Forex Trading, What Hours Should I Be Ready For Trading?

Once you have decided to enter the Forex trading world you will find that FX trading has many advantages over other capital markets. Including among others; very low margins, free trading platforms, high leverage and around-the-clock trading.

It is my main concern in this article to let you know what hours you should be ready and focus for start trading, so you can expect the highest profits in your trades, and not just consider that around-the-clock trading means you should randomly trade through out the day.

In short, it is important to know what the best hours to trade are because if you want to find an appreciable number of profitable trades you need to enter the forex market at the best period of time, i.e., when the activity, the volume of transactions, is the highest.

At any given time; somebody, somewhere in the world is buying and selling currencies. As one market closes, another market opens. Business hours overlap, and the exchange continues as day becomes night and night becomes day. Giving you 5.5 entire potential trading days.

Other important facts every Forex trader should know are: the US & UK markets account for more than 50% of the forex market transactions; Forex major markets are: London, New York and Tokyo. Nearly two-thirds of NY activity occurs in the morning hours while European markets are open. And maybe one of the most important characteristics; Forex Trading activity is heaviest when major markets overlap.

Considering the different time zones of the world and open and close times for Australian, New Zealand, Japan, America and Europe markets. We can arrive to the conclusion that there are two major time gaps when two of the major markets overlap during trading hours.

These hours are between 2 am and 4 am EST (Asian/European) and between 8 am to 12 pm EST(European/N. American).

So if you want to catch the best trading opportunities of the day and you are in the American continent you must be ready to wake up early or go to sleep late some times. Of course things change around the world. What's the best region where to trade from if you can't wake up early?... Maybe the Ukraine.

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A FOREX Quickie — How To Get An Educated Quick Start

First what is Forex: The FOREX or Foreign Exchange market is the largest financial market in the world, with an volume of more than $1.5 trillion daily, dealing in currencies. Unlike other financial markets, the Forex market has no physical location, no central exchange. It operates through an electronic network of banks, corporations and individuals trading one currency for another.

The Forex, or foreign currency exchange, is all about money. Money from all over the world is bought, sold and traded. On the Forex, anyone can buy and sell currency and with possibly come out ahead in the end. When dealing with the foreign currency exchange, it is possible to buy the currency of one country, sell it and make a profit. For example, a broker might buy a Japanese yen when the yen to dollar ratio increases, then sell the yens and buy back American dollars for a profit.

The Forex and the stock market have some similarities, in that it involves buying and selling to make a profit, but there are some differences. Unlike the stock market, the Forex has a higher liquidity. This means, a lot more money is changing hands everyday. Another key difference when comparing the Forex to the stock market is that the Forex has no place where it is exchanged and it never closes. The Forex involved trading between banks and brokers all over the world and provides twenty-four hour access during the business week.

Another difference between the stock market and the Forex is that Forex trading has higher leverage that the stock market. When someone decides to invest in the Forex, they can expect higher profits when they are experienced and understand how it works. There can also be the potential for losing a heck of a lot of money as well.

There are many terms (terminology) when dealing with the Forex. Learning to trade on the Forex can be somewhat complicated for the novice or (rookie) trader. When looking at the names used in the Forex, a symbol is composed of two parts. The first one that is used is one currency and the second half of the symbol is the second currency that is being used. The symbol "usdjpy" means "US dollars" and Japanese yen. It is important to learn what currency symbols mean when learning about the Forex. There are many books and websites dedicated on teaching traders about using the Forex.

For those using the Forex, a broker is usually a good idea. Brokers are professionals when it comes to trading on the Forex and their experience is invaluable, especially to the new trader. When it is time to find a broker, there are several factors to consider. One thing to look for when choosing a Forex broker is to go with someone that offers low spreads. The spread is calculated in pips, or the difference between the price at which currency can be purchased and the price it can be sold at any given time. Because Forex brokers do not charge a commission, they will make their money off of the spreads, or the difference. When choosing a broker, look at this information and compare that with other brokers.

When looking for a broker, check to be certain that the broker has access to the latest research tools and data. It is important that brokers understand and have access to charts, graphs, news and data that are in real time. This will ensure that the broker is making wise decisions based on accurate Forex forecasting. Also, look for a broker that can offer a wide range of account options. They should offer mini-accounts with a smaller minimum deposits and a standard account. This will give anyone interested in the Forex the opportunity to trade at a level where they feel most comfortable.

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The Prime Time For Daily Forex Trading

Investors and traders can trade currencies worldwide, in any trading zone, 24 hours a day, in today's foreign exchange market. London, Japan and New York top the top three currency traders among the currency dealers. These currencies are being traded 24 hours a day. The only time that currencies stop trading is on Friday when the Japanese market shuts its doors. There is a one day window after Japan closes before Europe steps in on Monday morning to open for business.

The majority of trading comes from banks, brokerages and investment companies. Companies that sell and buy foreign currencies as part of their business, like independent brokers and currency dealers, make up only a small part of the foreign exchange currency trading. The Forex market will continue to develop and grow at a steady pace as more currency traders become aware of the foreign exchange markets potential for earning and raising capital. The Forex market reaches an average daily turnover 30 times higher than any other U.S. market.

Added to the drive for supply and demand, the Forex market presses on as the enormous scope for profit potential among the currency dealers is steadily rising. The Forex market also uses the free floating system that is considered more practical for today's foreign exchange market which can experience a change in the currency rates at an estimated 4.8 seconds. The Forex market is taking on a prodigious role in the country's economy, after developing from connective financial centers to one unified market. Having expanded worldwide, the Forex market is reflecting the constant growth of all international trades and their countries. When you consider the size of the foreign exchange market, it would be important to understand that any transactions that are made with a future trading broker or an independent broker, can lead to more transactions. This can be due to the brokerage businesses as they work to readjust their positions.

Understanding your overall portfolio and its sensitivity to market unpredictability is necessary in order to be an effective day trader. This is especially important when trading foreign exchange currencies, because these currencies are priced in pairs and no single pair will trade completely independently of the others. Gaining an understanding of these correlations and how they can change will help you use them to your advantage to control your portfolio's exposure.

Correlations Defined

There is a reason for the interdependence of foreign currency pairs. For instance, if you were trading the British pound (GBP) against the Japanese yen (JPY) or GBP/JPY pair, then you're trading a type of derivative of the USD/JPY and GBP/USD pairs. Therefore, the GBP/JPY must be slightly correlated to one or both of the other currency pairs. Even so, the interdependence amongst these currencies will stem from more than the fact that they are in pairs. While there are some currencies that will move one right behind the other, the other currency pairs can move in different directions often resulting in a more complex force. In the financial world, correlation is the statistical measure of a relationship between two securities.

Then there is the correlation coefficient that ranges between -1 and +1. The correlation of +1 indicates that two currency pairs can move in the same direction nearly 100% of the time. While the correlations of -1 indicates that two currency pairs are likely to move in the opposite direction 100% of the time. If the correlation is zero, this indicates that the relationships between the currency pairs will be completely at random.

Correlations are not always stable. Correlations change, just as the global economic system and other various factors can change on a daily basis, making the ability to follow the shift in correlations very important. The correlations of today may not be in line with the long-term correlations between any two-currency pairs. This is why it's suggested to take a look at the past six months trailing correlation to provide a more clear perspective on the average relationship between the two currency pairs. This change is the result of a variety of reasons — the most common reasons being a currency pair's predisposition to commodity prices, the diverging monetary policies and unique political and economic circumstances.

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Forex Technical Analysis for 06/09—06/13 Week

EUR/USD trend: buy.

GBP/USD trend: hold.

USD/JPY trend: hold.

EUR/JPY trend: buy.

Floor Pivot Points
Pair	3rd Sup	2nd Sup	1st Sup	Pivot	1st Res	2nd Res	3rd Res
EUR/USD	1.5090	1.5228	1.5502	1.5640	1.5914	1.6052	1.6326
GBP/USD	1.9212	1.9336	1.9522	1.9646	1.9832	1.9956	2.0142
USD/JPY	101.17	102.52	103.72	105.07	106.27	107.62	108.82
EUR/JPY	158.36	160.04	162.79	164.47	167.22	168.90	171.65

Woodie’s Pivot Points
Pair	2nd Sup	1st Sup	Pivot	1st Res	2nd Res
EUR/USD	1.5262	1.5571	1.5674	1.5983	1.6086
GBP/USD	1.9336	1.9522	1.9646	1.9832	1.9956
USD/JPY	102.52	103.72	105.07	106.27	107.62
EUR/JPY	160.04	162.79	164.47	167.22	168.90

Camarilla Pivot Points
Pair	4th Sup	3rd Sup	2nd Sup	1st Sup	1st Res	2nd Res	3rd Res	4th Res
EUR/USD	1.5550	1.5664	1.5701	1.5739	1.5815	1.5853	1.5890	1.6004
GBP/USD	1.9537	1.9622	1.9650	1.9679	1.9735	1.9764	1.9792	1.9878
USD/JPY	103.52	104.22	104.45	104.69	105.15	105.39	105.62	106.32
EUR/JPY	163.10	164.32	164.73	165.13	165.95	166.35	166.76	167.98

Tom DeMark’s Pivot Points
Pair	EUR/USD	GBP/USD	USD/JPY	EUR/JPY
Resistance	1.5777	1.9894	106.95	168.06
Support	1.5365	1.9584	104.40	163.63

Fibonacci Retracement Levels
Pairs	EUR/USD	GBP/USD	USD/JPY	EUR/JPY
100.0%	1.5777	1.9771	106.42	166.15
61.8%	1.5620	1.9653	105.45	164.46
50.0%	1.5571	1.9616	105.15	163.94
38.2%	1.5522	1.9579	104.84	163.41
23.6%	1.5462	1.9534	104.47	162.77
0.0%	1.5365	1.9461	103.87	161.72

Tags: EUR/JPY, EUR/USD, Fibonacci, GBP/USD, pivot points, technical analysis, USD/JPY

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Dollar Got Pushed Up by Today’s Fundamental Reports

The EUR/USD currency pair sunk down below the yesterday’s close level as the U.S. dollar continued its growth today after some good fundamental reports were released in the United States. Both retail sales and business inventories fulfilled the dollar bulls’ expectations today.

Import and export prices rose in May by 2.3% and 0.3% respectively. That growth followed 2.4% and 0.5% values that were seen a month before.

Initial jobless claims was the one disappointing indicator released today. They rose from 359k to 384k last week, while a growth to 370k was forecasted.

Retail sales report dominated the fundamental trading today. It showed the 1.0% increase for May which was above the consensus 0.5% growth and 0.4% growth in April.

Business inventories added 0.5% in April — a little more than 0.2% a month before and 0.3% average forecast for April.

Tags: business inventories, export and import prices, initial jobless claims, retail sales

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