Understanding Forex Trading Sessions

By Ahmad Hassam

Currency trading volumes in the Asia Pacific session account for about 21% of the total daily global volume. The financial centers active during the Asia Pacific session are Wellington, Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore. The currency pairs traded are USD/JPY, EUR/JPY and AUD/JPY.

In terms of the most actively traded currency pairs during the Asia Pacific trading session that means news and data reports from Australia, New Zealand and Japan are going to be hitting the market during the session.

The Japanese financial centers are most active during this session so you can get a sense of what the Japanese market is doing based on price movements. Much of the action during this session is focused on the Japanese Yen currency pairs because of the size of the Japanese market and the importance of Japanese data to the market.

About midway through the Asian trading day, European financial centers begin to open up and the market gets to its full swing. European financial centers and London represent over 50% of the total global trading volume.

The forex market interest and liquidity is at its peak during the European session The European session overlaps with half of the Asian trading day and half of the North American trading day.

As a result some the biggest moves and the most active trading takes place in the European currencies (EUR, GBP and CHF) and the euro cross currency pairs (EUR/CHF and EUR/GBP).

The European trading session is the most important for currency traders. EUR/USD is the most heavily traded currency pair. This pair is influenced by the European as well as US economic and political news. The trading volumes are much bigger in the European Session because of the overlap between the North American and European trading sessions. Some of the biggest and most meaningful directional price movements take place during this crossover period.

The North American Session basically comprises New York and Chicago as financial centers. The North American trading session accounts for roughly the same share of the global trading volume as the Asia Pacific market, or about 22% of the daily global trading volume.

The North American morning is when US key economic data are released and the forex market makes many of its significant decisions on the value of USD. Most US data reports are released around 8:30 AM EST with others coming out later at around 9 AM and 10:00 AM EST.

Canadian economic data reports are also released between 7 and 9 AM EST. There are some US economic reports that come out at noon or at 2:00 PM EST livening up the New York afternoon market.

When the European trading session closes, most of the European traders try to close their open positions. The London or European close can bring volatile flurries of activity. London and European financial centers begin to wind down their daily trading operations around noon eastern time each day. The 12 to 15 hours before an important news announcement (i.e. the U.S. FOMC announcement or the U.S. Non-farm payroll) is a low volume time in the market as well because most banks and institutional traders are sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what the news will be. And as we just discussed, lower trading volumes lead to choppy, ranging markets. And again, choppy, ranging markets are one of the best times to scalp and pull pips out of the market.

On most trading days, market liquidity and interest falls off significantly in the New York afternoon this can make for challenging trading conditions. On quiet days, the generally lower market interest typically leads to stagnating price action. - 23212

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Try These 1500 Pips A Day Forex Signals From Heaven. Know Forex Rebellion!

British Pound Profile (Part I)

By Ahmad Hassam

Another name for the British Pound (GBP) is Pound Sterling. GBP is also known as the Cable. This name most probably struck in the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century when most of the global trading used to be done through the cable. GBP used to be the international currency of choice in those days. United Kingdom (UK) is the fourth largest economy in the world. UK has a service oriented economy with manufacturing representing a small part of GDP. Manufacturing is only equivalent to one fifth of GDP.

London is still the forex center of the world. London Stock Exchange is still the second most important stock exchange in the world after the New York Stock Exchange. The British capital market systems are one of the most developed in the world and as a result finance and banking has become a strong contributor to the GDP.

UK has large reserves of oil and gas in its North Sea. Offshore drilling has made the energy production industry account for 10% of GDP which is one of the highest shares of any industrialized nation. UK is the largest producer and exporter of natural gas to EU although majority of UK GDP is from services.

This is important for forex traders as increases in energy prices such as oil will significantly benefit the large number of UK oil exporters. Overall, UK is a net importer of goods with a consistent trade deficit.

The United States on an individual basis still remains UKs largest trading partner. However, the largest trading partner of UK is the EU with the trade between the two accounting for almost 50% of UK imports and exports activities.

The leading import sources for UK are Germany, France, United States, Belgium and the Netherlands. The leading exports markets for UK exporters are the United States, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

The possibility of Euro adoption will still be in the backs of minds of pound traders for many years to come. UK had rejected adopting Euro as its currency in June 2003. Now, if UK decides to join EMU, it will have significant ramifications for its economy.

The most important of which is the adjustment of UK interest rate with the Eurozone interest rate. One of the primary arguments used against adopting the Euro is that UK has sound macroeconomic policies that have worked very well for the country.

Right now Brits are not in favor of a Euro entry. There are many arguments in favor of Euro entry and many against.UK is a highly political country with government officials highly concerned about the voter approval ratings. The voter opinion can change overtime. However, the likelihood of EMU entry will decline if the voters do not support Euro entry.

Bank of England: The Bank of England (BOE) is the UKs central bank. The Monetary Policy Committee is the nine member committee that sets the monetary policy for UK. It consists of a governor, two deputy governor, two executive directors of the central bank and four outside experts. The committee was granted operational independence in 1997. - 23212

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Try These 1500 Pips A Day Forex Signals From Heaven. Know Forex Rebellion!

Currency Trading Education - The Secret To Success!

By Nigel Gartini

Getting a solid currency trading education is the first step to making money in this market. FOREX trading is highly competitive. The more you know the better your results will be. The traders you will be competing against have prepared themselves, so it is imperative that you do the same. And after you have a strong education, continue to learn.

Maintaining a selection of high quality books and publications written by experienced, successful traders is essential to acquiring a solid currency trading education. Learning from the top traders is the best way to prepare to become a top trader. Keep yourself up-to-date by reading publications that pertain to the industry.

Trading courses are recommended by most experienced traders. Find one that is taught by and experienced currency trader. You may find the best classes by asking for a recommendation from other traders. Classes can be very helpful whether online are in a classroom setting.

There are many tools traders use to aid in their decision making. Charting and technical analysis is used by nearly all traders. Charts can help you become familiar with price patterns and what may cause these patterns to develop. Trends are more easily identified with a solid understanding of charting and the technical aspects of price behavior. Many times a price trend may continue for a good span of time, so learning how to recognize them will surely increase you ability to make money. History does have a tendency to repeat itself. Using charts will put you at an advanatage to those who decide not to use them.

Market conditions or fundamental analysis is another way to try and predict market action. Interest rate changes, changes in the inflation rate and other economic factors go into a fundamental analysis. The level of a country's political and environmental stability is a fundamental consideration. When a trader can use a combination of technical analysis and charting along with fundamental factors in making predictions, they are more likely to have more profitable results.

The old adage "practice makes perfect" holds true in currency trading just as it does in most other areas. You should open your trading account with a broker who will allow you to use a demo account to practice trading for a period of time. This will give you time to develop a trading discipline and correct some of your mistakes. Your trading instincts will be more polished as well. If a broker will not allow you to practice real-time trading, you need to find a new broker. Don't pass up the opportunity to sharpen your skills.

Keeping your trading skills polished is a critical issue for maintaining a long term career in the currency market. Continual self-study is the best way to do this. Keep up with industry publications to continue to build your knowledge.

Get the best currency trading education you possibly can. It will move you to levels of success that nothing else in the market can. Spend the time and money to make yourself an expert. - 23212

About the Author:

Above all be sure to get a good currency trading education BEFORE you start currency option trading!

Is Investing In Real Estate Right For You?

By Thommas Anderson

A sad fact only 5% of Americans are going to have enough money to retire. That leaves the rest of us in a predicament. However, with meticulous scheduling and a basic comprehension of investing, you can easily become a member that 5%, even if you don't make that much money every year.

A excellent way to become a member that 5% is through real estate. I appreciate that this is not a well-liked opinion right now given the position of the market. Regardless, investing in real estate has made countless millionaires throughout history. In addition, investing in real estate gives significant benefits over other investments These details are particularly true in a down market because you as an investor have the chance to buy property at a low cost that ought to appreciate over time.

With this in mind, what are the steps? The initial thing you must know is that there are three areas to focus on when buying an investment property. The most essential area is the rents and if they will cover your expenses. The next is the broad appreciation over time. The third area of focus is the effect that the investment will have on your taxes. When you look at a potential investment property these are the basic issues that you need to address.

Many real estate investors make the oversight of not entirely evaluating the investment chance before buying the property. There are many real estate investment software products on the market, and many of these real estate software programs are at no cost for investors to download.

As a apprentice in real estate investing, you could not entirely realize all of the ratios and data that a retail or complimentary real estate investment software program gives, the data provided by the program is still essential to guide you on your decision. For most software programs the basic data is reasonably easy to understand and will allow you to get a feel for if the rent will cover the cost of the investment and if the investment property will truly be profitable. The more in-depth data returned from the real estate software could be better understood by bankers and accountants. Conversely, these are professionals that you ought to come to know as you begin investing in real estate. - 23212

About the Author:

Freetrainer.com provides real estate investors with a free downloadable residential and commercial real estate investment software. Visit AgentsOnline today to learn more about investing in real estate.

Foreign Exchange Trading, Easy As Pie

By John Eather

What is foreign exchange trading exactly?- The foreign exchange market is employed for foreign exchange trading, where one currency is traded in for another. The forex market is the biggest, most liquid and lucrative market in the world with trades reaching US1.5 trillion dollar being conducted on the market every day. The market is open through the day, night and year. Not a single day or minute goes without trades being conducted. Large corporations, financial institutions, individuals and speculators are the major players in the market. Daily volumes consist of government and commercial currency conversion as well as speculations and trading.

Market features- Foreign exchange trading opens the door to wonderful investment opportunities for both small and large investors. Advantages to trading on the forex market includes great investment liquidity, 24/7 trading across the world markets with trade session overlapping, traders are able to respond imminently to economical, market and political news, trade costs are low and margin trade opportunities are readily available.

Risk- As with anything in life, great reward comes with great risk and it's no different with foreign exchange trading. It is important for you to understand that there is a very real risk of losing both your initial investment and any profits made. It's imperative to learn as much as you possible can on market tricks, tips and pitfalls before attempting trade. Avoid trading and the market as a whole if you feel unsure or uneasy. Great online course on foreign exchange investments are available.

Spot and rollover's- Forex is normally traded on spot, meaning that trades are completed on at spot rate and settled within 2 business days. However, rollovers may sometimes occur where positions remain open and roll-over onto the next settlement day, expire and settle at next rate.

Quoting- Quoting refers to the bid and asking price for the currency pair. The bid price is usually on left hand side and asking price on the right hand when indicated. - 23212

About the Author:

Learn more about foreign exchange trading. Stop by John Eather's site where you can find out all about forex trading systems and what it can do for you.