Forex
The Cash Foreign Exchange MarketTrading the Foreign Currency Market for Greater Investment Opportunities
What is Forex?
The Forex market is a cash inter-bank or inter-dealer market established in 1971 when floating exchange rates began to materialize. The simplest definition of foreign exchange is the changing of one currency to another. In comparison to the daily trading volume averages of $300 billion in the U.S. Treasury Bond market and the less than $10 billion exchanged in the U.S. stock markets, the Forex market is huge; in September 1992 The Wall Street Journal estimated the trading volume at $1 trillion per day. Today, it is believed to have grown in excess of $1.5 trillion per day.
The most important foreign exchange activity is the spot business between the dollar and the four major currencies (British Pound, Eurodollar, Swiss Franc, and Japanese Yen). Participants in the market consist of five main groups: central banks, commercial banks, other financial institutions, corporate customers, and brokers.
But Forex is not a "market" in the traditional sense. There is no centralized location for trading activity as there is in currency futures. Trading occurs over the telephone and through computer terminals at hundreds of locations worldwide.
Cash Forex versus Currency Futures
As a potential investor it is important for you to understand the differences between cash Forex and currency futures. In currency futures, the contract size is predetermined. Futures traders exercise leverage by utilizing Margin to control a futures contract. (Margin is money deposited by both the buyer and the seller to assure the integrity of the contract.) Leverage without proper risk management, this high degree of leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains.
But with liquidity in mind, the futures market may seem limiting because the data flow comes to a stop at the end of the business day (just as it does with the stock market) thus disrupting your perception of the market. For some traders this could lead to a certain level of anxiety. For example, if important data comes in from England or Japan while the U.S. futures markets is closed, the next day's opening could be a wild ride.
In contrast to the futures market, the spot forex market is a 24-hours, continuous currency exchange that never closes. There are dealers in every major time zone, in every major dealing center (i.e., London, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, etc.) willing to quote two-way markets. The size of this market, over one trillion dollars per day gives you near perfect liquidity. Because of the advantages of sheer volume and daily volatility, we feel that the excitement of this market is unparalleled.
What Moves the Foreign Exchange Market?
The primary factors influencing exchange rates include the balance of payments, the state of the economy, implications drawn from chart analysis as well as political and psychological factors.
Ebb and flow of capital between nations, otherwise known as Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) is the central factor that determines market momentum. In addition, fundamental economic forces such as inflation and interest rates are constantly influencing currency prices. Faith in a government's ability to stand behind its currency will also impact currency price. This is done in two ways: controls and intervention. Controls restrict citizens from doing things, which have a negative effect on the exchange rate (such as sending money abroad). Intervention takes two forms: changing the interest rate on the currency to make it more or less attractive to foreigners, or buying/selling the currency to raise or lower its market value.
Any of these broad-based economic conditions can cause a sudden and dramatic currency price swing if such conditions are seen to be changing. This is a key concept because what drives the currency market in many cases is the anticipation of an economic condition rather than the condition itself.
Activities by professional currency managers, generally on behalf of a pool of funds, have also become a factor moving the market. While professional managers may behave independently and view the market from a unique perspective, most, if not all, are at least aware of important technical chart points in each major currency. As major support or resistance levels approach, the behavior of the market becomes more technically oriented and the reactions of many managers are often predictable and similar. These market periods may result in sudden and dramatic price swings as substantial amounts of capital are invested in similar positions.
How Can I Participate in the Spot Currency Market as a Trader?
From 1971 until recent years the virtual owners of this market were the banks, multinational corporations and large brokerage firms. If an individual wanted to invest in this market, he could invest with a bank with a one million dollar cash deposit backed by the requirement of a 5-10 million dollar net worth. A slightly better option was provided by the brokerage firms, which asked a lower minimum deposit on average of a quarter million dollars.
But now the forex market has been opened up to Individual investors. *Unlike the huge sums of money previously required by the banks and brokerage firms, comparatively far lower margin requirements are finally available that now allows virtually any individual to trade along with the professionals and institutions. In addition, individual investors have the opportunity to take advantage of the growing boom in computer and communication technologies that has made this market accessible in ways previously exclusive only to large players.
*Without proper risk management, this high degree of leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains.
