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Lesson 1: Forex Definition and Explanations

Introduction To Forex

What is FOREX? 

FOREX stands for Foreign Exchange or, in other words, currency trading market. Currently FOREX is the largest and fastest growing financial market in the whole world with a daily volume of almost 3 trillion dollars. Quite a number, won't you say? That is 30 times higher then the turnover of all USA equity markets combined! Other names for FOREX include "Retail forex", “FX” , "Spot FX" and even just "Spot".

Read more: Lesson 1: Forex Definition and Explanations

   

Lesson 2: Majors, Currency Pairs and Base Currency

Introduction To Forex

Majors

Most commonly traded currencies are referred to as MAJORS. Below is the list of currency abbreviations which we recommend to memorize.   

Majors

Abbreviation ( ISO code)

US Dollar

USD

Japanese Yen

JPY

Euro

EUR

British Pound

GBP

Canadian Dollar

CAD

Australian Dollar

AUD

Swiss Franc

CHF

Read more: Lesson 2: Majors, Currency Pairs and Base Currency

   

Lesson 3: BID, ASK and SPREAD

Introduction To Forex

All Forex quotes display two prices, the bid and the ask. 

BID: The price of the base currency that the dealer is willing to pay in exchange for the quote currency. In simple words, the bid is the price at which you (trader) will sell. 

ASK: the price of the base currency at which the dealer is willing to sell in exchange for the quote currency. In simple words, the ask is the price at which you will buy. 

SPREAD: the difference between the ask and the bid prices. In other words, it is the difference between the market maker's "selling" price (to its clients) and the price the market maker "buys" it from its clients. By the way, the BID is always lower than the ASK. The reason for this mystery is that the SPREAD (the difference between the bid and the ask prices) is how FOREX brokers get paid for their services without charging you with commissions or special fees.
   

Lesson 4: Long and Short Positions

Introduction To Forex

There are two more equations to remember:

 

Long = buy

If you want to buy a currency (meaning that you want to BUY the base currency and SELL the quote currency) at one price and sell it later on at a higher price, then you are in trade's talk taking a "long position" or "going long".

 

Short = sell

If you want to sell a currency (meaning that you want to SELL the base currency and BUY the quote currency) in order to buy the base currency back at a lower price as soon as the base currency decreases in value, then you are taking a "short position" or "going short" .

   

Lesson 5: Pip and Pip Value

Introduction To Forex

Pip is short for Price Interest Point, also called points. The most common increment of currencies is the pip. If the exchange rate goes from 1.2576 to 1.2577, that is ONE pip. In mathematical terms, a pip means the last decimal place of a quotation. In a down-to-earth way, the pip is how you calculate your profit or loss. 

Example: 

Read more: Lesson 5: Pip and Pip Value

   

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