WHAT IS FOREX TRADING

AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

Forex, also known as foreign exchange, or FX, is the world's largest and most liquid financial market for exchanging national currencies. It is a non-stop global decentralized or over-the-counter (OTC) market for the trading of currencies through banks, commercial companies, central banks, investment management firms, hedge funds and investors.

At HFM we offer Derivatives on Forex on a wide variety of currency pairs with exceptional trading conditions such as tight spreads and fast execution. Open a trading account and use our powerful trading platforms and professional tools to trade today’s markets with the advantage of tomorrow’s cutting-edge technology!

TRADE FOREX

WHAT IS FOREX TRADING

Forex trading is the buying and selling of currencies with the aim of making a profit. As the largest and most-traded financial market in the world, foreign exchange offers ample opportunities for those who want to experience the highest volumes and liquidity.

Currencies are traded in the foreign exchange market, a global marketplace that’s open 24 hours a day Monday through Friday, with traders buying one currency and selling another at an agreed price, which causes the exchange rate to constantly fluctuate. An everyday example of forex trading is exchanging currency when travelling abroad.

In 2022, global FX trading hit a record $7.5 trillion a day. The vast majority of Forex trading does not occur on any one centralized or organized exchange but through the interbank currency market and OTC market where individuals trade through online platforms and brokers. The interbank currency market is a twenty four hour market that follows the sun around the world, opening in Australia and closing in the US. Whilst the market exists for organizations with exchange risk, speculators also participate in the Forex markets in an effort to profit from their expectations regarding shifts in exchange rates.

How Does
Forex Trading Work?

Forex trading is the process of exchanging one currency for another in a simple trade that is based on the current rates of the two currencies involved.

Currencies are traded in pairs - the first currency listed in a forex pair is called the 'base' currency while the second currency is called the 'quote' currency. When traders trade forex they buy one currency and sell another. Profits are made if the currency the trader buys moves up against the currency the trader sold.

The EURUSD (Euro/US Dollar) is the most traded currency pair in the world.

Example

If EURUSD=1.2500

That price represents the number of US Dollars that can be exchanged for 1 Euro.


LONG (BUY)

If a trader opens a LONG (BUY) position on EURUSD at 1.2500, they would make a profit if the exchange rate moved UP above 1.2500 and a LOSS if the exchange rate went below 1.2500.


SHORT (SELL)

A SHORT (SELL) position on EURUSD would make a profit if the exchange rate moved DOWN below 1.2500 and a LOSS if the exchange rate went above 1.2500.

What moves
the forex market?

Forex is a real global marketplace, with participants all over the world trading trillions of dollars per day. There are many factors that could affect the currency price movements in forex market with Macroeconomic data having the greatest impact on forex markets.
The forex market is affected by:

Economic releases like a country’s Inflation, or GDP, which shows the strength of the local economy, affect traders’ perception of the stability of the country and its currency. A positive GDP tends to boost the currency, while a negative report will have the opposite effect.

Market sentiment, or the mood of the markets, reflects the general feeling among traders. Traders react to market optimism and pessimism, thus affecting demand and supply and then the price.

Decisions by central banks, such as on interest rates, monetary policy, quantitative easing etc, can affect currencies, as higher rates mean higher returns for investors and hence increase demand for the currency.

Bond yields serve as an excellent indicator of the strength of a nation’s stock market, which increases the demand for the nation’s currency.

Large scale and international events and political news and events such as elections can introduce volatility into the markets and therefore affect currency prices.

Prices of commodities which are linked to certain currencies, such as Oil with the US Dollar and Japanese Yen, as the US and Japan are major oil importers.

How to Trade Forex?

Learn how to trade the foreign exchange market with HFM. There are many reasons the Forex market is so popular; there is a huge number of different currency pairs to choose from, from majors to emerging to exotics, it is a huge global market that works 24 hours a day, five days a week, and the move online has made the markets accessible to more people than ever before.

The HFM Forex Education Centre is filled with educational resources to help you learn the basic concepts and strategies you will need to get started trading so you can make a dynamic entry into the market.

Before you trade you need to follow a few steps. Open a live trading account and start forex trading in less than 3 minutes:

Sign up

Register with HFM by completing a simple online form and providing your KYC documentation to verify your account.

Fund your account

Fund your account using any one of our fast, simple and secure methods.

Start Forex Trading

That’s it! You can access all asset classes and start forex trading.

When to Trade Forex?

The FX market is open 24 hours a day, five days a week and traded online with price quotes changing constantly. This is due to a variety of factors such as interest rates, market factors and geopolitical risks that affect supply and demand for currencies.

The below table sets out the Trading Hours that Forex is available to be traded on the HFM platforms. Although the forex market is tradable 24/5, it is traded the most during the overlap of the US and London sessions (12:00-16:00 GMT), since this is when there is the heaviest volume of trading and high volatility.

Swap values in points Trading Hours
Symbol Description Spreads as low as Leverage (up to) Short Long Monday
Open
Friday
Close
Break
EURCAD Euro/Canadian Dollar 2.3 1:2000 -2.5 -6.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURGBP Euro/Great Britain Pound 1.4 1:2000 0.0 -6.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CADCHF Canadian Dollar/Swiss Franc 1.9 1:2000 -7.2 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURJPY Euro/Japanese Yen 2.1 1:2000 -20.5 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CADJPY Canadian Dollar/Japanese Yen 2.2 1:2000 -16.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CHFJPY Swiss Franc/Japanese Yen 2.0 1:2000 -11.8 -1.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURCHF Euro/Swiss Franc 2.1 1:2000 -9.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURUSD Euro/US Dollar 1.4 1:2000 0.0 -7.8 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPCAD Great Britain Pound/Canadian Dollar 2.6 1:2000 -9.5 -0.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPCHF Great Britain Pound/Swiss Franc 2.3 1:2000 -16.6 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDJPY US Dollar/Japanese Yen 1.8 1:2000 -30.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCHF US Dollar/Swiss Franc 1.5 1:2000 -12.6 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCAD US Dollar/Canadian Dollar 1.9 1:2000 -8.3 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPUSD Great Britain Pound/US Dollar 1.6 1:2000 -3.9 -3.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPJPY Great Britain Pound/Japanese Yen 2.2 1:2000 -39.7 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
Swap values in points Trading Hours
Symbol Description Spreads as low as Leverage (up to) Short Long Monday
Open
Friday
Close
Break
AUDNZD Australian Dollar/New Zealand Dollar 2.9 1:2000 -5.6 -5.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDUSD Australian Dollar/US Dollar 1.6 1:2000 -1.1 -3.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURHUF Euro/Forint 26.0 1:2000 -14.4 -90.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURAUD Euro/Australian Dollar 2.0 1:2000 -1.0 -8.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDCHF Australian Dollar/Swiss Franc 2.6 1:2000 -7.1 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDCAD Australian Dollar/Canadian Dollar 2.2 1:2000 -3.5 -2.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDJPY Australian Dollar/Japanese Yen 2.4 1:2000 -15.8 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURNZD Euro/New Zealand Dollar 2.7 1:2000 -0.1 -11.7 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURPLN Euro/Polish Zloty 25.8 1:2000 0.0 -54.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPAUD Great Britain Pound/Australian Dollar 2.9 1:2000 -8.5 -2.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURNOK Euro/Norwegian Krone 22.6 1:2000 -29.2 -83.3 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
EURZAR Euro/South African Rand 140.0 1:2000 -15.3 -437.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCZK US Dollar/Czech Koruna 452.0 1:2000 -9.4 -14.6 1:05:00 23:57:59 -
NZDCAD New Zealand Dollar/Canadian Dollar 2.6 1:2000 -4.0 -1.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDCHF New Zealand Dollar/ Swiss Franc 3.0 1:2000 -7.7 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPZAR Great Britain Pound/South African Rand 120.0 1:2000 0.0 -356.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDHUF US Dollar/Hungarian Forint 31.2 1:2000 -1.9 -71.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDNOK US Dollar/Norwegian Krone 23.7 1:2000 -67.1 -34.9 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
NZDUSD New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar 1.8 1:2000 -1.4 -2.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDDKK US Dollar/Danish Krone 17.9 1:2000 -69.7 -3.9 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
GBPNZD Great Britain Pound vs Zealand Dollar 4.5 1:2000 -9.6 -5.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDRUB US Dollar/Russian Ruble 2768.0 1:2000 -19.4 -2021.0 10:05:00 17:54:59 -
NZDJPY New Zealand Dollar/Japanese Yen 2.1 1:2000 -17.0 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDPLN US Dollar/Polish Zloty 25.8 1:2000 -13.0 -42.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDHKD US Dollar/Hong Kong Dollar 33.8 1:2000 -53.9 -23.9 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCNH US Dollar/Chinese Renminbi 27.0 1:2000 -59.5 -36.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDMXN US Dollar/Mexican Peso 44.0 1:2000 0.0 -589.7 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDSEK US Dollar/Swedish Krona 400.0 1:2000 -104.3 -4.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDSGD Australian Dollar/Singapore Dollar 3.2 1:2000 -5.7 -2.8 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDTRY US Dollar/Turkish lira 502.7 1:20 0.0 -2959.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
SGDJPY Singapore Dollar/Japanese Yen 3.0 1:2000 -17.1 -0.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDZAR US Dollar/South African Rand 50.0 1:2000 -34.8 -359.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDTHB US Dollar/Thai Baht 1.0 1:2000 -9.3 -5.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURSGD Euro/Singapore Dollar 3.4 1:2000 -7.3 -8.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CHFSGD Swiss Franc/Singapore Dollar 4.3 1:2000 -1.7 -21.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDSGD US Dollar/Singapore Dollar 5.4 1:2000 -13.3 -1.9 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPSGD Great Britain Pound/Singapore Dollar 3.6 1:2000 -14.7 -3.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
ZARJPY South African Rand/Japanese Yen 3.0 200 -12.4 -0.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
Swap values in points Trading Hours
Symbol Description Spreads as low as Leverage (up to) Short Long Monday
Open
Friday
Close
Break
EURCHF Euro/Swiss Franc 2.1 1:2000 -9.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURJPY Euro/Japanese Yen 2.1 1:2000 -20.5 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CADJPY Canadian Dollar/Japanese Yen 2.2 1:2000 -16.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURGBP Euro/Great Britain Pound 1.4 1:2000 0.0 -6.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CADCHF Canadian Dollar/Swiss Franc 1.9 1:2000 -7.2 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CHFJPY Swiss Franc/Japanese Yen 2.0 1:2000 -11.8 -1.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURCAD Euro/Canadian Dollar 2.3 1:2000 -2.5 -6.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURUSD Euro/US Dollar 1.4 1:2000 0.0 -7.8 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPCAD Great Britain Pound/Canadian Dollar 2.6 1:2000 -9.5 -0.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPCHF Great Britain Pound/Swiss Franc 2.3 1:2000 -16.6 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCAD US Dollar/Canadian Dollar 1.9 1:2000 -8.3 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDJPY US Dollar/Japanese Yen 1.8 1:2000 -30.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCHF US Dollar/Swiss Franc 1.5 1:2000 -12.6 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPJPY Great Britain Pound/Japanese Yen 2.2 1:2000 -39.7 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPUSD Great Britain Pound/US Dollar 1.6 1:2000 -3.9 -3.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
Swap values in points Trading Hours
Symbol Description Spreads as low as Leverage (up to) Short Long Monday
Open
Friday
Close
Break
EURHUF Euro/Forint 26.0 1:2000 -14.4 -90.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDCAD Australian Dollar/Canadian Dollar 2.2 1:2000 -3.5 -2.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURAUD Euro/Australian Dollar 2.0 1:2000 -1.0 -8.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDCHF Australian Dollar/Swiss Franc 2.6 1:2000 -7.1 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDUSD Australian Dollar/US Dollar 1.6 1:2000 -1.1 -3.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDJPY Australian Dollar/Japanese Yen 2.4 1:2000 -15.8 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDNZD Australian Dollar/New Zealand Dollar 2.9 1:2000 -5.6 -5.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURNOK Euro/Norwegian Krone 22.6 1:2000 -29.2 -83.3 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
EURPLN Euro/Polish Zloty 25.8 1:2000 0.0 -54.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURZAR Euro/South African Rand 140.0 1:2000 -15.3 -437.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPAUD Great Britain Pound/Australian Dollar 2.9 1:2000 -8.5 -2.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURNZD Euro/New Zealand Dollar 2.7 1:2000 -0.1 -11.7 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDHUF US Dollar/Hungarian Forint 31.2 1:2000 -1.9 -71.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDSEK US Dollar/Swedish Krona 400.0 1:2000 -104.3 -4.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDPLN US Dollar/Polish Zloty 25.8 1:2000 -13.0 -42.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDRUB US Dollar/Russian Ruble 2768.0 1:2000 -19.4 -2021.0 10:05:00 17:54:59 -
NZDCAD New Zealand Dollar/Canadian Dollar 2.6 1:2000 -4.0 -1.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDHKD US Dollar/Hong Kong Dollar 33.8 1:2000 -53.9 -23.9 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDMXN US Dollar/Mexican Peso 44.0 1:2000 0.0 -589.7 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCNH US Dollar/Chinese Renminbi 27.0 1:2000 -59.5 -36.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDNOK US Dollar/Norwegian Krone 23.7 1:2000 -67.1 -34.9 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
NZDCHF New Zealand Dollar/ Swiss Franc 3.0 1:2000 -7.7 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDUSD New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar 1.8 1:2000 -1.4 -2.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCZK US Dollar/Czech Koruna 452.0 1:2000 -9.4 -14.6 1:05:00 23:57:59 -
GBPNZD Great Britain Pound vs Zealand Dollar 4.5 1:2000 -9.6 -5.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPZAR Great Britain Pound/South African Rand 120.0 1:2000 0.0 -356.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDJPY New Zealand Dollar/Japanese Yen 2.1 1:2000 -17.0 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDDKK US Dollar/Danish Krone 17.9 1:2000 -69.7 -3.9 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
USDSGD US Dollar/Singapore Dollar 5.4 1:2000 -13.3 -1.9 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDTRY US Dollar/Turkish lira 502.7 1:20 0.0 -2959.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
SGDJPY Singapore Dollar/Japanese Yen 3.0 1:2000 -17.1 -0.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CHFSGD Swiss Franc/Singapore Dollar 4.3 1:2000 -1.7 -21.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDSGD Australian Dollar/Singapore Dollar 3.2 1:2000 -5.7 -2.8 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURSGD Euro/Singapore Dollar 3.4 1:2000 -7.3 -8.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDTHB US Dollar/Thai Baht 1.0 1:2000 -9.3 -5.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
ZARJPY South African Rand/Japanese Yen 3.0 200 -12.4 -0.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPSGD Great Britain Pound/Singapore Dollar 3.6 1:2000 -14.7 -3.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDZAR US Dollar/South African Rand 50.0 1:2000 -34.8 -359.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
Swap values in points Trading Hours
Symbol Description Spreads as low as Leverage (up to) Short Long Monday
Open
Friday
Close
Break
EURGBP Euro/Great Britain Pound 0.6 1:2000 0.0 -6.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CADCHF Canadian Dollar/Swiss Franc 0.7 1:2000 -7.2 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CHFJPY Swiss Franc/Japanese Yen 0.7 1:2000 -11.8 -1.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURCHF Euro/Swiss Franc 0.7 1:2000 -9.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CADJPY Canadian Dollar/Japanese Yen 0.7 1:2000 -16.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURCAD Euro/Canadian Dollar 0.7 1:2000 -2.5 -6.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURJPY Euro/Japanese Yen 0.6 1:2000 -20.5 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURUSD Euro/US Dollar 0.6 1:2000 0.0 -7.8 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPCAD Great Britain Pound/Canadian Dollar 0.7 1:2000 -9.5 -0.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCAD US Dollar/Canadian Dollar 0.6 1:2000 -8.3 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDJPY US Dollar/Japanese Yen 1.1 1:2000 -30.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPCHF Great Britain Pound/Swiss Franc 0.7 1:2000 -16.6 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPJPY Great Britain Pound/Japanese Yen 0.6 1:2000 -39.7 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPUSD Great Britain Pound/US Dollar 0.6 1:2000 -3.9 -3.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCHF US Dollar/Swiss Franc 0.6 1:2000 -12.6 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
Swap values in points Trading Hours
Symbol Description Spreads as low as Leverage (up to) Short Long Monday
Open
Friday
Close
Break
AUDCHF Australian Dollar/Swiss Franc 1.3 1:2000 -7.1 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURAUD Euro/Australian Dollar 1.1 1:2000 -1.0 -8.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDJPY Australian Dollar/Japanese Yen 1.1 1:2000 -15.8 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDCAD Australian Dollar/Canadian Dollar 1.5 1:2000 -3.5 -2.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURHUF Euro/Forint 18.9 1:2000 -14.4 -90.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDNZD Australian Dollar/New Zealand Dollar 1.1 1:2000 -5.6 -5.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDUSD Australian Dollar/US Dollar 0.6 1:2000 -1.1 -3.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURZAR Euro/South African Rand 50.6 1:2000 -15.3 -437.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURNZD Euro/New Zealand Dollar 1.2 1:2000 -0.1 -11.7 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURNOK Euro/Norwegian Krone 5.7 1:2000 -29.2 -83.3 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
EURPLN Euro/Polish Zloty 6.9 1:2000 0.0 -54.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPAUD Great Britain Pound/Australian Dollar 1.1 1:2000 -8.5 -2.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDNOK US Dollar/Norwegian Krone 1.1 1:2000 -67.1 -34.9 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
USDHKD US Dollar/Hong Kong Dollar 7.5 1:2000 -53.9 -23.9 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDUSD New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar 1.0 1:2000 -1.4 -2.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDSEK US Dollar/Swedish Krona 290.5 1:2000 -104.3 -4.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDJPY New Zealand Dollar/Japanese Yen 1.1 1:2000 -17.0 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDMXN US Dollar/Mexican Peso 11.4 1:2000 0.0 -589.7 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDCHF New Zealand Dollar/ Swiss Franc 1.3 1:2000 -7.7 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDCAD New Zealand Dollar/Canadian Dollar 1.3 1:2000 -4.0 -1.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDDKK US Dollar/Danish Krone 3.9 1:2000 -69.7 -3.9 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
USDPLN US Dollar/Polish Zloty 2.3 1:2000 -13.0 -42.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDRUB US Dollar/Russian Ruble 2765.6 1:2000 -19.4 -2021.0 10:05:00 17:54:59 -
GBPNZD Great Britain Pound vs Zealand Dollar 1.1 1:2000 -9.6 -5.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDHUF US Dollar/Hungarian Forint 2.1 1:2000 -1.9 -71.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCNH US Dollar/Chinese Renminbi 8.2 1:2000 -59.5 -36.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPZAR Great Britain Pound/South African Rand 75.6 1:2000 0.0 -356.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCZK US Dollar/Czech Koruna 239.0 1:2000 -9.4 -14.6 1:05:00 23:57:59 -
USDTRY US Dollar/Turkish lira 250.6 1:20 0.0 -2959.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
ZARJPY South African Rand/Japanese Yen 1.6 200 -12.4 -0.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
SGDJPY Singapore Dollar/Japanese Yen 1.6 1:2000 -17.1 -0.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDSGD Australian Dollar/Singapore Dollar 1.7 1:2000 -5.7 -2.8 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPSGD Great Britain Pound/Singapore Dollar 2.0 1:2000 -14.7 -3.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDZAR US Dollar/South African Rand 40.6 1:2000 -34.8 -359.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDTHB US Dollar/Thai Baht 1.2 1:2000 -9.3 -5.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CHFSGD Swiss Franc/Singapore Dollar 1.7 1:2000 -1.7 -21.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURSGD Euro/Singapore Dollar 1.8 1:2000 -7.3 -8.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDSGD US Dollar/Singapore Dollar 1.5 1:2000 -13.3 -1.9 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
Swap values in points Trading Hours
Symbol Description Spreads as low as Leverage (up to) Short Long Monday
Open
Friday
Close
Break
CADCHF Canadian Dollar/Swiss Franc 0.1 1:2000 -7.2 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURGBP Euro/Great Britain Pound 0.0 1:2000 0.0 -6.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURJPY Euro/Japanese Yen 0.0 1:2000 -20.5 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURCHF Euro/Swiss Franc 0.1 1:2000 -9.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CADJPY Canadian Dollar/Japanese Yen 0.1 1:2000 -16.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURCAD Euro/Canadian Dollar 0.1 1:2000 -2.5 -6.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CHFJPY Swiss Franc/Japanese Yen 0.1 1:2000 -11.8 -1.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURUSD Euro/US Dollar 0.0 1:2000 0.0 -7.8 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPCAD Great Britain Pound/Canadian Dollar 0.1 1:2000 -9.5 -0.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPCHF Great Britain Pound/Swiss Franc 0.1 1:2000 -16.6 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCAD US Dollar/Canadian Dollar 0.0 1:2000 -8.3 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPUSD Great Britain Pound/US Dollar 0.0 1:2000 -3.9 -3.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDJPY US Dollar/Japanese Yen 0.4 1:2000 -30.9 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPJPY Great Britain Pound/Japanese Yen 0.0 1:2000 -39.7 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCHF US Dollar/Swiss Franc 0.0 1:2000 -12.6 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
Swap values in points Trading Hours
Symbol Description Spreads as low as Leverage (up to) Short Long Monday
Open
Friday
Close
Break
AUDCHF Australian Dollar/Swiss Franc 0.8 1:2000 -7.1 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDCAD Australian Dollar/Canadian Dollar 0.9 1:2000 -3.5 -2.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDJPY Australian Dollar/Japanese Yen 0.7 1:2000 -15.8 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDUSD Australian Dollar/US Dollar 0.0 1:2000 -1.1 -3.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURNOK Euro/Norwegian Krone 5.1 1:2000 -29.2 -83.3 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
EURHUF Euro/Forint 18.3 1:2000 -14.4 -90.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDNZD Australian Dollar/New Zealand Dollar 0.5 1:2000 -5.6 -5.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURAUD Euro/Australian Dollar 0.5 1:2000 -1.0 -8.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURNZD Euro/New Zealand Dollar 0.7 1:2000 -0.1 -11.7 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPAUD Great Britain Pound/Australian Dollar 0.7 1:2000 -8.5 -2.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURPLN Euro/Polish Zloty 1.3 1:2000 0.0 -54.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURZAR Euro/South African Rand 50.0 1:2000 -15.3 -437.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDJPY New Zealand Dollar/Japanese Yen 0.5 1:2000 -17.0 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDHKD US Dollar/Hong Kong Dollar 6.2 1:2000 -53.9 -23.9 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDCAD New Zealand Dollar/Canadian Dollar 0.8 1:2000 -4.0 -1.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPNZD Great Britain Pound vs Zealand Dollar 0.5 1:2000 -9.6 -5.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDRUB US Dollar/Russian Ruble 2765.0 1:2000 -19.4 -2021.0 10:05:00 17:54:59 -
GBPZAR Great Britain Pound/South African Rand 75.0 1:2000 0.0 -356.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDSEK US Dollar/Swedish Krona 290.0 1:2000 -104.3 -4.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDUSD New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar 0.4 1:2000 -1.4 -2.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
NZDCHF New Zealand Dollar/ Swiss Franc 0.7 1:2000 -7.7 0.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCNH US Dollar/Chinese Renminbi 7.0 1:2000 -59.5 -36.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDCZK US Dollar/Czech Koruna 232.0 1:2000 -9.4 -14.6 1:05:00 23:57:59 -
USDDKK US Dollar/Danish Krone 3.3 1:2000 -69.7 -3.9 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
USDPLN US Dollar/Polish Zloty 1.3 1:2000 -13.0 -42.0 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDMXN US Dollar/Mexican Peso 10.0 1:2000 0.0 -589.7 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDNOK US Dollar/Norwegian Krone 0.5 1:2000 -67.1 -34.9 4:05:00 23:57:59 -
USDHUF US Dollar/Hungarian Forint 1.5 1:2000 -1.9 -71.5 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
GBPSGD Great Britain Pound/Singapore Dollar 1.4 1:2000 -14.7 -3.4 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDSGD US Dollar/Singapore Dollar 0.8 1:2000 -13.3 -1.9 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
AUDSGD Australian Dollar/Singapore Dollar 0.9 1:2000 -5.7 -2.8 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
ZARJPY South African Rand/Japanese Yen 1.0 200 -12.4 -0.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDTHB US Dollar/Thai Baht 0.6 1:2000 -9.3 -5.3 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDZAR US Dollar/South African Rand 40.0 1:2000 -34.8 -359.1 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
SGDJPY Singapore Dollar/Japanese Yen 1.0 1:2000 -17.1 -0.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
USDTRY US Dollar/Turkish lira 262.7 1:20 0.0 -2959.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
CHFSGD Swiss Franc/Singapore Dollar 1.7 1:2000 -1.7 -21.2 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59
EURSGD Euro/Singapore Dollar 1.1 1:2000 -7.3 -8.6 0:05:00 23:57:59 00:00:00-00:01:59

Who trades FOREX

In the early days, the Forex market was used by institutional investors that transacted large amounts for commercial and investment purposes. Although legal entities continue to be the biggest players, in today's information superhighway the Forex market has expanded and become equally accessible to private investors, also known as retail forex traders.

The growth in the Forex market over the last decade has seen an increase in non-institutional traders accessing the Forex market and the benefits it offers via online brokers such as HFM, which offers access to hundreds of markets, competitive trading conditions, regulation and transparency to create a safe and trusted trading environment. The brokers act as a bridge between the trader and their liquidity partner or partners (sometimes larger global banks) that clients would otherwise not have sufficient capital to do business with.

Although legal entities continue to be the biggest players in the Forex market, these days private investors also play a major role. These are some of the differences between the two:

Institutional Investors
Retail Traders

Institutional Investors
  • Transact large amounts
  • Trade for commercial and investment purposes, reduction of risk settlement/exposure
  • Include importers and exporters, international portfolio managers, multinational corporations, hedge funds
  • Trade in the actual Interbank market
  • Manage accounts for a group or institution
  • Have experience and/or industry knowledge and education background

Retail Traders
  • Transact smaller amounts
  • Trade for investment purposes
  • Include private investors, speculators, day traders, long term holders
  • Access the off-exchange Forex market via a broker
  • Can trade alone or have professional money managers take over via managed accounts
  • Learn through educational material available on the internet or via their broker

Advantages Of
Forex Trading

24 hour trading

The Forex market is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week

enormous liquid market

Trillions are traded daily in the forex market

Market volatility

The constantly moving market provides opportunities to long and short term traders

50+ FX Products

Trade majors, minors and exotics with the best trading conditions

go long or sell short

Traders can buy and sell currencies depending on if they think it will go up or down

Low Margin Requirements

HFM offers leverage up to 1:2000, ultra-tight spreads and superior trading tools

What
Trading Platform
to Use?

Forex can be traded on all our platforms, the HFM platform, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5! These popular and powerful platforms ensure that every trader can trade in their preferred style, in their favourite location and on the device of their choice. Trade Forex from your device, anytime from anywhere, with the HFM platform!

FAQs

Before trading, study basic forex strategies and learn how to analyze currency markets properly. Then, open an HFM Live or Demo Account and choose your trading platform. Lastly, select your currency pair and open your first position.

Some of the most traded Forex pairs are:

  • EUR/USD (Euro/US Dollar)
  • USD/JPY (US Dollar/Japanese Yen)
  • GBP/USD (British Pound/US Dollar)
  • USD/CHF (US Dollar/Swiss Franc)
  • AUD/USD (Australian Dollar/US Dollar)
  • USD/CAD (US Dollar/Canadian Dollar)
  • NZD/USD (New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar)

These currency pairs are referred to as major currency pairs, and they account for more than 80% of the daily trading volume in the Forex market.

At HFM, we offer multiple account types to suit the specific requirements of different traders, including accounts with no minimum deposit. Whatever your trading strategy, level of funding or appetite for risk, there is an account to match your needs. Please, check our Accounts Page for more information.

The Forex market is open 24 hours a day, five days a week and traded online with price quotes changing constantly. There are generally four main trading sessions:

  1. Sydney session
  2. Tokyo session
  3. London session
  4. New York session

Both the Sydney and Tokyo sessions are customarily referred to as Asian sessions. This is why Forex is usually referred to as the 3-session market: Asian, London, and New York. Trading hours may vary depending on the currency pair you wish to trade.

Yes, you can trade Forex on your phone using the HFM App. Our award-winning app allows you to access the Forex market and trade currencies from anywhere in the world and manage your positions while on the go.
The HFM App is available for both Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.

Overall, trading Forex can offer numerous opportunities for profit, but it also carries a high level of risk of loss. Therefore, it's important to approach Forex trading with a sound trading plan and a disciplined approach to risk management. At HFM, you can access a wide variety of educational resources to help you improve your trading skills.

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