| Swedish Central Bank to Open the Books Posted: 08 Jun 2011 05:43 AM PDT 
In following with the trend of a more open and transparent central bank, the Riksbank will begin to publish macroeconomic indicators on its website. Two new inflationary readings will be released, along with resource utilization of and wage estimates. While some of the data is collected and published by others (Eurostat and Statistics Sweden), any new data and source providers are a step in the right direction for openness of the Swedish central bank, especially for those who trade the Swedish krona (SEK) for forex macro. The trend of increased transparency from the world's central banks was helped when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke held his first press conference in April, a format that has been long implemented by the European Central Bank. Currently the Riskbank does not hold press conferences, only releasing meeting minutes from the Executive Board Monetary Policy meetings. Read more forex trading news on our forex blog.  |
| How Do I Withdraw my Bonus? Posted: 20 Apr 2011 10:10 AM PDT
ForexYard currently offers its clients the chance to receive bonus funds in addition to their initial deposits, however there are conditions for being able to withdraw these funds. Bonus withdrawal eligibility is subject to a minimum trading volume per $1 of bonus. Trading volume is calculated by volume units called "lots". As we offer several different platforms with different lot sizes on each, please see the table below for a detailed breakdown of the number of lots required to trade to meet the bonus eligibility requirements. For each $1 of bonus received, the following lot amounts must be traded: 
Any indication of fraud, manipulation, cash-back arbitrage, or other forms of deceitful or fraudulent activity based on the provision of the bonus will nullify the account and any and all profits or losses garnered. This promotion can be canceled as per the discretion of Forexyard and will remain in effect for as long as the company sees fit to provide the promotion, and based on the terms and conditions outlined here. Read more forex trading news on our forex blog.  |
| Available Now! Forex Summary and Forecast – 2010/2011 Posted: 18 Jan 2011 08:38 AM PST 
We entered the year 2011 amid a flurry of global reevaluations. Many investors were inquiring about the stability of Europe amid the bailout of Ireland all while the Korean peninsula began to intensify its militant rhetoric and posturing. On the other side of the globe, US President Barack Obama had recently agreed to an extension and expansion of the Republican-favored tax cuts, sparking speculation about the recovery of the American economy over the long run. If you were looking for a report which would summarize these events, and provide a framework for forecasting the coming year’s economic progress based on their impact, then we have what you’re looking for! Our Chief Market Analyst, Greg Holden, recently undertook the task of compiling as much fundamental data as possible to explain what happened in 2010 in order to give his renowned 2011 economic forecast. In this edition of ForexYard’s In-Depth Analysis, Mr. Holden covers the sharp price swings among the major currencies last year, particularly the EUR, USD and GBP. He also analyzed the rise of the Swiss franc (CHF) as a global safe-haven away from even the US dollar. Minor commentary was added regarding the Korean escalation and China’s recent expansionary moves, but what is most useful is the concluding segment of each chapter and sub-chapter, providing valued insight into what investors may expect as 2011 gets underway. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to learn from the best in the business. Download a copy of our In-Depth Analysis today and better prepare yourself for a year of lucrative profits in the forex market.  |
| EUR/USD – Could We Predict The Bullish Move? Posted: 14 Jan 2011 02:54 AM PST
On January 10, after the EUR/USD pair saw a third failed attempt to fall below the 1.2870 support level, a bullish correction took place, and the pair gained about 580 pips within four trading days. Is it possible to predict such turn of events? Let's try to answer this using technical analysis. First, please observe the EUR/USD 4-hour chart below; this will be the main tool we'll work with in this article. Now, let's look for all the signs that could have driven us to suspect that a bullish reversal is about to take place. • As written on the opening paragraph, the bullish correction only took place after the pair saw several failed attempts to fall below the 1.2870 level. When a currency pair sees such a strong support level – traders must question whether the market actually desires to see the pair traded below this level. It is no coincidence that the pair's bearish move is blocked over and over again at the exact same level. • Look at the Slow Stochastic indicator. First, a bullish cross was completed below the 20-line. This often means that a bullish correction might be impending. In addition, no less than three additional bullish crosses took place afterwards, all within a very short period of time. The first bullish cross has signaled that a bullish move might take place, the other bullish crosses that followed have signaled that the market is reluctant to let the pair resume to a down-trend. • The MACD is probably the easiest to analyze. A bullish cross at the bottom of the section is very likely to predict a bullish reversal. As you can see, the MACD has never switched its indication, and continues to provide bullish signals. • The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has provided two significant bullish signals. First, it rose above the 30-line, reaching out of what is referred to as the over-sold area. When the RSI crosses the 30-line and continues to point up, it usually mean that the currency pair will follow its lead. The second signal was given once the RSI failed to fall below the 70-line. If the RSI would have fallen below this level, it should have warned us that the bullish move might have reached its end. However, once the RSI reversed its direction, and once again pointed upwards – it signaled that there is still significant bullish pressure on the pair. • The timing of the bullish correction could have been predicted using the Bollinger Bands. When the Bollinger Bands are tightening, it's a clear signal that a sharp movement is likely to take place. Considering all the bullish signals written above, traders could have suspected that the Bollinger Bands are signaling that the bullish correction will take place soon. • Last but not least – sophisticated traders could have noticed that a double top pattern has begun forming on the chart. Once the pair crossed the 1.3020 resistance level, the beginning of the pattern could have been observed by traders, and once the pair crossed the 1.3200 resistance level – traders could have seen it as a signal that the pattern will be completed, meaning that the pair will reach the 1.3450 level. 
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| How Will Today’s FOMC Meeting Affect the USD? Posted: 20 Sep 2010 06:12 PM PDT
With the FOMC meeting minutes expected to be published today at 18:15 GMT, the main question is whether or not the Fed will hold off from further purchasing securities or decide to expand the stimulus further and thus its balance sheet. With the economy showing signs of slowing for the past two quarters and unemployment enduring at 9.5% or higher for the past year, speculations began to surface the Fed will resume its quantitative easing program in order to stimulate the flailing economy. The negative economic indicators that were published over the past few weeks reinforced this assumption. The Fed is also trying to avoid deflation. The Core CPI, U.S. consumer prices excluding food and energy, rose 0.9% in July from a year earlier, the smallest increase in four decades. It seems, however, that there is much debate within the Central Bank as well as among investors on how the Fed should continue. Members of the Federal Open Market Committee are divided over whether to renew quantitative easing which is essentially a large-scale asset purchase program. Several members believe the Fed has already done enough and that there are impediments to growth unrelated to monetary policy such as uncertainty regarding taxes and regulatory policy as well as the lagging housing sector. The Federal Reserve has kept the benchmark interest rate at almost zero since December 2008 and bought about $1.7 trillion in securities. Additional quantitative easing can have adverse effects on inflation in the longer run as this move essentially pumps cash into the economy. Analysts are also divided in their assumptions, largely due to the fact that the latest data has been slightly better than expected. Manufacturing in August expanded at a faster pace than forecast as factories added workers and increased production. Private employers increased payrolls by 67,000 last month, exceeding economists' estimates. The Federal Reserve's move is important not only for the USD but for other currencies as well, particularly the JPY as the Bank of Japan has recently intervened in the market in order to weaken the Yen. Japan's economy is highly dependent on export and therefore a strong currency can hinder its economic recovery. However, due to speculation of further monetary easing by the Fed, Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa's attempts may be hindered as quantitative easing contributes to a weaker USD.  |
| Stops, Limits and Everything in Between Posted: 16 Mar 2010 11:12 AM PDT
I am often amazed to see that there are many forex traders out there that don’t know how to use the basic tools of the platform. Unless you’re sitting in front of the screen 24 hours a day – there are some features on our platform that you must master, otherwise losing seems to be a very logical outcome. The first thing that you need to understand is the different options you have to open a new position. There are 4 different ways to open a position: 1. Market Order – This is the simplest way to open a position. It means that I want to enter the market right now at the current price.
2. Entry Stop Order – This order allows you to enter the market at a future price, and to join the trend. For example, let’s assume that the current price of the EUR/USD is 1.3700. I think that if the EUR/USD will reach the 1.4000 level, it will probably continue to rise. So I will set an entry stop order for a EUR/USD buy position at the rate of 1.4000.
3. Entry Limit Order – This order allows you to enter the market at a future price, and go against the trend. For example, again, let’s assume that the price of the EUR/USD is 1.3700. I think that if he EUR/USD will reach the 1.4000 level, the uptrend will probably halt, and the EUR/USD will later drop. So I will set an entry limit sell position at the rate of 1.4000.
4. An OCO Order – The OCO is exactly like placing both entry limit and entry stop orders for the same currency pair, with one big benefit: Once one of the orders is triggered, the other one is automatically cancelled. For example, I’m setting the following OCO order – an entry stop sell at the rate of 1.3200 and an entry limit sell at the rate of 1.4000. Now if the market will reach one of these prices, this will trigger one order, and cancel the other. Now that you know how to open positions, let’s understand what our options are in terms of closing a position. Once again, we have 4 different ways to close a position: 1. Market Order – Remember the market order for opening a position? Well this is exactly the same. This means that I want to exit the market right now at the current price.
2. Limit (take profit) Order – The limit order gives me the ability to determine how much I wish to profit from a position. For example, if the EUR/USD is currently trading at the 1.3700 level and I have a buy position open, I can then set a limit for 1.4000 – this means that once the pair will reach the 1.4000 price level, my position will be automatically closed by the trading platform.
3. Stop (stop-loss) Order – The stop order allows me to determine how much I’m willing to risk from a position. For example, if I have a sell EUR/USD position that was opened at the 1.3600 price level, and I’m willing to risk as much as a 300 pip drop – then I will set a stop order for the price of 1.3900.
4. Trailing Stop Order – The trailing stop order is a dynamic stop loss order. Instead of setting a specific level that you are not willing to reach below, you can automatically let the platform readjust the level of your stop according to movement of the market. Let’s say that we opened a long EUR/USD position at the price of 1.4000, and we set a trailing stop order for 30 pips. So now, the trailing stop is located at 1.3970. However, if the market moves in our direction and the pair is now traded at 1.4040, then the trailing stop relocates itself in accordance, and is now placed at the 1.4010 level. The beautiful thing about it is that it will never go lower then its highest high. In our case, the worse scenario for us is that it will close the position if the pair will reach the 1.4010 level again, leaving us with a 10 pips profit. In a better scenario, the pair will continue its bullish momentum and reach above the 1.4040 level. The trailing stop will then move in accordance, of course, adding further to your profits.  |
| What is a Margin Call in Forex Trading? Posted: 18 Jan 2010 11:44 PM PST 
A Margin Call is a possible event in which a trader possesses losing positions that put him on the verge of entering a negative balance in his Forex account. In order to prevent such a turn of events, a margin call occurs. This is where all of the trader’s open positions are being automatically closed, thus preventing him from entering into debt. Let’s try to understand it a little bit better. When a trader uses brokerage services to enter the foreign exchange (Forex) market, he gets the opportunity to leverage his funds using a loan he receives from his forex company, called margin. By utilizing margin, traders are increasing their purchasing power so that they can own more lots without fully paying for it. In ForexYard, for example, a trader can leverage his funds up to 1:200, meaning that a trader who opened an account with the sum of $10,000 can open new positions up to the amount of $2,000,000! However, using such high leverage will expose you to harsh risks, and may rapidly end your investing experience. Always remember that having the opportunity to gain 200 times larger profits will likewise endanger you with the risk of losing just as much. ForexYard recognizes that its traders are using leverage and that the foreign exchange market tends to greatly fluctuate. Therefore, there is a very important safety feature embedded in the system that prevents clients from losing more money than they have in their accounts. Should the account equity, meaning the total floating value of the account, fall below the margin requirement of approximately 20% of the used margin, the dealing desk will close all positions. This protects the trader from losing more than the funds he deposited into the trading account. In short, Margin Calls pop up when a trader’s equity reaches dangerous lows in order to protect them from entering a negative balance, or debt, with their broker. The margin call allows traders to trade peacefully without being concerned about getting into debt. To calculate what it means when I say “20% of the used margin” let us do a sample trade: If you open 5 lots of EUR/USD, Buy; the margin required to open this position is $250 ($50 per lot – this amount is identical across all currency pairs). Once your Equity (which is your balance plus/minus your profits/losses) reaches 20% of the $250 used to open the position, the position will be closed. Mathematically: 20% of $250 = $50. once your Equity falls to $50, your positions will be automatically closed. This is a Margin Call.  |
| Choosing a Short-Term Strategy with FSA Posted: 02 Nov 2009 05:34 AM PST
First of all, before we get more into details let me just restrict myself. It is impossible to have a 100% control on the FSA account. The reason is very simple, when you choose to have strategies trading for you; you forfeit your right to control what’s going on. Despite all the above, there are still many things you can do in order to adjust the strategy to your needs. Let’s try and figure those out: 1. If I want a short-term strategy, then by definition my greatest concern is how the strategy has been doing recently. So when I need to sort the strategies’ Time Frame, I choose “Last Month to Date”. 2. Then, naturally, I look at the Profit ($) factor. Just like any aspect of life, it is recommended to follow the winner. It can’t promise us that the strategy will continue to see profits, but it’s for sure the best alternative. 3. Now, you have to make the first difficult choice – sort by Max DD. Max DD means Maximum Draw-Down, which means what was the worst losing sequence in losses for the system denoted in pips. In general, the first thought that comes to your mind is that you want the Max DD to be as low as possible. However, bear in mind, that strategies which were built for short-term profits, are also exposed to large quick loses, which means that their Max DD could be relatively high. Take this under consideration upon choosing a strategy. 4. Remember, the major currency pairs don’t tend to fluctuate harshly on a regular basis. This means that if you’re looking to see large profits quickly, you should consider using strategies that trade the more exotic pairs such as GBP/CHF, GBP/JPY, EUR/CAD, etc… 5. One last thing before we say goodbye. Some of you may not be aware of this, but you are perfectly capable of closing a position manually. If you wish to see quick exits, but the strategy doesn’t “obey”, don’t hang on and wait for the system to close it – close it by yourself!  |
| Choosing a Long-Term Strategy with FSA Posted: 02 Nov 2009 05:18 AM PST 
Many people are interested in trading in the forex market because they are attracted to the fact that said market is open and running 24 hours a day and moves more money than the European and American stock markets combined. If one wants to succeed in this market, he has to have a good strategy that will support him as completely as possible. Most forex traders rely on the economic data that they themselves have gathered, but those who have less time to devote to such a process often choose to use an automated forex trading program to locate successful long-term and short-term strategies for them. This is because they understand that this market is one of the most volatile in the world, and sometimes help is needed. Therefore, those who want to keep up with the forex game turn to long-term strategies. This is considered one of the best techniques in this very competitive market. You have to keep in your mind a few things when you choose them: 1. Max DD: Maximum Draw Down – The largest drop from net balance peak to net balance valley. The market is unpredictable and a strategy that risks a lot isn't always a great choice unless it offers very high rewards. 2. The PAR: If the strategy offers a much higher return than what it risks, consider using it. 3. Profit Factor: Shows how many times the gross profit exceeds the gross loss. The larger is this value, the better. 4. High Level of Equity: If you wish to open a long term position, I recommend starting with at least $5000 in your balance in order to sustain negative movements. Another useful tool is the when you log into your FSA account you can see every aspect of the trading strategy before implementing it on your account. You will know in advance what the level of risk and reward the strategy offers even before it has opened a trade. Long-term strategies might help you ride out the rough times and capitalize on the good ones, but only high equity accounts will be able to ride out negative movements so keep this in mind before trading this type of strategy. Sometimes just taking a step back and accepting a few losses will give you the energy and the knowledge to attack the Forex market with renewed vigor, and make some serious profits!  |
| How to Trade Gold in Forex Posted: 30 Oct 2009 08:24 AM PDT
In line with growing market demand, we at ForexYard offer Gold spot trading to our clients, through the ForexYard Standard Trading Platform. How does it work? Two words: simply and easily. Spot gold trades are executed in much the same way as foreign currency pairs are traded over the ForexYard Trading Platform, with transactions being made against the US Dollar, and as with currencies, we offer our clients highly competitive spreads and margins. Due to the nature of trading such financial instruments, you will notice a number of small differences such as market hours, denomination, and minimum contract sizes: prices quoted are per troy ounce. Gold (Au) has a fixed spread of $1.00; a margin requirement of $1,000 per 100 ounces; a required margin of 2.5%; a minimum contract size of 100 ounces; and leverage of 1:40, instead of the 1:200 leverage found on currencies. What does this mean? It means that when you open your Standard Account, you can choose to trade Gold, and it will only charge you $1,000 of usable margin to open a position of 100 ounces, which is the minimum tradable lot size, and the spread charged is only 100 pips, which is a highly competitive figure for Gold trading. In addition, traders should note that margin requirements may change without notice due to market and/or price changes within the individual instrument. Traders should also note that leverage and margin are approximations and not exact figures, as margin requirements are standardized. This means that from transaction to transaction, margin requirements will not change while leverage/margin may become more or less favorable. Still, trading Gold does not require any additional software download, as it is available on the ForexYard Trading Platform; however, due to the minimum lot sizes involved, you must hold a Standard Account to be able to trade this commodity. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact our dealing desk, which is available 24 hours during market trading days.  |
| How to Login to ForexYard’s Trading Account via Blackberry Posted: 30 Oct 2009 06:24 AM PDT
Whichever model of the Blackberry you own, you’ll already know about all the fantastic features packed into its modern ergonomic design. The large screen and great quality camera, together with constant connectivity means you’ll never want to put it down! And now there’s another reason to keep your Blackberry close at hand: FOREXYARD now offers a Mobile Trading Platform for the Blackberry. Wherever you are, you need never miss an opportunity to invest again! Blackberry Forex Trading is available now through FOREXYARD. All the FOREXYARD currencies and commodities are fully tradable 24 hours a day via your Blackberry. The FOREXYARD Trading Application is a Java-based platform which provides a dependable alternative to traders on the move. Functions you will receive when you begin Blackberry Forex Trading include: • Viewing live dealing rates
• Viewing open positions
• Placing orders
• Modifying orders
• Removing orders
• Setting Stops and Limits Mobile Trading is the latest advancement in the World of Forex. Use your Blackberry to maximize your trading opportunities now! If you already trade with FOREXYARD, login to your Demo, SuperMini, or Standard Account here to download the software and begin mobile trading today!  |
