Are you a Starter in Forex Trading?
by admin on December 10, 2011
The forex market is the largest financial market in todays business world. It simply involves an over-the-counter exchange of foreign currency. It is open all day long to fulfill corporate, banking, and banking interests. There is no fixed exchange rate as currencies traded around the world and around the clock keep fluctuating in response to speculation on the latest news. In a day, the currency volume traded can go beyond $200 trillion, and most of this is done in cyberspace.
Unlike those days when only huge international banks and substantial corporations traded in forex, small investors can now enter this apparently lucrative industry today. Almost anybody can start trading in forex and make profit, as long as one possesses a computer, the internet, and is willing to make time for some training. In this market, traders from all around the globe keep track of currency fluctuations, unlike the way a day trader may monitor a stocks fluctuation in the NYSE.
The major currencies in forex trading are: the Australian dollar, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, and the US Dollar. In this market, two types of currency are usually paired; one is bought and the other is sold at the simultaneously. It usually requires more of one currency to purchase the other. This means the purchasing currency loses value. Stock traders however use a different approach of buy low, sell high where they accumulate currency when it weakens in hopes of selling it when its value increases.
How do forex traders do their thing to make profit? They usually give a bid/ask quote where they offer to buy, for example 1.6 marks per dollar and sell them at 1.625 per dollar. To acquire currency through this process, one already has to in the system. Online, forex traders buy currency through a bank, where they will pay a commission, then factor in the commission paid to the bank into their calculation of their spread, or profit margin, when setting their selling price.
Getting into forex trading is no guarantee to riches, as a number of people have lost significant amounts of money in miscalculating the market. However, with the popularity it is receiving now, forex market exchange can go more than one trillion dollars in good days. There are packages you can purchase that will show you how to go along in this business for new comers.
You also need to know that achieving the desired results in forex trading may take a couple of years. To increase your chances of making it through successfully though, you need to: have a trading system, be good at money management system, have education, be aware of psychological issues, discipline to follow trading system and your trading plan, and a lot more.
FOREX Investing Strategies
by admin on December 8, 2011
By definition, FOREX trading is an international, 24/7, over the counter, exchange market where currencies of different nations are traded. The buying and selling is always done in pairs with the assumption that the price of currency bought goes up and that sold drops. It is the largest liquid financial market meaning that no individual investor can influence the prices of currencies. There are basically two strategies FOREX can be traded, that is, technical strategy analysis and Fundamental Analysis.
In technical analysis, real factors actually affecting the market are taken into consideration. The price quoted therefore reflects only and only the factors that have influenced it, and not potential factors that may affect it. Speculative factors like driven by fear, hope, or expectations or changes are not catered for here. This analysis deals with only market generated facts and figures. It is mainly used by small and medium size investors. Technical analysis is based on a number of assumptions.
Price reflects all actual market movements that is, parameters such as supply and demand of foreign exchange, political factors, trade agreements to mention but a few. The focus is here is the change and not what was responsible for the change. Prices are assumed to either go upward, downward or sideward.
History always repeats itself as human psychology changes gradually with time. That is market movements are predictable.
The results of this analysis are usually represented in a number of ways, the most common ones being:
Relative Strength Index this shows that ratio of upward and downward movements in the index, expressed in a range from 0 to 100.
Charts this could take the form of hills, slopes, curves that develop on a chart over time and reflect some major and minor changes in pattern. The information on these charts can be triangle, rectangle, head and shoulder, double top and bottom, saucers, V etc
Gaps that is, an area on a bar chart where no trading took place. The two major types of gaps are UPGAP, which is formed when the lowest price on a particular day is more that the highest price of previous day, and DOWNGAP, formed when highest price of a certain day is less than the lowest price on previous day.
Numbers the Fibonacci theory and GANN are the major number theories used in the technical analysis.
Stochastic oscillator – This indicates the overbought or/and undersold condition. It uses a scale of zero to hundred percent.
The fundamental Analysis on the other hand makes use of the current economic, political and financial situation of the country of currency. An economys economic and political condition is usually determined by the interest rate, unemployment level, exports and imports, per capita income, percentage of population living above and below the poverty line, inflation, trade relations with other countries, tax policies etc
When doing fundamental analysis, all the above variables and studied and evaluated prior to coming to any decision. It therefore helps in the long term decision making and making profits in short term by extra ordinary developments.
The results of a fundamental analysis can be summarized in any of the following ways
GDP which stands for Gross Domestic Product reflects the total value of all the goods and services produced in a country during a given year.
Retail sales this reflects total receipts by all the retail stores in a country.
Consumer Price Index this reflects changes in prices of consumer goods.
Business Cycle it refers to the various phases through which a business passes which include expansion, peak, recession, and depression.
Monetary Policy this serves to control supply of money in an economy.
Success in trading requires knowledge, time and understanding of the market. FOREX market is highly volatile. You cannot be certain of your next earning. That is why you have to be familiar with both strategies of FOREX trading to be able to make more accurate decisions. If you are not cure about what you are doing, quit and give yourself a break.
Make a Fortune in Forex
by admin on December 5, 2011
You may have heard about the FOREX businesses, or even sought services from them. One thing you may not have known is just how much lucrative this business can be. Forex stands for foreign currency exchange, and that is what the entire business revolves around. It is a simple, quick and convenient trading opportunity that can make anyone rich quick.
There are a number of reasons why Forex has been considered the most efficient path. It is relatively new and offers a lot more benefits over traditional investments. Let us have a closer look at some of the benefits.
Start-up Capital: whereas traditional investment opportunities often require a lot of cash and confidence for start-up, forex requires just a minimum investment to get started. Sacrificing dinner and a movie for two is just enough for you to start a Forex business. Sink in the cash for tickets to a concert, and a couple of promotional t/shirts and you are in business.
Returns versus risks: even after half of the total number of decisions you have made are wrong, you can still earn money with forex. You just need to watch the trends and you will significantly maximize your chances on the volatile stock market.
Convenience: you can trade in forex on your laptop from anywhere and at anytime. Forex trades seven days a week, 24 hours a day. You dont even have to set your alarm for the market to open on the other side of the world.
Stock brokers: regardless of what the stock market trends may be; which way real estate prices are changing, your money in forex is still guaranteed. Profits can still be made in a rising market and a falling market as well. You simply have to keep good track on the trends.
Liquidity and immediacy: With forex trading, your capital is accessible at any time you need it. You dont have to invest in office space, gold or pork bellies. You buy cash, which you can still cash at a moments notice. Besides, forex offers you immediate cash results.
Real time Practice: you can receive instant feedback on your trades and understanding of the system. You just need to get the concepts sufficiently to invest your cash in the market.
Does this mean that everyone who trades in forex becomes a millionaire? The answer is a definite no. Only those who take time to learn the ups and downs and seek expert advice maximize their chances of coming out successful. You want to turn that $100 you have to $10,000, dont look any further; invest in forex.
You definitely need a Discount Broker
by admin on November 27, 2011
In the business world, you have probably come across the phrase discount brokers or even used their services at some point. These individuals are stock brokers who help execute a wide range of business deals. They accept orders for stock, stock options and future trading deals. They take different identities such as: discount commodity brokers, discount stockbrokers and discount real estate brokers. These brokers buy and sell orders at a reduced commission, unlike full-service brokers.
They allow an investor to purchase no-load mutual funds at a subsidized commission. They have arrangements with a particular fund to offer free mutual funds sometimes. Discount brokers will provide, at a small fee, a free 1-page Standard & amp; Poors Stock report on the stocks you are requesting and a 5-10-page research report. They will also furnish you with twenty-four hour telephone stock quotes services, allowing an investor to build trades.
There are usually four types of discount brokerage firms: full-service, discount, deep discount, and computer or electronic. Full-services discount brokers offer more or less similar services as a full-service broker. They have local branch offices for personal service, newsletters, a personal account representative and considerable literature. The discount firms carry out the same functions as that of the full-service discount firms, except the lack of local branches. They get a commission of around a third of a full-service agent.
As for the deep discount brokers, they execute only stock and option trades. They have fixed commissions (flat fee) for any trade of any size. Electronic brokers offer similar to deep discount brokers, but their service is geared primarily at computer users who trade online. Some discount brokers, who cannot be clearly classified, fall between discount and deep discount. They target skilled, high-volume traders with high demands for quality service.
Day Trading versus Long-term Investment
by admin on November 25, 2011
Traders in stock have not been able to come to a consensus on which approach to stock market trading is the most profitable: is it trading in short or long term investment? One of the reasons for divergence in views is that one side is rather conservative in its approach, while the other has a more radical and freewheeling attitude. Day traders have usually been considered the enemies of the trading world, and they are known for taking gamblers risks and making huge profits in short amounts of time- sometimes buying and selling the same stock several times in a single day. Traders who buy and hold their stocks pursue a more risk-averse path, and refer to historical trends to justify their claim that their method is actually more reliable and is the real shortcut to wealth.
A majority of investors can and do reap the benefits from both sides by setting aside some of their money for day trades, and the balance of it for longer-term investment. Day trading tends to be more volatile, and can result in quick profits or fast losses. It is therefore advisable that you put only as much of your investment capital as you can comfortably afford to lose, into this kind of trading strategy. This means even if you encounter a worst case scenario, it will not adversely impact your overall financial situation.
The advantage of day trades is that you can get in and out of the market easily, and make money without waiting for the results. Going into any stock market investment, requires that you research into the companies you decide to invest in and this takes time. If you are trading so fast that you do not have time to do adequate background analysis, day trading may not be a good strategy.
Putting your money in companies that provide slow but steady returns is a time-tested approach to the stock market. There is a lot of historical evidence the backs the idea that if you buy quality stocks and hold them for long periods of time, say for five years or more, you will be successful in the stock market. If you are young enough to have time, it would probably be wise for you to buy some stocks and keep them away for retirement.
It is also highly recommended that you diversify to minimize risk and maximize potential gains. You can do this by employing both strategies in stock market, that is, use a part of your investment capital for short-term trades, while leaving another portion in long term investments. That way, you will still be in position to reap some profits if one strategy fails or enjoy twice as much profit if both strategies are successful.
Is a Day trader an Investor?
by admin on November 23, 2011
Who exactly are day traders? What is their ultimate goal? And how are day traders different from investors? Many people probably dont know the difference between these two individuals. This article will clear the air by describing these people by the roles their goals and activities.
The goal of a day trader is to trade expensive and volatile stocks on the NASDAQ and NYSE markets in increments of 1,000 shares or more, and benefit from the small intra-day price changes. Although he may trade many stocks, a day trader holds onto stocks for only a few minutes (hours), and almost never overnight. They are short-term price speculators, not investors nor gamblers.
Stock investors focus on long-term value appreciation, and long-term market analysis. A Day traders time frame of analysis is usually short; just a day. Their only intent is to exploit the stocks intra-day swings or daily price volatility.
Stock volatility is what brings business in stock markets. A majority of stock prices fluctuate in any given day due to a number of external factors. In every market, even the calm ones you will always find some volatile stocks. What day traders do is to identify a stock that has a trend and then go with that trend. They seek to pick up a relatively small stock movement, 1/8 or more on that stock.
A trader dealing a large block of shares, say 1,000 shares a day, will profit $125 from a1/8 movement. On the other hand, if a trader acquired 1,000 shares and was wrong, then he would lose $125 from a 1/8 price movement.
A 1/8 or 12.5 cents movement for expensive stocks that trade for $100 or more is such a small relative price change that it happens all the time. Because of this, you will have several day trading opportunities a day. However, it is unusual to see a day trader executing many transactions in a single day. Such trades however give such traders a much longer time frame. Investors seek a much larger price movement than 1/8 to earn the desired rate of return, which usually takes time.
The major difference between a day trader and an investor is that a day trader seeks to extract an income from intra-day price volatility by trading the stock frequently, while the investor seeks a long-term capital accumulation.
What you should know about Commodity Futures Trading
by admin on November 20, 2011
In commodity exchange, there are two kinds of contracts a trader may undertake; that is, cash contract and futures contract. In cash contracts, payment is done on physical delivery of goods or after a specified period of time. Futures contract however is a special type of agreement which may or may not call for the actual delivery of goods and payments in cash is deferred to a future date.
In futures contract, an agreement is made for future delivery of some commodity without reference to specific lots. It is drawn guided by the rules of some commercial body, in a set form, by which the conditions as to unit of amount, the quality and time of delivery are stereotyped, and only the determination of the total amounts and the price is left open to the contracting parties.
These kinds of contracts are meant exclusively for future settlement. However, the exact date of the settlement is decided by reference to the wishes of the seller and the established rules of the commodity exchange. They also do not specify the particular grade of a commodity. They have a basic grade called the contract grade, accepted as the common grade for all futures transactions.
Details as regards the amount, time of settlement, quality and many others are stated in the rules and regulations, and cut across all such contracts. The decision on the price at which the contract is to be settled in one of the trading months specified by the exchange is left for the contracting parties to make.
Futures contracts however are made only in the circle of the commodity exchanges, not outside the exchanges. The implication here is that you have to be a member of a commodity exchange to deal in these futures contracts. These contracts can be made only in multiples of a fixed unit of trading. They cannot be made in fractions of these units.
Make a Fortune with Just $100
by admin on November 17, 2011
You are interested in investing in stock, but you do not have enough capital for start-up. Many people have decided to go penny stocks to generate high returns. The risks associated with these stocks are very high though, more so if you do not know how to do your research. What many people dont realize is that there are still many other ways one can invest. One of these is what is called Offshore Investments, sometimes referred to as High Investment Programs (HYIP).
Just as the name suggests, High Yield Investments Programs (HYIP) offer high returns, and yet you dont have to go through the trouble of carrying out vast research. There are two forms of HYIP: Autosurfs and Private HYIPs. These are all accessible to the general public and offer high returns- usually with a minimum deposit as low as $5. You can earn up to 30 percent of your investment without working for it. However, there are a number of risks involved.
Autosurf: this is a program that pays you for surfing/browsing the internet. Your returns will depend on the amount you invest. This program has however been considered to be riskier than the private HYIP because they generally do not have a viable means of alternative income.
Private HYIPs: Few people know about this investment program which makes them last longer than Autosurfs. This program is a much safer option for small investors. It may run up to more than three years, giving you more than 10 times your initial investment. Many who invest in this program get their income from cash they trade in stock markets.
It is much easier now to find information regarding private HYIPs than it was before. It will take you a simple search to find some great investments. Just reading peoples comments and opinions on this program will help you come up with your own idea. It will also enable you determine whether your idea is worth implement or not.
After deciding on the investment idea, go ahead and invest. A private HYIP can bring you a fortune in a very short period of time. Can you imagine creating a passive income with as little as $100? Give it a try with HYIPs.