Since currencies are always traded in pairs, when you are bullish on one currency, you are bearish on the other - and vice versa.
For example, if you are bullish on GBP/USD, you go long of it by buying Pounds and selling US dollars; but if you are bearish, you can short it by selling Pounds and buying US dollars. You can short a currency pair anytime you want, without any restrictions. This is different from some stock markets whereby short-selling is only allowed on an uptick, so it can be quite tedious and time-consuming for stock traders to have to wait and see the stocks going down while looking out for an uptick before they can short.
Being able to go long or short on currency pairs anytime is a tremendous advantage as forex traders are able to profit from both up and down trends anytime, and this translates to a more efficient and instant order execution. This is especially valuable in the financial markets where time equals money, and even a second’s delay could cost you money.
Choice of high leverage
Who doesn’t like trading on other people’s money? With possible leverage of up to 400 Times, the forex market indisputably offers the highest amount of leverage compared to other markets. This high end of leverage is usually offered to mini trading accounts, due to the smaller lot sizes and lower minimum account deposit requirements. With a 100 times margin-based leverage, that is typically offered for standard-sized accounts, forex traders are allowed to execute trades of up to $100,000 with an initial margin of only $1000.
It is important to note that while a high degree of leverage allows traders to maximize their profit potential, especially on a small price move, the potential for loss is equally large- Many people mistakenly shy away from trading forex after hearing that it is a highly leveraged trading instrument, but these people do not realise that leverage is and can be customised to the individual trader’s own preference. If you lend to be more conservative with risk-taking, you may choose to use no more than 10 times leverage, or none at all. For those of you with more aggressive risk appetite, you can choose a higher amount of leverage in your trades. The choice of leverage lies with you.
Since forex transactions are done the OTC way, with traders dealing directly with the market maker or other parties, exchange and clearing fees are not applicable to forex trading. Market makers typically do not charge commissions on trades that are executed through them, while Electronic Network Communications (ECN) do charge a small commission on top of the bid-and-ask spread.
Due to the high level of liquidity in the market, currency pairs usually have very tight spreads especially during normal market conditions when no news is scheduled for release.
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