FOREX TRADING

Now that you know how forex is traded, it’s time to learn how to calculate your profits and losses. When you close out a trade, take the price (exchange rate) when selling the base currency and subtract the price when buying the base currency, then multiply the difference by the transaction size. That will give you your profit or loss.

Price (exchange rate) when selling the base currency – price when buying the base currency X transaction size = profit or loss

Let’s look at an example.

Assume you buy Euros at $1.2178 per Euro and sell Euros at $1.2188 per Euro. The transaction size is 100,000 Euros. To calculate your profit or loss, you take the selling price of $1.2188, subtract the buying price of $1.2178 and multiply the difference by the transaction size of 100,000.

($1.2188 – 1.2178) X 100,000 = $100

In this example, you would have a $100 profit from this transaction.

Let’s try it again using a different currency.

Assume you buy British pounds at $1.8384 and sell them at $1.8389. The transaction size is 10,000. What is your profit or loss?

By following the formula we discussed earlier, you should be able to determine that you would see a $5.00 gain from this transaction.

($1.8389 – $1.8384) X 10,000 = $5.00

If you sell 100,000 Euros at $1.2170 per Euro and buy 100,000 Euros at 1.2180 per Euro, would you have a profit or loss on the transaction and how much would it be?
Take the selling price of $1.2170 and subtract the buying price of $1.2180 and then multiply the difference by 100,000.

($1.2170 – $1.2180) X 100,000 = –$100

If you calculated a loss of $100, you calculated correctly.

You can also calculate your unrealized profits and losses on open positions. Just substitute the current bid or ask rate for the action you will take when closing out the position. For example, if you bought 100,000 Euros at 1.2178 and the current bid rate is 1.2173, you have an unrealized loss of $50.

($1.2173 – $1.2178) X 100,000 = –$50

Similarly, if you sold 100,000 Euros at 1.2170 and the current ask rate is 1.2165, you have an unrealized profit of $50.

($1.2170 – $1.2165) X 100,000 = $50

If the quote currency is not in US dollars, you will have to convert the profit or loss to US dollars at the dealer’s rate.

Let’s look at an example using a USD/JPY spread. If you lost 50,000 Japanese yen on the transaction and the dealer’s rate is $.0091 for each yen, what is your loss in dollars?
By multiplying the transaction size (50,000) by the dealer's rate ($.0091), you will find that your loss is $455.

50,000 X $.0091 = $455
Remember that you must also subtract any dealer commissions or other fees from your profits or add them to your losses to determine your true profits and losses. Also, remember that the dealer makes money from the spread. If you immediately liquidate your position using the same spread, you will automatically lose money.

Now let’s take a look at how foreign currencies are quoted and priced. Currencies are designated by three-letter symbols. The standard symbols for some of the most commonly traded currencies are shown below.


EUR
Euro
USD
United States dollar
CAD
Canadian dollar
GBP
British pound
JPY
Japanese yen
AUD
Australian dollar
CHF
Swiss franc

Currency pairs are often quoted as bid-ask spreads. The first part of the quote is the amount of the quote currency you will receive in exchange for one unit of the base currency (the bid price). The second part of the quote is the amount of the quote currency you must spend for one unit of the base currency (the ask or offer price). For example, a EUR/USD spread of 1.2170/1.2178 means that you can sell one Euro for $1.2170 and buy one Euro for $1.2178. This spread could also be quoted as 1.2170/78.
Let’s look at another example.

If the USD/CHF spread is listed as 1.2440/1.2443, you can sell one US dollar for 1.2440 Swiss francs and buy one US dollar for 1.2443 Swiss francs.

Remember that the forex market has no central marketplace. The forex dealer determines the execution price, so you are relying on the dealer’s integrity for a fair price.
In this currency pair, which is the base currency?

CAD/USD

The correct answer is the Canadian dollar, or CAD. Remember, the first currency in a currency pair is the base currency and the second currency is the quote currency.

Using this USD/JPY spread (110.45/55), how many Japanese yen would it take to buy one US dollar?
It would take 110.55 yen to purchase one US dollar.

Who determines the execution price—the trader, the dealer or the exchange?

The correct answer is the dealer. Remember that the forex markets we are discussing have no central exchange on which the contracts are traded, and you as the trader have no control over the execution price.

Simply put, foreign currency exchange rates are what it costs to exchange one country’s currency for another country’s currency. For example, if you go to England on vacation, you will have to pay for your hotel, meals, admissions fees, souvenirs and other expenses in British pounds. Since your money is all in US dollars, you will have to sell some of your dollars to buy British pounds.
Let’s assume that you have decided to take a trip to England. Before you leave, you go to your bank and buy $1,000 worth of British pounds. If you get 565.83 British pounds (£565.83) for your $1,000, each dollar is worth .56583 British pounds. This is the exchange rate for converting dollars to pounds.
After spending a few days in England, you realize that £565.83 won’t be enough to cover all of your expenses. So you go to a bank in England and buy another $1,000 worth of British pounds. This time, however, you get only £557.02 for your $1,000. The exchange rate for converting dollars to pounds has dropped from .56583 to .55702. This means that US dollars are worth less compared to the British pound than they were before you left on vacation.
When you arrive home, you still have some British pounds left. So you go to your bank and use your remaining £100 to buy US dollars. If the bank gives you $179.31, each British pound is worth 1.7931 dollars. This is the exchange rate for converting pounds to dollars.
But what if you were traveling to France? The currency used in France is the Euro. If you go to your bank and buy $1,000 worth of Euros with an exchange rate of 0.8064, how many Euros will you get?
Exchanging $1,000 for Euros with an exchange rate of 0.8064 means you will receive 806.40 Euros. Conversely, if you were living in France and planned a vacation in the United States, you would go to your bank to buy US dollars with Euros.

If the exchange rate was 1.2403, how many U.S. dollars would you get for your 1,000 Euros?
You would receive $1,240.30 for your 1,000 Euros.

Theoretically, you can convert the exchange rate for buying a currency to the exchange rate for selling a currency, and vice versa, by dividing 1 by the known rate. For example, if the exchange rate for buying British pounds with US dollars is .56011, the exchange rate for buying US dollars with British pounds is 1.78536. In other words, one divided by .56011 equals 1.78536. Similarly, if the exchange rate for buying US dollars with British pounds is 1.78536, the exchange rate for buying British pounds with US dollars is .56011 (or one divided by 1.78536 equals .56011). This is how newspapers often report currency exchange rates.
You should know, however, that you will not receive the price quoted in the newspaper if you trade forex. That’s because banks and other market participants make money by selling the currency to customers for more than they paid to buy it and by buying the currency from customers for less than they will receive when they sell it. This difference is called a spread and we’ll talk more about spreads later in this program.

As you can see, currency exchange rates fluctuate. Retail customers who trade in the forex market hope to profit from those fluctuations.

American-style option – An option contract that may be exercised at any time before it expires.

Ask – The quoted price at which a customer can buy a currency pair. Also referred to as the ‘offer,’ ‘ask price,’ or ‘ask rate.’

Base Currency – For foreign exchange trading, currencies are quoted in terms of a currency pair. The first currency in the pair is the base currency. For example, in a USD/JPY currency pair, the US dollar is the base currency. Also may be referred to as the primary currency.

Bid – The quoted price where a customer can sell a currency pair. Also known as the 'bid price' or 'bid rate.'

Bid/Ask Spread – The point difference between the bid and ask (offer) price.

Currency pair – The two currencies that make up a foreign exchange rate. For example, USD/YEN is a currency pair.

Dealer – A firm in the business of acting as a counterparty to foreign currency transactions.

European-style option – An option contract that can be exercised only on or near its expiration date.

Expiration – This is the last day on which an option may either be exercised or offset.

Interbank market – A loose network of currency transactions negotiated between financial institutions and other large companies.

Leverage – The ability to control large dollar amount of a commodity with a comparatively small amount of capital. Also known as ‘gearing.’

Margin – See Security Deposit.

Offer – See Ask.

Open position – Any transaction that has not been closed out by a corresponding opposite transaction.

Quote currency – The second currency in a currency pair is referred to as the quote currency. For example, in a USD/JPY currency pair, the Japanese yen is the quote currency. Also referred to as the secondary currency or the counter currency.

Rollover – The process of extending the settlement date on an open position by rolling it over to the next settlement date.

Security deposit – The amount of money needed to open or maintain a position. Also known as ‘margin.’

Settlement – The actual delivery of currencies made on the maturity date of a trade.

Spread – The point difference between the ask and bid price of a currency pair.

Trader – An individual who is on the other side of the trade with the dealer and whose objective is to profit from price movements.

Forex trading, as one of the leading markets worldwide, is a very lucrative opportunity and it can bring huge profits to traders. Forex trading can also be very risky, especially to the new inexperienced traders. That is why every trader should trade smart and develop his/her own trading strategy that works and follow it consistently.

First, learn as much as you can about forex before you even consider actual trading. Knowledge and experience cannot be substituted when it comes to trading forex. You can find a lot of forex trading resources and e-books online that can help you get started.

A very good way to understand forex trading better is to start trading with demo accounts. These demo accounts represent simulation of real trading where you trade with “virtual” money instead of real money. Demo accounts are completely risk free and excellent way to see if you are capable of making money with forex, or not. They are also very good for practicing forex trading and sharpening your skills as a forex trader.

Once you feel you are ready, choose forex broker and start real trading. Be also careful with broker selection. Brokers should be regulated by globally recognized institution and must be able to provide registration or license number. Also avoid trading with brokers that offer higher leverage than 300:1. Most brokers should offer help and training to their traders. Forex brokers should also offer ability to open demo accounts and trade with virtual money.

Keep in mind that trading with virtual money can be different from trading with real money and some traders that trade successfully with demo accounts don’t experience same success with real accounts.
One of the explanations why this happens lies in human psychology and emotions. When you trade with virtual money, you can’t really lose anything while in real accounts you can and this fear of loss emotion usually leads to bad decisions.

Emotions in forex are your enemy and you have to always stay cool. Develop your trading strategy and follow it no matter if some trades may feel right or wrong. Also trade with money you can afford to lose so you won’t have to bump your head against the wall if some trades go wrong. Remember, forex is not a way to get out of a debt and stay out of it if you are in desperate need for money. Forex trading requires patience and lack of emotions. In time, when you become experienced trader, you will know more what you can and what you can’t do and how much money you can earn.

More and more people are waking up and realizing that there are better ways to earn money online by trading currency. These days the internet offers us all much opportunity when it comes trading currency over the net in a real time environment. There are now software applications like Forex Trading Software that make online trading a secure breeze and walk in the park. If you are still not convinced these three reasons will surely convince you otherwise.

1. Forex Trading Software is totally free you can download it safely from a number of sites and it is really easy to use. They even include a help menu and they have answers to just about any of the questions that you may have.

2. Forex Trading Software offers a free trial period where you can learn to trade online using play money on a real market. This trial and error period is awesome and allows people to learn the ins and the outs of trading online using Forex Trading Software.

3. Finally, you can take a few short investment classes online and learn how to easily master Forex Trading Software to work for you. Many people have found that they are making great money by using Forex Trading Software to up their bank accounts.