What is Forex?

Foreign exchange, popularly known as 'Forex' or 'FX', is the trade of a single currency for another at a decided trade price on the over-the-counter (OTC) marketplace. Forex is definitely the world's most traded market, having an average turnover of more than US$4 trillion each day.

Compare this to the New York Stock Exchange, that has a daily turnover of about US$70 billion and it is very obvious how the Forex market is definitely the largest financial market on the globe.

In essence, Forex currency trading is the act of simultaneously purchasing one foreign currency whilst selling another, mainly for the purpose of speculation. Foreign currency values increase (appreciate) and drop (depreciate) towards one another as a result of variety of factors such as economics and geopolitics. The normal objective of FX traders is to make money from these types of changes in the value of one foreign currency against another by actively speculating on which way foreign exchange rates are likely to turn in the future.

In contrast to the majority of financial markets, the OTC (over-the-counter) currency markets does not have any physical place or main exchange and trades 24-hours every day via a worldwide system of companies, financial institutions and individuals. Because of this, currency rates are continuously rising and falling in value towards one another, providing numerous trading choices.

One of the important elements regarding Forex's popularity is the fact that currency trading markets usually are available 24-hours a day from Sunday evening right through to Friday night. Buying and selling follows the clock, beginning on Monday morning in Wellington, New Zealand, moving on to Asian trade spearheaded from Tokyo and Singapore, ahead of going to London and concluding on Friday evening in New York.

The fact that prices are available to deal 24-hours daily makes certain that price gaping (whenever a price leaps from one level to another with no trading between) is less and makes sure that traders could take a position each time they desire, irrespective of time, even though in reality there are particular 'lull' occasions when volumes tend to be below their daily average which could widen market spreads.