Forex is the most widely traded market in the world, with more than $5.3 trillion being bought and sold every single day. You can speculate on the future direction of currencies, taking either a long or short position depending on whether you think the currency’s value will go up or down.
How does forex FX trading work?
How can I trade FX?
How can I trade FX?
- Spread betting allows you to speculate on currency markets 24-hours a day. Take advantage of tight, fixed spreads from just one pip and profit completely tax-free* in the UK.
- CFD trading enables you to speculate on the forex markets with no expiry date on your positions. Like spread betting, there's no stamp duty to pay but gains are liable for CGT in the forex.
When it comes to a online forex trading broker, most currencies come in pairs. Take for example GBP/USD (sterling vs US dollar) - the fluctuations in the exchange rate between these two is where a trader looks to make their profit.
In our example, a trader believes that GBP will strengthen (or ‘appreciate’) against the USD and therefore buys GBP. By buying GBP, they’re also simultaneously selling USD on expectations that the exchange price will rise in value. Peperstone
Should their expectation be proved right, the trader’s profits will rise in line with every increase in the exchange price.
The trader then decides to close the position, selling GBP; in this case with the exchange price higher than when they first bought it, netting them a tidy profit.
Conversely, if the trader is proved wrong and GBP depreciates in relation to USD, the GBP/USD exchange price will fall. This leaves the trader sitting on a loss, as each fall in the exchange price below their open level will net them a loss.
We give you the option of buying or selling currency pairs, so you can make a profit no matter which way the exchange price between the two currencies is moving. Instead of buying GBP, as in the above example, traders can sell GBP should they think its value will fall or that the USD will strengthen, potentially making them a profit if the exchange price then falls. Peperstone
There are three unique ways to trade on the forex with City Index, winner of FX provider of the year, as voted by UK Forex 2014:
- MT4 is one of the world’s most used FX trading platforms and comes with enhanced features exclusively available to City Index clients. Trade FX with expert advisors, customisable leverage by market symbol and price tolerance.
