Showing posts with label stock exchage blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stock exchage blog. Show all posts

Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Currency Trader Training - Tips on Getting the Best Training

Currency trader training is big business online and you can get numerous mentors, gurus, robots and courses to point you in the right direction but you need to careful in your choice and here we will give you some pointers on what to look for in getting the right training to lead you to success.
First here is some currency training which won't bring you success.
- Forex Robots
They all promise gains with no effort but that's not the reality of them they don't work and the track records they present are all simulated in hindsight and wont make you any money.
- Day Trading and Scalping Courses
Just like forex robots steer clear of them. Day trading doesn't work and neither does scalping, the time period is to short and the track records produced? - Well, you guessed it all in hindsight and simulated, pass them by.
- Prediction and Scientific Theory Training
You get a lot of people who say they can train you to predict the markets in advance and there is a scientific theory to market movement. You will see lots of courses and instruction, in the legendary methods of Gann, Elliot and Fibonacci - but of they don't work.
If the markets were scientific we would all know the price in advance and there would be no market.
Don't fall for the above forex trading requires a bit of effort and you can't follow anyone else but you can get good instruction, learn it and apply it for yourself.
So how do you get good training?
Before we move on understand one key point about currency trading - you can't follow anyone's method, you must learn it from the ground up so you have confidence in it and can trade it with discipline.
Discipline is the missing link with many traders, most try and follow others and delegate responsibility for their actions - but you can't follow someone else blindly with discipline.
Trading is a uniquely personal experience, where you must have inner confidence in what you are doing, or you will never have discipline.
Don't forget you need to trade through periods of losses and stay on course, until you hit a home run and if you can't do that you have no system.
The Best Training
You can get a lot free online and there are plenty of sources to learn the basics of forex charts and technical analysis which is a great way to trade. You can get some great books from traders, who have walked the walk, rather than talk the talk and a good selection will cost you $100 or less.
You will find that there are also courses which will give you a common sense approach to trading giving you tools which you can apply for profit and instruction online. Most come with money back guarantees, so you have nothing to lose.
Learn the basics for free get some books from the great traders and maybe take an instruction course and you can learn all you need to know and then after you are happy with your forex trading strategy, apply it with confidence and discipline for currency trading success.
NEW! 2 X FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDFS
ESSENTIAL FOREX TRADING COURSE
For free 2 x trading Pdf's, with 50 of pages of essential info on Currency Trading Training visit our website at: http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com

Forex Trading - Why Most Forex Traders Lose Money?

Trading Psychology? Don't nag me, I want to make money here!
Forex trading is quickly becoming an attractive business opportunity. Thousands of traders all over the world are tempted by the thought of making piles of money from the comfort of their home. It is just too easy to start trading forex nowadays. All you need is a PC, internet connection and a little amount of spare money. Any forex broker will give you a state-of-the-art trading platform, free charting package and basic forex education. Anyone can do THAT. But if you are smart enough, here are a few quick questions for you:
Don't you feel something is missing here?
Have you ever asked yourself WHY 95% of retail forex traders lose money? And if so, WHO are the true winners in the forex arena?
Are the big dogs in the forex industry doing it to the "stupid" herd again, just like the tobacco industry did not long ago?
Well, your instincts are right. Once again, someone is not telling you the truth: "There is no easy money in forex trading. Period". In addition, if you are a typical newbie, your chances to be a forex money maker are virtually zero in the long run. The forex industry knows that. They know that free chart packages, numerous indicators and free technical and fundamental analysis courses will not turn you into a profitable trader. Actually, most forex brokers count on it and exploit it for their own good. They know that even above average, smart people are missing the most important thing which is a prerequisite for any successful trading career. So here are two more questions:
In a market with a daily transaction volume of a few trillion dollars, someone has to make money, right? It goes without saying.
So if most forex traders lose money, what makes the "blessed" few who trade for a living so special? What is the "secret" ingredient most traders miss?
Here is the answer in short: most traders, being human, have fundamental human traits. Every human has these traits. It is in our nature. Part of our D.N.A code. I am talking about traits such as fear, greed and hate of loss. I can name a few more but the important thing is that these traits all have someone in common - they have a DESTRUCTIVE effect on your trading. In fact, they are a success KILLERS. If you are "infected", and you probably are as you are human, no trading system or set of fancy indicators will help you. If you have some trading experience and you are currently losing money, you know what I am talking about.
Trading Psychology - What separates the men from the boys
The real "holy grail" of trading is mastering yourself. Controlling Your own human traits. Winning traders are very disciplined and self controlled. They know how to cope with losses. They remain focused and objective no matter what. They trade without the fear of loss and they know how to overcome greed. And the traits of winning traders have not changed for decades. Winner traders are those who fine-tuned their trading psychology over the years and did not quit after a few losses. This small group of traders achieved what the vast majority of traders will never learn. It is a hard process, much harder than learning technical analysis, reading charts or understanding the news. It is so hard because it is about controlling our most basic human traits.
Conclusion - Focus on Trading Psychology just like you focus on Trading itself
There are no short cuts in trading, just like there are no short cuts in practicing law, playing professional basketball or orchestrating an orchestra. But if you prepare to do what it takes, you will be rewarded. The winning 5% of forex traders are a living proof to the power of trading psychology.
Learn how you can improve mental aspects in your trading and avoid mistakes that will kill your account. For more information please CLICK HERE

Monday, 5 March 2012

Forex Trading Methods - Automated Trading Systems Vs Manual Ones Which Are Best?

When you are looking at forex trading methods you have choice between following an automated trading system or trading manually to set of rules so which is best lets take a look...
Forex Robots
Have rules build into them and there simply plug and play time efficient and require very little trading knowledge.
There are some good ones about that are sold online but most (about 99%) don't work and the track records are simply made up and simulated in hindsight. Most carry the disclaimer below, look out for it and forget it:
"CFTC RULE 4.41 - Hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain limitations. Unlike an actual performance record, simulated results do not represent actual trading. Also, since the trades have not been executed, the results may have under-or-over compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profit or losses similar to those shown".
There are some that have been traded and tested and have real time track records but be careful - you still have to follow it with discipline and for this, you need to know how and why it works long term.
You need to be confident enough in its logic, to stick with it through periods of drawdown, if you dont understand how and why it works and have confidence in its ability to win longer term, your discipline will go and you have no system.
There are even some free ones that make money. I have written frequently on Richard Donchian's 4 week rule and this incredibly powerful but simple system, is free! Look it up in our other articles.
Trading an automated trading system ( if you find the right one) is time efficient and easy - but you must have a disciplined and patient personality, to keep executing the signals in line with the rules and this is hard, when you had a losing period!
Manual Trading
There is a right way and a wrong way when trading manually - lets start with the wrong way.
The "shoot from the hip" news and story trader - He simply trades on a whim and of course as news is instantly discounted and his emotions are to the fore he losses.
The other trader is the trader who likes to do every trade manually but is still guided by rigid rules in terms of, executing his trading signal and money management.
I am this sort of trader and it suits me as I am involved and although I use rules I can pick and choose the best trades in terms of risk reward - this trading method is obviously my personal choice and each trader will know which method is right fof them.
You can make money with forex robots, just choose wisely and be prepared to have confidence and discipline in the system you follow. As a manual trader you still need discipline but it probably suits the trader who enjoys a challenge.
Which ever trading method you choose, remember to have a disciplined approach and make sure you employ rigid money management criteria, to lead you to long term currency trading success.
NEW! 2 x FREE FOREX TRADER PDF's
For free 2 x trading Pdf's, with 50 of essential info and more on Forex Trading Systems visit our website at: http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com

Can Forex Trading Signals Be Wonderful Pointers to the Market?

The accurate prediction of the best time to sell or buy a product or service is the normal trading strategy. However, it is vital that you have to give predominant consideration to the changes that occurs in the currency conversion rate in the given time frame for maximizing your profit. It is essential that you have to buy the currency at the lowest rate and sell at its highest rate. Better understanding of currency rate fluctuation and the factors behind the fluctuation facilitates you to earn more profit from Forex trading.
Professional Forex traders study the relevant data thoroughly to evaluate the connection between various currencies that ultimately determine the Forex prices. However, most of the investors are either not interested or have no time for research that articulate the complex connection, instead they buy the precise but accurate information from a Forex market analyst and mostly gain from better deals.
Amateur investors are being facilitated by the brokerage houses to use the processed information, better known as 'signals'. The users are levied a fee for the access, otherwise it is available only for professionals. The signals are actually a combined analysis of many market analysts. This facility of Forex brokerage houses helps the amateur investors to enjoy a hassle free Forex marketing.
The professional analysts who are behind the preparation of signals make sure to supply updated information with a regular interval because they are very vigilant about the volatile nature of the Forex market and the importance of signals for better trading experience.
The first fact that you have to consider is nothing but 'predictions are only predictions'. The same thing is applicable in the case of signals. It facilitates you for a better guess but it does not assure you any success and profit in the Forex market. But it ensures to produce more winners than losers. However, you must not let down yourself when losses occur. Try to learn more from the past mistakes and try to find out which signal that you missed. If you do so, you will be a winner when similar situations occur in the future.
There are risks in every big Forex deal. It is inevitable or can not be eliminated altogether. You can consider signals as good indicators but do not consider them as 'perfect' indicators. It is obviously an inevitable criterion, but do not relay only on signals for your decisions. It can not do any magic for you. So, it is better to have a seasoned Forex trader to guide your decisions. Then you will be a successful Forex trader within a short duration.
Find out more about Forex Trading signals.
for more understanding forex trading, just visit Forex Million Dollar blog at http://www.forexmilliondollar.com

Thursday, 1 March 2012

Day Trading - The Critical Mistake Made That Causes Losses

Day trading is very popular with traders and is seen as a way to keep risk low and earn a regular income - but most day traders forget one key point and this causes losses...
The problem for day traders is that all daily volatility is of a random nature.
Therefore, support and resistance levels cannot be used and are meaningless - the net affect of this is the odds are not on your side and you can never win long term.
Think about this key fact and you will see why day traders lose.
Around the world millions and millions of people, all contribute to the price of a currency and they are all individuals with their own unique makeup. They are using different methods, have different skill levels, have different aims and all are governed by greed and fear - this vast mass of people cannot be predicted!
In the short term i.e. hours, prices do NOT take any notice of daily ranges so support and resistance levels are of no help.
Do NOT believe these two misconceptions
1. The Track Records You see are Real
Vendors sell systems and present a track record but forget it being real, check the small print and all you find is a back tested simulation and anyone can make money if - they knew the price in advance but they don't.
These systems simply collapse in real time.
2. Prices Move to a Scientific Theory
This theory is loved by the far out crowd who love Fibonacci numbers and other nonsense - but if prices did move to a scientific theory, then there would be no price movement, as we would all know the price in advance!
Common sense really - but traders still believe scientific theories, despite the fact they lose, strange but true!
How to Win
Forget Forex day trading and scalping and take a longer term approach.
Either swing trade the intermediate trends, or trend follow the long term trends. Here you can get the odds on your side and when you can trade the odds you can win.
So forget day trading and get the right Forex education, trade longer term and enjoy currency trading success.
NEW! 2 X FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDFS ESSENTIAL FOREX TRADING COURSE
For free 2 x trading Pdf's, with 50 of pages of essential info on how to Become a Forex Trader visit our website at: http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com

Saturday, 25 February 2012

Become a Currency Trader - Build Wealth With This Proven Strategy

If you want to become a currency trader you need a forex trading strategy and here we are going to outline one which could make you big profits in 30 minutes a day or less...
Before we get started lets make some points in regard to getting the best forex trading education.
1. You don't get rewarded for effort, you get rewarded for being right and that means working smart Not Hard.
2. Forex trading can be learned by anyone and simple forex trading systems are best. This means you don't have to be clever and have a college education.
3. Ignore anyone trying to sell you forex robots or sure fire trading systems, as they always come with simulated track records and have never made money in real time.
So with those 3 points made, its time to start learning currency trading the right way and putting your proven forex strategy for profits together.
So what sort of forex strategy works best?
Take a look at any forex chart and you will see trends that last for weeks, months or even years. If you can catch just 50% of these major trends, you will be very rich.
Now look at your forex charts and you will see that most of the best trends start and continue from new market highs, so by buying them, you can make a lot of money.
A Long Term Breakout Trading System
So you are going to use a long term forex trading system, based upon buying breakouts and this is easy to do.
When buying breakouts though, you must only buy valid ones and this means areas that have been tested a lot and the market considers important. Look for lot of tests and the more time frames and the wider apart they occur, the better.
Once this is done you need to wait for the break and look to buy it - but before you do, you need to confirm that price momentum is on your side.
You can do this with just a couple of momentum oscillators, they will confirm price velocity is accelerating and confirm the move. There discussed fully in our other articles but two of the best are the stochastic and the RSI and they are visual indicators and will take you less than an hour to learn.
Once you have gone with the break, put your stop below the breakout and let the trend get underway, you then need to trail your stop outside of normal volatility.
That's it!
Does it make money? Yes it does.
You need to be selective with the breakouts you choose - but the advantage of a long term breakout system is it only takes 30 minutes or less to execute a day and it can pile up huge profits in reward for your effort.
Most Traders don't do it and lose
This is why it's so effective.
When a break occurs, they won't go with it, they want to wait for a dip, to get in at a better price - but the valid breakouts don't pullback, so you need to take them. The above also means you don't trade much and while there is no correlation between how much you trade and how much you make, most traders like to trade frequently and lose.
I use a simple trend following breakout strategy and have for 25 years and believe me it's capable of giving you bigger profits, for less effort than any other trading methodology.
Simple yes, but very profitable.
If you want to become a currency trader from home, use a breakout strategy and focus on the long term and you can enjoy currency trading success.
NEW! 2 X FREE ESSENTIAL TRADER PDFS ESSENTIAL FOREX TRADING COURSE
For free 2 x trading Pdf's, with 50 of pages of essential info on Becoming a Currency Trader visit our website at: http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Automated Forex System - Should You Have One Or Not

Over the next few lines I will tell you a little story about my experience with my automated forex system, and why it is important that you have one if you want to make money consistently within the forex market.
Forex trading can be a highly profitable business, but as everything in life it all comes down to knowing very well what you are doing. So to make a profit within the forex market you must either be already an expert, or you have to try and become one fast, but then again, becoming an expert in anything within a short period of time is virtually impossible and very risky if it is your investment at stake.
Believe me, even if you are an expert you will make mistakes quite often, maybe not because of a lack of knowledge, but because we as humans sometimes let emotions like fear and greed take us over, and this is where a reliable automated forex system comes in.
I have been trading for quite a while, and I started by trying to educate myself as much as I could, so I began my trading operation on my own. I didn't do that bad, but I was not making the kind of money I was expecting, considering what some friends of mine where cashing in every month.
After a few months I decided that I have had enough, so I confronted one of my friends to try and suck some information out of him; when I finally managed to break him, he agreed to let me in on what he was doing, and here is what I got:
He confessed to me that in addition to some manually placed trades, he was using an automated forex system that had the ability to place and close over 90% winning trades all by itself.
Initially I took that for a joke and kept asking him to come clean with me, but he insisted that that was it, and to dig me out of my skepticism he sat me at his pc and showed me his forex trading chart. After 15 minutes staring at the monitor, I was surprised by the sound of a new trading order being placed without me or my friend touching anything; it was the automated forex system working. My jaw fell to the ground and I almost strangled my friend for not sharing this with me before.
I stayed there for a several hours because I had to see more to actually believe it. Well, after almost 6 hours and an aching back from my friends crappy chair, I witnessed the automated forex system place 3 winning trades for a $600 profit.
As you might guess, I did not wait until the next day and went straight home to download the software, and after three months using it I can only say that not having it is a waste of your money. You read right, a waste of your money, because you will be missing out on profits that you cannot possibly make all by yourself, and here is why:
1) You can be attentive about what is going on in the forex market for only a few hours a day, because we as humans need to eat, sleep and sometimes even work, and every time you are not following the market trends you are potentially missing profitable entry points for a trade. The automated forex system will be on guard 24 hours per day, and it will take advantage of every good opportunity to place a winning trade, which often occurs during the night.
2) We as humans have a tendency to become scared and nervous when we feel we are about to lose money and that often leads us to make bad calls based on emotion rather than calculated analysis. The automated forex system will never be scared or greedy, it will always act based on the market conditions and therefore will have a much higher rate of winning trades.
This does not mean that you cannot trade based on what you know about the forex market, because having an idea of what you are doing will always place you ahead. However, if you team up with an automated forex system you are certain to increase your profits by 100% or more, and if you are new to the forex market, you will start on the right foot making profits from the very beginning with very little risk.
So if you have ever wondered whether you should have an automated forex system by your side or not, the answer is: Definitely. Not having it will cost you a lot of potential profits.
Visit the: http://www.specialonlinebusinessreviewauthority.com, for details about fully tested and reliable automated forex systems (the one I am using is the first in their list).

How to Trade Currency For Profits

Foreign exchange trading, also known as Forex trading, has become more and more popular with investors and traders these days. With the ongoing recession in the capital markets, a lot of folks believe buying and selling of currencies is a safe investment. Whenever you look at the mechanics of a currency spot trade, the chance of making money is somewhere around 50%. With each currency spot transaction, someone loses money while the other individual makes some. Despite this, not everyone is profitable from trading currencies. As a matter of fact, it is estimated that almost 80% of all currency traders lose money in their attempts.
Using these statistics, one can easily assume that the 20% of profitable traders either have access to some kind of insider info or a mysterious way to manipulate the market. But even the United States, British, and Japanese governments have systematically failed in their previous attempts to manipulate the world's currency markets; which squelches that possibility all together.
The fact is, profitable currency traders are simply better at using accessible info than their unprofitable counterparts are. Profitable traders know how to choose the most applicable information from the enormous heap of economical data that's released by governments and institutions on a day by day basis. They understand how to head off information overload and zoom in on exclusively the most important facts and numbers that are most probable to have an effect on the currency market. With that in mind, these are the five major national economic reports that each successful trader looks at:
Unemployment Reports. Unexpected surprises in unemployment figures generally have a big impact on the Forex market. If, for example, the anticipated unemployment rate is 6% for a specific country, but the report shows an actual rate of 4%, then this can cause a strengthening of the national currency.
Interest Rates. Interest rates are directly related to the strength of a specific currency. When interest rates move up, it draws in foreign investors and will lead to a stronger currency. The opposite takes place when interest rates go downward.
Consumer Price Index. The CPI is a monthly report that measures the costs of goods in a country and compares this to salaries. An abrupt hike up in inflation is always damaging to the strength of a currency and so it's vital to maintain a close eye on this economic indicator.
Trade Balance. The trade balance measures how much a country exports and how much it imports. A trade deficit means that exports surpass imports and a country is sending out more money than it is taking in. This has a very noticeable impact on the demand for a countries currency. But one must remember that a trade deficit isn't always a bad thing. One must take into account the specific conditions of a country to see why a trade surplus or deficit exists.
Retail Sales. A monthly report of retail sales is possibly the most effective indicator of the average person's thoughts about his nations economy. Sentiment plays a highly critical role in spending patterns, which, in turn, affects the strength of a nations currency.
For currency traders who may plan on being intermediate or permanent players, successful Forex trading means that you need to gain some basic knowledge about worldwide economics and trade. Trading currencies without an awareness of the economic circumstances that bear upon a particular currency market will ultimately lead to losing money. To earn money with Forex trading over the long-run, you also need to learn how to adhere to stable trends and indicators and place your orders accordingly. That is the surest, if not the only way, of trading currency for profits.
Larry Haywood is a stock market enthusiast, focusing on innovative and unique techniques for building up wealth via the stock market. For a limited time, you can claim the "Insider's Guide To Forex Trading" e-book absolutely free at: http://www.mystockmarkettips.com/ebook-offer.htm

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Forex Trading Software and What Your Software Should Do

Forex or foreign exchange market is where currencies are bought and sold. Typically currencies are always sold in pairs. This means that Euro would be bought while USD would be sold or Japanese's Yen is sold while Swiss Francs are been sold and so on. Since the forex markets have no central exchange, it can be done by anyone who has an access to the internet. Forex is traded on the internet using forex trading software. Currently the daily volume of the trade is $2 trillion daily.
There is both paid and free forex software that is available in the market. Some of the companies offer basic package that is free and a more advanced packaged that needs to be bought by the users of such software. Look for these features when purchasing and downloading.
Forex trading software should show live streaming quotes
Forex quotes for currency pair changes every second and this can mean a difference between near losses and huge profits. The major international banks and financial institutions would be are the big players. They are also the ones who supply the bid and the ask rate. The "bid" rate is the rate at which you can sell the currency, while the "ask" rate is the price at which you can purchase the currency. The trading software will also show the spread or the difference between the "ask" and the "bid" price, which is the profits that you can make.
Good forex trading software show prices at 1/10 of a pip
Pip is 1/1000th of a cent. If there is a change in the price of a Euro (considering that we are dealing in Euro/USD) for 1.5678 to 1.5679, then there is a change of 1 pip. It essentially means that it will now take US$1 and 56.79 cents to buy a Euro vs. US$1 and 56.78 cents that it took earlier. Good trading software can make all the difference for the trader.
Good forex trading software should also give great leverage
Many of these forex softwares will give a leverage of 100:1 or 200:1. This means that with an investment of just $1000, you can deal $100,000 (100:1) or $200,000 (200:1). This means if you invest wisely through the trading software, you would never have a negative balance and stand to gain lots of profits. This is also dependent on the type of the package that you opt for with your chosen software.
For more tips and tricks on how you can make large amounts of money by trading forex, visit our Forex Software Review site where we show you the newest and hottest Forex software on the market including our Forex Tracer Review.

Monday, 20 February 2012

Stock Market Crash - How to Massively Profit While Everyone Else Panics!

Have you ever heard of a Stock Market Crash?
Do you know that is a whole bunch of baloney?
When you hear that phrase it makes you think that all the money in the Stock Market has just fallen into a big black hole doesn't it?
But it can't just disappear, so where do you think it went?
It went out of the hands of those who didn't know what they were doing and into the hands of those who knew EXACTLY what they were doing!
Stock Options are a very powerful vehicle for making money in the stock market with a smaller amount of money than if you were to buy the actual stocks themselves.
And it's very hard to profit from a falling share price when you own the stock.
But if you owned a PUT OPTION over a falling stock it would GO UP IN VALUE as the stock price dropped!
Put Options give you the right to sell shares and as a stock price falls the put option will increase in value. This means you can use put options as insurance over shares you own to protect you from the brutality of a market crash.
However, Options Trading using Puts can rake in the profits for you in a very short period of time when the market is falling, allowing you to make money as income!
Let me explain...
What if the media had been spouting doom and gloom about a possible financial crisis and the banking sector was most certainly going to get hit hard as a result?
The Smart Options Trader would look at a big banking stock on their company stock chart and he might see unrest in the buyers and sellers. His analysis may tell him that the share price was likely to fall.
Let's say the price is trading at $ 55 and he buys an In The Money Put Option with one month till expiry. The option strike price is $ 56 and for this he pays $ 3 in premium.
The maximum he stands to lose is his $ 3 should the stock price rise above $ 56.
The following day the share price drops to $ 52 and the Put Option is now worth $ 6. The Smart Trader could sell his Put Option on the market today and realise a profit of $ 3 or he could hold the option a little longer for more profit if his analysis told him the price was likely to fall farther.
When you look back in history at the stock market, you will see that prices tend to go up slowly, but when they fall, they fall fast. In a stock market crash the prices fall suddenly, and with this comes an increase in volatility, resulting in high Put Option values.
As I said, the money falls into the hands of those who know exactly what they are doing, and Put options are the perfect vehicle for doing just that.
Options Trading Education

Getting Started With Forex Currency Trading

The forex currency trading is the foreign exchange or currency exchange market. The values of different currencies rise and fall in relationship to other countries monetary units. That change is what Forex traders hope to monopolize and capitalize on. There is normal daily fluctuation in exchange rates, even multiple times daily. If you've ever traveled outside the country, for example, even to Canada or Mexico, you notice that the currency exchange varies from morning to afternoon and daily. This fluctuation is what forex currency traders try to capture.
In the forex trade, there are two different types of currency used. Even though you may be American, the money in your account may be yen and you want to exchange it for Euros. You don't have to stay within your own country, you just need a second form of monetary exchange. Quotes show in pairs also. EUR/USD shows two currencies. The first is the base currency with the second the counter currency. If you choose a buy for the combination, you trade USD (United States dollars) for Euros. You believe the Euro is growing faster than the dollar, or the dollar is dropping in relationship to the Euro.
Forex currency trading used to be isolated to the very rich, governments, multinational corporations and central banks. Today more and more individuals and private investors trade currency. The average daily trade of US currency is over 4 trillion dollars and growing daily.
Although forex currency trading is different in many ways from stock trading, they do have some of the same characteristics. For instance, the way brokers are paid is similar to the NASDAQ. The spread is used. The spread is a price differential on both buy and sell transactions.
Unlike exchanges on the stock exchange, both sides of the position must close before the currency is available to make another trade. There is no actual delivery like the stock exchange but conversion takes place through banks and specific exchange organizations.
You also can buy on margin, just like in the stock market. The difference is the amount that the account needs to hold. Margin purchases in the stock market require 50 per cent of the account balance. Instead, it more closely resembles the margin of the commodities, which is between 1-10 percent. The margin in a forex account is 1 per cent. This is the actual amount that you deposit to make trades. If you put $1,000 into the account, you'd have $100,000 worth of buying power in the account.
There are the normal charting tools to use for forex currency trading. The biggest difference is that you need to know about both types of currencies, as opposed to just the stock of one company. Daily events and news from the different countries change the values of the currency. This is similar what happens to stock, except, you're not talking about just one company, where, unless some outrageous scandal happens or earnings announcements occur, there's seldom news. Every day countries have news stories that have the potential to raise or reduce the value of the currency.
Forex currency trading isn't for everyone but it's ideal for the night owl since the markets are open 24 hours a day. It's an exciting form of trading that needs additional knowledge if you want to protect your original investment, but for those with a tough constitution it's a fast paced way to make a good return.
For more insights and additional information about how Forex Currency Trading as well as reading a review of one of the top forex trading software systems available anywhere, please visit our web site at http://www.forexcurrencysystems.com

Sunday, 19 February 2012

Avoiding Forex Market Risks

The Foreign Exchange or Forex market as it is more commonly known is purely to allow people
to trade one currency for another. In fact this is by far the largest trading market in the world for
the value of the cash that passes from buyers and sellers of currencies. Many of the trades which take place on the Forex market occur between large banks, central banks, multinational
corporations, Governments, currency speculators as well as all other types of financial
institutions and markets.
Currently, the trades occurring in Forex markets across the globe is well more than $1.9 trillion
each day on average. However, the individual or retail traders make up only a small part of this
market, and they often trade through a third party such as a Forex broker or a bank. This means
the market mostly includes sophisticated traders who know what they are doing.
In fact, when some individual investors begin trading in the Forex market it can all seem a bit
daunting. The learning curve can be steep if you cannot master the fundamentals, and you can
easily lose more money than you can afford if you are not careful. However, some people can
learn fast and they can master the basics of the market quickly. If you are not one of the fast
learners, you may have beginners luck and your first few trades can make you money. But you
should not depend on luck to survive for more than your first few trades. You need a solid
foundation to recoup your capital and make a decent income from your trades.
There are many financial instruments which you can use for trading on the currency market.
These include forwards and futures, options and spread betting. All of which are similar to those
used in equity markets. However, as these instruments maintain a minimum trade size to the
base currencies, a margin is included with each trading account.
Volatility is the essence of the currency market. Values for individual currencies rise and fall
with news and information happening around the world. Sometimes the fall in a currency can be
swift and can help to wipe out your entire account before you can react. So you must prepare for
risks if you decide to trade on the Forex market. The market can change suddenly all because of
decisions made by some government or corporation in a distant part of the world. A terrorist
attack such as that which occurred on 9/11 did not only affect the Forex market in the US but the world over.
Therefore, if you want to become a successful investor in the Forex market, you must learn the
fundamentals about the market and the currencies you wish to trade. Also, read press releases and other financial and political news from around the world. You will do do well by learning how to
read graphs and charts about these individual currencies, Finally, sign up for a demo account
with a broker and learn how to trade without using real money.
Get the latest in forex market know how from the only true source at http://www.forextradingline.com. Check out our forex market pages.

Friday, 17 February 2012

Canadian Coalbed Methane Stocks: 7 Things to Know Before Investing

More investors are now inquiring about Coalbed Methane exploration companies. Just as uranium miners were flying well below the radar screen in early 2004, coalbed methane exploration may very well be the next very hot sector later this year and next. Historically, coalbed methane gas endangered coal miners, resulting in alarming fatalities early in the previous century. This is the fate suffered today by many Chinese coal miners in the smaller, private coal mines. Typically, the methane gas trapped in coal seams was flared out, before underground mining began, in order to prevent those explosions. Rising natural gas prices have long since ended that practice.
Today, coalbed methane companies are turning a centuries-long nuisance and byproduct into a valuable resource. About 9 percent of total US natural gas production comes from the natural gas found in coal seams. Because natural gas prices have soared, along with the bull markets found in uranium, oil, and precious and base metals, coalbed methane has come into play. It is after all a natural gas. But because it is outside the realm of the petroleum industry, coalbed methane, or CBM as many industry insiders call it, is called the unconventional gas. It may be unconventional today, but as the industry continue to grow by leaps and bounds, on a global scale, CBM may soon achieve some respect. Please remember that a few years ago, there was very little cheerleading about nuclear energy. Today, positive news items are running far better than ten to one in favor of that power source.
CBM is the natural gas contained in coal. It consists primarily of methane, the gas we use for home heating, gas-fired electrical generation, and industrial fuel. The energy source within natural gas is methane (chemically, it is CH4), whether it comes from the oil industry or from coal beds.
CBM has several strong points in its favor. The gases produced from CBM fields are often nearly 90 percent methane. Which type of gas has more impurities? No, it isn’t the natural, or conventional, gas you thought it might be. Frequently, CBM gas has fewer impurities than the “natural gas” produced from conventional wells. CBM exploration is done at a more shallow level, between 250 and 1000 meters, than conventional gas wells, which sometimes are drilled below 5,000 meters. CBM wells can last a long time – some could produce for 40 years or longer.
Natural gas is created by the compression of underground organic matter combined with the earth’s high temperatures thousands of meters below surface. Conventional gas fills the spaces between the porous reservoir rocks. The coalification process is similar but the result is different: both the coalbed and the methane gas are trapped in the coal seams. Instead of filling the tiny spaces between the rocks, the coal gas is within the coal seams.
One of the past problems associated with CBM exploration was the reliance upon expensive horizontal drilling techniques to extract the methane gas from the coal seams. Advanced fracturing techniques and breakthrough horizontal drilling techniques have increased CBM success ratios. As a result, a growing number of exploration companies are pursuing the early bull market in CBM. Market capitalizations for many of these companies mirror similar “early plays” we mentioned during our mid 2004 uranium coverage (June through October, 2004). Industry experts told us there would be a uranium bull market. Now, we are hearing the same forecasts about CBM.
SEVEN TIPS BY DR. DAVID MARCHIONI
We asked Dr. David Marchioni to provide our subscribers with his 7 Tips to help investors better understand what to look for, before investing in a CBM play. Dr. Marchioni helped co-author the CBM textbook, An Assessment of Coalbed Methane Exploration Projects in Canada, published by the Geological Survey of Canada. He is also president of Petro-Logic Services in Calgary, whose clients have included the Canadian divisions of Apache, BP, BHP, Burlington, Devon, El Paso Energy, and Phillips Petroleum, among others. He is also a director of Pacific Asia China Energy and is overseeing the company’s CBM exploration program in China.
Our series of telephone and email interviews began while Dr. Marchioni sat on a drill rig in Alberta’s foothills, the Manville region, until he finished outlining his top 7 tips, or advices, on how to think like a CBM professional.
1) COAL SEAM THICKNESS
Is there a reasonable thickness of coal? You should find out how thick the coal seams are. With thickness, you get the regional extent of the resource. For example, there must be a minimum thickness into which one can drill a horizontal well.
2) GAS CONTENT
Typically, gas content is expressed as cubic feet of gas per ton of coal. Find how thick it is and how far it is spread. Then, you have a measure of unit gas content. Between coal seam thickness and gas content, you can determine the size of the resource. You have to look at both thickness and gas content. It’s of no use to have high gas content if you don’t have very much coal. The industry looks at resource per unit area. In other words, how much gas is in place per acre, hectare, or square mile? In the early stage of the CBM exploration, this really all you have to work with in evaluating its potential.
3) MATURITY LEVEL OF THE COAL
This is the measure of the stage the coal has reached between the mineral’s inception as peat. Peat matures to become lignite. Later, it develops into bituminous coal, then semi-anthracite and finally anthracite.
There is a progressive maturation of coal as a geological time continuum and the earth’s temperature, depending upon depth. By measuring certain parameters, you can determine where it is in the chemical process. For instance, the chemistry of lignite is different from that of anthracite. This phrasing is called “coal rank” in coal industry terminology.
4) PERMEABILITY
When you are beginning to think about CBM production, this and the next item must be evaluated. How permeable is the CBM property? You want permeability, otherwise the gas can’t flow. If the coal isn’t permeable at all, you can never generate gas. The gas has to be able to flow. If it is extremely permeable, then you can perhaps never pump enough water. The water just keeps getting replaced from the large area surrounding the well bore. The water will just keep coming, and you will never lower the pressure so the gas can be released.
5) WATER
In a very high proportion of CBM plays, the coal contains quite a lot of water. You have to pump the water off in order to reduce the pressure in the coal bed. Gas is held in coal by pressure. The deeper you go, typically the more gas you get, because the pressure is higher. The way to induce the gas to start flowing is to pump the water out of the coal and lower the “water head” of pressure. How much water are we going to produce? Are we going to have to dispose of it? If it’s fresh, then there may be problems with regulatory agencies. In Alberta, the government has restrictions on extracting fresh water because others might want to use it. One could be tapping into a zone that people use as water wells for farms and rural communities. Both water quality and water volume matter. For example, Manville water is very salient so nobody wants to put it into a river; this water is pushed back down into existing oil and gas wells in permeable zones (but which are also not connected to the coal).
6) FUNDING
To be able to access land and do some initial drilling, i.e. the first round of financing, it would cost a minimum of C$4 million. This would include some geological work and drilling at least five or six wells. In Horseshoe, that would cost around C$4 million (say 1st round of finance); in Manville, about C$9 million. This is under the assumption that the company doesn’t buy the land. The land in western Canada is very expensive and tightly held. Much of the work is done as a “farm in” drilling on land held by another for a percentage of the play. (Editor’s note: During a previous interview, Dr. Marchioni commented about his preference for Pacific Asia China Energy’s land position in China because comparable land in western Canada would have cost “$100 million or more.”
7) INFRASTRUCTURE
The geology only tells you what’s there, and what the chances of success are. You then have to pursue it. Can we sell it? Gas prices are “local,” meaning they vary from country to country, depending whether it is locally produced and in what abundance (or lack thereof). How much can we extract? How much is it going to cost us to get it out of the ground? Are there readily available services for this property? Will you have to helicopter a rig onto the property at some incredible price just to drill it? Will you have to build a pipeline to transport the gas? Or, in China as an example, are there established convoys for trucking LNG across hundreds of kilometers?
One addition, which we have mentioned in previous articles, and especially in the Market Outlook Journal, “Quality of Management Attracts PR,” it is important that the CBM company have experienced management. This would mean a management team that includes those who have gotten results, not only a veteran exploration geologist but a team that can sell the story and bring in the mandatory financing to move the project into production.
There are two primary reasons why many of these coalbed methane plays are being taken seriously. First, the macroeconomic reason is that rising energy costs have driven companies in the energy fields to pursue any economic projects to help fill the energy gap. Coalbed methane has a more than two decades of proof in the United States. The excitement has spread to Canada, China and India, where CBM exploration is beginning to take off. Second, the fundamental reason is that exploration work has already been done in delineating coal deposits. There are, perhaps, 800 coal basins globally, with less than 50 CBM producing basins. In other words, there is the potential for growth in this sector.
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James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. StockInterview’s “Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market” has become the most popular book ever published for uranium mining stock investors. Visit http://www.stockinterview.com