Posts Tagged ‘Futures Trading’

How To Prosper At Forex Trading Leverage & The

June 6th, 2010 No Comments

How To Prosper At Forex Trading Leverage & The K-Factor

One of the big reasons that forex trading is an entirely different animal than stock trading or futures trading is leverage. Forex trading leverage can be enormous, as high as 400:1, and in most cases you get to choose the amount of leverage or gearing you want to trade with.

Super high leverage is a selling point for many online forex brokers. How many times have you seen the tout control $100,000 of euro for $250? Those numbers are correct, and, yes, the profit potential of super high leverage is compelling.

This article neither encourages nor discourages forex trading at super high leverage. Thats a personal decision, but a decision that can only be made sensibly with a professional understanding of all the implications of leverage and what they mean to your chances of prospering at forex trading. Its probably fair to say that unless you have a professional understanding of leverage that your chance of even surviving at forex trading is slim to none.

One of the fundamental terms of forex trading is PIP. You will see that XYZ Broker charges 3 PIP per deal, or that the XY currency pair has an average daily range of 100 PIP. We all know that the value of a PIP is a variable that differs with each currency pair, but did you know that the value of a PIP also varies with the current price of the base currency, and with the gearing on your account?

For example, with EUR/USD at 1.2723 and leverage at 100:1 the amount of a PIP is $7.86. At 200:1 leverage the PIP value doubles to $15.72. For forex traders with different gearing a 100 PIP move means entirely different things to their account equity.

Heres a new way to look at leverage with the K Factor. The three most common leverage ratios available from online forex brokers are 50:1, 100:1 and 200:1. The K Factor for the 100:1 leverage ratio is 1. The K Factor for the leverage ratio of 50:1 is .50, and the K Factor for the leverage ratio of 200:1 is 2.

How can you use the K Factor?

There are three ways to use the K Factor. The first is using the K Factor to calculate the value of a PIP for the currency pair you are trading.

Since 100,000 individual currency units (usually dollars or euros) is the normal size of a single lot you can calculate the value of a PIP with this formula:

(100,000/current price with no decimal) * K Factor = PIP

Heres an example: The EUR/USD current price is 1.2723 and your leverage is 100:1. With these facts the formula is:

(100000/12723) * 1 = 7.86.

The value of a PIP is $7.86. If your forex broker executes your trade at a spread of 4 PIPs you are paying $31.44 for executing the trade whatever euphemism the broker happens to be using for commission. If your leverage or gearing is 200:1 that execution will cost you $62.88.

The second way you can use PIP and the K Factor is to quickly determine the potential profit in a trade, or to know to a certainty the actual dollar risk in a stop-loss setting.

For example, if you go long the EUR/USD at 1.2723 and anticipate a move to 1.2850 what profit can you anticipate at 100:1 gearing?

12850 12723 = 127 PIP * 7.86 = $998.22 execution cost.

If you objectively set your stop loss at 1.2715 what amount are you risking in this trade?

12723 12715 = 8 PIP * 7.86 = $62.88 + execution cost.

The third way to use the K Factor is to avoid what the forex brokers call the safety net, and what I call kill but do not dismember.

Margin is not a down payment. Its cash-on-hand, your cash, that the broker uses to protect its own capital account from your mistakes. Thats all well and good because the global forex market will continue to work only if all participating brokers have adequate capital to meet their customers settlement obligations.

If losses from current open positions cause the equity in your account to fall below that required to maintain the total number of open positions, the brokers trading platform will immediately close all your open positions, even when the unrealized loss on any individual position is quite small. Your loss is the aggregate number of PIP per position * K Factor + execution costs. In almost every case thats just about everything in your account. This is the brokers safety net because you will not lose more cash than you had in your account (as can and does happen with commodities futures accounts.)

The formula is:

(Starting Balance Open Position Losses) / (($1,000/K Factor)* No. Open Positions) -1 < 10% = Kill But Do Not Dismember.

Most if not all broker platforms keep a running balance of your available margin to help you avoid this fatal situation. If you intend to trade multiple positions and fade into suspected price turning points you should consider setting up this formula in a spreadsheet so that you get an early warning long before the situation goes critical.

Mini accounts are based on 10,000 individual currency units with different margin requirements so make the necessary adjustment in the above formulas before doing the calculations

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Forex 101 – Foreign Currency Exchange Trading

May 29th, 2010 No Comments

Nearly everyone enjoys making money. More often than not, the more money we make the better we feel and the more confidence we have. These are good things as long as making money doesnt get too emotional. If investing is treated like a business and most of the emotion is left behind, many people can do well with their investments.

Forex Trading, also known as FX Trading is another way you can make money in a trading environment. Everyone has heard of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), each featuring either stock trading or options and futures trading. Forex Trading involves the buying and selling of currencies instead of stocks, bonds, options or futures. It is also different in that there is no physical floor or exchange area like there is in New York or Chicago where the above mentioned exchanges are located. The Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX) can only be accessed by phone or by electronic network. The advantage of not having a central location, but instead having an electronic network, is that the Forex can operate 24 hours a day. In fact, it is open for trading all day and night during work days, roughly 5 days a week.

Since the Spot Forex Market is the largest financial market in the world, it is also the most liquid. This means it is easy to get in and out of a position whenever you want. The more liquid a market is, the easier it is to initiate and fulfill a transaction. Of course, the objective when trading in any market is to buy low and sell high. With Online Forex Trading, a person buys and sells the currencies of other nations. If one believes the U.S. Dollar will strengthen against the EURO, for instance, they can buy Dollars now and sell them later at a profit. Currencies are traded in currency pairs and each currency is represented by a 3 letter code. Therefore, a rate, which consists of a pair of currency codes, will end up being a 6 letter code. For instance, USD/GBP is considered a currency pair with each containing three letters for a total of 6 in a rate.

Your objective as a Forex trader is to make sure you can correctly identify the current trend in the currencies you are trading and to make sure you are buying a currency which is appreciating in value and selling a currency which is depreciating. Slightly different than stock trading, you will utilize special software programs which allow you to participate in Online Forex Trading. You can also participate in Forex Trading Education at many Forex Trading company websites, and some allow you to test your Forex Trading Strategy in a practice mode before you actually use your own money.

Forex or FX Currency Trading can be an exciting alternative to the stock, bond, option or precious metals markets. To some it is a simpler way to trade and profit. To others it is a welcome break from disappointing corporate news that can drive a stock down dramatically in seconds. Whatever your reasons, Forex Trading may be just the break you need from other investments you may be tiring of.

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Forex 101 – Foreign Currency Exchange Trading

February 23rd, 2010 No Comments

Nearly everyone enjoys making money. More often than not, the more money we make the better we feel and the more confidence we have. These are good things as long as making money doesnt get too emotional. If investing is treated like a business and most of the emotion is left behind, many people can do well with their investments.

Forex Trading, also known as FX Trading is another way you can make money in a trading environment. Everyone has heard of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), each featuring either stock trading or options and futures trading. Forex Trading involves the buying and selling of currencies instead of stocks, bonds, options or futures. It is also different in that there is no physical floor or exchange area like there is in New York or Chicago where the above mentioned exchanges are located. The Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX) can only be accessed by phone or by electronic network. The advantage of not having a central location, but instead having an electronic network, is that the Forex can operate 24 hours a day. In fact, it is open for trading all day and night during work days, roughly 5 days a week.

Since the Spot Forex Market is the largest financial market in the world, it is also the most liquid. This means it is easy to get in and out of a position whenever you want. The more liquid a market is, the easier it is to initiate and fulfill a transaction. Of course, the objective when trading in any market is to buy low and sell high. With Online Forex Trading, a person buys and sells the currencies of other nations. If one believes the U.S. Dollar will strengthen against the EURO, for instance, they can buy Dollars now and sell them later at a profit. Currencies are traded in currency pairs and each currency is represented by a 3 letter code. Therefore, a rate, which consists of a pair of currency codes, will end up being a 6 letter code. For instance, USD/GBP is considered a currency pair with each containing three letters for a total of 6 in a rate.

Your objective as a Forex trader is to make sure you can correctly identify the current trend in the currencies you are trading and to make sure you are buying a currency which is appreciating in value and selling a currency which is depreciating. Slightly different than stock trading, you will utilize special software programs which allow you to participate in Online Forex Trading. You can also participate in Forex Trading Education at many Forex Trading company websites, and some allow you to test your Forex Trading Strategy in a practice mode before you actually use your own money.

Forex or FX Currency Trading can be an exciting alternative to the stock, bond, option or precious metals markets. To some it is a simpler way to trade and profit. To others it is a welcome break from disappointing corporate news that can drive a stock down dramatically in seconds. Whatever your reasons, Forex Trading may be just the break you need from other investments you may be tiring of.

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Comments on Forex Trading Account Sizes, Lots and Margin Calls.

January 23rd, 2010 No Comments

Comments on Forex Trading Account Sizes, Lots and Margin Calls.

Forex trading is one of the best business opportunities you can think of joining these days. No other market in the world allows the Leverage that the profitable world of currency-trading does. Leverage is all about margin trading. In the Forex market, it is essentially the ratio of the amount used in a trade to the required security deposit needed, by the particular broker you chose to use, for that trade.

Normally, for most brokerages, a margin deposit of just $1,000 allows you to control a $100,000 position in the Forex market. That’s 100:1 leverage, or 1%. Or, said in a different way, a regular full-sized account, sometimes referred to as a 100k account, allows you to trade with lot sizes equal to $100,000. Each lot is worth $100,000 in currency. So It would only require $1,000 to trade one lot.

This great feature in Forex trading is what makes this market the hottest market to trade in right now. The Forex broker has given you a loan of $99,000 dollars secured only by your $1,000! This is a huge loan and, as you may know by now, this is what allows traders to make extraordinary incomes in this market. And, as you also are probably used to hearing , “leverage is a two-edged sword” , it is what can cause you to lose a lot of money if you trade without rules or Stop-loss orders.

But just as an example, let’s say you were a person that likes to trade with reckless abandon, i.e., with no strategy, no common sense, no money- management principles, etc. Thats never recommended for anyone, but being a Forex trader has such great advantages, that even someone with a trading mind like the one described before, will never lose more than what he has placed into a trade.

Unlike Futures (Commodity Trading), the market that most people associate with High leverage, you can never have a debit balance when trading Forex.

So, despite the greater leverage associated with FX trading, it is still arguably less risky than futures trading. Futures markets are often prone to sudden and dramatic moves, against which you cant protect yourself, even by trading with protective stops. Your position may be liquidated at a loss, and youll be liable for any resulting deficit in the account. But because of the Forex markets great liquidity and 24-hour, continuous trading, dangerous trading gaps and limit moves are very unprobable. Orders are executed quickly, without slippage or partial fills, which is just great.

And as it was not enough, there are no margin calls, for your protection, the forex broker’s trading platform will automatically close out some or all of your open positions if your account equity, meaning the total floating value of the account, falls below the level required to hold the positions. Think of this as a final, automatic stop, always working on your behalf to prevent a debit balance.

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How To Start Trading The Forex Market ? (Part

December 4th, 2009 No Comments

How To Start Trading The Forex Market ? (Part 4 )

How Currencies are quoted and what moves individual currencies?

ONE of the best advantages in FOREX Trading is

The amount of money you need to place a trade (known as “margin”) is all that can be lost !

You have to know, that despite the super-high leverage offered by some Forex brokers up to (400:1); meaning if you put up $ 1000 the broker will allow you to trade like you really have $400.000).

Forex trading is still less riskier than Stock or Futures Trading, where you can loose more than you have deposited in your account.

This type of LEVERAGE does NOT EXIST in the equities or futures market

In the Equities or Futures markets, very often, sudden and dramatic moves occur, against which you cant protect yourself, even by having placed your protective stops.

Your position may be liquidated at a loss, and youll be liable for any resulting deficit in the account.

But because of the FX markets deep liquidity and 24-hour, continuous trading, dangerous trading gaps and limit moves are almost eliminated.

Orders are executed quickly, without slippage or partial fills. And finally, there are no margin calls. For your protection, the broker will automatically close out some or all of your open positions if your account equity falls below the level required to hold the positions.

Think of this as a final, automatic stop, always working on your behalf to prevent a debit balance.

Currencies are traded in dollar amounts called LOTS

In Forex trading, with most Brokers, you have the choice between 2 different lot sizes.

Standard Lots or Mini Lots.

One Standard lot is equal to $100,000 in currency. The margin requirements, using a 400:1 Leverage, would be US$ 250, in other word you control $100,000 worth of currency for only 250 US dollars.

You mean, depositing $250 with a broker, I could trade 100,000$ worth of currency ???

NO, be aware, that your account size has to be more than the required margin of US 250. For example, if you place an order to buy 1 Standard lot ( @100,000) of USD/JPY and USD/JPY is quoted as 112.10/112.13, you buy USD/JPY at 112.13.

Your account balance would be $220, because you paid 3 pips or $ 30 for this trade.

If you would close this trade immediately, you have to sell it at 112.10 (the bid price) , for a loss of $ 30.

In fact you could not get executed on this trade, as the brokers trading platform would reject your order, for the reason of having insufficient funds in your account).

So, your account balance has to be minimum $280. $250 for margin and $30 for the trade.

BUT….IF, after you have initiated the trade to buy USD/JPY at 112.13, and the USD/JPY falls the next second 1 pip ( approx. $8), your position would be closed automatically, because of margin deficit.

I will explain later about having an adequate account size to trade the Forex Market.

Currencies are always traded in pairs in the FOREX. The pairs have a unique notation that expresses what currencies are being traded.

The symbol for a currency pair will always be in the form ABC/DEF. ABC/DEF is not a real currency pair, it is an example of a symbol for a currency pair. In this example ABC is the symbol for one countries currency and DEF is the symbol for another countries currency.

Some of the most common symbols used in Forex are:

USD – The US Dollar
EUR – The currency of the European Union “EURO”
GBP – The British Pound or cable
JPY – The Japanese Yen
CHF – The Swiss Franc
AUD – The Australian Dollar
CAD – The Canadian Dollar

There are symbols for other currencies as well, but these are the most commonly traded ones.

A currency can never be traded by itself. So you can not ever trade the USD by itself. You always need to BUY one currency and SELL another currency to make a trade possible.

Some of the most traded currency pairs are:

EUR/USD Euro against US Dollar

USD/JPY US Dollar against Japanese Yen

GBP/USD British Pound against US Dollar

USD/CAD US Dollar against Canadian Dollar

AUD/USD Australian Dollar against US Dollar

USD/CHF US Dollar against Swiss Franc

EUR/JPY Euro against Japanese Yen

The currency left of the / is called the base currency.

The currency right of the / is called the counter currency.

When you place an order to buy the EUR/USD, for instance, you are actually buying the EUR and selling the USD.

If you were to sell the pair, you would be selling the EUR and buying the USD. So if you buy or sell a currency PAIR, you are buying/selling the base currency.

The best way to remember is, by just thinking of the entire currency pair as one item.

If you buy it…you buy the first currency and sell the second currency. If you sell it…you sell the first currency and buy the second currency.

That means you would to be able to short-sell with no restrictions so you could make money when the market drops as well as when it rises.

The problem with traditional stock market or commodity trading is that the market has to go up for you to make money. With FOREX trading you can make money in all directions.

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