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 ...
FOREX Fundamental analysis for EUR/USD on July 26, 2024Desire is not harmful, its absence is harmful. Donald Trump is aiming for a weak dollar, but the facts tell a different story: from a fundamental point of view, the American currency is not overvalued. Finance Minister Janet Yellen notes that in recent years the United States has maintained a "hawkish" monetary policy with higher rates compared to other countries, which attracted capital and strengthened the dollar. Since Joe Biden took office, the dollar index has increased by 15%.Regardless of who wins in November – Republican or Democrat – he will inherit a strong economy. GDP in the second quarter unexpectedly accelerated from 1.4% to 2.8%, which is significantly higher than Bloomberg forecasts of 2%. Even more impressive is the growth in the index of personal consumption expenditures – from 2.7% to 2.9%. These data hint that either the June PCE will be significantly higher than forecasts, or the data for April-May will be revised upwards, which is favorable for the "bears" in EUR/USD.The US economy is strong, and Trump intends to further stimulate it. His policy of new tariffs on imports will slow GDP growth outside the United States and revive the theme of American exceptionalism, which has supported the dollar in recent years.With a strong economy, weak inflation is impossible, and the resumption of trade wars will only accelerate price increases due to supply chain disruptions, as it was during the pandemic. The Fed will either have to keep the rate at the current level, or tighten policy again. The dollar will strengthen because that's how the financial system works.In the last presidency, Trump tried to fight this system, calling Jerome Powell America's number one enemy and sought to weaken the greenback in all available and inaccessible ways, although unsuccessfully. Political pressure on the Fed and interference in forex currency trading will lead to instability and force investors to seek refuge in the dollar, which will once again strengthen the position of the greenback.If someone wants a weak dollar, it is not worth resuming trade wars or introducing new fiscal incentives. In the current state of affairs, the US economy will slow down, and the Fed will ease policy, which will lead to an increase in EUR/USD. But it is difficult to convince Trump of this. Our forex trading strategy has not changed yet. While the pair is trading above 1.083, we will stick to purchases. Falling below this level will open the way for the formation of short ...
EUR/USD: macroeconomic data did not contribute to the strengthening of the euroAlthough the US dollar is showing a decline, the EUR/USD exchange rate continues to follow the corrective trend, being at the level of 1.0837.The latest macroeconomic data did not support the euro: in July, the business activity index in the French manufacturing sector fell from 45.4 to 44.1 points, in Germany the decline was from 43.5 to 42.6 points. In the French services sector, the index improved from 49.6 to 50.7 points, while in Germany it decreased from 53.1 to 52.0 points, which led to a correction in the overall indicators for the eurozone from 45.8 to 45.6 points in the manufacturing sector and from 51.9 to 45.6 points in services. As a result, the composite index fell from 50.4 to 48.7 points, returning to the deterioration zone for the first time since March, indicating a slowdown in the Eurozone economy. This, in turn, increases the chances of interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank (ECB) in September and December. Meanwhile, the GfK Group consumer climate index improved from -21.6 to -18.4 points in August, exceeding expectations of -21.1 points amid slowing inflation and improving household incomes due to wage growth.Resistance levels: 1.0909, 1.1021.Support levels: 1.0793, 1.0708.GBP/USD: pound rose on business activity dataAfter a significant rise at the beginning of the month, the GBP/USD exchange rate is now falling against the background of a temporary correction of the US dollar, remaining at 1.2888 during the Asian session.The pound is supported by macroeconomic data: the index of business activity in the manufacturing sector increased from 50.9 to 51.8 points, and in the services sector — from 52.1 to 52.4 points, which led to an improvement in the composite index from 52.3 to 52.7 points. This gives investors reason to expect further strengthening of the national currency until next week, when data on the labor and real estate markets will be published. Such indicators are a recovery from the period of instability caused by the recent parliamentary elections and may contribute to accelerating GDP growth. Nevertheless, most experts believe that the Bank of England will not begin active measures until autumn.Resistance levels: 1.2930, 1.3040.Support levels: 1.2860, 1.2750.AUD/USD: According to Roy Morgan, tax cuts will reduce mortgage pressureThe AUD/USD exchange rate stabilized at 0.6547, moving within the framework of an "expanding" pattern with boundaries of 0.6800–0.6300.Analysts are assessing possible actions by the Australian monetary authorities. Deutsche Bank expressed doubts about achieving the inflation target of 2.0–3.0% in the foreseeable future, which is confirmed by the data of the Melbourne Institute survey, where only 15% of participants believe in an early recovery of inflation after the pandemic. Experts from Roy Morgan believe that the tax cuts that have begun will significantly reduce the proportion of households experiencing mortgage stress if the labor market remains stable and the Reserve Bank of Australia does not raise interest rates. At the same time, the unemployment rate in the country reached 4.1% in June, which makes a correction in the cost of loans less likely, but persistent inflation may stimulate an increase in rates by 25 basis points at the August meeting, creating an additional burden for homeowners. According to RoyMorgan statistics, the number of mortgage borrowers facing late payments increased to 1.6 million or 30.3% of the total, which is 88.0 thousand more compared to the previous month. The proportion of people especially vulnerable to risks (based on their debt service costs) exceeded 1.016 million people, or about 20%, which is significantly higher than the average level over the last decade of 14.5%. Despite a slight decrease, mortgage stress remains high. According to analysts at Westpac Banking Corp., the probability of an increase in the RBA's key rate is estimated at 30%, and the first reduction is not expected until August 2025. In addition, the business activity indices in manufacturing and services showed a correction from 47.2 to 47.4 points and from 51.2 to 50.8 points, respectively.Support levels: 0.6530, 0.6450.Resistance levels: 0.6570, 0.6660.USD/JPY: the prospect of a rate hike by the Bank of Japan stabilizes the yenThe USD/JPY exchange rate continues to fall for the third week in a row, influenced by differences in the monetary policy of the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan, with the current level at around 152.00.The increasing likelihood of monetary policy tightening by the Bank of Japan is supported by the latest data. The July figures indicate a strengthening of business activity, which may indicate a recovery in the country's economy. The consumer price index continues to exceed the target level, reaching 2.8% in June, with the base index at 2.6%. This allows the regulator to count on maintaining high inflation rates, which is facilitated by a significant increase in wages. According to information from Reuters, the Bank of Japan is expected to consider raising interest rates at its July 31 meeting, although specific measures may be postponed until the autumn.Resistance levels: 156.25, 159.37, 160.93.Support levels: 151.56, 150.00, 148.43, ...
FOREX Fundamental analysis for EUR/USD on July 25, 2024The recent rise in the EUR/USD exchange rate from support at 1.825-1.0835 was triggered by rumors of an economic cooling in the United States and the beginning of Kamala Harris's "honeymoon". However, positive US PMI data and a drop in stock indices through currency correlation returned the advantage to greenback buyers. Investors are now considering whether to abandon Trump trade, fearing a recession, and are waiting for GDP data for the second quarter.It should be noted that Kamala Harris differs from Joe Biden for the better, since with her entry into the election race, the gap between the candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties has narrowed. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Harris beating Trump by 2 percentage points. The Democrats' victory in the White House may ease political pressure on the Fed, which will allow the regulator to follow the chosen course of monetary policyFormer head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York William Dudley believes that rate cuts should begin as early as July to avoid a recession. The growth of the yield differential indicates market expectations regarding aggressive easing of the Fed's policy.Rumors of a recession, the weakening of the influence of Trump trade and expectations of a rate cut increased confidence in monetary expansion in September, which stabilized EUR/USD, despite weak European statistics. Disappointing data on business activity in Europe has become a cold shower for market optimists.Things are better in the USA. The composite PMI index has peaked since April 2022, and Bloomberg forecasts GDP growth of 2% in the second quarter. This calls into question the need for aggressive monetary expansion by the Fed and supports the "bears" on EUR/USD, especially given the increased demand for the dollar as a safe haven currency.The drop in the value of Tesla and Alphabet shares and the decline of the S&P 500 by $768 billion increased demand for the dollar. This broke a 356-day streak without the index falling by more than 2%, which was the worst day since December 2022.The alignment of the candidates' positions in the US presidential race returns investors' attention to data affecting the Fed's monetary policy. The risks of a fall in EUR/USD remain, but the potential for a pullback is limited. A consolidation range of 1.08-1.095 is probably forming. A return of the pair above 1.0865 will increase purchases opened in the area of ...
EUR/USD: analysts' expectations on the EU economy have not been metThe EUR/USD exchange rate is falling against the background of the weakening of the US dollar, reaching the level of 1.0832.Macroeconomic data did not confirm expectations, putting pressure on the euro: in July, the business activity index in the French manufacturing sector fell to 44.1 from the expected 45.4, and in Germany to 42.6 against the forecast of 43.5, which led to a decrease in the EU composite index from 45.8 to 45.6. In the French services sector, the indicator improved from 49.6 to 50.7, while in Germany it decreased from 53.1 to 52.0, which eventually lowered the pan-European index to 51.9.Resistance levels: 1.0870, 1.0950.Support levels: 1.0830, 1.0750.GBP/USD: possible correction of the Bank of England's policy in AugustThe GBP/USD pair has been experiencing downward pressure for the second week, reaching 1.2890 during the Asian session.British investors are analyzing the latest employment data: in May, the unemployment rate was 4.4%, the employment rate increased by 19.0 thousand instead of the expected 18.0 thousand, the average salary with bonuses decreased from 5.9% to 5.7%, and without bonuses — also to 5.7%, which is the lowest since the summer of 2022. Analysts believe that these data are insufficient to convince conservative-minded members of the Bank of England that inflationary pressures are under control. However, monetary policy easing is possible at the August meeting, as inflation reached the target of 2.0%, and core inflation, excluding energy and food, approached 0.3%, well below the maximum of 0.9% at the beginning of last year. Two rate cuts of 25 basis points are forecast this year. Business activity data is published today at 10:30 (GMT+2): an increase in indicators in the manufacturing sector to 50.9 and in the service sector to 52.1 may support the British currency.The attention of American investors turned to political events: on Sunday, the current US President Joe Biden announced his refusal to participate in the elections, supporting Vice President Kamala Harris as the candidate of the Democratic Party, which has already gained the necessary number of votes for her nomination. Despite this, many experts see Donald Trump from the Republican Party as the winner, who, if he wins, can impose duties on Chinese goods and lower taxes, stimulating investment, which can accelerate inflation and slow down monetary policy easing. Today at 15:45 (GMT+2), data on business activity indices in the manufacturing sector and the service sector are expected on the market, which may have an impact on the US dollar.Resistance levels: 1.2939, 1.3061, 1.3183.Support levels: 1.2817, 1.2695, 1.2573.USD/JPY: Japanese Annual Core CPI settled at 2.1%The USD/JPY pair shows a steady decline, reaching the level of 154.58, while the market considers the current growth of the yen as corrective, caused by currency interventions of the Bank of Japan.At the same time, macroeconomic indicators remain disappointing: the core consumer price index remained at 2.1%, rising from 1.8% in May. The index of business activity in the manufacturing sector decreased from 50.0 to 49.2 points in July, while in the services sector it improved from 49.4 to 53.9 points. Analysts point to the growing concern of Japanese politicians about the weakness of the national currency and their desire to influence the regulator in order to raise rates. However, at the July 31 meeting, Bank of Japan officials are expected to keep interest rates at the same level and consider the possibility of adjusting monetary policy only in the fall.Resistance levels: 155.40, 157.70.Support levels: 154.10, 151.80.USD/CAD: awaiting the Bank of Canada's rate decisionsThe USD/CAD pair continues to grow for the second week in a row, currently checking the level of 1.3793 (Murray [8/8]). The Canadian dollar is under pressure on the eve of the Bank of Canada meeting, where an interest rate cut from 4.75% to 4.50% is possible. This decision may be due to the latest inflation data for June, which showed a decrease to 2.7% from 2.9% year-on-year and an increase in unemployment from 6.2% to 6.4%. Given these factors, additional monetary policy easing seems justified, especially after statements by the head of the Bank of Canada, Tiff Macklem, about the possibility of reducing the cost of borrowing with a slowdown in consumer price growth. The regulator's goal is to achieve a "soft landing" of the economy, avoiding a sharp increase in unemployment.As a result, an increase in the USD/CAD exchange rate in the near future looks like the most likely development.Resistance levels: 1.3793, 1.3855, 1.3916.Support levels: 1.3732, 1.3671, ...
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 ...