Saturday, July 10, 2010

Calculating Forex Correlation

Forex Currency Correlation Calculation

Here is the correlation calculation process reviewed step-by step:

1. Get the pricing data of two currency pairs.For example the EUR / USD and USD / CHF.
2. Make two columns, each labeled with one of these pairs. Then, fill the columns with the latest prices that occurred a day for each pair during the period under forex review.
3. At the bottom of a column in an empty space, type = Correl (
4. Highlight all the data in a column of prices, you must obtain a range of cells in the formula box.
5. Add a comma.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for the other currency
7. Close the formula so that it looks a = Correl (A1: A40, B1: B40)
8. The number represents the correlation occurs between the two currency pairs.

Although the correlations change, no need to update your numbers every day, updating once every week or at least once a month is usually a good idea.

See part 1: Forex Currency Pair Correlations

Forex Currency Pair Correlations

Forex Correlation Strategy

One possible strategy would be the investment of 2 currency pairs based on the correlation of the reversal. You can track the correlation of 2 pairs of currencies over time and if it escapes from the norm can reverse direction to grip to fit the correlation again.

For example, if the EUR / USD and USD / CHF has a correlation of -. 90 and the EUR / USD has high volatility, while the USD / CHF is not moving much, you can go short on EUR / USD and USD / CHF and for the correlation to retake following the fall of the EUR / USD and USD / CHF to reverse correlation to the historical average. Of course, we must take into account that the correlation is not stagnant and there is no guarantee that will always return.

Assuming you already have an open forex account.

Forex Correlations

It is evident that the correlations change, which makes following the change of the correlations are equally important to global economic changes, as they are very dynamic and can change even from day to day.

Strong basic correlations might not be consistent with the longer-term correlation between two currencies. This is the reason why it should be noted the six-month correlation.

This is the advantage of an automatic system. Also very important is the proportion of a clearer perspective of the average six-month relationship between the two pairs of currencies, which tends to be more accurate. The correlation changes for a variety of reasons. The most common discrepancies are monetary, sensitivity to commodity prices and the economic and political factors.

See part 2: Calculating Forex Correlation

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

An Introduction To Forex Trading

Most people have heard of trading, like the New York Stock Exchange, and Forex trading isn’t far off from that. The difference is, is that Forex trading is the trading of currencies, not stocks. It also has a larger volume than stock and bond markets combined! As with stocks, it is a high-risk investment, but it can also have an extremely high return, easily doubling investments in minutes.

The best part about Forex trading, is that it is done using a margin. That is, you don’t need the full amount to buy a currency. A Forex trader blog can buy $100,000.00 with just $1,000.00. This allows traders to make huge profits with minimal investment. And the Forex market is open to all types of investors, not just big organizations, and banks.

The best place for an investor to start when considering the Forex market, is the Forex community. Research is key to understanding Forex trading. Consulting Forex forums and community boards can be extremely beneficial.

The next thing to do would be to choose a system. A system, is a specially designed method, software, or course developed by professional in Forex trading. There are many systems out there, so research must be dome to make sure the system fits your needs. Before purchasing a system, you should ask them a few questions like, how long have they been in this business, and and if there is a trial version available. Make sure that they have customer testimonials too.

By going to Forex forums, and chat rooms, one might be able to find out what system others are using, or what systems are recommended most. Most professional traders believe that having a trading system is an important factor in establishing a stable revenue in the forex market. Systems tell investors when, and what, should be done in each trading situation.

Another thing that an investor will need is a broker, to assist with transactions. There’s a wide variety of brokers, so be prepared with questions about their credentials. Ask them about their leverage, and their spread. As these are both determining factors in how much money the investor can make with each investment. The investor may also choose to handle transactions themselves.

An investor also needs to master analysis, and form a strategy, to get a competitive edge, and improve their odds. They need to learn to recognize the different factors that affect the Forex market. A person has a much better chance of success at trading forex, if they do their research, and know what to look for. And, in conclusion, it doesn’t matter if a person is experienced or a beginner in the world of Forex!

Learning Forex Currency Trading Online

There has never been a better time to learn Forex currency trading online. Although there are many Forex training materials available online there are very few that will actually produce measurable results for most people like a good eur/usd forecast. In the Forex trading industry there are many different approaches and strategies being taught and used. A few people are having extraordinary results with consistent profit and today’s technology enables any Forex trading entrepreneur to have access to the knowledge that those traders are willing to share.

A good place to start learning for free is in a forum. However, it has been my experience that some of the most popular Forex trading forums are inhabited by some of the more negative minded people in the industry. Newcomers who even make a slightly positive comment about Forex trading will sometimes be attacked by the obviously unhappy people who resent the idea that it is possible for others to easily succeed. Most forums will actually damage your ability to succeed rather than help. That is why our Forex trading forum was formed with the intention of helping and encouraging only. Negative comments are simply deleted and users who consistently display negative attitude are permanently banned.

A Forex video training course is one of the most effective learning tools for enabling students to master the art of trading. As opposed to live seminars which are also more expensive, Forex training videos can be viewed at any convenient time and replayed again and again. There may be sections that warrant repeated viewing while other sections can be viewed briefly or skipped. The video format for learning has proven to be extremely effective for learning trading principles quickly.

Live web conferences are another amazing tool for aiding the process of learning Forex trading. In a live web conference or webinar participants can interact in real time hearing the presenter speak and seeing her screen while explaining or demonstrating Forex trading entry signals. The presenter can also pass the screen sharing feature to any participant so that he can ask questions about what he is seeing on his charts. This medium has accelerated the learning process tremendously for many Forex trading students. It is this kind of technology that makes learning Forex currency trading online a very enjoyable and effective process.

Forex Trading And The Stock Market - Similarities And Differences

Most people get their introduction to financial trading through the stock market. After all, it is the oldest and largest financial market in the world, right? Wrong! The forex trades over $2 trillion (with a "T") a day, and has been around as long as money itself . What's more, the forex is even easier for individuals to participate in than the stock market-and best of all, there are no commissions on forex trades!

That is one difference. But there are also plenty of similarities. Since most people have a relatively strong understanding of the stock market, and many may be considering a move from the stock market to the forex, this article will explore the differences and similarities between the two financial markets.

Differences

As noted above, there are no commissions on forex trades. This is because everything is done electronically. In fact, there is no physical place known as "the forex" -- it exists entirely in cyberspace. That makes for much lower overhead, hence the "free trades" (see similarities for why trades aren't exactly free), and also allows for a twenty-four-hours a day trading platform, five-and-a-half days a week.

Secondly, while many stock-market investors use margin, most don't. In the forex, everyone uses margin -- and to a much larger degree than anyone uses it in the stock market. In the stock market, margin is capped at 50%. This means that if you have $5,000 in your account, the maximum value of stock you can purchase is $10,000. But in the forex, typical margin ratios are 100:1, meaning you can control $100,000 of worth of currency with just $1,000 in your account! This is one of the major appeals of the forex.

Thirdly, while there are 13,000+ stocks for stock-market investors to follow (and even more mutual funds, ETFs, etc.), there are essentially eight major currencies (and only seven currency pairs) for forex traders to follow.

Similarities

Well, forex trades aren't exactly "free." Just like in the stock market, there is a bid/ask spread. What this means it that the market maker will pay you less for a currency than the price for which he is willing to sell it to you. For example, you may be able to buy $1 in U.S. currency for $1.0905 in Canadian money, but when you want to turn around and buy back Canadian dollars, you will have to pay more than one U.S. dollar to get back your 1.0905 Canadian dollars.

Perhaps the biggest similarity between the stock market and the forex is the use of technical analysis -- also known as "chartology." Technical analysis principles hold up no matter what asset is being traded, so if you've become a master candlestick-reading stock trader, you can easily apply your talents to the forex.

Finally, when placing a trade, many of the same options are available in the forex as in the stock market. Limit orders -- which set the maximum price you're willing to pay or the minimum price you're willing to receive -- can be used in the forex just as with stocks, as can stop losses.

In Conclusion...

There are a lot of similarities between the stock market and the forex, and some experience trading stocks is a good thing to have under your belt. But far superior is experience actually trading currencies, and this is not a Catch-22. You can trade currencies before you really join the forex by opening a forex demo account. Most forex brokers offer these accounts, free of charge, which let you get your feet wet without the risk of getting soaked. Learn all you can about the forex, try out your strategies in a practice account, and in little time at all, you'll be ready to swim with the big fish in the biggest pond in all of finance -- the forex!