many people” had the same thought just moments before. Now this can work to your advantage if you get in in the beginning of such a trend, but if you join late, it might work against you. So if you see such a trend, check the news and the technicals to see what might have caused such a thing and decide whether you want in.

To summarize, there is really no room for emotion or personal feelings when it comes to trading Forex. Make sure that as a trader, you stay completely objective and scientific or else you might see some very heavy losses. Now, the big question is how to control your personal emotions and keep them out of the trading “room”? The answer is a trading technique. Make one for yourself and stick to it, no matter what.

Observe the movements of the market both from a fundamental and technical standpoint and if something does not seem right to you, don't trade, it's as simple as that. The market is not going anywhere any time soon, come back in an hour and decide on a trade then. When trading, never trade against the trend, always remember “the trend is your friend”. If you experience a loss, do not try to overcompensate in your next trade, stick to the plan. It is all about control when trading Forex.

Take control of yourself, your emotions, and your Forex positions.

( Article ) The Potential for Gain and Loss in Forex Leverage

The tremendous success and proliferation of the Forex market, and specifically the retail Forex market can be attributed to many factors. However, there is really one major advantage that the Forex market offers individual traders over other markets; leverage.

The leverage in the Forex market is the highest in the world. Traders can hypothetically trade with a 400:1 leverage, enabling them to trade $200,000 with a minimal capital of $500. This is of course a very attractive characteristic of the Forex market.

However, before one begins trading Forex with a high leverage, it is crucial to understand that as great as the potential is to gain by using leverage, the danger of loss is equally large. It is important to fully understand this point, so let's see an example to illustrate it.

If trader A has $100,000 capital and trader B has $1,000 capital, and they both open positions of $100,000, the result of a %1 drop in the currency is significantly different for the two traders. It is true that they are both out $1,000 but those $1,000 signify all of trader B's account and only 1% of trader A's account.

Trader A can continue to trade with the other $99,000 of capital, while trader B is out of capital and his account is closed. So, it is true that one can make an instant fortune by taking advantage of the high leverage the Forex market has to offer, but choose your leverage with great caution as it can easily become the downfall and end of your Forex trading if you do not trade wisely.

( Latest News ) U.S. dollar, yen fall as risk sentiment improves

NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar and yen fell on Friday as improving risk appetite sparked by better-than-expected U.S. economic data pared demand for both currencies as a refuge against a global slowdown.

The dollar fell for a fourth straight session versus the euro, while the yen dropped to a two-week low against both the euro and dollar, with volumes thin given the May Day holiday in Europe. Higher-yielding currencies such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars were also some of the biggest movers on the day, moving in tandem with higher U.S. stocks.

Reports on Friday reinforced the view that the worst of the recession may have passed, making investors more comfortable with risk-taking. Data showed U.S. consumers felt more upbeat about the economy in April, while a closely watched gauge of manufacturing suggested the sector was gradually emerging out recession. For story see [ID:nN01402214].

The numbers were consistent with the Federal Reserve's less bleak outlook on the U.S. economy on Wednesday.

"Risk appetite is definitely coming back and the data this morning was phenomenal," said Melvin Harris, a market analyst at Advanced Currency Markets in New York.

"The reports are supportive factors to truly build the case that while things are not completely better yet, we are moving in a positive direction. Economic fundamentals will become more important in the next couple of months."

In early afternoon trading, the euro rose 0.3 percent against the dollar to $1.3258 and touched a two-week high against the yen at 132.33 yen . The euro last traded at 131.90, up 1.2 percent from late on Thursday.

The ICE Futures' dollar index, a measure of the greenback's value versus six major currencies, fell 0.3 percent to 84.591 .DXY.

The dollar, however, gained 0.9 percent against the yen to 99.46 , having hit a two-week high around 99.58 yen, according to Reuters data.

The Australian dollar rose 0.7 percent against the U.S. dollar to US$0.7304 . The New Zealand dollar also climbed 0.8 percent against the greenback to US$0.5693 , while the Canadian dollar was also firmer, with the U.S. dollar down 0.7 percent at C$1.1850 .

Investors were also encouraged by data overnight showing Chinese manufacturing gained further momentum in April, as well as by Friday's better-than-expected UK manufacturing survey.

"The antipodean currencies are amongst the top performers bolstered in part by encouraging PMI data out of China and in part by relatively high yields as market participants place money in (those) currencies over the holiday period," said Brown Brothers Harriman in a note to clients.

Optimism was further stoked in the United States after St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on Friday unemployment rates in the United States will likely crest above 9 percent, but not reach levels set in the early 1980s.

( Latest News ) USD Mixed

The greenback was in the Thursday session, higher against the yen while slumping against the Australian dollar. Yesterday’s FOMC policy statement propped up the dollar on improved sentiment over the economic outlook. The Fed expressed optimism that the US economic recession may be moderating. The calendar today saw better than expected US reports, with weekly jobless claims declining to 631k versus an upwardly revised 645k a month earlier and Chicago PMI jumping to 40.1 in April, up from 31.4 in March.

US data slated for release on Friday consists of April University of Michigan consumer confidence, March factory orders and April ISM manufacturing. The final reading for the University of Michigan consumer sentiment in April is estimated to stand pat at 61.9. Factory orders are expected to post a 0.6% decline versus a 1.8% increase a month earlier. Lastly, the April manufacturing ISM is seen improving to 38.4 from 36.3 in March while the prices paid component is expected to edge up to 34.0 from 31.0.

( Latest News ) USD Drifts Lower Ahead of FOMC

The dollar gave back some of its recent gains against the euro, falling to 1.3166 while dropping to 95.61 versus the yen. The FOMC kicked off its two-day monetary policy meeting earlier and will be announcing the results Wednesday afternoon. With the Fed’s benchmark lending rate already at zero, there is likely to be no change in interest rates. The key focus will be whether the FOMC will continue to ease policy through alternative measures. The policy statement will also be closely scrutinized.

US equities clawed back into positive territory following a surprise reading in the Conference Board’s survey of consumer confidence, which sharply beat expectations in April at 39.2 from a revised reading of 26.9 a month earlier. The bounce in consumer confidence marked its strongest reading since November 2008. The February Case-Shiller home price index declined by 2.2% on a monthly basis versus a 2.8% drop in the previous month, while declining by 18.63% compared with a revised 19% drop a year earlier. Also released was the April Richmond Fed manufacturing index posted a -9.0 reading compared with -20 in the previous month.

The economic calendar for Wednesday will see Q1 GDP and PCE. On an annualized basis, the economy is estimated to contract by 5.0%, versus 6.3% previously. The personal consumption index is estimated to increase by 0.9% in the first quarter compared with a 4.3% decline, while the core PCE is estimated to increase by 1.5%versus 0.9%.

( Article ) Some Helpful Tips for Forex Trading

For someone who wants to get into the world of trade, forex trading is quite possibly the greatest way to approach a career in the field. Forex has shown that it is one of the biggest markets for trade around the globe with an average of 2 trillion dollars being moved on a daily basis. Someone with a desire for trading can really hit the numbers with forex trading. However, the forex game is not just about jumping in and hoping for fat pockets. There are many aspects that determine your prosperity in forex trading. Forex training will help you be prepared to play the currency market and avoid the common mistakes that many people make.

In terms of forex training, there are many mentors available for you. However, not many of them are in accordance with the context. If you are new to the forex trading game as well as the Internet itself, then it might be difficult for you to find the right forex training program. If you fit this category, then consider your options:

Choose a forex training program that attacks the forex trading fundamentals from the ground up. Fundamentals are useful for one to maintain a strong position in the market. Certain fundamental concepts should be kept in mind such as rollover, margin, bidding, order types, etc. Maintaining a solid comprehension about the basics of forex can assist you in managing all of your deeds without worry.

Besides fundamentals, one should also know about the mistakes that can easily be made by forex traders who are jumping into the market. A solid forex training program will be able to inform students of all the possible mistakes that can be made when trading in forex market. As soon as you know how to avoid these certain mistakes, you will have more confidence with your approach to forex trading.

When you do decide to check out a training course, make sure that you find one that is organized by a credible authority so that you can be certain that you will be able to avoid the common mistakes that many traders make.

( Article ) The Tail of the Economic Crisis is Still Hurting the U.S

The Federal Reserve is buying Treasury notes and other unconventional measures remain an option, if the economy will not respond appropriately to actual policy rates. The currency markets, in the mean time, are waiting for the ECB decision. The line of least resistance has yet to be found.

Banks are under scrutiny in the U.S.

The state of the U.S economy stays critical, but signs of bottoming are beginning to emerge here and there. Durable good new orders, as an example, fell less than expected in March by 0.8% (-1.4% expected) versus Februarys rise of 2.1%. Declines were broad based, autos and metals are in red, but non-defense capital good orders rose 1.5% on the top of February’s gain of 4.3%. Rumors that some U.S. banks are under tight scrutiny are remanding us that the tail of the financial crisis is still in motion. However, the difficulty for the U.S. dollar to break above key resistance levels might be the confirmation that markets are already anticipating a stabilization of the economic process. The real estate market could lead the economic rebound, but inventories should decline from current high levels before the market will considerably pick up from the bottom.

( Article ) ECB's Decision On Target

The Euro currency is again testing key support lines, as markets are waiting for the ECB's decision at the beginning of May. Another rate cut is possible, although not probable. Members are dissenting over the measures to adopt. As a result, unorthodox incentives are still an alternative, while the rate cycle is moving closer to an end.

Stabilization is possible for the U.S. economy

The state of the economy remains critical in the U.S., but there is increasingly evidence that the combination of lower rates/strong government interventions are starting to produce some tangible effects. As an example, after having picked up at 674,000 in February, jobless claims declined for the third consecutive week and fell by 8.0% to 610,000 (650,000 expected) from 663,000 the previous week. In effect, last week's Beige Book release underlined a more positive outlook, albeit it also indicated that consumer activity remains weak. Retail spending fell 1.1% (+0.3% expected) in March after having increased 0.3% in February. However, the moderation of the economic slowdown was confirmed by various Fed members, including Mr. Bernanke, although the economic process could remain weak for the first part of 2009. A worsening of the conditions in mining and manufacturing pushed the industrial production down 1.5% month on month in March, while the capacity utilization fell to 69.3%, which corresponds to a new all time low.

( Latest News ) USD, JPY Rally on Swine Flu Fears

The foreign exchange market reacted to the swine flu pandemic at the start of the week with traders bidding higher the safe-haven currencies. The dollar and yen advanced across the board amid declining global equities, pushing the euro lower to 1.3001 and 125.68, respectively.

The US economic calendar for the coming week will see a barrage of reports including the Case-Shiller home price survey, Richmond Fed survey, Conference Board’s consumer confidence survey, Q1 GDP, personal income, consumption, PCE, Chicago PMI, University of Michigan consumer sentiment, durable goods orders, and ISM manufacturing. Consensus estimates call for Q1 GDP to post a decline of 5.0% versus the previous decline of 6.3%. Meanwhile, consumer confidence is estimated to improve in April to 29.5, versus 26.0 a month earlier.

( Latest News ) USD Dragged Lower

The dollar extended losses against the majors, declining just shy of the 1.33-level against the euro and a 3 ½ week low versus the yen at 96.66. The economic reports released from the US this morning were mixed, consisting of March durable goods, factory orders and new home sales. Durable goods orders for March were better than expected, improving to -0.8% and beating calls for deterioration to -1.4% from 3.5% a month earlier. Meanwhile, March new home sales posted a 0.6% decline from the previous month at 356k units compared with an upwardly revised 358k units from February. US equities were trading higher by mid-day Friday trading, with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 both up by over 1.5% and the Nasdaq rallying by over 2%. Corporate earnings this week from technology firms such as Apple and Amazon have beat out consensus estimates, extending the Nasdaq’s rally from early March – which has seen advanced by almost 34% from its March 9th trough. Traders are looking ahead to the release of the government’s bank stress tests, due out at 2pm. A combination of Friday profit taking and dour sentiment over financials could drag stocks lower near the close.

( Article ) The Best Forex Market Hours

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( Latest News ) South African Rand Strengthens After Elections

The South African currency climbed this week against the dollar, after the African National Congress, the winning party, is expected to maintain the current economic policies in the country.
In South Africa, for a party to have the right to change the constitution unilaterally, it must reach two-thirds of the votes, and even if the new president Jacob Zuma party did not have it, the ANC still claims that it will not surrender to the opposition parties’ pressure to spend more on welfare and change policies. The party has been governing South Africa since 1994, and significant changes on the country’s budget spending aren’t expected.
The rand is being favored by a combination of domestic and international factors, according to analysts’ statements. Within the country’s borders, the fact that the election occurred calmly in a democratically transparent way, helped an image of stability to be created around South African politics, while, in the international scenario, the situation remains very uncertain, making traders to be constantly searching for assets that are less affected by the global slump consequences.
The USD/ZAR fell from 8.902 to 8.7101 in the intraday comparison, following a two-week trend favoring the South African currency.
If you want to comment on the South African rand’s recent action or have any questions regarding this currency, please, feel free to reply below.

( Article ) How to Trade the Forex Market to Make Cash

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STOCK EXCHANGES IN REGION

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on July 9, 2007. US stocks have risen on growing optimism about second-quarter earnings and plans by Johnson & Johnson and ConocoPhillips to buy back their own shares.

The Forex Trading Bid & Ask Prices and Spread

This page covers everything you need to know about the bid and ask prices in the online Forex trading market, From the definition of Forex bid & ask prices, to the use of the bid & ask spread.
A Forex Trading Bid price is the price at which the market is prepared to buy a specific currency pair in the Forex trading market. This is the price that the trader of Forex buys his base currency in. In the quote, the Forex bid price appears to the left of the currency quote. For example, If the EUR/USD pair is 1.2342/47, then the bid price is 1.2342. Meaning you can sell the EUR for 1.2342 USD.
A Forex asking price is the price at which the market is ready to sell a certain Forex Trading currency pair in the online Forex market. This is the price that the trader buys in. It appears to the right of the Forex quote. For example, in the same EUR/USD pair of 1.2342/47, the ask price us 1.2347. This means you can buy one EUR for 1.2347 USD.

Stop orders

A stop order is placed to accumulate profits or to prevent losses. To place a stop order, simply specify the price where you'd like to place the stop on. Stop orders are sometimes names stop loss orders, and can occur for both bid and ask transactions.
A stop loss order is a type of Forex Trading limit order that serves as a protection against a large drop in currency price. If the currency price falls beneath the price you set, it is automatically sold, thus ensuring you do not lose too much money.

Limit orders

Forex Trading Limit entry orders are executed only if the currency price touches but not breaks the price you set. Limit orders are done when traders want to set the limit price. These orders are executed only if the currency reaches the limit price you set. Limit orders are used when you want to buy and sell a currency only if it reaches a certain price or better. Let's say the currency pair EUR/USD is worth 1.245, and you buy a limit order of 1.249. This means that the transaction will be executed only if the currency price rises to 1.249.

"If Done" Orders

This Forex trading order is executed only when the previous order is also executed. This way you can work on other currency orders and not have to worry about executing of a specific order. An "if done" order can be illustrated with the following example. Let's say you want to buy a certain currency, but also want to place a stop to make sure you do not lose much money on the trade. You then place two Forex trading orders- one for the first buying of the currency, and the other for the stop. The second order for the stop will be placed as an "if done" order, in order to make sure that the stop will be placed only when the first order is filled.

Market Orders

Market orders are the most basic Forex trading orders that are bought and sold for the current market price. With market orders, the transaction is done regardless of the price. The Forex trading software gives you real time prices, so you can decide exactly when to execute a market order with ease. Market orders are perfect for situations where you follow a certain currency up close. The minute you want to enter a position you can buy and sell the currency at a click of a button using Forex trading market order.
The main thing to remember about market orders is that they are executed for the current market price, and that this is beneficial if you want to instantly enter a position.
The process of placing Forex trading orders is like so:
1. First you specify the currency pair and the size of the deal. Let's say the EUR/USD pair quoted 1.2603/06, for 2 lots of $100 each.
2. Next you choose to either sell each EUR for 1.2603 USD (bid price), or choose to buy each EUR for 1.2607 USD (ask price).
3. Finally, the transaction is confirmed by your dealer. This only takes a few seconds for Forex trading orders.

How to Place Different Types of Forex Trading Orders

In this page we explain about the different forex order types available for online Forex trading. The most important things to remember about placing a Forex trading order is this: Always understand the orders you place. Never place an order which you are not entirely knowledgeable about. You'll be able to see the orders available for you after you open your trading account, so soon after check and learn about the different ones you can make.
There are various Forex trading order types to choose from, and each order has its advantages and disadvantages, which will described in later pages.

Forex account activation and confirmation

Because we are dealing with real money accounts, you are required to verify your details and your email, through various needed steps. Before you sign the terms and conditions of the Forex trading account, make sure you understand what the site is offering. You should make sure you understand about the various conditions that include:
- The Forex site's hours of operation and the availability of live support.
- The bid/ask spread that the site offers for major currencies, in relation to what other sites offer.
- Make sure that proper leverage is available through the margin per trade.
- Find out about The minimum account size and lot size.
- Check that there are no small print or hidden commissions that the site's operators prefer you don’t know about.
- If you can, try out the Forex trading platform, as well as the charting and technical analysis options beforehand.
- Check the general contract and make sure you save it along with the requoting policy on your computer.

Forex trading account registration

When you open a Forex trading account, you will be asked to give various personal details, including your credit card details, so you will be able to make real cash trades. Some sites offer Forex trading free training wherein you are not required to give out your credit details in order to open and use the demo account.
In most cases Forex trading registration is done online, even though sometimes you are required to register by fax. This is uncommon though and only occurs for the smaller Forex trading sites.
Forex

Selecting a Forex trading account type

Forex trading sites offer different account types. Make sure you find the right trading site, and then the job of selecting the account type will be easy.
One of the differences between Forex Trading account types is the size of the account. There are Forex trading accounts as well as mini accounts that vary in size, and can range between $25 to $10,000. The account size will determine which lot investments are available to you. Create the account according to the funds you want to invest with, and make sure you do not risk to much of them right from the start.
You should also make sure you choose a Forex trading spot account, rather that a futures account. This is the most popular account type, as most online traders want their trades to be done instantaneously.

How to Open a Forex Trading Account

After you learn about the advantages of the Forex market, you'll want to start trading right away. To understand the Forex trading platform you'll first need to learn how to open your online Forex trading account, wherein all of the currency transactions take place.
Opening an account consists of four basic steps:
- First, select your account type.
- Then, register and enter your deails on the website.
- Next, you have to activate and confirm your account.
- Finally, download the Forex trading platform and start trading with your account.

Steps for choosing forex Trade

Choose the right program for you - You first need to examine each of the websites, according to the services they offer. Some websites are more into online Forex trading advice, for example. If this is not something you are looking for, you need to find a different online Forex trading agent.
Check the commissions before choosing a Forex trading website - Some websites include a registration fee for making the Forex trade while others, including major Forex websites, are free. A website that has fees for Forex trading doesn't mean it is a more serious site.
Examine the Forex trading Website - When you enter a website for Forex trading, examine it and notice the quality of the website's layout. The main factor in online Forex trading websites is the process of entering an investment so pay attention especially for this aspect.

How to Choose a Forex Trading Website

So you've decided, rightfully so, that online Forex trading is a profit venue that you want to explore. This is a smart choice because of the earnings options and other advantages the Forex trading market offers.
If you are wondering how to get started in the online Forex business just follow the following page guidelines and you'll be on your way to become a better forex trader.Choosing the initial forex broker is important even before you try them out and trade. To select the right Forex trading broker for you, you need to examine the following factors and then decide which forex broker suits you best.

Forex Trading Moving Averages

Forex Trading Moving Averages is a technical analysis indicator that lets you see the average value of a currency over a period of time. In order to calculate moving averages for the past 20 days you add the last 20 currency prices and divide the addition by 20. Because days continue to advance, the sum you'll get through Forex trading will change on a daily basis, and this is why it is called moving averages.
The most commonly used Forex trading moving averages timeframes are 20, 30, 50, 100 and 200 days. Each timeframe can give you a different view and perspective on the future of the currency, and this is why all of these figures are used periodically. Using these different timeframes you can increase your profits and also protect you lots from unnecessary losses, so use it wisely, and frequently.
If the Forex trading timeframe is shorter, price changes will affect it more. If the timeframe is longer, the moving average will be smoother and less sporadic. Moving averages are used in order to recognize a certain trend the Forex trading currency is following, and also to view a clearer and straighter graph, without any added "noise".

Forex Trading Support and Resistance Levels

In this Forex trading guide we will try to describe in detail exactly what support and resistance means in the following Forex trading lesson. Support and resistance levels are important indicators that can be used to set stop loss and take profit orders using technical analysis.
Support levels are the places where the price of the currency is expected to rise. This happens when there is enough demand for the currency in order to stop the downtrend and therefore causes it to go up.
In order to recognize support levels in Forex trading, take a look at the Forex chart, and try to find a few lows that fluctuate in a horizontal line. This line will be set as the session's support level.

Forex Trading Sideway Trends

There isn't much to say about sideway trends, except that they are trend stages in between uptrends and downtrends. Sideway trends usually do not tell much about the currency situation, even though they can hint on a nearing reversal in the trend direction. These are Forex trading trends that are less frequent but still give important information for the online trader.
Now that you've learned all there is to know about Forex trading trends, go on and see how you can use it in the actual Forex trading market.

Forex Trading Uptrends

An uptrend is a Forex trading trend that occurs when the general direction of the Forex trading currency you are trading is upward.
Forex uptrends are used by traders to make profits while the trend lasts and until it reverses. The goal of most technical traders is to identify a strong uptrend and to profit from it until it reverses, and with this Forex trading trend strategy, you are able to cut down on unnecessary losses. The best way to use uptrends is to sell the currency once the new peak become lower than the previous peek.

Introduction to Technical Analysis

Any forex trader must apply a certain method in order to predict the future price of a certain currency, that's a given fact. The entire concept of speculative forex trading is based upon future fluctuations in currency prices. You make profit by buying a certain currency in one price and selling by another.
Therefore, the most important thing for any trader, novice or expert, is to have some sort of prediction to future price changes. Thus came to life several different methods of market analysis, each tries to incorporate different methods and data in order to give some sort of prediction to the future price of various currencies.

Consumer Credit Forex Indicator

The consumer credit index is published by the federal reserve every fifth business day of the month. This Forex trading measure is used to evaluate consumer spending. This measure is liable to make considerable changes and fluctuations in its value.
Consumer credit consists of three categories: auto, revolving and other. All in all this indicator is less important than the CPI, but it can also help you gain an understanding of the online Forex trading market

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

This Forex trading economic indicator is published by the Bureau of labor statistics in the U.S. Department of Labor, every 13th of a month. The economic index is relevant for the passing month, and measures the price of a fixed basket of goods and services that is bought by consumers. This is the most used measure of inflation, an important tool for the Forex trading market.
It is important to state that this Forex economic indicator does not measure technological commodities which change in price, and this is something the CPI has been criticized for.
When you use the CPI to measure Forex trading price changes, you should always remember to take into consideration the movements in the food and energy prices, because they can change and rise or drop regardless of the Forex currency or the inflation levels.

The Household Survey

The Unemployment Rate - This index is calculated through the division of the number of people unemployed by the number of people in the labor force.
There are other employment indicators in the employment report but these are the relevant ones for the

The Unemployment Rate - This index is calculated through the division of the number of people unemployed by the number of people in the labor force.

There are other employment indicators in the employment report but these are the relevant ones for the online Forex trading market.

The Establishment Survey

Non-farm Payrolls - This is a very important employment indicator for the establishment report, and has crucial importance for online Forex trading. it measures how many people are there on payrolls for non-agricultural businesses.
Average Workweek - This measures the average hours worked non-farm payroll employees, and is a fine judge of the overall strength of the employment report.
Aggregate Hours Worked - This index combines the two previous indexes together

The Employment Report

This report contains two employment reports inside: the household survey and the establishment survey.
The household survey is an employment indicator concerned with households, and is smaller, covering only 50,000 households.
the establishment is about businesses, is more comprehensive and thus it is preferred by analysts of the online Forex market. It covers 400,000 businesses with 47 million people.

The Employment Cost Index (ECI)

The ECI is an important Forex employment indicator, and is published in a quarterly report from the U.S. Department of Labor. It measures the growth of employees' compensation, and this includes the wages and benefits that employees get.
The information in the survey is based on a report that is held at the end of the month every quarter. The information that is tracked by the ECI is the wages movements, the fringe benefits and the bonuses that are given to employees at various levels of the organizations.

Economic Indicators that Influence Inflation Indicators

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – This measures the total market value of all goods and services that companies make within the country. This is an indicator of the growth pace of a country, and can tell the trader much about the prospect of inflation indicators.
Producer Price Index (PPI) - This measures price changes in manufacturing. It measures the changes in selling prices for the various manufacturers. The prices of manufacturing are at a close link with inflation indicators, and thus can help predict the online Forex trading direction.

Major Forex Economic Indicators

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - The sum of goods and services produced by domestic or foreign companies.
Industrial Production - A measure of the production change, industrial capacity and resources of a country's factories, mines and utilities.
Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) - A monthly index of a country's manufacturing conditions, including new orders, supplier delivery times, inventories, prices, employment, export orders, and import orders.

Starting to use Forex economic indicators

To get started, you should first keep a log of all the important Forex economic indicators' release dates. Keep a log or make a subscription to one of the economic journals, so you'll know the most important factors of that time. If you are trading in JPY, the Forex economic indicators need to be relevant to the currency type, of course.
Each economic indicator tells you about a different aspect of the economy, and this should be translated in turn into the predicted movement of the currency price. Make sure you understand which aspect the indicator is about. For example, know that the GDP measures the growth of the economy while the PPI measures inflation. Don't worry, with some experience this will come naturally.

Forex Economic Indicators

The execution of fundamental analysis in the Forex market is done through the use of economic indicators. These indicators point to the state of some economical factors in the country whose currency you wish to trade with.
Economic indicators are published by various sections of the government and private companies. These statistics are analyzed by market investors to predict the direction of the Forex trading market. Forex economic indicators are published at fixed time intervals, and are followed by any serious online Forex trader.
Since so many people are tuned to use them, Forex economic indicators have a large impact on prices of currencies of the Forex trading market. Most traders do not use fundamental analysis because economic indicators seem difficult. This however is wrong because following simple guides can help you stay updated with the important Forex economic indicators easily.

Fundamental Analysis Vs Technical Analysis in the Forex Trading Market

The main difference between fundamental vs technical analysis of the Forex trading market is that, while fundamental analysis uses economic, political, social and other factors that affect supply and demand of the trading Forex market to foresee price movements, technical analysis uses mathematical and graphical charts of previous market action, in order to analyze the Forex trading market.
The basic difference between Forex fundamental and technical analysis is therefore that:
- Forex Fundamental analysis uses various factors that influence supply and demand to predict the currency change.
- Technical analysis uses charts of previous currency change to predict the currency change.

Major Currencies and Major Participants of the Forex Trading Market

In the Forex trading market, you have several currencies to choose from. Most Forex trading deals are done using the major currencies. These are the seven most frequently traded currencies.
The major currencies include:
USD – United States Dollar
EUR – The European union Euro
JPY – The Japanese Yen
GBP – The UK Pound
CHF – The Swiss Franc
CAD – The Canadian Dollar
AUD – The Australian Dollar
All currencies other than the major currencies are called minors
Trading these major currencies are banks, companies, investment firms, hedge funds and Forex trading brokers.
Banks do a lot of the trading themselves. These include trades that are done for the bank's clients and ones that are done for the bank itself. Banks can trade huge amounts of major currencies, depending on the size and funding of the bank

Understanding and Trading Forex Currency Pairs

Any Forex trading transaction is made of the buying of one currency and the simultaneous selling of another currency. The two Forex trading currencies being traded are called the currency pair. A currency quote is made of these two pairs of Forex trading currencies, situated together and divided by a line (for example, EUR/USD).
There are various Forex currency pairs to choose from. These are divided into major and minor currencies. Major currencies are the seven most frequently traded currencies, which include the USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, CHF, CAD and AUD. All other currencies are called minor currencies, and include the NZD (the New Zealand dollar) and the ZAR (the South African rand).

Forex Vs Equities

Any novice Forex trader questions himself sooner or later – "Why did I choose the Forex market, is it definitely the best financial market for me?" Usually this question arises from curiosity and nothing else, but curiosity must be satisfied.
In the next two articles our team will point the evident advantages the Forex market has over other well-known financial markets, starting with the famous US equities market. Any person with a feel for economics and trading experiences some sensation to the sound of Wall Street, but does it truly measure up to the colossal forex market?
First, the key benefit the forex market offers is its 24-hour accessibility. When you are trading forex it doesn’t matter at all whether it is 5am or 5pm. Time differences and market dynamics make sure there will always be an eager trader somewhere around the globe looking for a deal. This feature gives you the privilege to respond to any financial developments, as soon as they transpire. Furthermore, the prices of forex can not be affected from after-hours trade.

Online Forex Trading Profits

Another example of an online Forex trade: If you buy EUR/USD, this means you are buying euros, and simultaneously are selling dollars. Your expectation therefore is that the euro will appreciate (go up) relative to the US dollar.
If you believe that the US economy will weaken and this will hurt the US dollar, you would execute a buy EUR/USD order. By doing so you will buy euros in the expectation that the currency will appreciate against the US dollar. If you believe that the US economy is strong and the euro will weaken against the US dollar you would execute a sell EUR/USD order. By doing so you have sold euros in the expectation that they will depreciate against the US dollar. More information concerning online Forex trading is available at Forex Floor

Foreign Currency exchange rate

Currency exchange rate is the ratio of one currency valued against another. For example, "EUR/USD exchange rate is 1.2505" means that one euro is traded for 1.2505 dollars. If you've already invested in other markets before, you'll find the Forex trading system quite similar, and the transaction to online Forex trading smooth. An example of a Forex trade: During October 2006 you buy 10,000 BRP when the BRP/USD rate was 0.56. A month later, the exchange rate grew to 0.58. This means a profit of $350 in less than a month time.