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Our FOREXTrader platforms combine ease of use, unprecedented flexibility and a full suite of professional charting and order management tools, all on a single screen. Best of all, you can use the same User ID and Password to switch between platforms at will, putting you in total control of your trading experience.

• View real-time prices in 37 currency pairs and spot gold
• Execute market orders with just one mouse click
• Track P&L and open positions in real time
• Perform technical analysis with our advanced charting tool
• Choose from 8 available order types
• Access a full suite of proprietary daily and weekly research reports
• View up to the minute news headlines and market commentary

Trade on spreads as low as 1-2 pips, commission-free

Trade currencies and spot gold at FOREX.com. Dealing spreads are as low as 1-2 pips on the most widely traded currency pairs. As always, you pay no commissions at FOREX.com, only the bid/offer spread. And with our fractional pips, you gain an extra digit of precision so that you can take advantage of smaller price movements. Plus, you can enter orders at any price - even inside the spread - and trade around news events, major economic announcements and other times of high market volatility.

LEARN TO TRADE FOREX

FOREX (the Foreign Exchange market) is an international market where participants speculate on the value of different currencies, buying and selling dollars, pounds, euros, and other currencies.
There are only a few major currencies to follow, compared to hundreds of stocks in the equities market. In order to get started understanding Forex, sign up for a free practice account today and learn as you trade!
Trading risk free with a practice account is the best way to get familiar with this ever-growing market. And once you are signed up, CMS Forex will provide you with thorough educational resources to guide you along the way.
So don't wait, take this opportunity to get started trading Forex!

What is Forex ?

The Foreign Exchange market, also referred to as the "Forex" or "FX" market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average turnover of well over US$1 trillion -- 30 times larger than the combined volume of all U.S. equity markets. Unlike other financial markets, the forex market has no physical location or central exchange. It is an over-the-counter market where buyers and sellers including banks, corporations, and private investors conduct business. A true 24-hour market, Forex trading begins each day in Sydney, and moves around the globe as the business day begins in each financial center, first to Tokyo, London, and New York.the unmatched liquidity and around-the-clock global activity make forex the ideal market for active traders.

Technical and Fundamental Analysis ?

There are two basic approaches to analyzing the currency market, fundamental analysis and technical analysis. The fundamental analyst concentrates on the underlying causes of price movements, while the technical analyst studies the price movements themselves. A Technical Analysis is what one uses to attempt to predict future price movements, based on past time framed analysis and the reading / understanding of graphics. The study of specific factors, such as wars, discoveries, and changes in Government policies, which influence supply and demand, and consequently prices in the market place.

Psychology of Trading ?

Fundamental and technical factors are undeniably essential in determining foreign exchange dynamics. There are, however, two additional factors that are paramount to understanding short-term movements in the market. These are expectations and sentiment. They may sound similar, but remain distinct.

Forex vs Equities and Futures ?

• Commission Free Trading
• 20 : 1 Leverage (or even greater)
• 24-Hour Market
• Ability to Profit in Up or Down Market
• Superior liquidity

The 8 most important trading recommendations ?

• The Trend is your friend.
• In up-trends, buy the dips; in downtrends, sell bounces.
• Let profits run, cut losses short. Always use protective stops to limit losses and move them only to reduce potential losses or protect newly achieved profits.

Why trade Forex with Realtime Forex SA ? ?

• Realtime, competitive prices
• Commission FREE
• Quick and efficient trading
• Secure transactions
• Professional back-office services
• Market Information
• Margin

Forex trading, where do customers go?

Forex trading uses currency and stock markets from a variety of countries to create a trading market where millions and millions are traded and exchanged daily. This market is similar to the stock market, as people buy and sell, but the market and the over all results are much much larger. Those involved in the forex trading markets include the Deutsche bank, UBS, Citigroup, and others such as HSBC, Braclays, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan Chase, and still others such as Goldman Sachs, ABN Amro, Morgan Stanley, and so on.

To get involved in the forex trading markets, contacting any of these large broker assistance firms is going to be in your best interest. Sure, anyone can get involved in the forex market, but it does take time to learn about what is hot, what is not, and just where you should place your money at this time.

International banks are the markets biggest users on the forex markets, as they have millions of dollars to invest daily, to earn interest and this is just one method of how banks make money on the money you save in their bank. Think about the bank that you deal with all the time. Do you know if you can go there, and obtain money from ‘another’ country if you are heading out on vacation? If not, that bank is most likely not involved in forex trading. If you have to know if your bank is involved in forex trading, you can ask any manager or you can look at the financial information sheets that banks are to report to the public on a quarterly baiss.

If you are new to the forex market, it is important to realize there is no one person or one bank that controls all the trades that occur in the forex markets. Various currencies are traded, and will originate from anywhere in the world. The currencies that are most often traded in the forex markets include those of the US dollar, the Eurozone euro, the Japanese yen, the British pound sterling and the Swiss franc as well as the Australian dollar. These are just a few of the currencies that are traded on the forex markets, with many other counties currencies to be included as well. The main trading centers for the forex trading markets are located in Tokyo, New York and in London but with other smaller trading centers located thought out the world as well.

Forex trading, what the hype is all about

Forex trading is all about making big money. Some investors have found it quite easy to make a large amount of money as the forex market changes daily. Forex, is the foreign exchange market. Online and offline you will find references to the forex market as FX as well. Forex trading takes place through a broker or a financial institution often where you are able to purchase other types of stocks, bonds and investments.

When you are thinking about getting involved in the forex markets you should know you are sending money to be invested with other countries. This is done to prop up the investments of people involved in certain types of hedge funds, and in the markets overseas. The forex market could have your money invested in one market one day, and the next day your money is invested in another country. The daily changes are determined by your broker or financial institution. When reading your statements and learning more about your account, you will find that every type of currency has three letters that will represent that currency.

For example, the United States dollars is USD, the Japanese yen is JPY, and the British pound sterling will read as GBP. You will also find that for every transaction on your account listing you will see information that looks like this: JPYzzz/GBPzzz. This means that you took your Japanese yen money and invested it into something in the British pound market. You will find many transactions from one currency to another if you have money that is scattered through out the forex markets.

Forex markets trading by investment management firms are the companies you can trust with your money. You want to find a company that has been dealing with forex trading since the early seventies, and not someone just new on the block so you get the most for your hard earned money. It is important that you beware of companies that are popping up online, and often times from foreign countries that are stating they can get you involved in the forex markets and trading. Read the fine print, and know whom you are dealing with for the best possible protection.

If you are interested in trading on the forex market, you will find limits for investing are different from company to company. Often times you will learn that you need a minimum of $250 or $500 while other companies will need $1000 or $10,000. The company you are dealing with will set limits in how much you need to open an account with their company. The scams that are online will tell you, that you only need a $1 or $5 to open an account, but you need to learn more about that company and where they are doing business before investing any money, this is for your own protection while dealing in forex trading and markets online.

Forex Trading - should you invest?

Forex trading is all about putting your money into other currencies, so you can gain the interest for the night, for time period or the difference in trading money all around. Forex trading does involve other assets along with money, but because you are investing in other countries and in other businesses that are dealing in other currencies the basis for the money you make or lose will be based on the trading of money.

Constant trading is done in the forex markets as time zones will vary and the markets will open in one country while another is near closing. What happens in one market will have an effect on the other countries forex markets, but it is not always bad or good, sometimes the margins of trading are near each other.

A forex market will be present when two countries are involved in trading, and when money is traded for goods, services or a combination of these things. Currency is the money that trades hands, from one to another. Often times, a bank is going to be the source of forex trading, as millions of dollars are traded daily. There is nearly two trillion dollars traded daily on the forex market. Should you get involved in forex trading? If you are already involved in the stock market, you have some idea of what forex trading really is all about.

The stock market involves buying shares of a company, and you watch how that company does, waiting for a bigger return. In the forex markets, you are purchasing items or products, or goods, and you are paying money for them. As you do this, you are gaining or losing as the currency exchange differs daily from country to country. To better prepare you for the forex markets you can learn about trading and purchasing online using free ‘game’ like software.

You will log on and create an account. Entering information about what you are interested in and what you want to do. The ‘game’ will allow you to make purchases and trades, involving different currencies, so you can then see first hand what a gain or loss will be like. As you continue on with this fake account you will see first hand how to make decisions based on what you know, which means you will have to read about the market changes or you will have to take a brokers information at value and play from there.

If you, as an individual want to be involved in forex trading, you must get involved through broker, or a financial institution. Individuals are also known as spectators, even if you are investing money because the amount of money you are investing is minimal compared to the millions of dollars that are invested by governments and by banks at any given time. This does not mean you can’t get involved. Your broker or investment advisor will be able to tell you more about how you can be involved in forex trading. In the US, there are many regulations and laws in regards to who can handle forex trading for US citizens so if you are searching the internet for a broker, be sure you read the print, and the information about where the company is located and if it is legal for you to do business with that company.

Forex markets - trading internationally

Forex market trading is trading money, currencies worldwide. Most all countries around the world are involved in the forex trading market, where money is bought and sold, based on the value of that currency at the time. As some currencies are not worth much, it is not going to be traded heavily, as the currency is worth more, additional brokers and bankers are going to choose to invest in that market at that time.

Forex trading does take place daily, where almost two trillion dollars are moved every day - that is a huge amount of money. Think about how many millions it does take to bring about a total of a trillion and then consider that this is done on a daily basis - if you want to get involved in where the money is, forex trading is one ’setting’ where money is exchanging hands daily.

The currencies that are traded on the forex markets are going to be those from every country around the world. Every currency has it own three-letter symbol that will represent that country and the currency that is being traded. For example, the Japanese yen is the JPY and the United Stated dollar is USD. The British pound is the GBP and the Euro is the EUR. You can trade within many currencies in one day, or you can trade to a different currency every day. Most all trades through a broker, or those any company are going to require some type of fee so you want to be sure about the trade you are making before making too many trades which are going to involve many fees.

Trades between markets and countries are going to happen every day. Some of the most heavily trades occur between the Euro and the US dollar, and then the US dollar and the Japanese yen, and then of the other most often seen trades is between the British pound and the US dollar. The trades happen all day, all night, and thought out various markets. As one country opens trading for the day another is closing. The time zones across the world affect how the trading takes place and when the markets are open.

When you are making a transaction from one market to another, involving one currency to another you will notice the symbols are used to explain the transactions. All transactions are going to look something like this EURzzz/USDzzz the zzz is to represent the percentages of trading for the percentage of the transaction. Other instances could look like this AUSzzz/USD and so on. When reading and reviewing your forex statements and online information you will understand it all much better if you are to remember these symbols of the currencies that are involved.

FOREX (Foreign Exchange Market)

The foreign exchange market is also known as FX or it is also found to be referred to as the FOREX. All three of these have the same meaning, which is the trade of trading between different companies, banks, businesses, and governments that are located in different countries. The financial market is one that is always changing leaving transactions required to be completed through brokers, and banks. Many scams have been emerging in the FOREX business, as foreign companies and people are setting up online to take advantage of people who don’t realize that foreign trade must take place through a broker or a company with direct participation involved in foreign exchanges.

Cash, stocks, and currency is traded through the foreign exchange markets. The FOREX market will be present and exist when one currency is traded for another. Think about a trip you may take to a foreign country. Where are you going to be able to ‘trade your money’ for the value of the money that is in that other country? This is FOREX trading basis, and it is not available in all banks, and it is not available in all financial centers. FOREX is a specialized trading circumstance.

Small business and individuals often times looking to make big money, are the victims of scams when it comes to learning about FOREX and the foreign trade markets. As FOREX is seen as how to make a quick buck or two, people don’t question their participation in such an event, but if you are not investing money through a broker in the FOREX market, you could easily end up losing everything that you have invested in the transaction.

Scams to be wary ofA FOREX scam is one that involves trading but will turn out to be a fraud; you have no chance of getting your money back once you have invested it. If you were to invest money with a company stating they are involved in FOREX trading you want read closely to learn if they are permitted to do business in your country. Many companies are not permitted in the FOREX market, as they have defrauded investors before.

In the last five years, with the help of the Internet, FOREX trading and the awareness of FOREX trading has become all the rage. Banks are the number one source for FOREX trading to take place, where a trained and licensed broker is going to complete transactions and requirements you set forth. Commissions are paid on the transaction and this is the usual.

Another type of scam that is prevalent in the FOREX markets is software that will aid you in making trades, in learning about the foreign markets and in practicing so you can prepare yourself for following and making trades. You want to be able to rely on a program or software that is really going to make a difference. Consult with your financial broker or your bank to learn more about FOREX trading, the FX markets and how you can avoid being the victim while investing in these markets.

Foreign exchange market is different from the stock market

The foreign exchange market is also known as the FX market, and the forex market. Trading that takes place between two counties with different currencies is the basis for the fx market and the background of the trading in this market. The forex market is over thirty years old, established in the early 1970’s. The forex market is one that is not based on any one business or investing in any one business, but the trading and selling of currencies.

The difference between the stock market and the forex market is the vast trading that occurs on the forex market. There is millions and millions that are traded daily on the forex market, almost two trillion dollars is traded daily. The amount is much higher than the money traded on the daily stock market of any country. The forex market is one that involves governments, banks, financial institutions and those similar types of institutions from other countries. TheWhat is traded, bought and sold on the forex market is something that can easily be liquidated, meaning it can be turned back to cash fast, or often times it is actually going to be cash. From one currency to another, the availability of cash in the forex market is something that can happen fast for any investor from any country.

The difference between the stock market and the forex market is that the forex market is global, worldwide. The stock market is something that takes place only within a country. The stock market is based on businesses and products that are within a country, and the forex market takes that a step further to include any country.

The stock market has set business hours. Generally, this is going to follow the business day, and will be closed on banking holidays and weekends. The forex market is one that is open generally twenty four hours a day because the vast number of countries that are involved in forex trading, buying and selling are located in so many different times zones. As one market is opening, another countries market is closing. This is the continual method of how the forex market trading occurs.

The stock market in any country is going to be based on only that countries currency, say for example the Japanese yen, and the Japanese stock market, or the United States stock market and the dollar. However, in the forex market, you are involved with many types of countries, and many currencies. You will find references to a variety of currencies, and this is a big difference between the stock market and the forex market.

The World Wide Forex market

Forex is a trading ‘method’ also known as FX or and foreign market exchange. Those involved in the foreign exchange markets are some of the largest companies and banks from around the world, trading in currencies from various countries to create a balance as some are going to gain money and others are going to lose money. The basics of forex are similar to that of the stock market found in any country, but on a much larger, grand scale, that involves people, currencies and trades from around the world, in just about any country.
Different currency rates happen and change every day. What the value of the dollar may be one day could be higher or lower the next. The trading on the forex market is one that you have to watch closely or if you are investing huge amounts of money, you could lose large amounts of money. The main trading areas for forex, happens in Tokyo, in London and in New York, but there are also many other locations around the world where forex trading does take place.
The most heavily traded currencies are those that include (in no particular order) the Australian dollar, the Swiss franc, the British pound sterling, the Japanese yen, the Eurozone eruo, and the United States dollar. You can trade any one currency against another and you can trade from that currency to another currency to build up additional money and interest daily.
The areas where forex trading is taking place will open and close, and the next will open and close. This is seen also in the stock exchanges from around the world, as different time zones are processing order and trading during different time frames. The results of any forex trading in one country could have results and differences in what happens in additional forex markets as the countries take turns opening and closing with the time zones. Exchange rates are going to vary from forex trade to forex trade, and if you are a broker, or if you are learning about the forex markets you want to know what the rates are on a given day before making any trades.
The stock market Is generally based on products, prices, and other factors within businesses that will change the price of stocks. If someone knows what is going to happened before the general public, it is often known as inside trading, using business secrets to buy stocks and make money - which by the way is illegal. There is very little, if any at all inside information in the forex trading markets. The monetary trades, buys and sells are all a part of the forex market but very little is based on business secrets, but more on the value of the economy, the currency and such of a country at that time.
Every currency that is traded on the forex market does have a three letter code associated with that currency so there is no misunderstanding about which currency or which country one is investing with at the time. The eruo is the EUR and the US dollar is known as the USD. The British pound is the GBP and the Japanese yen is known as the JPY. If you are interested in contacting a broker and becoming involved in the forex markets you can find many online where you can review the company information and transactions before processing and becoming involved in the forex markets.

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USDCAD Monthly Technical Forecast

The market has been in the process of mounting a significant rally out from the historic lows set by 0.9060 in November 2007. It now appears that a fresh higher low is in place by 1.1465 (November 2008 low) to be confirmed on a break back above 1.3020. The late February break of a multi-week triangle pattern strengthens constructive outlook with the breach of triangle resistance now projecting a measured move objective over the coming months back to challenge the 1.4000, 2004 highs. We would however recommend that longer-term bulls proceed with caution, with the monthly RSI now crossing above 70.

Australian Dollar Exchange Rate Falls

Foreign Exchange - Australian Dollar Currency UpdateYesterday it was obvious on the hourly charts that some currencies had fallen too far, too fast and in too straight a line to keep going without a pause or corrective bounce. The Australian Dollar was the most glaring case, with the euro looking overdone, too. See the Australian Dollar chart. For foreign exchange trading purposes, when we see a corrective bounce coming, we guess a level where it would be safe to go short again. This time it was the previous intraday high of the previous day, or 1.3331. This time the correction went 7 points over that. Having succeeded in the guess one time doesn’t make it a good rule for every situation.

Gibraltar Pounds (GIP) to 1 British Pound (GBP)

The graph below shows historical exchange rates between the Gibraltar Pound (GIP) and the British Pound (GBP)between 9/25/2008 and 3/6/2009

Free or pegged

Main article: Exchange rate regimeIf a currency is free-floating, its exchange rate is allowed to vary against that of other currencies and is determined by the market forces of supply and demand. Exchange rates for such currencies are likely to change almost constantly as quoted on financial markets, mainly by banks, around the world. A movable or adjustable peg system is a system of fixed exchange rates, but with a provision for the devaluation of a currency. For example, between 1994 and 2005, the Chinese yuan renminbi (RMB) was pegged to the United States dollar at RMB 8.2768 to $1. China was not the only country to do this; from the end of World War II until 1966, Western European countries all maintained fixed exchange rates with the US dollar based on the Bretton Woods system. [2]

Bilateral vs. effective exchange rate

Bilateral exchange rate involves a currency pair, while effective exchange rate is weighted average of a basket of foreign currencies, and it can be viewed as an overall measure of the country's external competitiveness. A nominal effective exchange rate (NEER) is weighted with trade weights. a real effective exchange rate (REER) adjust NEER by appropriate foreign price level and deflates by the home country price level. Compared to NEER, a GDP weighted effective exchange rate might be more appropriate considering the global investment phenomenon.

Balance of payments model

See also: Interest rate parity#Uncovered interest rate parityUncovered interest rate parity (UIRP) states that an appreciation or depreciation of one currency against another currency might be neutralized by a change in the interest rate differential. If US interest rates increase while Japanese interest rates remain unchanged then the US dollar should appreciate against the Japanese yen by an amount that prevents arbitrage. The future exchange rate is reflected into the forward exchange rate stated today. In our example, the forward exchange rate of the dollar is said to be at a discount because it buys fewer Japanese yen in the forward rate than it does in the spot rate. The yen is said to be at a premium.UIRP showed no proof of working after 1990s. Contrary to the theory, currencies with high interest rates characteristically appreciated rather than depreciated on the reward of the containment of inflation and a higher-yielding currency.

Asset market model

See also: Capital asset pricing modelThe explosion in trading of financial assets (stocks and bonds) has reshaped the way analysts and traders look at currencies. Economic variables such as economic growth, inflation and productivity are no longer the only drivers of currency movements. The proportion of foreign exchange transactions stemming from cross border-trading of financial assets has dwarfed the extent of currency transactions generated from trading in goods and services.The asset market approach views currencies as asset prices traded in an efficient financial market. Consequently, currencies are increasingly demonstrating a strong correlation with other markets, particularly equities.Like the stock exchange, money can be made or lost on the foreign exchange market by investors and speculators buying and selling at the right times. Currencies can be traded at spot and foreign exchange options markets. The spot market represents current exchange rates, whereas options are derivatives of exchange rates

Fluctuations in exchange rates

A market based exchange rate will change whenever the values of either of the two component currencies change. A currency will tend to become more valuable whenever demand for it is greater than the available supply. It will become less valuable whenever demand is less than available supply (this does not mean people no longer want money, it just means they prefer holding their wealth in some other form, possibly another currency).Increased demand for a currency is due to either an increased transaction demand for money, or an increased speculative demand for money. The transaction demand for money is highly correlated to the country's level of business activity, gross domestic product (GDP), and employment levels. The more people there are unemployed, the less the public as a whole will spend on goods and services. Central banks typically have little difficulty adjusting the available money supply to accommodate changes in the demand for money due to business transactions.The speculative demand for money is much harder for a central bank to accommodate but they try to do this by adjusting interest rates. An investor may choose to buy a currency if the return (that is the interest rate) is high enough. The higher a country's interest rates, the greater the demand for that currency. It has been argued that currency speculation can undermine real economic growth, in particular since large currency speculators may deliberately create downward pressure on a currency in order to force that central bank to sell their currency to keep it stable (once this happens, the speculator can buy the currency back from the bank at a lower price, close out their position, and thereby take a profit).

FIA raids forex company, arrests CEO

* Two directors of company also arrested * Suspects used fraudulent commercial telegraphic transfers through banksAaj Kal ReportLAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has raided a franchise of a foreign exchange company in Japan Centre and arrested the company’s chief executive officer and two directors (Dollar Inn). Under directions from FIA Punjab Director Muhammad Azam Joiya, FIA’s crime circle team conducted a raid in the supervision of deputy director crime circle. Sources said the agency had conducted the raid upon confessions by those who had been earlier arrested.The raid on the franchise resulted in arrests of Chief Executive Officer Shoaib Ahmad Butt and two directors, Waseem Ahmad and Zeeshan Aslam Butt. They have been charged of transferring more than Rs 2 billion to foreign countries illegally. FIA has also sealed the office and taken the record into custody. Fraudulent transfer: It is reported that the suspects used fraudulent commercial Telegraphic Transfer (TT) and hawala/hundi through different banks including Citibank Garden Town and Alfalah building branch and Dubai Islamic bank, Circular road branch. The team recovered documental record of the money sent abroad through illegal means revealing large amounts that were sent to China, Dubai, Singapore, Spain, Germany, Australia and Belgium while most of the money was transferred to Britain and United Arab Emirates through hawala/hundi.The officials have claimed to have found solid evidence and are also checking the accounts of suspects in other banks to know the amounts that have been transferred using these accounts. Investigators have told that false information was provided to banks for the transfer of these funds. The State Bank of Pakistan was also not informed about these transfers and most of the money was electronically transferred through mobile and Internet to keep the State Bank of Pakistan and Western Union uninformed of this illegal activity.The raiding party has also taken custody of a number of photocopies of identity cards of different people from the office that were misused. FIA will contact these people and verify the number and amount of money they have transferred themselves.

Rupee shows no change versus dollar in the open market dealings

Rupee remained motionless versus greenback in the kerb today. The American dollar set off new day’s trading at Rs.81/00, did not show any change and was trading at the same price at close of markets on Friday.On the international desks, the dollar fell against the euro and the yen on speculation a government report will show the U.S. economy lost the most jobs since 2003, bolstering the case for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.The U.S. currency also declined versus the British pound as futures traders increased bets the Fed will cut borrowing costs by half a percentage point to 0.5 percent compared with a benchmark rate of 3 percent in the U.K. A Labor Department report today may also show the unemployment rate in the U.S. rose to a five-year high as the global economic downturn deepened.The dollar fell to $1.2753 per euro at 2:07 p.m. in Tokyo from $1.2715 late yesterday in New York. Against the pound, it declined to $1.5683 from $1.5627. The U.S. currency bought 97.53 yen from 97.75. The euro was little changed at 124.35 yen. The dollar may fall to $1.2830 versus the euro today, Ito said.

FX market and Money market

The last issue to be discussed in this brief walk is the non-difference between two markets that are the flip side of each other. We have already mentioned earlier that a swap rate is basically based on interest rate differentials. We have also explained in the previous paragraph the nature of a swap transaction. The investor who uses marks bought in the forward market to buy German bonds has another option. He can place his dollars on deposit and borrow from the bank the marks he needs.Hence, he will have a dollar deposit and a mark loan. Indeed, the interest between what he gets and what he pays is also expressed through the swap rate Therefore, both ways lead to the same result. The only advantage going though the foreign exchange market rather than through the money market is simplicity i.e. usually it is faster and easier to obtain an FX facility rather than obtaining a loan, even one based on a collaterilised deposit.

Swaps

A swap transaction (not to be confused with the swap rate) is a double-leg deal, in which one buys spot currency X selling currency Y and simultaneously sells forward currency X buying currency Y. Let us give an example to show the rational of such a transaction. Assume that an American investor has a future receipt in Dmarks. In addition, assume that he thinks that German bonds are presently a good investment. So he has dollar assets but does not hold cash in marks. In plain words he needs marks right now and cannot wait for the future receipt marks to come. One solution would be to sell dollars and buy marks in the spot market. However, suppose he does not wish in a foreign exchange adventure for he cannot forecast the exchange value of the future receipt. In this case he sells dollars against marks spot getting his marks and buying his bonds. Simultaneously he buys dollars forward against marks matching the value date of the receipt. Upon expiration of the forward period, the investor cashes the receipt, pays back the marks that he owes and gets his original dollars. Hence he has been able to overcome the time lag problem.

Foreign exchange rates

A foreign exchange rate is the parity between two currencies i.e. the amount of one currency needed to sell (or buy) in order to buy (or sell) one unit of the other currency. There are two ways to express such a rate. The most common (or international way) quotes the amount of any currency that corresponds to one U.S.Dollar. So when we see USD/DEM at 1.5000 this means that one dollar can be exchanged for 1.5 Dmarks. Among the major currencies it is only British sterling which is quoted the other way i.e. GBP/USD at 1.5500 means that one pound is exchanged for 1.55 dollars. The American way of quoting rates uses the opposite direction, that is it expresses the dollar amount that can be exchanged for one unit of foreign currency. So when we see for example the Dmark at 0.6625 this means that one mark can be exchanged for 0.6625 dollars (or the same at 66 1/4 cents). The term "cross rate" is usually used to express the parity between two nondollar currencies like DEM/SFR.

Bid and offer

Exchange rates in practice are quoted as two-way rates. Thus a dollar/mark quotation will read something like 1.5000/10. The bank or company which quotes this rate understands that it buys marks (selling dollars) at 1.5010 and sells marks (buying dollars at 1.5000). In other words it buys cheaper and sells dearer a given currency in exchange for the other one. Of course, the opposite is true for the person that asks for a quotation. The difference between the purchase and the sale rates is called "spread". Such spreads vary in size according to market volatility.

Rate direction and currency direction

One needs to keep very clear in mind the idea of market direction. First of all, in the foreign extern market it is a mistake to say that the market is going up or down. In the stock market one can use this expression as stocks either go up or go down. However, in the FX market a rate as we said defines the parity of two currencies, hence at any time one goes up , so the other goes down. Therefore we can talk about the dollar going up or down but not about the market doing so. Another issue that often confuses people (even traders and bankers) is the difference between a currency moving up and its rate going up. We have to explain this in more detail as any misunderstanding can lead to painful surprises when trading in the real market. For simplicity reasons let us forget for the time being the bid/offer spread. So let us suppose that dollar/mark moves from 1.5000 to 1.5010. In this case the rate goes up whereas the value of the mark goes down (simply because the value of the dollar goes up). In other words one needs more marks at 1.5010 to exchange for one dollar.

Basis points or pips

A foreign exchange rate usually consists of an integer part and 4 decimal points (or 2 decimal points when expressed per 100 units like e.g. dollar/yen). Thus the decimals are expressed either at 10th thousands or hundreds. Each such 0.0001 or 0.01 is called basis point or pip. E.g. a 50 pips change of 1.5000 is either 1.5050 or 1.4950.

Spot and forward rates

To some people these concepts are more easily understood as cash rates and futures. As a matter of fact we would not like to use the term "futures" here as this may lead to confusion with the typical futures contracts. Instead, let us use a more descriptive approach. A spot rate is the exchange rate which is valid for a transaction (purchase of currency A and sale of currency B) that must be concluded within the next two working days. Thus the value date (i.e. the day of actual delivery of currencies) of a transaction performed on a Monday is Wednesday. For Thursday it is Monday (weekend days are not counted). On the other hand, a forward transaction regards a deal which is concluded today and actual effect will take place on a fixed future date In the next paragraph we describe the relationship between a spot and a forward rate.

Interest rates, swap rates and forward rates

Many people, even in the financial sector think that a forward rate is an expectation or forecast of a future foreign exchange movement. This is a big mistake. Actually, a forward rate is nothing else but a mirror of the currently prevailing spot rate, allowing for the interest rate differential between the two currencies and the time period at the expiration of which the actual transaction will be concluded. So the spot rate is adjusted by the so called swap rate to give the forward rate. For the unsophisticated investor it is enough to say that the swap rate is there to compensate the low interest currency holder for the time period involved in a forward transaction. The best way to explain these strange sounding terms is an example. We shall keep the simplistic approach and will not get involved here with FX rate spreads and interes rate spreads. Suppose person X buys $ 100,000 against Dmarks from bank B at spot rate 1.5000 for value 30 days forward. Furthermore let us assume that the dollar interest rate for this period is 5% and for the mark 3%. This means that during these 30 days A will earn interest on the marks he keeps until delivery and B will earn interest on the dollars for the same reason. The forward rate must allow for the compensation of A so that on balance no party is better or worse off. Investor A will receive interest in marks= (150,000x3x30)/36,000 = 375. On the other hand bank B will receive interest in dollars = (100,000x5x30)/36,000 = 416.67. This dollar amount calculated by prevailing spot rate 1.5000 is equivalent to 625 marks. It is evident that bank B has to compensate investor A through the forward rate, i.e. A will pay a lower price for the dollars he is buying forward to equalise the difference of 250 marks. Through a formula we can reach the swap rate 0.0025 This is subtracted from 1.5000 and the forward rate 1.4975 prevails. Indeed, the investor will finally deliver 149,750 marks to receive 100,000 dollars.

The need for a forward market

The actual need for the existence of a foreign market is not speculation, although as we explain in another article (see Why get involved in the foreign exchange market) today there is no clear-cut line between hedging and speculating. However, there are a couple of characteristic categories of people who use the forward market in order to cover for time lags. The first group includes exporters and importers. As receipts and payments do not usually coincide timewise, these people buy forward the currency that they will have to pay and sell forward the currency that they will receive. In this way they overcome undesirable market fluctuations and take care of future cash flows. The second group consists of people who use the forward market to preserve the value and nature of their assets without speculating against future trends. These operators use both the spot and forward market through swaps, which are explained below.