Archive for the ‘Forex Analysis’ Category

Intro to Forex Fundamental Analysis

The ideal course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is significant.

FOREX traders nearly always rely on analysis to make plan their trading strategies. There are two basic types of FOREX analysis – technical and fundamental. This article will look at fundamental analysis and how it used in FOREX trading.

Fundamental analysis refers to political and economic conditions that might affect currency prices. FOREX traders using fundamental analysis rely on news reports to gather information about unemployment rates, economic policies, inflation, and growth rates.

Fundamental analysis is often used to get an overview of currency movements and to wage a broad picture of economic conditions affecting a specific currency. Most traders rely on technical analysis for plotting entry and exit points into the market and supplement their findings with fundamental analysis.

Currency prices on the FOREX are affected by the forces of supply and demand, which in turn are affected by economic conditions. The two most important economic factors affecting supply and demand are interest rates and the strength of the economy. The strength of the economy is affected by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), foreign investment and trade balance.

Indicators

Various indicators are released by government and academic sources. They are reliable measures of economic health and are followed by all sectors of the investment market. Indicators are usually released on a monthly basis but some are released weekly.

Most of this information comes straight from the Forex Fundamental Analysis pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

Two of the most important fundamental indicators are interest rates and international trade. Other indicators include the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Durable Goods Orders, Producer Price Index (PPI), Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI), and retail sales.

Interest Rates – can have either a strengthening or weakening effect on a particular currency. On the one hand, high interest rates attract foreign investment which will strengthen the local currency. On the other hand, stock market investors often react to interest rate increases by selling off their holdings in the belief that higher borrowing costs will adversely affect many companies. Stock investors might sell off their holdings causing a downturn in the stock market and the national economy.

Determining which of these two effects will predominate depends on many complex factors, but there is usually a consensus amongst economic observers of how particular interest rate changes will affect the economy and the price of a currency.

International Trade – Trade equilibrise which shows a deficit (more imports than exports) is usually an unfavourable indicator. Deficit trade balances means that money is flowing out of the country to buy foreign-made goods and this might have a devaluing effect on the currency. Usually, however, market expectations dictate whether a deficit trade equilibrise is unfavourable or not. If a county habitually operates with a deficit trade equilibrise this has already been factored into the price of its currency. Trade deficits will only affect currency prices when they are more than market expectations.

Other indicators include the CPI – a measurement of the cost of living, and the PPI – a measurement of the cost of producing goods. The GDP measures the value of all goods and services within a country, while the M2 Money Supply measures the total amount of all currency.

There are 28 major indicators used in the United States. Indicators have strong effects on financial markets so FOREX traders should be aware of them when preparing strategies. Up-to-date information is acquirable on many websites and many FOREX brokers supply this information as part of their trading service.

Take time to think about the points presented above. What you learn might help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

Matthew Bass of Fundamental Forex Analysis explains fundamental analysis in Forex trading.

Successful Forex Trading Using Forex Fundamental Analysis

Planning a FOREX trading strategy requires analysis. FOREX analysis comes in two basic “flavors”: fundamental and technical. This article examines the fundamental type of analysis, and how it can be used for more successful FOREX trading.

Political and economic conditions might affect currency prices; FOREX traders rely on news reports regarding various economic factors, such as the unemployment rate, the current administration’s policies, and inflation or growth rates. Examination of these factors is what is known as “fundamental analysis”.

This type of analysis is primarily used to get the “large picture” view of currency market movement, and to determine the economic conditions that affect a particular currency. It is usually considered supplemental to “technical analysis”, which is relied on for establishing specific points of market entry and exit.

Economic conditions affect supply and demand; these forces in turn affect currency prices on the market. The strength of the current economy and the current interest rates are the two most important factors for examination. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP), our nation’s trade balance, and the amount of foreign investment all affect economic strength.

Both government and educational institutions release various “indicators” – generally reliable ways to measure economic vitality – on a weekly or, more often, monthly basis. These are followed by all segments of the market. In the United States, 28 key indicators are used, of which interest rates and international trade balances are two of the most important. Other primary factors include: retail income numbers, the Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI), Durable Goods Orders, the Producer Price Index (PPI), and, of course, the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The CPI weighs the cost of living. The PPI measures production costs. The GDP is a means of determining the value of goods and services produced within the country. Also, the total amount of all currency is measured by the M2 Money Supply.

Currencies can be both strengthened and weakened by rising and falling interest rates. High rates can strengthen a local currency by attracting foreign investment; however, investors might sell holdings in reaction to a rise in rates on the theory that a higher cost of borrowing capital will have a negative impact on many corporations, causing a downturn in both the stock market and national economy. Many factors go into determining whether foreign investment increases or local stock market downturns will predominate; however, observers usually come to a shared understanding of the ways in which the economy as a whole. The price of a specific currency in particular, will be affected by a change in interest rates.

A trade deficit (more imports than exports) is generally considered an unfavorable indicator, because the country is spending more money to purchase foreign-made goods than it’s bringing in through income of its own products. This might have the effect of devaluing the nation’s currency. Market expectations have a state in determining whether or not a particular deficit trade equilibrise will be considered unfavorable – if it’s normal for a country to operate with a trade deficit, that’s already factored into the currency price.

A trade deficit only affects currency price negatively when it exceeds the normal deficit level expected by the market. It is important for FOREX traders to be aware of the leading indicators in preparation of trading strategies. Thus, many websites and FOREX brokers wage continually updated information to traders as part of the services they offer.

Return top