Forex
From the contraction of the words Foreign Exchange, Forex is the nickname given to the universal exchange market, where currencies are traded against each other, exchange rates that vary continuously.
Economic Importance
This global market, which is essentially interchange is the second market of the world in terms of overall volume, behind the interest rates. It is nevertheless the most concentrated and the first for the liquidity of the most treaties, such as the euro / dollar.
To give an idea of liquidity in circulation, the daily volume of trade in 2004, 1 900 billion U.S. dollar, namely:
600 billion in spot transactions and 1 300 billion in futures almost solely in transactions over the counter, according to the three-year study of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
Transaction volume, were 53% between banks;
33% between a bank and a fund manager or a non-bank financial institutions;
and finally to 14% between a bank and a non-financial.
In every major bank, the operators (the traders) are the 3 × 8, though generally in different locations. A team based in Asia or Australia succeeds another located in Europe and a third located in North America, and so on.
However, despite the global nature and the release schedule between continents, a large (31% of total volume, according to the BIS) of market activity is still physically located in London.
In its latest triennial review, the BIS (Bank of International Settlements) has shown that an increasing number of individuals choose to invest in the Forex. Although they still represent a very small minority of transactions and volumes, a dedicated private investors has grown in parallel. Simply record the number of trading platform available to them on the internet as well as tools for real-time information once reserved for professional traders in the rooms. Now, the active trader of foreign exchange market can invest minimum amounts and due to the existence of leverage-trader in almost (!) Similar to those of the professional trader. Information tools in real-time broadcast news and information forex fundamental (economic indicators) and offer individuals the possibility of trading conditions in real time.
The foreign exchange market has existed in its present form, called floating exchange rate regime since March 1973 and the abandonment of fixed exchange rates of various currencies
against the dollar standard Bretton Woods in 1944.
Treated products
Spot
Cash (called spot), the main parities were processed in 2004, according to BIS:
the euro / dollar – 28%
the dollar / yen – 17%
the sterling / dollar (cable said in English) – 14%
Despite the strong development of the euro, the dollar remains the dominant center, present in 89% of transactions (37% against the euro, 20% for the yen and 17% for the pound sterling, all on a total of 200% since each transaction involves two currencies). For a non-European currency XXX, a transaction between the euro and the currency is usually split into a EUR / USD and USD / XXX.
Continue reading →
