Recently, I see that more and more traders are starting to switch from Forex to binary options. This is understandable, because it is easier to trade binary options, and profitability, of course, is also higher. In general, I myself gave up Forex in favor of binary options 6 years ago. But since the topic is so relevant now, let's figure out which is better – Forex or binary options, comparing the pros and cons of both types of earnings.Forex and binary options: a brief comparisonGet and sign up: profitabilitySo, let's start our comparison with such an important point as profitability. When trading binary options, the profit ranges from 75 to 95% of the invested investments. In Forex, the profit is unlimited. However, in order to get a high percentage of earnings on Forex, you will have to correctly predict large price fluctuations, whereas only 1 point is enough on binary options. I think there is no need to explain that binary options trading is more profitable in the long run.Read more: What are binary options?Is risk a noble cause? What is the difference between Forex and binary options?The next difference between binary options and forex is the risks themselves. Forex trading involves constant manual work with risks due to the correct placement of orders for opening and closing transactions (stop losses and take profits). On the one hand, this is convenient, since it is always possible to rearrange orders and wait for the very moment when it will be possible to make a profit or breakeven… But on the other hand, as a rule, a Forex trader needs to have an impressive deposit in order to withstand long drawdowns. In addition, the trader is constantly experiencing psychological pressure (whether he closed the deal on time, whether he placed orders correctly, etc.). It is also important to say that traders who do not have large deposits are forced to use the broker's leverage, which multiplies not only the profits received, but also, of course, losses.Binary options brokers relieve traders of psychological responsibility for placing orders. It is enough for a trader to decide on:the size of the bet (as a rule, its size ranges from $5 to $25),the end time of the transaction.Thus, all work with risks consists in trading with a minimum percentage of the deposit. So, in fact, Forex differs from binary options only by a risk management system. It is not enough for a forex trader to open a deal in the right direction, he also needs to calculate how many points the chart will pass and where to put a stop loss / take profit correctly.Read more: What is Forex in simple wordsAnalysis is the mainThe same tools are used for analysis and forecasting in both types of trading: indicators, news, volumes, price patterns, etc. It turns out that, other things being equal, it is easier to do analysis for binary options, since it is enough to correctly predict only the direction of the price. In Forex, in addition to the direction, as I wrote above, you need to determine the approximate number of points in order to correctly place orders to close transactions.Time is moneyThis point can be interpreted in two ways. For someone, it is important how much time trading takes in total, for someone this moment is not fundamental. In any case, it is clear that Forex takes much more time than binary options. After all, you need to constantly work with orders to influence the outcome of the transaction.Number of assetsThe most popular assets on binary options and Forex are currency pairs and precious metals (in particular, EUR/USD and Gold). However, if the choice is limited for a Forex trader, then a binary options trader has alternative options. This:stocks,indexes,futures,the so-called "pairs" (the ratio of shares of one company to shares of another, for example: google/apple).Thus, a larger number of potentially profitable trades will be available to you on binary options.Read more: What is a spread in trading Forex and stocksOnce again about money: commissions and spreadsActually, the difference between Forex and binary options is also the trading conditions themselves. Forex traders must necessarily pay the broker the spread from each open transaction. What is a spread? The spread is the difference between the purchase price of an asset (bid) and the sale price of an asset (ask) (roughly speaking, the same difference can be seen at any currency exchange point). At the same time, traders do not pay any commissions to the binary options broker, either from investments or profits.Lend a shoulder to a friend: leverageA very important point, in my opinion. Applies only to Forex, but nevertheless it is important to pronounce it. The minimum lot (financial contract) on Forex is $100,000. Naturally, an ordinary person cannot start trading with such amounts. In this regard, the Forex broker is ready to provide its clients with leverage. For example, with a deposit of $1,000, the broker is ready to "add" $99,000 to the trader so that he can enter the market. However, the broker will not risk his money, instead he will limit the maximum amount of losses on the account to 1% (the same $ 1000). What does this lead to? To the fact that traders often start trading large lots and quickly lose money.What to choose, forex or binary options?So, binary options or still Forex? My answer to this question will not be objective, because I made my choice a long time ago. For those who have not yet decided, I can give one piece of advice – decide for yourself which type of trading is most suitable for you. It is difficult to predict in advance which method or strategy will bring the greatest profit, but one thing I can say for sure - binary options today provide the lowest entry barriers to the world of trading, making it simple and accessible to everyone. And a large number of binary options brokers allows everyone to find the most convenient platform for themselves. By the way, some brokers have forex simulators built into the platform.Well, I suggest that all novice traders read the article about the main mistakes that beginners make in trading.Read more: Forex or Binary Options? The difference between Binary Options and ...
EUR/USD: American business did not meet analysts' expectationsIn the current trading session, the EUR/USD pair is showing growth, moving to the level of 1.0700 and updating the highs since April 12 thanks to the released macroeconomic statistics.The values of the indices of business activity in the manufacturing sector in France and Germany for April showed 44.9 and 42.2 points, having stabilized relative to the previous month. In the service sector in France, the index increased from 47.7 to 50.5 points, and in Germany — from 50.1 to 53.3 points. The entire region showed a decrease in manufacturing activity from 46.1 to 45.6 points, while in the services sector the index rose from 51.5 to 52.9 points, which contributed to the growth of the composite index from 50.3 to 51.4 points. Today will bring a speech by the President of the German Federal Bank, Joachim Nagel, in which the forecasts of economic development and inflation are expected to be clarified.Resistance levels: 1.0730, 1.0800.Support levels: 1.0670, 1.0600.NZD/USD: currency pair shows a short-term uptrendThe NZD/USD pair is seeing a slight upward momentum, aiming to exceed the recent peaks of mid-April: the exchange rate is approaching 0.5950, reflecting an increase when traders analyze the latest New Zealand trade data. March reports showed an increase in exports from 5.79 billion to 6.5 billion dollars and a decrease in imports from 6.1 billion to 5.91 billion, reducing the trade deficit from 12.06 billion to 9.87 billion dollars, and allowing the trade balance to reach a surplus of 0.588 billion on a monthly basis.At the same time, the US currency came under pressure after the publication of business activity indices for April: the S&P Global manufacturing index fell from 51.9 to 49.9 points, which is worse than expectations for growth to 52.0, and the services index fell from 51.7 to 50.9 points, against the forecast of 52.0 points.Resistance levels: 0.5950, 0.5975, 0.6000, 0.6030.Support levels: 0.5920, 0.5885, 0.5858, 0.5830.Analysis for GoldThe price of gold showed an uptrend, reaching the level of 2325.0, but now it is experiencing a correction, indicating a decline in the activity of traders focusing on short-term operations.Recent statistics from the United States, presented this week, may delay the start of the interest rate cut cycle until the fall, given that the main indicators for the Federal Reserve remain the real estate and labor market sectors. The March report showed a decrease in the number of building permits to 1.467 million, which is the lowest level since last fall and indicates the untimely reduction of interest rates in the near future. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the probability of monetary policy easing at the Fed meeting on May 1 is only 5.2%, and at the meetings on June 12 and July 31 — 14.8% and 37.9%, respectively. In this situation, investors who expected to profit from the strengthening of gold came to the conclusion that at the moment a correction is more likely than a further strengthening of prices.Resistance levels: 2350.0, 2410.0.Support levels: 2290.0, 2220.0.Oil market analysisIn the Asian trading session, the prices of WTI Crude Oil demonstrate stability, holding near the level of 83.30 dollars per barrel. This is happening against the background of the publication of April data on business activity in key sectors of the US economy, which turned out to be below analysts' expectations: the index in the manufacturing sector from S&P Global fell to 49.9 points, and in services fell to 50.9 points.It is expected that later today, at 14:30 GMT, new data on orders for durable goods in the United States for March will be announced, which may affect investment sentiment. It is predicted that the indicator for capital goods will decrease to 0.3%, while the total volume of orders excluding the defense sector, on the contrary, will increase to 2.5%. In addition, at 16:30, data from the US Energy Information Administration on oil reserves for the past week will be published, which are tentatively estimated to decrease by 1.7 million barrels.Attention should also be paid to the recent report of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which showed a decrease in net speculative positions on WTI oil to 290.5 thousand. The reporting data indicate the restructuring of investors' portfolios, which may signal the anticipation of changes in the market. Thus, the balance of positions among producers and traders showed an active movement both to buy and to sell, which foreshadows possible fluctuations in oil prices in the near future.Resistance levels: 84.00, 84.75, 85.50, 86.00.Support levels: 83.00, 82.00, 81.00, ...
FOREX Fundamental analysis for EUR/USD on April 23, 2024The head of the French Central Bank, Villaroy de Galo, argues that the conflict in the Middle East will not affect the ECB's determination to cut rates in June. However, a downturn in geopolitical tensions could change the outlook for the US dollar. The volatility of Brent contributed to the growth of the dollar as a defensive asset. Now, when oil prices are declining, the sale of dollar assets begins. Discussions that most of the factors negatively affecting the euro have already been taken into account in the EURUSD rate contribute to the stabilization of this currency pair with increasing correction risks.Bank of America believes that three expected ECB rate cuts in 2024 have already been reflected in the exchange rate of the single currency. If the European Central Bank takes less drastic measures regarding monetary policy, by the end of the third quarter, the EURUSD rate will rise to 1.1, and by the end of the year to 1.12. Provided that the Fed cuts the federal funds rate twice, as markets expect and as Black Rock analysts predict. And this opinion deserves close attention.According to Bloomberg, Black Rock and similar companies currently manage assets of $43.5 trillion, which is twice as much as those of credit institutions. We can say that they largely shape forex currency trading. As for the views of Bank of America, it is assumed that if the rate is kept at 5.5%, EURUSD is quite capable of going down to 1.05 and below.The further dynamics of the main currency pair will depend on how the Fed and ECB rates change. At the end of April, it is worth paying attention to the elaboration of arguments in favor of the sustainability of the greenback. This is not only related to oil. There is an active discussion about how realistic it is to increase the yield of 10-year US bonds to the level of 5% and above. However, to continue the rally, it is necessary that the federal funds rate remain at 5.5% or even higher.Morgan Stanley warns about the risks of currency inflation. A large discrepancy in the monetary policy of the ECB and the Fed may lead to a strong weakening of the euro against the dollar, which may increase inflation risks. Therefore, the ECB may not cut rates as actively as the market expects.The greenback can be supported by statistics on US GDP for the first quarter. The US economy has been growing by 2% or higher for the seventh consecutive quarter, which indicates its resistance to a 525 basis point rate hike. However, behind this sustainability there are significant fiscal incentives that contribute to the growth of government spending, and this cannot last forever.We believe that EURUSD needs time to assess whether all the factors affecting the EA dollar have already been taken into account by quotes. This may lead to temporary stabilization in the range of 1,061-1,071. At the same time, today's statistics on business activity indices can shake the volatility of currency pairs.Technical analysis for EUR/USDEUR/USD continues to trade in a downtrend with a target at the low of April 16. If the pair can gain a foothold below the extreme, then the next target of the "bears" becomes Target zone in the range 1.0561 - 1.0544. We continue to hold short positions open from resistance (A) 1.0693 - 1.0685.The cancellation of the main sell scenario will be the consolidation of the pair above the maximum of April 18. In this case, we are waiting for the development of an upward correction to the resistance (B) 1.0739 - 1.0727. The trend line also runs here, which increases the importance of resistance. After testing the zone, it will be possible to search for entry into short ...
EUR/USD: correction before data on consumer confidence in the eurozoneIn the current trading session, the EUR/USD pair is showing cautious growth, continuing the "bullish" trend set at the end of last week. At the moment, the euro is trying to overcome the level of 1.0665, while the market is waiting for new catalysts of movement. The fundamental situation today is predictable: the main attention is focused on the speech of Christine Lagarde from the ECB and the monthly report of the Bundesbank. In addition, investors are expecting data on the April level of consumer confidence in the eurozone, with a slight increase in the index from -14.9 to -14.0 points.An analysis of March statistics on the German producer price index shows an increase of 0.2% month-on-month, reducing annual industrial inflation to -2.9% from -4.1%, which is higher than analysts expected the indicator to stabilize.Resistance levels: 1.0700, 1.0730, 1.0765, 1.0800.Support levels: 1.0660, 1.0630, 1.0600, 1.0561.USD/CAD: currency pair is losing ground from the upper limit of the ascending channel 1.3800–1.3650In the Asian session, the USD/CAD currency pair shows stable performance, being at the level of 1.3725, in anticipation of new economic data.According to the latest report from Statistics Canada, in February there was a decrease in investment in construction: the total volume decreased by 1.1%, to CAD 19.3 billion, including investments in residential complexes fell by 1.2%, to CAD 13.4 billion, and in commercial and industrial buildings — by 0.9%, to CAD 6.0 billion. In the coming hour (14:30 GMT+2), data on March prices for industrial goods are expected to be published, their growth is projected to be 0.8%, as well as an update of the index of the cost of new housing, the estimated increase of which will be 0.1%. The commodity price index is also expected to increase by 2.9%.Resistance levels: 1.3760, 1.3870.Support levels: 1.3690, 1.3560.NZD/USD: increased consumer spending in New ZealandThe NZD/USD pair shows a moderate correction, holding at 0.5912 against the background of stabilization of the US dollar, while the lack of strong support from local economic statistics significantly restrains the growth of the New Zealand currency.A report from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand showed that March credit card spending reached NZ$3.794 billion, up from February's level of NZ$3.697 billion, but still below the previous year's March figure of NZ$4.018 billion. Despite the growth of the last two months, the current figures still have not reached the levels of the end of the previous year, estimated at 4,200 billion New Zealand dollars.The US dollar, trading at 105.80 in USDX, remains the main factor influencing the dynamics of the pair. The recent report on the decline in sales in the secondary housing market in the United States to 4.19 million from 4.38 million, although lower than expected, supports some optimism, since the figures are better than last year's data (3.78 million). The US Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions will largely depend on future data on the real estate sector, which may delay a possible rate cut if this sector weakens.Resistance levels: 0.5950, 0.6040.Support levels: 0.5880, 0.5790.USD/CHF: Switzerland's March surplus reached 2.8 billion francsThe USD/CHF currency pair demonstrates stabilization of the 0.9122 level, despite positive macroeconomic data from Switzerland.Switzerland's March trade surplus expanded from 2.3 billion to 2.8 billion francs. Exports decreased by 0.6% to 21.1 billion francs, while imports decreased by 3.3% to 18.2 billion francs. In the export segment, there was a decrease in jewelry by 37.2% and watches by 1.5%. Among imported goods, jewelry and chemical and pharmaceutical products showed the largest drop, falling by 18.1% and 6.0%, respectively. These factors put pressure on the Swiss currency, supporting the trend towards strengthening the USD/CHF pair in the context of slowing international trade.Resistance levels: 0.9150, 0.9250.Support levels: 0.9080, ...
FOREX Fundamental analysis for EUR/USDThe decrease in tension in the Middle East has breathed new forces into the euro. In the previous case, when EURUSD reached parity in 2022, an energy crisis broke out in Europe, and a possible war between Israel and Iran, further raising energy prices, could seriously undermine the Eurozone economy, which is dependent on fuel imports. This time, Tehran is minimizing the consequences of rocket attacks from Jerusalem, which indicates its reluctance or unwillingness to take revenge. The main currency risk has started to recover, but will the bulls have enough strength for a prolonged correction?EURUSD is holding higher at 1.06, but talk of a collapse of the pair to parity is not abating. The rates on options, at which the equality of the euro and the US dollar will be fixed, are growing. According to Bank of America estimates, the probability of a pair testing this pivot level over the next 6 months is 12%, although no one considered this option at the beginning of the year.The reason for this was a significant change in investors' perception of the prospects for US GDP and the dynamics of the interest rate of the Federal Reserve Fund (FRF). If Bloomberg's autumn forecasts for 2024 assumed a slowdown in the American economy to 0.9%, then the recent IMF forecast indicates growth of 2.7%, which is twice the forecasts of the nearest competitor from the G7 — Canada. At the beginning of the year, derivatives assumed 6-7 acts of monetary expansion of the Federal Reserve Fund, but now they are talking about 1-2. Moreover, they are more inclined to one rate cut. The possibility of the Fed not changing interest rates at all this year is also being actively discussed.It is clear that those who held short positions on the US dollar at the beginning of 2024 are currently the main buyers of the US currency. Vanguard talks about the stable strength of the US dollar, UBS Asset Management predicts its further growth, and Wells Fargo, yesterday's "bear" of the USD index, has already turned around.Although EURUSD quotes were affected by the escalation of the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East and immediately went up with the stabilization of the situation, other factors determining the position of sellers remain in effect. The expected expansion of US GDP by 2.3% in the first quarter, according to Reuters forecasts, makes us think again about the strength of the American economy. The actual data may be even higher, as the leading indicator of the Atlanta Federal Reserve shows +2.9%, and Goldman Sachs gives +3.1%.On the other hand, a slowdown in the PCE index, the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, according to Citigroup, may lead to an expansion of acts of monetary expansion from 1-2 to 2-3, which will put pressure on the US dollar.The monetary policy of the Federal Reserve continues to be a key factor in forex currency trading and continues to depend on data. Therefore, the markets need to be patient and wait for new macroeconomic statistics for the States. The consolidation of EURUSD in the range of 1.061-1.071 is most likely, however, we will sell on each rise.Technical analysis for EUR/USDEURUSD maintains a downward trend towards the nearest target at a low on April 16. If this support is broken, the pair will go to the Target zone 2, 1.0561 - 0.0544. To enter the sale, we recommend waiting for the asset to recover to the resistance area (A) 1.0693 - 1.0685 and resistance (B) 1.0739 - 1.0727.The signal for buying EURUSD will be a breakthrough and consolidation above the resistance area (B). In this case, the short-term trend will change to an upward direction, and the upper Target zone 1.0878 - 1.0853 will be the target of the ...
ECB Council member Pablo Hernandez de Cos believes that the EU economy will not reach the pre-pandemic level until the end of the second half of 2023.The governor of the Spanish central bank has joined the chorus of ECB policymakers calling for the first rate hike in more than a decade to curb the highest inflation rate since the creation of the euro and prevent price increases from taking hold.The ECB is lagging behind global competitors in raising borrowing costs and is even still pouring money into the financial system through its asset purchase program, a legacy of a decade of fighting too low inflation.Inflation in the eurozone reached a record 7.5% in April, and was well above the ECB's 2% target. Now the ECB's key rate is 0%, 0.25% on margin loans, and minus 0.5% on deposits.The official also believes that a gradual increase in rates should be expected, especially if the medium-term inflation forecast remains at the current target level.According to de Cos, the completion of the bond purchase program should be completed at the beginning of the 3rd quarter, and soon after that the first interest rate increase will follow. The gradual abolition of extraordinary monetary incentives is adequate in the current ...
The year 2022 on world markets will largely be determined by the tightening of monetary policy in the United States, and the first week of the new year confirmed this. The minutes of the Fed's December meeting published last week showed a significant tightening of the position of the regulator's representatives – Fed members believe that the rate can be raised as early as March, and also see a faster reduction in the balance sheet as appropriate. Representatives of the regulator believe that the current economic conditions are already in many ways conducive to tightening the labor market, some even noted the recovery of the labor market already sufficient for such actions, although the majority still expects further improvement in the labor situation. Against this background, it is worth noting the publication of December labor data in the United States, which came out ambiguous. On the one hand, employment in December increased by only 200 thousand. The Bloomberg consensus forecast assumed an employment growth of 450 thousand, and the actual growth rate of the indicator was the lowest since the beginning of 2021. Nevertheless, in many respects such weak employment growth is explained by seasonal adjustment, and the unemployment rate in December fell more than expected. Thus, the indicator has updated the next lows since the beginning of the pandemic, dropping to 3.90% against the expected 4.10%. The unemployment rate continues to approach a historic low of 3.40%, and labor statistics have further increased fears in the market of an imminent tightening of the PREP in the United States. As a result, on Friday, the yields of ten-year US treasuries at the moment exceeded 1.80% per annum - the maximum since the beginning of the pandemic. Today they have returned to these levels again.This week, the dynamics in the market will continue to be determined by expectations for the actions of regulators - investors will follow the statements of representatives of the Fed and the ECB, as well as the publication of price data in the United States for December. Statistics published last week showed an increase in inflation in the EU to 5.00% YoY. As a result, the topics of price growth in December updated the historical maximum, while analysts expected a slight slowdown in price growth. The situation on the supply side also has high inflation in the United States. The December business activity indices indicated a slight easing of logistical problems, however, the further deterioration of the epidemiological situation again intensified disruptions in logistics chains, which does not lead to a significant slowdown in price growth. The FAO World Food Price index fell in December for the first time since July, but food inflation remains at elevated levels. Against this background, US inflation data is likely to continue to bring the Fed rate hike closer, intensifying the negative in the markets.The main event for the oil market in early 2022 was the OPEC+ meeting. However, as expected, it was decided to stick to the current plan to increase production. Nevertheless, the cartel lowered its forecasts for a surplus in the oil market, which allowed Brent crude futures to exceed the level of $80/bbl. Moreover, against the background of interruptions in the supply of black gold from Kazakhstan and Libya, quotations were close to $83/bbl. However, at the end of the week they declined from these levels, today Brent futures are growing by 0.35% and are trading around $82.05/bbl. The main negative for oil this week may be related to the potential strengthening of the dollar amid expectations of a tightening of the PREP in the United States. However, in the absence of a significant strengthening of the dollar, Brent futures may still exceed the levels of $83/bbl– - the quotes may be supported by another weekly decline in oil ...
The foreign exchange market is better known as Forex or FX. Trading in this market has become very popular in recent years. However, this is not the case - Forex trading raises a number of questions. For example: what is the foreign exchange market? Which currency pairs are best to trade? Is currency trading risky? Some of the answers to these questions will be found in this article.What is the Forex market?The foreign exchange market is also called the Forex market or the English foreign exchange market. It is simply a market where currencies are exchanged. According to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the foreign exchange market is the largest market in terms of total volume, with up to USD 5 trillion traded daily. It is not a physical place, but rather an electronic network where institutions or individuals trade with each other.The left-hand currency is called the base currency and the right-hand currency is called the quote currency. The second currency indicates the value relative to 1 unit of the base currency. For instance, the formula EUR/USD = 1.4000 implies that EUR/USD trades at 1.4000, i.e., 1 Euro has a value of $1.40. The first currency is always expressed in the second currency. USD/JPY at 110.50 means that one USD is worth JPY 110.50. EUR/USDWhat are the best currency pairs to trade?The best currency pairs to trade effectively depend on your trading style. If you have a short term strategy, for example, if you like to scalp, then the major currency pairs will be most profitable for you because of the low spreads.On the other hand, for a fundamental trader, smaller currency pairs will be of interest based on long-term analysis. The most profitable currency pairs may be those involving the Australian dollar, Japanese yen or Canadian dollar.The best forex currency pairs:EUR/USD: this pair has the lowest spread and is not very volatile.GBP/USD: this pair is interesting in terms of spreads and possible gaps, but it is quite volatile.USD/JPY: this pair has low spreads and offers some interesting possibilities. GBP/USDHow to get started trading currencies online?To start trading currencies online, follow these steps:- Choose a regulated and reputable broker- Choose a broker by the quality of execution of trading instructions- Decide on the trading style that suits you best (scalping, intraday trading, swing trading - you keep your position open for several days)- Determine the appropriate leverage effect in the stock market according to your strategy and experience.- Do not invest more than you can afford to lose.- Choose an intuitive, simple and secure trading platform such as MetaTrader 4.- Try all the above steps on a demo account, before trading live.Read more: Features of intraday trading on the Forex marketGoldIs online currency trading dangerous?Like any financial investment, currency trading online is subject to risks. However, there are different methods to control these risks:- Determine the price of the currency pair at which you want to close a position if developments are unfavourable (for example, if you buy and the price falls, or if you sell and the price rises),- Determine the size of the trade so that your potential loss should not exceed 2-3% of your capital per trade,- Estimate your risk/return ratio (loss/profit) before you open the trade. By default you should have a greater potential for profit than loss, e.g. risk 50 pips, but try to make a profit of e.g. 100 pips.For proper money management and risk reduction it is advisable to start trading on a demo account and try things out on the dirt first. Such an account will allow you to trade in real market conditions, but with fictitious capital, so that you have a complete understanding of the foreign exchange market without any risk.Read more: Forex broker: how to choose a good ...