What is Forex? Forex Trading for Beginners | Basic Guide To Forex Trading (2024)

What Is the Forex Market?

The foreign exchange market is where currencies are traded. This international market's most unique aspect is that it lacks a central marketplace. Instead, currency trading is conducted electronically over the counter (OTC). This means that all transactions occur via computer networks among traders worldwide rather than on one centralized exchange.

Forex trading is the speculation of the price of one currency against another.

For example, if you think the euro is going to rise against the U.S. dollar, you can buy the EURUSD currency pair low and then (hopefully) sell it at a higher price to make a profit. Of course, if you buy the euro against the dollar (EURUSD), and the U.S. dollar strengthens, you will then be in a losing position.

Or imagine exchanging $100 USD into pesos and then the peso's value increases. Exchanging back to USD will net you more than $100 because the peso was worth more than when you bought it.

What is Forex?

  • Foreign Exchange
  • Forex Market
  • FX
  • Currency Trading
  • A decentralized global market where all the world's currencies trade
  • Traders consist of banks, businesses, governments, investors, and retail traders who speculate on currencies.

The Fx market is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week with the most important world trading centers being located in London, New York, Tokyo, Zurich, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, and Sydney.

Oversight of Forex:-

  • There is no central marketplace
  • Trading is conducted ‘over the counter
  • It’s not like stocks where there is a central marketplace with all orders processed like the NYSE
  • Forex is a product quoted by all the major banks, and not all banks will have the exact same price

At its simplest, forex trading is similar to the currency exchange you may do while traveling abroad: A trader buys one currency and sells another, and the exchange rate constantly fluctuates based on supply and demand.

Forex is traded on the forex market, which is open to buy and sell currencies 24 hours a day, five days a week, and is used by banks, businesses, investment firms, hedge funds, and retail traders.

An online forex broker acts as an intermediary, enabling retail traders to access online trading platforms to speculate on currencies and their price movements.

Most online brokers will offer leverage to individual traders, which allows them to control a large forex position with a small deposit. It is important to remember that profits and losses are magnified when trading with leverage.

Forex trading offers constant opportunities across a wide range of FX pairs. FXTM’s comprehensive range of educational resources is a perfect way to get started and improve your trading knowledge.

Three Ways to Trade Forex:-

Most forex trades aren’t made for the purpose of exchanging currencies (as you might at a currency exchange while traveling) but rather to speculate about future price movements, much like you would with stock trading. Similar to stock traders, forex traders are attempting to buy currencies whose values they think will increase relative to other currencies or to get rid of currencies whose purchasing power they anticipate will decrease.

  • 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 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.

What is a Pip in Forex Trading?

The smallest increment of price movement a currency can make. Also called point or points. For example, 1 pip for the EUR/USD = 0.0001 and 1 pip for the USD/JPY = 0.01.

Currency Pair:-

The exchange rate of two currencies is quoted in a pair, such as the EURUSD or the USDJPY.

The reason for this is that in any foreign exchange transaction, you are simultaneously buying one currency and selling another. If you were to buy the EURUSD and the euro strengthened against the dollar, you would then be in a profitable trade.

What is Bid-Ask Spread in Forex Trading?

The difference between the ask and bid price is known as Bid-Ask Spread.

Bid-Ask Spread = Ask Price – Bid Price

Bid Price –The bid is the price at which the market (or your broker) will buy a specific currency pair from you. Thus, at the bid price, a trader can sell the base currency to their broker.

Recommended next reads

Forex Trading For Beginners. Gbotemi Winsala 3 years ago
Forex Trading Guide: Investing Secrets of the Forex… Keith Cooper 2 years ago
Forex Trading for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide to… GODFRED AMPONSAH 1 year ago

Ask Price –The asking price is the price at which the market (or your broker) will sell a specific currency pair to you. Thus, at the asking price you can buy the base currency from your broker.

Is a Forex Trading Career Right for Me?

To get started and explore a career in the path of forex trading, One should have the following skills before going for investment:-

  • Strong mathematics ability
  • Problem-solving & analytical skills
  • Technical & fundamental analysis
  • Strategic thinking & planning
  • Meticulous record-keeping
  • Self-directed learner

Technical Analysis For Forex Investment:-

  • RSI
  • MACD
  • Stochastics
  • Volume
  • Moving Averages
  • Bollinger Bands
  • Multi-time frame analysis
  • Price Action
  • Divergence

Which Forex Trading Platform Is Best for Beginners?

New beginners can try the IG Trading platform app is rated and frequently used by beginning forex traders.

Disclaimer: All investments and trading in the stock market involve risk, so please read the document carefully before investing. Any decision to place trades in the financial markets, including trading in stock or options or other financial instruments is a personal decision that should only be made after discussion with the financial assessment and engagement of professional assistance, without expert advice do not make the investment.

Wish you Great Success!

Shivant Kumar Pandey

What is Forex? Forex Trading for Beginners | Basic Guide To Forex Trading (2024)
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