The term ‘Forex’ stands for Foreign Exchange. Forex trading in simple terms is the trading in currencies from different countries against each other. It is the world’s most traded market, with turnover of $5.1 trillion per day.
All currencies are assigned a three-letter code much like a stock’s ticker symbol. While there are more than 170 currencies worldwide, the U.S. dollar is involved in a vast majority of forex trading, so it’s especially helpful to know its code: USD. The second most popular currency in the forex market is the euro, the currency accepted in 19 countries in the European Union (code: EUR). Other major currencies, in order of popularity, are: the Japanese yen (JPY), the British pound (GBP), the Australian dollar (AUD), the Canadian dollar (CAD), the Swiss franc (CHF) and the New Zealand dollar (NZD). The price of any currency is always versus anther currency – for example the US Dollar versus the Euro. The two currencies in the quote are known as a pair which consists of a ‘base’ currency and a ‘counter’ currency. In a quote of USD/EUR (US Dollar to Euro) the ‘base’ currency is USD and the ‘counter’ currency is EUR. So buying and selling a currency pair is based on whether you think the base currency will appreciate or depreciate against the counter currency.
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There are three different ways to trade forex, which will accommodate traders with varying goals:
- The spot market. This is the primary forex market where those currency pairs are swapped and exchange rates are determined in real-time, based on supply and demand.
- The forward market. Instead of executing a trade now, forex traders can also enter into a binding (private) contract with another trader and lock in an exchange rate for an agreed upon amount of currency on a future date.
- The futures market. Similarly, traders can opt for a standardized contract to buy or sell a predetermined amount of a currency at a specific exchange rate at a date in the future. This is done on an exchange rather than privately, like the forwards market.
Understanding Pivot Points (PP):
Pivot points PP are used by traders as a predictive indicator and denote levels of technical significance. When used in conjunction with other technical indicators such as support and resistance or Fibonacci, pivot points can be an effective trading tool. Pivot points are calculated using the high, low and close prices of a previous day, week or month. Three different levels of support and resistance are calculated above and below the pivot point. The three levels of resistance are referred to as R1, R2, and R3 while the three levels of support are referred to as S1, S2, and S3. When the current price is trading above the daily pivot point, this serves as an indication to initiate long positions. Conversely, when the current price is trading below the daily pivot point, this serves as an indication to initiate short positions. The support and resistance levels are used primarily as trade exits. For example, if the market price breaks above the pivot point, R1 and R2 may be used as trade targets. Should the market move to R3, traders may consider exiting the long position and even reversing the position if other technical indicators show a strong reversal trend.