Trading Glossary

Forex Trading Terms

Your comprehensive guide to forex trading terminology. Master the language of trading with clear, concise definitions of essential terms and concepts.

A

Ask Price

The price at which a trader can buy a currency pair. Also known as the offer price.

B

Base Currency

The first currency in a currency pair. For example, in EUR/USD, EUR is the base currency.

B

Bear Market

A market characterized by falling prices and negative investor sentiment.

B

Bid Price

The price at which a trader can sell a currency pair.

B

Bull Market

A market characterized by rising prices and positive investor sentiment.

C

Candlestick Chart

A type of price chart that displays the high, low, open, and closing prices for a specific period.

C

Currency Pair

The quotation of two different currencies, with the value of one currency being quoted against the other.

D

Day Trading

A trading strategy where positions are opened and closed within the same trading day.

D

Drawdown

The peak-to-trough decline during a specific period for an investment or trading account.

E

ECN (Electronic Communication Network)

A computerized system that matches buy and sell orders for securities in the market.

E

Equity

The value of a trading account, calculated as balance plus or minus open position profit/loss.

F

Fibonacci Retracement

Technical analysis tool using horizontal lines to indicate areas of support or resistance.

F

Forex

Foreign exchange market where currencies are traded. The largest and most liquid financial market globally.

F

Fundamental Analysis

Method of evaluating currencies by analyzing economic, social, and political forces.

G

Gap

A break in price levels on a chart where no trading occurs, often seen at market open after significant news.

G

Going Long

Buying a currency pair with the expectation that it will increase in value.

G

Going Short

Selling a currency pair with the expectation that it will decrease in value.

H

Hedging

A risk management strategy used to offset potential losses in one position by taking an opposite position.

I

Indicator

A mathematical calculation based on price and/or volume used to identify trading opportunities.

I

Intraday Trading

Trading positions that are opened and closed within the same trading day.

J

Japanese Candlestick

A charting technique that shows price movements with candlestick patterns indicating open, high, low, and close.

J

Jobber

A slang term for a market maker or trader who holds positions for very short periods.

K

Kiwi

Market slang for the New Zealand Dollar (NZD), often referring to the NZD/USD currency pair.

K

Knock-In Option

An option that begins to function only when the underlying asset reaches a specified price level.

L

Leverage

The use of borrowed capital to increase the potential return of an investment.

L

Liquidity

The ability to buy or sell an asset quickly without causing a significant price change.

L

Long Position

Buying a currency pair with the expectation that its value will increase.

L

Lot

A standardized quantity of a financial instrument. Standard lot is 100,000 units of base currency.

M

MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence)

A trend-following momentum indicator that shows the relationship between two moving averages.

M

Margin

The amount of money required in your account to open and maintain a leveraged position.

M

Margin Call

A broker's demand for an investor to deposit additional money to cover potential losses.

M

Market Order

An order to buy or sell a currency pair immediately at the best available current price.

M

Moving Average

A technical indicator that smooths price data by creating a constantly updated average price.

N

NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls)

A key economic indicator showing the number of jobs added in the US economy, excluding farm workers.

N

No Dealing Desk (NDD)

A type of broker execution where orders are sent directly to liquidity providers without dealer intervention.

O

Order

An instruction to execute a trade at a specified price.

P

Pending Order

An order to buy or sell a currency pair at a specified price in the future.

P

Pip

The smallest price move that a currency pair can make. Usually the fourth decimal place (0.0001).

P

Position

An open trade that is currently active and has not been closed.

Q

Quote Currency

The second currency in a currency pair. In EUR/USD, USD is the quote currency.

R

Resistance

A price level where selling pressure is expected to overcome buying pressure.

R

Risk Management

The process of identifying, analyzing, and mitigating uncertainty in investment decisions.

R

RSI (Relative Strength Index)

A momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements.

S

Scalping

A trading strategy that attempts to profit from small price changes by making numerous trades.

S

Short Position

Selling a currency pair with the expectation that its value will decrease.

S

Slippage

The difference between the expected price of a trade and the price at which it is executed.

S

Spread

The difference between the bid price and the ask price of a currency pair.

S

Stop Loss

An order placed to close a position automatically when the price reaches a specified unfavorable level.

S

Support

A price level where buying pressure is expected to overcome selling pressure.

S

Swap

An interest fee paid or earned for holding a position overnight.

T

Take Profit

An order placed to close a position automatically when the price reaches a specified favorable level.

T

Technical Analysis

Method of evaluating currencies by analyzing statistical trends from trading activity.

T

Trend

The general direction in which the price of a currency pair is moving.

V

Volatility

A statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given currency pair.

U

Unrealized Profit/Loss

The profit or loss on open positions that have not yet been closed.

U

Uptrend

A market condition where prices are generally moving higher over time, characterized by higher highs and higher lows.

W

Whipsaw

A condition where a currency pair moves in one direction and then quickly reverses, causing losses for traders.

W

Wedge Pattern

A chart pattern where price action is confined between two converging trend lines, indicating potential breakout.

X

XAU/USD

The trading symbol for Gold priced in US Dollars, commonly traded in forex markets.

Y

Yard

Slang term for one billion units of currency, commonly used by institutional forex traders.

Y

Yield

The return on an investment, typically expressed as a percentage. In forex, refers to interest rate differentials.

Z

Zero-Sum Game

A situation where one participant's gain is exactly balanced by another's loss, as in currency trading.

Z

Zone

A price range or area on a chart where support or resistance is expected based on historical price action.

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