Forex Trading Hours • Benzinga - Benzinga

Forex Trading Hours • Benzinga - Benzinga


Forex Trading Hours • Benzinga - Benzinga

Posted: 12 Feb 2020 12:30 PM PST

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The foreign exchange market, or forex, covers over-the-counter trading of currencies from all over the world. Forex determines foreign exchange rates for every currency, from the Philippine peso to the Guatemalan quetzal. The foreign exchange market is where investors can buy, sell and exchange currencies simultaneously in hopes that one currency will strengthen against the other.

Just like buying and trading stocks, one of the first things you should do to start trading on forex is to find the right broker for you. A brokerage firm will help you make successful trades so you can start making a profit. Check out some brokers we recommend that specialize in forex. 

The Four Main Exchanges

There are 4 major forex exchanges located throughout various time zones: London, New York, Sydney and Tokyo. Having these international time zones helps the forex market stay open for 24 hours since trades are conducted over a network of computers as opposed to 1 physical exchange at a certain time. Even if a currency closes at a certain rate, that's the rate at the time that particular market closed. The currency can be traded around the world even after closing hours of a particular exchange. 

New York hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST

Tokyo hours: 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. EST

Sydney hours: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. EST

London hours: 3 a.m. to noon EST

Most Important Forex Market Times

One thing you might have noticed about the 4 market hours above is that they overlap at certain times. Those overlapping times — when 2 markets are open simultaneously — is the most important time to make a move. That's because the trading volume greatly increases, adding volatility — the extent and rate at which equity or currency prices change. When it comes to the forex market, that high-risk environment makes for greater payoff opportunities once you get the hang of it. 

Until your mastery, it could be a bit of a risk. According to a 2014 Citibank study, 30% of retail forex traders break even or do better during these busy times. That means 70% of traders and investors are losing money. It's a good idea to experiment with mock forex trades to see how it works before jumping into the mad money exchange. 

Once you think you're ready, here's the most important forex market times to keep in mind: 

New York and London exchanges open 8 a.m. to noon EST
Tokyo and Sydney exchanges open 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. EST
Tokyo and London exchanges open 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. EST

When are the Best Times to Trade Forex?

The best time to trade in the forex market is 8 a.m. to noon EST when the New York and London exchanges are both open and active. Interestingly enough, these 2 trading centers account for more than 50% of all forex trades. That makes this overlapping 4 hours a bit of a madhouse, but that means bigger profits if you're successful. 

While it's important to keep these overlapping times in mind when trading currency, there are some variables to keep on your radar to ensure you're making smart moves. For example, even if you can trade U.S. currency when New York is closed, you'll get the best liquidity for this currency during the open market hours. If you have a particular currency in mind, you should most likely trade while the local exchange is open, avoiding unknown market factors that could negatively impact valuations you're unaware of. 

News releases are another factor that shape investors' decided value on a currency's long-term prospect. You'll want to keep track of retail sales figures, unemployment rates, gross domestic product and many other factors to properly plan for possible outcomes. Keep in mind that sudden news can have a major impact on the forex market while you're asleep or at work. 

Our advice is to maintain a consistent schedule for your trades. See what works best for you and pinpoint some important times. This can be when 2 markets are overlapping or when announcements are made. 

The Market that Never Sleeps 

If you're interested in trading currency for a profit, forex is the right market for you. With 4 different time zones, forex is always open. While this can be a little overwhelming at first, it helps to create a trading schedule that not only fits into your work and home life but also targets some key times in the forex market that make for bigger payouts. 

Note when your chosen currency's local market is open to avoid unwanted surprises. And take advantage of the 4 hours when the New York and London markets overlap. Consider that forex's busiest times may be the most profitable but are also the most volatile. 

Check out forex.com for research offerings and investing tools that will help you make the most out of the forex market. 

Trading Forex at the News Release - DailyFX

Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:46 AM PST

Trader observing forex charts

Trading forex news releases requires a tremendous amount of composure, preparation and a well-defined strategy. Without these qualities, traders can easily get swept up in all the excitement of a fast-moving market to their detriment. This article provides useful strategies on how to trade forex news during a major news release.

Other articles in this series:

Forex News Trading Strategies

There are two common strategies for trading forex at the news release:

  1. Initial Spike Fade strategy
  2. News Straddle strategy

Each one provides a robust plan for traders to follow, depending on the market environment observed at the time of the release, and how best to approach that particular market.

Before reading further it is essential that you have a good grasp on the basics of news trading. If you are new to trading or simply require a refresher, take a look at our introduction on how to trade forex news.

1. Initial Spike Fade Strategy

This strategy looks to capitalize on an overreaction in the market over the short term by fading the initial move. This strategy suits reversal traders, scalpers and day traders due to fast moving and erratic pricing that often follows a major news release.

Overreactions and subsequent reversals are seen fairly regularly in the forex market as large institutions add to the increased volatility of the initial move. The market as a whole, often viewslarge spikes as an overreaction and subsequently push price back toward pre-release levels.

Once the market calms down and spreads return to normal, the reversal often gains momentum showing early signs of a potential new trend.

The shortfall associated with this strategy is that the initial spike may turn out to be the start of a prolonged move in the direction of the initial spike. This underscores the importance of using well-defined stops to limit downside risk and get you out of a bad trade quickly.

How to implement initial spike fade strategy:

  1. Select the relevant currency pair: Ensure the major news event corresponds to the desired currency pair to trade, i.e. Non-Farm Payrolls will affect USD crosses.
  2. Switch to a five-minute chart: After selecting the desired market, switch to a 5-minute chart just before the news release.
  3. Observe the close of the first five-minute candle: The first five-minute candle is usually quite large. When price approaches either the spike high or the spike low, fade the move by trading in the opposite direction.
  4. Stops and limits: Stops can be placed 15 pips above the high for a short trade or 15 pips below the low for a long trade. Targets can be set at two or three times the distance of the stop.
initial spike fade strategy in forex news trading
Traits of Successful Traders
Traits of Successful Traders

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2. News Straddle Strategy

The news straddle strategy is perfect for traders expecting a huge surge in volatility but are unsure of the direction. This strategy lends its name from a typical straddle strategy in the world of options trading as it uses the same core strategy – to capitalize on an increase in volatility when direction is uncertain.

The disadvantage of the news straddle approach surfaces when price breaks support or resistance only to reverse soon thereafter. Similarly, price can trigger the entry order and move toward your target only to reverse until a stop it hit.

This strategy can be implemented using the following steps:

  1. Establish a range with support and resistance: If price is trading in a range prior to the release as major forex news has the ability to breakout of ranges.
  2. Set two orders to open: Set a working order/ entry order to open a long trade if price breaks above resistance and one to go short if price trades below support.
  3. Remove remaining order after confirming direction: The market has the potential to breakout of the range and once this happens, the one entry order will be triggered, and a trade will be opened. Immediately remove the entry order that was not triggered.
  4. Stops and limits: A tight stop can be placed at the recent range low when going long and recent high when going short. Limits can be placed in line with a positive risk to reward ratio.
Straddle news trading strategy

Trading the News During the Release: Conclusion

Trading forex news at the news release has the potential to overwhelm traders with increased volatility in a short period of time. However, through the adoption of a solid strategy, traders can approach these volatile periods with greater confidence and mitigate risk of a runaway market through the use of guaranteed stops (where available).

Take a look at what our in-house analysts have forecasted as the top trading opportunities for the year.

Trading Forex News Releases FAQs

How can I tell which direction the market will trade after at the release?

Forecasting the economic news release is one thing, predicting how traders will react to the news release is quite difficult. When estimations are unsurprising or more or less similar to the previous recorded number, the market tends to digest this information and it is reflected in the lead up to the release. However, there is no guarantee that the market direction/trend will be maintained even if the news comes out exactly as was estimated. This is because different market participants can draw different conclusions that will influence their trades.

Someone may consider data that prints in line with expectations as a bad thing and someone else may view it as a good thing. The bottom line is that traders need to have a strategy in place with predetermined risk parameters.

Trading Forex News: The Strategy
Trading Forex News: The Strategy

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Learn about other news trading strategies

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Masuria will offer the Russians a currency trading in lots of less than one thousand dollars or Euro - The KXAN 36 News

Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:00 AM PST

the Moscow exchange plans to offer in the second quarter of trading "micro lots" of currency in an amount less than one thousand dollars or Euro. The Russians will be easier to buy or sell currency on the exchange at the best exchange rate.

"To enhance the experience for those customers, we are working on launching mikromotivov trading regime with the opportunity to trade with up to one thousand dollars or euros. The start of trading in the new regime scheduled for the second quarter of 2020," — said RIA Novosti Director of the Department of the currency market of Masuri Andrew Skabelon.

Now on the Moscow exchange to buy or sell currency lots at a time not less than one thousand dollars or Euro. According to stock exchange data, the number of Russians who performed these transactions on the Moscow stock exchange in January doubled compared to January 2019 and exceeded 134 thousand people.

"On the foreign exchange market comes to the mass customer, the main goal is to convert small volumes", — said Sebelin. The share of such transactions of individuals in trading volume is 8% of spot. The turnover of transactions of natural persons in the currency conversion exceeded 10 trillion rubles, according to Moscow exchange.

the Number of active accounts on Masuria has increased over the year in 5 times — in January 2018 was 26,875 thousand, and in January 2020 146,57 thousands.

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