Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75.3% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Beginner

How to: trade Forex (FX)

We see a world where capital is moving continuously from one jurisdiction to another - all for different reasons. For some it’s speculation, for others there is a need to buy and sell currency for investment or business purposes. The trader’s job is to create and master a process which can sustainably grow the capital in the trading account from this dynamic. Let’s unpack this cosmopolitan market.

What is the currency market?

Forex, short for foreign exchange, refers to the trading and exchange of one currency for another.

This exchange is happening 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.

We’re talking some $6.6 trillion a day in volume of all currencies being swapped and traded between two entities. This is done for a myriad of reasons, such as: the need to buy or sell currency for trade & commerce purposes; to hedge currency risk; or to speculate on a direction. This international flow, centred on the demand and supply, creates huge movement in exchange rates.

Why do CFD traders gravitate to Forex trading?

Well, some of the more inviting reasons to trade FX include:

  • It’s open 24 hours a day so there’s no gapping risk
  • It’s cheap to trade, because there are very tight spreads
  • FX features good levels of movement on an intraday basis and is
  • highly liquid meaning it's easy to get in and out of positions even in large size, plus with
  • the low gapping risk and low costs, it is a favourite for automated traders

The Pepperstone edge

So what’s Pepperstone’s edge?

Forex trading is in our DNA. We’re globally known and trusted for offering highly reliable trading conditions, competitive spreads, superior liquidity, and rapid execution.

We take our regulatory commitment to offer clients’ protection very seriously and we offer a strong product range and extensive list of FX pairs to choose from, along with 4 different trading platforms:

Learn more about trading CFDS

Here at Pepperstone, our customers love the product range along with the low cost to trade and the fact so many markets are open around the clock. Interested? Watch the more videos to learn or speak to our team about whether CFDs are right for you.