Forex

The foreign exchange (currency or forex or FX) market exists wherever one currency is traded for another. It is by far the largest financial market in the world, and includes trading between large banks, central banks, currency speculators, multinational corporations, governments, and other financial markets and institutions. The average daily trade in the global forex and related markets currently is over US$ 3 trillion.

FX, Forex or Foreign Exchange, is all about exchange of currencies from one hand to another at an ongoing price in the market. Forex is all about investing money in foreign currencies, just gain profit by selling at a higher price, the one you hold, just to buy another one at a lower price. Earlier, not many traders were clear about the Forex trading and that Forex is just short for "foreign exchange", as it did not get much publicity through media.

Foreign Exchange market is the biggest financial market in the world, with a potential of fast and great gains and a sizable number of investors. The advent of internet technology is what made Forex trading grow considerably popular as well as accessible with various types of investors.

About a decade ago, currency trading was only limited to large banks and financial firms because they were the only ones to have access to the tools and methods required to trade Forex market. However recently, due to up and coming efficient online platforms, technology has advanced to the point of being accessible to any and every individual trader who wishes to trade or invest in Forex. Marketforex.net being one of finest online trading platforms is easily accessible by all who are interested in investing in Forex.

Although trading in the Forex market is done for almost all the foreign currencies, there are still, some foreign currency pairs which are considered as “Major” currency pairs as compared to the others. This is because these currency pairs are some of the most traded and most in demand currencies in the Forex trading market. These pairs dominate the percentage of trades and are as follows:

Euro/ U.S. Dollar
US Dollar/ Japanese Yen
US Dollar/ Swiss Franc
US Dollar/ British Pound

The FOREX trading market offers its investors with exclusive and lucrative investing opportunities. Other factors like 24 hours open market, high leverage, commission-free trading and easy accessibility through various means of communications has helped Forex to become one of the most popularly invested financial markets.

With a daily volume of about $1.2 trillion money changing hands everyday, the magnitude of Forex market is definitely one of the highest as compared to the Equities and the Futures market. So, you should educate yourself comprehensively and take advantage of this giant investment vehicle.

In finance, a forex swap (or FX swap) is an over-the-counter short term interest rate derivative instrument. In emerging money markets, forex swaps are usually the first derivative instrument to be traded, ahead of forward rate agreements.

A forward contract is an agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset (which can be of any kind) at a pre-agreed future point in time. Therefore, the trade date and delivery date are separated. It is used to control and hedge risk, for example currency exposure risk (e.g., forward contracts on USD or EUR) or commodity prices (e.g., forward contracts on oil).

One party agrees (obligated) to sell, the other to buy, for a forward price agreed in advance. In a forward transaction, no actual cash changes hands. If the transaction is collateralized, exchange of margin will take place according to a pre-agreed rule or schedule. Otherwise no asset of any kind actually changes hands, until the maturity of the contract.

The forward price of such a contract is commonly contrasted with the spot price, which is the price at which the asset changes hands (on the spot date, usually two business days). The difference between the spot and the forward price is the forward premium or forward discount.

A standardized forward contract that is traded on an exchange is called a futures contract.

Foreign exchange spot trading is buying one currency with a different currency for immediate delivery, rather than for future delivery. The standard settlement timeframe for Foreign Exchange Spot trades is T+2 days, i.e., 2 days from the date of trade execution. A Notable exception is the USD/CAD currency pair which settles T+1.

The central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority, is the entity responsible for the monetary policy of a country or of a group of member states. Its primary responsibility is to maintain the stability of the national currency and money supply, but more active duties include controlling subsidized-loan interest rates, and acting as a "bailout" lender of last resort to the banking sector during times of financial crisis (private banks often being integral to the national financial system). It may also have supervisory powers, to ensure that banks and other financial institutions do not behave recklessly or fraudulently.

Most richer countries today have an "independent" central bank--- that is, one which operates under rules designed to prevent political interference. Examples include the European Central Bank, the Nederlandsche Bank, the Banco Central de Chile, the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Reserve Bank of India, the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, Sveriges Riksbank, the Banco de la República de Colombia, Norges Bank, State Bank of Pakistan, National Bank of Azerbaijan and the U.S. Federal Reserve. Some central banks are publicly-owned, and others are, in theory, privately-owned. In practice, there is little difference between public and private ownership, since in the latter case almost all profits of the bank are paid to the government either as a tax or a transfer to the government.

Market manipulation describes a deliberate attempt to interfere with the free and fair operation of the market and create artificial, false or misleading appearances with respect to the price of, or market for, a security, commodity or currency.Market manipulation is prohibited under Section 9(a)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and in Australia under Section s 1041A of the Corporations Act 2001. The Act defines market manipulation as transactions which create an artificial price or maintain an artificial price for a tradable security.

Markets manipulation can occur in multiple ways:

Pools

"Agreements, often written, among a group of traders to delegate authority to a single manager to trade in a specific stock for a specific period of time and then to share in the resulting profits or losses."

Churning

"When a trader places both buy and sell orders at about the same price. The increase in activity is intended to attract additional investors, and increase the price."

Runs

"When a group of traders create activity or rumors in order to drive the price of a security up."

Ramping (the market)

"Actions designed to artificially raise the market price of listed securities and to give the impression of voluminous trading, in order to make a quick profit."

Wash sale

"Selling and repurchasing the same or substantially the same security for the purpose of generating activity and increasing the price"

Bear raid

"Attempting to push the price of a stock down by heavy selling or short selling.

Perfect competition is an economic model that describes a hypothetical market form in which no producer or consumer has the market power to influence prices. According to the standard economical definition of efficiency (Pareto efficiency), perfect competition would lead to a completely efficient outcome. The analysis of perfectly competitive markets provides the foundation of the theory of supply and demand. Perfect competition is a market equilibrium in which all resources are allocated and used efficiently, and collective social welfare is maximized.