
The Foreign Exchange market (Forex) is truly the largest exchange in the world. The amount of dollars
traded on the Forex market on a daily basis is in the trillions. Most of this currency trading takes
place between between large banks, central banks, currency speculators, multinational corporations,
governments, and other financial markets and institutions. However, individual traders are starting
to get in the mix, using internet discount brokers such as Etrade to participate in the currency
exchange market.
There is no central exchange or meeting place for the Forex. All trading is done over computer
networks between traders in different parts of the world. Also, unlike the stock market, the foreign
exchange market is open 24 hours per day, because it is a global market. A trader in Hong Kong may be
exchanging currency with a trader in Australia while an American trader is sleeping.
There are several different markets within the Forex exchange system. First, there is the spot
market. The spot market deals with trades that are based on the current values of currencies. One
person trades a certain amount of currency with another trader in exchange for an equivalent amount
of a different foreign currency. Spot trades take two days for settlement.
The other two types of foreign exchange markets are the forward and futures markets. In the forward
market, the buyer and seller agree on an exchange rate and a transaction date is set for a specific
time in the future, at which point the trade is executed regardless of what the rates are at that
time. On the futures market, futures contracts are bought and sold based upon a standard contract
size and maturity date. Futures trades take place on public commodities markets.
The Foreign Exchange currency market is known as FX. It is the simultaneous buying of one currency
and selling another, currencies are traded and exchanged in pairs. Traders are all unified on one
goal, making profit. Profits are produced when the prices move in the trader direction.
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