Tag: trading

  • What it’s like on the fixed income trading floor

    What it’s like on the fixed income trading floor

    See for yourself in this “Day in the life” interview with Vanguard Financial Analyst Andy Maack.
    What it’s like on the fixed income trading floor
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    https://investornews.vanguard/what-its-like-on-the-fixed-income-trading-floor/

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  • 3 tips for trading in volatile markets

    3 tips for trading in volatile markets

    Learn how to trade carefully during periods of market volatility.
    3 tips for trading in volatile markets
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    https://investornews.vanguard/3-tips-for-trading-in-volatile-markets/

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  • What Is the DXY Dollar Index?

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    The DXY is an indicator that many market watchers and commentators reference and quote. So what is the DXY or US Dollar index?

    The DXY is a geometrically weighted index of some of the major trading partners of the United States. The composition if the DXY Index is heavily weighted towards the Euro and European countries that have not joined the European common market. The components of the DXY Index are (by weighting): Euro (57.6%), Japanese Yen (13.6%), Great Britain- Pounds Sterling (11.9%), Canadian Dollar (9.1%), Swedish Krona (4.2%), and Swiss Franc (3.6%). Because of the composition of the DXY, it is sometimes referred to as the Anti-Euro Index.

    The DXY is a convenient index to use as a simple method for referencing strength and weakness of the US Dollar (USD). But its ubiquity disguises the fact that it does not reflect the value of the dollar against a broad enough basket of currencies. The DXY was created by JP Morgan in 1973, and it has only been updated once, for the introduction of the Euro currency.

    The DXY is heavily weighted towards European currencies, it underweight’s the Canadian Dollar, as a proportion of US trade, and it largely ignores important Asian and Pacific trading partners, including Korea, Australia, Taiwan and necessarily China. Even if one were interested in including the Chinese Renminbi (Yuan) it would be both difficult and of questionable informational value to include the Renminbi because China keeps their currency pegged to a range that is based on the dollar.

    A more accurate basket of currencies to track the relative value of the USD would be to value the dollar against the top US trading partners. The top 6 US trading partners, from high to low are: Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, Germany and the UK. It’s hard to say why JP Morgan created this index and how it came into such prominence. One odd thing about this index is you cannot trade it. There is no market that you can go to and buy the DXY. The closest you can get are futures and options contracts traded on the InterContinental Exchange (ICE).

    If it’s so inaccurate, then why is it so widely quoted? While there are more accurate ways to benchmark the USD, absolute precision is not always important for an indicator. Many traders and institutions likely have their own indices that they use to track the USD, but for the sake of comparison, it is very convenient to have a common index. The DXY is also highly correlated to a trade-weighted index most of the time. Relative strength or weakness moves by the USD represents huge flows of money. As I’ve written previously, the recent +10% move by the DXY represents more than $1 trillion of nominal wealth destruction. Moves of this magnitude do not happen in a vacuum and the relative weakness of the DXY is mirrored by corresponding weakness in the trade-weighted index.

    While there are shortcomings, the DXY does serve as a reliable indicator of USD strength and weakness and can be used as such, as long as one keeps in mind that it will occasionally be skewed if there are large currency moves that occur in the Euro.

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    Source by Christian Koch

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  • CFD Trading Benefits

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    Contracts for Difference (CFD) are attractive trading instruments to many traders. This financial derivative has numerous benefits that draw the attention of amateur and expert traders. CFD trading is very flexible and an efficient alternative to traditional investing.

    Here is a list of reasons why CFD Trading is popular among traders:

    No stamp duty

    A stamp duty is a tax imposed on numerous acquisitions, including selling real estate, cars, and assets belonging to a business. Remember, CFDs give traders the opportunity to speculate on markets without physically owning the underlying asset. Since you do not own the underlying asset, you won’t have to pay stamp duty.

    Trade in both rising and falling markets

    Another solid advantage of CFD trading is that traders are not restricted to open in only one position. CFDs are very flexible financial instruments because it can make you trade in both falling and rising markets, allowing you to produce more effective strategies for more profit.

    Margin Trading

    One of the most notable aspects of CFD is that you can trade using margin. This means you don’t need to purchase the full value of an asset to open a position, you only need to deposit a fraction of the actual trade size of each transaction. For example, you have a CFD share for $100, if your broker has a margin requirement of 5% then you only have to pay $5 to open the position.

    Trading using a margin means you can multiply your profit although it is important to recognize that losses can also be multiplied in margin trading. Thus you can lose more than your initial deposits.

    Hedge Positions

    CFDs are one of the best hedging tools for traders. If you are anticipating a loss in your current position then you can limit your potential risk by using a CFD to hedge your position. For example, if you have a short position in an asset that is accumulating losses, you can open a long position to balance your losses. The long position will start to gain profits once the prices move in the upward direction.

    The foreign exchange market has numerous features that attract investors and traders alike. One notable feature of this immense market is that it is a decentralized marketplace – trading transactions don’t happen on one centralized exchange. In the Forex market, fx trading is conducted electronically or over-the-counter which means transactions happen electronically.

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    Source by Stephanie Torres

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  • E-Mini Trading: The Ambush Trade

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    When e-mini trading, the Ambush trade can be a power tool in your arsenal of trading. It’s a Fibonacci trade, which certainly is not my favorite, but has a surprising level of success. This trade set-up, which occurs frequently, take some time and practice to recognize, but learning it can put valuable ticks on the positive side of your trading ledger.

    A quick note on trades utilizing Fibonacci number is in order here. I have no belief that Fib numbers hold any particular value in e-mini trading, but enough people believe in Fibonacci magic to make this trade a virtual self-fulfilling prophecy. I trade what works, regardless of my personal beliefs. Since enough e-mini traders have a high level of belief in Fibonacci trading, I will happily join in their fun.

    There are several ways to trade the Ambush trade, with some individuals believing that the entire range of the day is in order. These traders plot the usual Fibonacci numbers in the usual manner, only using the entire day’s range as their basis. Personally, I have found this trading methodology to be less successful than mine; I generally look to find a substantial move in the day’s trading and apply Fib retracements to that individual move. I have listened to numerous discussions on this topic some pro some negative; but for me, spotting a significant move and trading the Ambush on that move has been most successful.

    So what is the Ambush trade?

    As I mentioned previously, I generally notice a significant move in the day’s trading action and apply a set of Fibonacci retracement from the beginning of the move to the conclusion of the move. Essentially I am measuring the level of retracement of the initial move. The area I am interested is the 50% retracement to the 61.2 level of retracement. The area between these two plots is called the Ambush zone. I might add that the number 50 is not a Fib number but it gets thrown into the mix for reasons I don’t fully understand.

    Some aggressive traders automatically take a trade at a predetermined level in the ambush zone; say, at 50%. I personally don’t use this method, as I generally wait for the market to begin to change directions before entering this trade. It’s an odd trade for those who are not accustomed to observing this trade, as it seems you are taking a trade “out of the blue” in a relatively strong retracement against the trend. But Fib traders are well aware of the Ambush trade and are generally waiting patiently for the retracement to hit the Ambush zone. Then they take action, and trade in the direction opposite the retracement and in the direction of the original trend. I can generally get 12+ ticks out of this trade; but do not let it run, as the price action often resumes in the direction of the retracement. This is not a trade to get greedy on, get your ticks and get out at the first sign of movement opposite the direction of your trade.

    In summary, I have described a very popular trade among experienced traders based upon Fibonacci retracements. This trade is relatively consistent so I look for it throughout the course of the day. Don’t try to eek every tick out of this trade, and exit at the first sign of the trade moving against your position.

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    Source by David S. Adams

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  • How to Win Consistently at Trading Forex

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    Trading Forex is a fantastic career or hobby, but unless you are winning consistently then it can be a short lived career or an expensive hobby. The elation of a win is often followed by several losses if you don’t have a serious approach to your money management strategy and control of your emotions. In this article we are going to establish a money management and psychological strategy that will help you win consistently at trading Forex.

    First of all let us look at the trade settings themselves. Now this article is not to define a winning strategy; but to show you that even a strategy that only wins 50% of the time can make consistent returns. You may already have a winning strategy but poor money and psychological management.

    It is important to aim for a 3:1 risk reward ratio. In simple terms; you need to look for trades that can offer you 3 times the return of the potential loss. If you adopt this approach then you only need to win 50% of the time because your wins out way the losses by 3 times. Once you master this rule you are well on your way to a winning strategy.

    Research your trades well and do not jump into the markets without doing your analysis whether that is fundamental or technical. If you can stick to these rules then you are half way to winning the psychological battle as well.

    The biggest issue traders face is getting into trades too early because they think they are going to miss the trade or too late because they were scared to pull the trigger. Leaving a trade too early because they believe it is about to turn against them, only to later watch it hit their, would be, take profit level. Or, equally as common, they let the trade run and run expecting more and more profit only to let all the profit get sucked away in a reversal. There is an old saying amongst successful traders “plan your trade and trade your plan. That is exactly what you should do.

    Don not let your emotions let you take profit early if that was not your original plan. Make sure you plan for the trade turning before your profit level and have a preset plan to take profit. A solid plan is to take profit if the trade has reached 90% of the target and is showing signs of reversal. If you have your stop loss set correctly from your original analysis do not extend it as you are compromising your 3:1 risk reward ratio. Keeping these rules in min is the first step to winning consistently at Forex trading.

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    Source by Adam Woods

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