Currency Basics : What is Forex?
Foreign exchange is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another. Currencies are traded through a broker or dealer and are executed in currency pairs; for example, the Euro and the US dollar ( EUR / USD ) or the British pound and the Japanese yen ( GBP / JPY ). The Foreign Exchange Market ( FOREX ) is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily volume of over $4 trillion. This is more than three times the total amount of the stocks and futures markets combined. Unlike other financial markets, the FOREX spot market has neither a physical location nor a central exchange. It operates through an electronic network of banks, corporations, and individuals trading one currency for another. The lack of a physical exchange enables the FOREX market to operate on a 24 - hour basis, spanning from one time zone to another across the major financial centers. This fact - that there is no centralized exchange - is important to keep in mind as it permeates all aspects of the FOREX experience.
Foreign exchange is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another. Currencies are traded through a broker or dealer and are executed in currency pairs; for example, the Euro and the US dollar ( EUR / USD ) or the British pound and the Japanese yen ( GBP / JPY ). The Foreign Exchange Market ( FOREX ) is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily volume of over $4 trillion. This is more than three times the total amount of the stocks and futures markets combined. Unlike other financial markets, the FOREX spot market has neither a physical location nor a central exchange. It operates through an electronic network of banks, corporations, and individuals trading one currency for another. The lack of a physical exchange enables the FOREX market to operate on a 24 - hour basis, spanning from one time zone to another across the major financial centers. This fact - that there is no centralized exchange - is important to keep in mind as it permeates all aspects of the FOREX experience.