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Forex Market Overview


"FX" is an abbreviation of "forex" or "foreign exchange." Foreign exchange is the largest and most liquid market in the world trading approximately $2 trillion every day (that's over 30 times the daily volume of NASDAQ and NYSE combined). The forex market is a cash interbank/interdealer market. In simplest terms, this means the foreign currencies traded in the forex market are traded directly between banks, foreign currency dealers and forex investors wishing either to diversify, speculate or to hedge foreign currency risk. The forex market is not a "market" in the traditional sense due to the fact that there is no centralized location for fx trading activity and, therefore, trades placed in the forex market are considered over-the-counter (OTC). Forex trading between parties occurs through computer terminals, exchanges and over telephones at thousands of locations worldwide. CFOS/FX clients can trade through online forex trading platforms and/or over the telephone directly with a forex broker on our trading desk.

Until recently the forex market has not been available to the small speculator. The large minimum foreign currency transaction sizes and financial requirements left this market in the hands of banks, major foreign currency dealers and the occasional large fx speculator. Now, with the ability to leverage large positions with a relatively small amount of capital (margin), the forex market is now more liquid than ever and available to most investors.

Five major currencies dominate trading in the foreign exchange markets: the U.S. Dollar, Eurocurrency, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc and British Pound. The foreign currencies are traded in pairs, also known as crosses, in the forex spot market. For example, purchasing the EUR/USD in the forex spot market simply means the purchaser is buying the Eurocurrency and selling the U.S. Dollar in anticipation of the Eurocurrency gaining value in relation to the U.S. Dollar. Similarly, the seller of a EUR/USD contract would be selling the Eurocurrency against the U.S. Dollar. Official figures show the U.S. Dollar is on one side of 83% of all spot foreign exchange transactions. The "spot" market simply refers to a currency contract with a prompt valuation date requiring settlement within two business days.

Over the past several decades, an increase in international trade and foreign investment has made the economies of the world more interrelated. New opportunities for investors have also been created with the fall of communism and the dramatic growth of the Asian and Latin American economies. Today, supply and demand for a particular currency is the driving factor in determining exchange rates. Many factors such as regularly reported economic figures and unexpected news reports, such as disasters or political instabilities, could also alter the desirability of holding a particular currency, thus influencing international supply and demand for that currency. It should come as no surprise that many shrewd investors have already taken advantage of the fluctuation in exchange rates to profit handsomely.

John Nobile - Senior Account Executive
CFOS/FX - Online Forex Spot and Option Brokerage


MORE RESOURCES:
FOREX-Euro hits 1-week low vs yen, dlr, stocks struggle - Reuters

Maktoob Business (press release)

FOREX-Euro hits 1-week low vs yen, dlr, stocks struggle
Reuters - 7 hours ago
By Naomi Tajitsu LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The euro hit a one-week low against the yen and the dollar on Thursday after a dim economic outlook from the ...
Forex Markets: A Look Into The Dollar Part I istockAnalyst.com (press release)
Australia Intervenes in Forex Market, Spends Record 3 Billion to ... Daily FX
FOREX-US dollar slips against yen, up versus euro Reuters UK
Forex Hound - ACM
all 292 news articles
FOREX-Dollar falls vs yen as jobless claims rise - Reuters

FOREX-Dollar falls vs yen as jobless claims rise
Reuters - 3 hours ago
By Steven C. Johnson NEW YORK, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The dollar fell against the yen on Thursday but gained against high-yield currencies as stock markets ...
FOREX-Yen advances vs dollar, euro, stocks eyed for direction - Reuters

FOREX-Yen advances vs dollar, euro, stocks eyed for direction
Reuters - Nov 19, 2008
... and momentum traders jumped in and followed the moves to push them higher," said Brian Dolan, head of research at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey. ...
FOREX-Dollar briefly pares losses vs yen after data Reuters
all 10 news articles
PFGBEST.com Delivers MetaTrader4 Retail Forex Platform - MarketWatch

PFGBEST.com Delivers MetaTrader4 Retail Forex Platform
MarketWatch - 20 hours ago
MT4 features real-time forex portfolio management, profit and loss and risk analysis data, automated strategy trading systems, and the System Tracker to ...
FOREX-Recession fear sweeps yen up; high-yielders fall - Reuters

StarPhoenix

FOREX-Recession fear sweeps yen up; high-yielders fall
Reuters - 5 hours ago
By Veronica Brown LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The low-yielding yen extended a broad rally against major currencies on Thursday after downbeat economic ...
HK shares steady but telco services firms outperform Forbes
FOREX-Auto-driven economic, stock worries lift yen, dlr Reuters
Dollar at session highs vs yen as stock futures up Reuters
Forbes
all 2,453 news articles
FOREX-Dollar rises vs yen, US stocks dictate direction - Reuters

FOREX-Dollar rises vs yen, US stocks dictate direction
Reuters - Nov 18, 2008
By Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss NEW YORK, Nov 18 (Reuters) - The dollar climbed versus the yen on Tuesday, boosted by a steady performance in the US stock ...
FOREX-Rebounding US stocks lift dollar vs yen Reuters
all 13 news articles
Dukascopy Daily Forex Overview - Forex Hound

Dukascopy Daily Forex Overview
Forex Hound, NY - 7 hours ago
On Wednesday, the euro was whipsawed and finished the New York trading session down against the dollar, overcome by a big drop in US stocks. ...


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