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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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:
Register with HFM by completing a simple online form and providing your KYC documentation to verify your account.
Fund your account using any one of our fast, simple and secure methods.
That’s it! You can access all asset classes and start forex trading.
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 | |
| CADCHF | Canadian Dollar/Swiss Franc | 1.9 | 1:2000 | -8.1 | 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 | -5.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURJPY | Euro/Japanese Yen | 2.1 | 1:2000 | -21.8 | 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 | |
| EURCHF | Euro/Swiss Franc | 2.1 | 1:2000 | -9.7 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| CHFJPY | Swiss Franc/Japanese Yen | 2.0 | 1:2000 | -12.0 | -1.4 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURCAD | Euro/Canadian Dollar | 2.3 | 1:2000 | -2.6 | -6.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPCAD | Great Britain Pound/Canadian Dollar | 2.6 | 1:2000 | -9.4 | -0.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURUSD | Euro/US Dollar | 1.4 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -7.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCHF | US Dollar/Swiss Franc | 1.5 | 1:2000 | -12.2 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPCHF | Great Britain Pound/Swiss Franc | 2.3 | 1:2000 | -15.7 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPUSD | Great Britain Pound/US Dollar | 1.6 | 1:2000 | -3.8 | -3.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDJPY | US Dollar/Japanese Yen | 1.8 | 1:2000 | -29.9 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCAD | US Dollar/Canadian Dollar | 1.9 | 1:2000 | -8.1 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPJPY | Great Britain Pound/Japanese Yen | 2.2 | 1:2000 | -38.8 | 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 | |
| EURAUD | Euro/Australian Dollar | 2.0 | 1:2000 | -1.0 | -9.1 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURHUF | Euro/Forint | 26.0 | 1:2000 | -14.7 | -89.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDCAD | Australian Dollar/Canadian Dollar | 2.2 | 1:2000 | -3.8 | -2.1 | 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 | -1.2 | -2.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDJPY | Australian Dollar/Japanese Yen | 2.4 | 1:2000 | -16.6 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDNZD | Australian Dollar/New Zealand Dollar | 2.9 | 1:2000 | -3.8 | -4.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURPLN | Euro/Polish Zloty | 25.8 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -53.2 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURNZD | Euro/New Zealand Dollar | 2.7 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -12.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURNOK | Euro/Norwegian Krone | 22.6 | 1:2000 | -29.0 | -82.9 | 4:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| EURZAR | Euro/South African Rand | 140.0 | 1:2000 | -10.7 | -451.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPAUD | Great Britain Pound/Australian Dollar | 2.9 | 1:2000 | -7.9 | -2.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCZK | US Dollar/Czech Koruna | 452.0 | 1:2000 | -9.2 | -14.7 | 1:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| NZDUSD | New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar | 1.8 | 1:2000 | -1.3 | -2.3 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDHKD | US Dollar/Hong Kong Dollar | 33.8 | 1:2000 | -68.4 | -32.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDHUF | US Dollar/Hungarian Forint | 31.2 | 1:2000 | -2.0 | -71.3 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCNH | US Dollar/Chinese Renminbi | 27.0 | 1:2000 | -51.7 | -53.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPNZD | Great Britain Pound vs Zealand Dollar | 4.5 | 1:2000 | -7.0 | -5.2 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDNOK | US Dollar/Norwegian Krone | 23.7 | 1:2000 | -66.8 | -34.3 | 4:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| NZDCHF | New Zealand Dollar/ Swiss Franc | 3.0 | 1:2000 | -7.4 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDMXN | US Dollar/Mexican Peso | 44.0 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -457.8 | 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 | -403.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| NZDJPY | New Zealand Dollar/Japanese Yen | 2.1 | 1:2000 | -17.2 | 0.0 | 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 | -4.5 | -0.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDDKK | US Dollar/Danish Krone | 17.9 | 1:2000 | -68.8 | -4.0 | 4:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| USDSEK | US Dollar/Swedish Krona | 400.0 | 1:2000 | -103.2 | -4.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDPLN | US Dollar/Polish Zloty | 25.8 | 1:2000 | -12.4 | -40.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| ZARJPY | South African Rand/Japanese Yen | 3.0 | 200 | -13.6 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURSGD | Euro/Singapore Dollar | 3.4 | 1:2000 | -7.7 | -9.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| CHFSGD | Swiss Franc/Singapore Dollar | 4.3 | 1:2000 | -1.2 | -20.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDSGD | US Dollar/Singapore Dollar | 5.4 | 1:2000 | -12.8 | -1.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDTRY | US Dollar/Turkish lira | 502.7 | 1:20 | 0.0 | -3121.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDTHB | US Dollar/Thai Baht | 1.0 | 1:2000 | -10.6 | -5.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| SGDJPY | Singapore Dollar/Japanese Yen | 3.0 | 1:2000 | -17.2 | -0.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDZAR | US Dollar/South African Rand | 50.0 | 1:2000 | -29.5 | -369.1 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDSGD | Australian Dollar/Singapore Dollar | 3.2 | 1:2000 | -5.5 | -2.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPSGD | Great Britain Pound/Singapore Dollar | 3.6 | 1:2000 | -14.7 | -3.0 | 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 | |
| EURGBP | Euro/Great Britain Pound | 0.6 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -5.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURJPY | Euro/Japanese Yen | 0.6 | 1:2000 | -21.8 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURCAD | Euro/Canadian Dollar | 0.7 | 1:2000 | -2.6 | -6.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| CADCHF | Canadian Dollar/Swiss Franc | 0.7 | 1:2000 | -8.1 | 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 | |
| CHFJPY | Swiss Franc/Japanese Yen | 0.7 | 1:2000 | -12.0 | -1.4 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURCHF | Euro/Swiss Franc | 0.7 | 1:2000 | -9.7 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPCAD | Great Britain Pound/Canadian Dollar | 0.7 | 1:2000 | -9.4 | -0.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURUSD | Euro/US Dollar | 0.6 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -7.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPJPY | Great Britain Pound/Japanese Yen | 0.6 | 1:2000 | -38.8 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCHF | US Dollar/Swiss Franc | 0.6 | 1:2000 | -12.2 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCAD | US Dollar/Canadian Dollar | 0.6 | 1:2000 | -8.1 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDJPY | US Dollar/Japanese Yen | 1.1 | 1:2000 | -29.9 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPCHF | Great Britain Pound/Swiss Franc | 0.7 | 1:2000 | -15.7 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPUSD | Great Britain Pound/US Dollar | 0.6 | 1:2000 | -3.8 | -3.0 | 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 | |
| AUDUSD | Australian Dollar/US Dollar | 0.6 | 1:2000 | -1.2 | -2.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURHUF | Euro/Forint | 18.9 | 1:2000 | -14.7 | -89.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| 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 | |
| AUDJPY | Australian Dollar/Japanese Yen | 1.1 | 1:2000 | -16.6 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDNZD | Australian Dollar/New Zealand Dollar | 1.1 | 1:2000 | -3.8 | -4.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURAUD | Euro/Australian Dollar | 1.1 | 1:2000 | -1.0 | -9.1 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDCAD | Australian Dollar/Canadian Dollar | 1.5 | 1:2000 | -3.8 | -2.1 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURNZD | Euro/New Zealand Dollar | 1.2 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -12.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPAUD | Great Britain Pound/Australian Dollar | 1.1 | 1:2000 | -7.9 | -2.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURNOK | Euro/Norwegian Krone | 5.7 | 1:2000 | -29.0 | -82.9 | 4:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| EURPLN | Euro/Polish Zloty | 6.9 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -53.2 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURZAR | Euro/South African Rand | 50.6 | 1:2000 | -10.7 | -451.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| NZDCHF | New Zealand Dollar/ Swiss Franc | 1.3 | 1:2000 | -7.4 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCNH | US Dollar/Chinese Renminbi | 8.2 | 1:2000 | -51.7 | -53.8 | 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 | - | |
| USDNOK | US Dollar/Norwegian Krone | 1.1 | 1:2000 | -66.8 | -34.3 | 4:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| USDPLN | US Dollar/Polish Zloty | 2.3 | 1:2000 | -12.4 | -40.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| NZDCAD | New Zealand Dollar/Canadian Dollar | 1.3 | 1:2000 | -4.5 | -0.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDHUF | US Dollar/Hungarian Forint | 2.1 | 1:2000 | -2.0 | -71.3 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDMXN | US Dollar/Mexican Peso | 11.4 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -457.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDHKD | US Dollar/Hong Kong Dollar | 7.5 | 1:2000 | -68.4 | -32.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| NZDJPY | New Zealand Dollar/Japanese Yen | 1.1 | 1:2000 | -17.2 | 0.0 | 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 | -403.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDSEK | US Dollar/Swedish Krona | 290.5 | 1:2000 | -103.2 | -4.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDDKK | US Dollar/Danish Krone | 3.9 | 1:2000 | -68.8 | -4.0 | 4:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| USDCZK | US Dollar/Czech Koruna | 239.0 | 1:2000 | -9.2 | -14.7 | 1:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| GBPNZD | Great Britain Pound vs Zealand Dollar | 1.1 | 1:2000 | -7.0 | -5.2 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| NZDUSD | New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar | 1.0 | 1:2000 | -1.3 | -2.3 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDSGD | Australian Dollar/Singapore Dollar | 1.7 | 1:2000 | -5.5 | -2.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDZAR | US Dollar/South African Rand | 40.6 | 1:2000 | -29.5 | -369.1 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDSGD | US Dollar/Singapore Dollar | 1.5 | 1:2000 | -12.8 | -1.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDTHB | US Dollar/Thai Baht | 1.2 | 1:2000 | -10.6 | -5.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPSGD | Great Britain Pound/Singapore Dollar | 2.0 | 1:2000 | -14.7 | -3.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDTRY | US Dollar/Turkish lira | 250.6 | 1:20 | 0.0 | -3121.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURSGD | Euro/Singapore Dollar | 1.8 | 1:2000 | -7.7 | -9.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| CHFSGD | Swiss Franc/Singapore Dollar | 1.7 | 1:2000 | -1.2 | -20.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| SGDJPY | Singapore Dollar/Japanese Yen | 1.6 | 1:2000 | -17.2 | -0.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| ZARJPY | South African Rand/Japanese Yen | 1.6 | 200 | -13.6 | 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 | |
| EURJPY | Euro/Japanese Yen | 0.0 | 1:2000 | -21.8 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| CHFJPY | Swiss Franc/Japanese Yen | 0.1 | 1:2000 | -12.0 | -1.4 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| CADCHF | Canadian Dollar/Swiss Franc | 0.1 | 1:2000 | -8.1 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURCAD | Euro/Canadian Dollar | 0.1 | 1:2000 | -2.6 | -6.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURGBP | Euro/Great Britain Pound | 0.0 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -5.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURCHF | Euro/Swiss Franc | 0.1 | 1:2000 | -9.7 | 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 | |
| EURUSD | Euro/US Dollar | 0.0 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -7.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPCAD | Great Britain Pound/Canadian Dollar | 0.1 | 1:2000 | -9.4 | -0.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPCHF | Great Britain Pound/Swiss Franc | 0.1 | 1:2000 | -15.7 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCHF | US Dollar/Swiss Franc | 0.0 | 1:2000 | -12.2 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPJPY | Great Britain Pound/Japanese Yen | 0.0 | 1:2000 | -38.8 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPUSD | Great Britain Pound/US Dollar | 0.0 | 1:2000 | -3.8 | -3.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDJPY | US Dollar/Japanese Yen | 0.4 | 1:2000 | -29.9 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCAD | US Dollar/Canadian Dollar | 0.0 | 1:2000 | -8.1 | 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 | |
| AUDCAD | Australian Dollar/Canadian Dollar | 0.9 | 1:2000 | -3.8 | -2.1 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDJPY | Australian Dollar/Japanese Yen | 0.7 | 1:2000 | -16.6 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURHUF | Euro/Forint | 18.3 | 1:2000 | -14.7 | -89.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| 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 | |
| AUDUSD | Australian Dollar/US Dollar | 0.0 | 1:2000 | -1.2 | -2.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDNZD | Australian Dollar/New Zealand Dollar | 0.5 | 1:2000 | -3.8 | -4.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURAUD | Euro/Australian Dollar | 0.5 | 1:2000 | -1.0 | -9.1 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURNOK | Euro/Norwegian Krone | 5.1 | 1:2000 | -29.0 | -82.9 | 4:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| GBPAUD | Great Britain Pound/Australian Dollar | 0.7 | 1:2000 | -7.9 | -2.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURNZD | Euro/New Zealand Dollar | 0.7 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -12.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURZAR | Euro/South African Rand | 50.0 | 1:2000 | -10.7 | -451.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURPLN | Euro/Polish Zloty | 1.3 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -53.2 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDHKD | US Dollar/Hong Kong Dollar | 6.2 | 1:2000 | -68.4 | -32.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPNZD | Great Britain Pound vs Zealand Dollar | 0.5 | 1:2000 | -7.0 | -5.2 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDSEK | US Dollar/Swedish Krona | 290.0 | 1:2000 | -103.2 | -4.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDNOK | US Dollar/Norwegian Krone | 0.5 | 1:2000 | -66.8 | -34.3 | 4:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| USDPLN | US Dollar/Polish Zloty | 1.3 | 1:2000 | -12.4 | -40.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPZAR | Great Britain Pound/South African Rand | 75.0 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -403.5 | 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 | - | |
| NZDCHF | New Zealand Dollar/ Swiss Franc | 0.7 | 1:2000 | -7.4 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCNH | US Dollar/Chinese Renminbi | 7.0 | 1:2000 | -51.7 | -53.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDCZK | US Dollar/Czech Koruna | 232.0 | 1:2000 | -9.2 | -14.7 | 1:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| USDMXN | US Dollar/Mexican Peso | 10.0 | 1:2000 | 0.0 | -457.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDDKK | US Dollar/Danish Krone | 3.3 | 1:2000 | -68.8 | -4.0 | 4:05:00 | 23:57:59 | - | |
| NZDCAD | New Zealand Dollar/Canadian Dollar | 0.8 | 1:2000 | -4.5 | -0.8 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| NZDUSD | New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar | 0.4 | 1:2000 | -1.3 | -2.3 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| NZDJPY | New Zealand Dollar/Japanese Yen | 0.5 | 1:2000 | -17.2 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDHUF | US Dollar/Hungarian Forint | 1.5 | 1:2000 | -2.0 | -71.3 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| CHFSGD | Swiss Franc/Singapore Dollar | 1.7 | 1:2000 | -1.2 | -20.9 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDSGD | US Dollar/Singapore Dollar | 0.8 | 1:2000 | -12.8 | -1.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| SGDJPY | Singapore Dollar/Japanese Yen | 1.0 | 1:2000 | -17.2 | -0.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| AUDSGD | Australian Dollar/Singapore Dollar | 0.9 | 1:2000 | -5.5 | -2.5 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDTRY | US Dollar/Turkish lira | 262.7 | 1:20 | 0.0 | -3121.7 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| EURSGD | Euro/Singapore Dollar | 1.1 | 1:2000 | -7.7 | -9.6 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| ZARJPY | South African Rand/Japanese Yen | 1.0 | 200 | -13.6 | 0.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| GBPSGD | Great Britain Pound/Singapore Dollar | 1.4 | 1:2000 | -14.7 | -3.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDTHB | US Dollar/Thai Baht | 0.6 | 1:2000 | -10.6 | -5.0 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
| USDZAR | US Dollar/South African Rand | 40.0 | 1:2000 | -29.5 | -369.1 | 0:05:00 | 23:57:59 | 00:00:00-00:01:59 | |
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:
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!
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:
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:
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.
