Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Mexican Currency Up on Domestic Reports

After a series of positive domestic reports, the Mexican currency extended its previous gains climbing further versus the U.S. dollar as investors are more confident to invest in the Latin American nation.
The peso touched a three-month high versus the U.S. dollar after consumer confidence and home sales in the country came better than expected, helping the Mexican currency to advance against a weakened dollar, that also touched record lows versus several other currencies.

USD/MXN closed at 12.85 today from a previous close of 12.93 yesterday.

If you want to comment on the Mexican peso’s recent action or have any questions regarding this currency, please, feel free to reply below.

Japan Flip-Flops on Forex Intervention

In my report on last month’s Japanese election, I noted that the newly-appointed Japanese finance minister, Hirohisa Fujii, had spoken out against forex intervention. With that, it seemed the matter was closed.




But not so fast! Over the following few weeks, Fujii (as well other members of the new administration) moved to clarify his position, backtracking, sidestepping, contradicting, but never going forward. The following is a summary of selected remarks, beginning with the original statement against intervention and ending in what seems like a promise to intervene:



September 15: “I basically believe that, in principle, it’s not right for the government to intervene in the free-market economy using its money, either in stock or foreign-exchange markets.”

September 27: [The Yen's rise is] “not abnormal…in terms of trends.”

September 28: “That’s not to say I approve of the yen’s rise.”

September 28: “I don’t think it is proper for the government to intervene in the markets arbitrarily.”

September 29: “If the currency market moves abnormally, we may take necessary steps in the national interest.”

October 3: “As I have said in Tokyo, we will take appropriate steps if one-sided movements become excessive.”

October 5: “If currencies show some excessive moves in a biased direction, we will take action.”



Confused? I know I am. Is it possible to glean any semblance of meaning from these remarks? Summarized one columnist, “Hirohisa Fujii has gone through several cycles of remarks that first appeared to favor a strong yen and then seemed to backpedal after markets took him at his word and sent the Japanese currency soaring.”



I think this encapsulates the regret that Minister Fujii must have felt, after his original comments were taken a little too seriously. In hindsight, it appears that Fujii attempted to convey the new administration’s stance on forex, in a nutshell, and certainly didn’t expect that investors would run wild and send the Yen up another 4%, bringing the year-to-date appreciation against the Dollar to 15%. In the words of the same columnist cited above, “Japan’s finance minister has been rudely reminded of the cardinal rule when speaking to markets — less is more.”



So where does Fujii actually stand? I would personally hazard to guess that his original explication is still the most accurate portrayal of how he will tend to the Yen while in office. The former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) administration intervened several times while in office (once under the direction of Fujii himself!) and most recently in 1994. Despite spending trillions of Yen, the campaign only marginally stemmed the rise of the Yen.

Meanwhile, the Japanese economy has been mired in what could be termed the “world’s longest recession, dating back to the 1980’s. It’s clear that the cheap-Yen policy, designed to promote exports, hasn’t benefited the Japanese economy. The new administration, hence, has indicated a shift in strategy, away from export dependence and towards domestic consumption.




Ironically, the nascent Japanese economic turnaround is once again being driven by exports. Fujii is no doubt cognizant of this, and doesn’t want to jeopardize the recovery for the sake of ideology. For example, Toyota Corporation has indicated that a 1% appreciation in the Yen against the Dollar costs the company $400 million in operating income. In addition, while a strong Yen increases the purchasing power of Japanese consumers, an overly strong Yen can lead to deflation, as consumers forestall spending in anticipation of lower prices down the road.



In other words, Fujii is certainly not a proponent of Japan’s recent runup, but his stance is more nuanced than initially understood. “Fujii is basically saying currencies should reflect economic fundamentals and that it is wrong to manipulate their moves to lower the yen for the sake of exporters,” offered one strategist. This, the markets finally seem to understand, and the Yen has actually reversed course over the last week. After all, “A yen in the 80s is excessive,” given the context of record low interest rates and a economy that is still contracting.



In the near-term, then, it doesn’t even make sense to talk about intervention. It seems the markets were getting ahead of themselves in this regard. It doesn’t make sense to price out the possibility of intervention when interevention shouldn’t be a factor in the first place. If on the other hand, the Yen continues to appreciate, then Fujii may have consider how fixed his principles really are.

US Dollar: Same Old Story

These days, it’s hard to offer a fresh perspective on the Dollar. The factors driving its short-term momentum – namely low interest rates and its perception as a financial safe haven – have been in place for nearly a year. It’s long-term prognosis, meanwhile, also hasn’t changed much. Since the beginning of the decade, the Greenback has been in a state of perennial decline as a result of its twin deficits and the related notion that it will be soon be replaced as the world’s pre-eminent currency.







Since the last time I posted about the Dollar (October 6: Dollar’s Role as Reserve Currency in Jeopardy), then, there haven’t been many developments. Fears that oil will one day be priced and settled in an alternative currency – such as the Euro – continue to reverberate through the markets. Several ministers from OPEC countries have already officially dismissed such claims as baseless. A parallel debate is now taking place on the sidelines as to whether or not such a shift even matters.



Dean Baker argued in a recent article for Foreign Policy magazine, that pricing oil in Dollars represents a mere “accounting convention,” adopted by most simply by default, since the US is the cornerstone of the world economy. Argues Baker, “World oil production is a bit under 90 million barrels a day. If two-thirds of this oil is sold across national borders, then it implies a daily oil trade of 60 million barrels. If all of this oil is sold in dollars, then it means that oil consumers would have to collectively hold $4.2 billion to cover their daily oil tab.”



Unfortunately, Baker’s “simple arithmetic” is both erroneous and slightly irrelevant. Assuming a price of only $100 per barrel (pretty conservative if you believe the notion of peak oil), current consumption of 85 million barrels per day implies a daily turnover of $8.5 Billion per day, or $3+ Trillion per year. If the price doubles to $200 per barrel….well, you get the point.



Taking this line of reasoning further becomes somewhat problematic, however. First of all, while OPEC members currently hold the majority (70%+) of there reserves in Dollar-denominated assets, it’s unclear how this would change in the event that oil was no longer priced in Dollars. It’s conceivable that just as many of these Central Banks currently diversify their Dollar-denominated proceeds into other currencies, that they would “diversify” Euro-denominated proceeds back into the Dollar. Of course, it’s also conceivable that a combination of inertia and investment strategy would cause them to hold a larger portion of there reserves in Euros.



If OPEC Central banks continue to prefer Dollars, than Baker is right in arguing that the currency in which oil is priced has no implications outside of accounting. If, on the other hand, he is wrong, and a change in pricing causes/coincides with changing preferences, then the implications for the Dollar would be disastrous. [Consider that $3 Trillion/per year which is at stake currently represents more than 15% of total foreign ownership of US assets.] The problem is that we just don’t know.







Regardless, the status quo favors the Dollar, since creating a new reserve currency would take at least a decade, if not more. For that reason, the World’s Central Banks (we’re not just talking about OPEC anymore) continue to prefer Dollars. “In the five weeks through Oct. 7, foreign central banks bought more than $48.55 billion in Treasury securities, an average of $9.71 billion per week, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve.” In addition, “Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii said he expects the dollar will remain the key reserve currency for some time to come.” Private foreign investors, meanwhile, are dragging their heals a bit, perhaps waiting for the Dollar to fall further before jumping in. Asks one columnist rhetorically, “Why buy now if the dollar might be even weaker in six months’ time?”



What else is new? The US budget deficit came in at $1.4 Trillion for the fiscal year, the highest level since World War II. On the bright side, the deficit was $200-400 Billion less than earlier estimates. Meanwhile, members of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors restated the unlikelihood of higher rates in the immediate future. “Richard Fisher, president of the Dallas Fed and thought to be a rare hawk on the Fed’s Open Market Committee, chimed in that no one at the Fed thinks this is the time to raise interest rates.” Finally, the US trade deficit is once again narrowing, due in no small part to the declining Dollar.



At this point, it seems reasonable to assume that much of the bad news has already been priced into the Dollar. Sure, the Australian rate hikes came as a surprise and forced many to rethink their calculations. Investors have already begun to separate the healthy currencies from the sick (to borrow an analogy from a previous post), but that the Dollar would be grouped with the “sick” currencies has long been anticipated. Given that the currency has already fallen by double digits in 2009 and is nearing the record lows of 2008, some are wondering how long it can continue.

“Strong Dollar” Policy is a Joke

US economic officials have been busy of late, propagating the “Strong Dollar” farce to anyone who will listen. “I believe deeply that it’s very important for the U.S. and the economic health of the U.S. that we maintain a strong dollar,” said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner at last week’s APEC summit in Singapore. Added Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, “We are attentive to the implications of changes in the value of the dollar and…will help ensure that the dollar is strong and a source of global financial.”




The markets hardly reacted to Geithner’s assertions, probably because he has parroted this same promise on several occasions since assuming office last January. Investors can be excused for their jadedness, since similar promises were repeatedly made during the Bush administration, during which time the Dollar registered some of its steepest declines in memory.



Still, you’ve got to give Geithner an A for effort, since he has seemingly taken advantage of nearly every opportunity to pontificate about the Strong Dollar policy. ” ‘The dollar isn’t strengthening in the real world, but I told him [Geithner] I value his stance. The fact that I value his stance means that I believe things will develop that way, and that I believe the U.S. is making efforts to make that happen,’ ” said new Japanese Finance Minister Hirohisa Fuji. By his own admission, Fuji’s remarks were somewhat perfunctory, and it’s obvious to him the Dollar will continue depreciating



Bernanke, meanwhile, has more credibility on this issue, especially since the Fed so rarely discusses forex in public domain, which is why the Dollar initially spiked after he spoke. However, investors quickly registered the contradiction inherent in his remarks, which contained repeated promises about keeping rates low. Not to mention that the wording he used was almost identical to a speech from 2008. It’s no wonder, then, that the Dollar actually finished down on the day.







So if the markets aren’t taking this talk about a Strong Dollar seriously and Bernanke/Geithner know they aren’t being taken seriously, what’s the point of these vain pronouncements? [After all, it's not even clear that a strong Dollar is in the best interest of the US, which has benefited economically from a narrowing of the trade deficit]. A few explanations have been suggested.



The first is that the rhetoric is intended to re-assure foreign investors and creditors that their assets/loans in the US will be safe from massive devaluation. While foreign Central Banks continue to purchase US Treasury Securities, their have been increasing grumblings that loaning to the US government is a losing proposition. Second, a weak Dollar is inherently inflationary, since it makes imports more expensive. The reverse correlation between oil (and other commodities) and the Dollar means that a weak Dollar could feed back into higher prices double time. Towards that end, Bernanke was actually speaking earnestly about the Fed’s intentions to monitor forex markets, as they bear on inflation.



Finally, while US policymakers seem resigned to the Dollar’s continued decline, they need to make sure that it remains “orderly” (this characterization has cropped up repeatedly in political circles, of late). “We believe Chairman Bernanke’s comments reflect a desire to prevent a disorderly decline in the currency, rather than halt its depreciation altogether.” There is an obvious recognition that a complete collapse in the value of the Dollar would be terrible for everyone, of which Bernanke no doubt also undersds.



Still, the markets are keenly aware that the US (i.e. the Fed) is not prepared to put its money where its mouth is. The reason for the current bout of Dollar weakness is almost entirely connected to the Fed’s easy monetary policy (and its quantitative easing program) and the never-ending US budget deficit. If the US was seriously committed to a strong Dollar, then the Fed could simply tighten monetary policy. (The federal government could make more of an effort to balance its budget going forward, but this is currently less of a concern to forex markets).



Alas, the Fed is nowhere near ready to hike rates, nor is it willing to contemplate unwinding its quantitative easing program. Most analysts expect interest rates to remain at the current record lows well into next year. Futures contracts expiring in June 2010 are pricing in a Federal Funds Rate of only .42% at that time. Most telling is that Bernanke, himself, has declared rates will remain low for an “extended period.” In hindsight, using the same speech to talk up the Dollar probably wasn’tthe best idea.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Forex Trading - The Tips You Must Know About


Traders may request quotes from a market maker using a platform that incorporates an instant messaging type feature. The request is usually for a currency pair and trade size. The response is a two-sided price quote. Request for Quote trading tends to favor the market maker since only the market maker has time to see the trade and positions before making a quote. A dealer may then adjust that price up or down before responding to a trader’s request for a quote. Request for Quotes is an older trading mechanism still used and preferred in most trades in excess of $25 million.
Click and Deal Trading
Most Forex firms use the Click and Deal trading mechanism. The advent of the Internet makes the -what you click is what you get” (WYC/WYG) technology available to online computer users. Otherwise known as one-click dealing or executable streaming price feed, the Click and Deal mechanism provides live quotes that may be traded instantly. Most prices are streamed, i.e. they are constantly updated. The streaming data provide for an orderly and dependable marker. Though there are established limits on the amount that may be traded on a price the limit has proven to be more than sufficient to satisfy most retail traders. Click and deal trading limits the advantage that market makers have with Request for Quote trading. Market makers ace required to post two-sided quotes giving traders the option of trading on the quote or not trading on the quote. Traders have the advantage of seeing the quote price before revealing their intentions to the dealer, allowing transparency in Click and Deal trading and providing a mechanism that is the complete opposite of Request for Quote trading. Instead of having the trader ask the market maker for a price or a given currency pair that the dealer may adjust, the trader sees the price before deciding whether to trade. Click and deal trading is the most common type of platform used in retail Forex.
If you decided to become a forex trader you need to be very careful when choosing a trading company or a broker.
Hundreds of firms, owners, and employees have defrauded more than 25,000 customers of more than $300 million. Fraudulent firms have been known to offer bid/ask spreads in excess of 30 pips and require commissions for as much as $200 per trade. Many of die guilty parties have been prosecuted and sentenced; however, defrauded investors rarely recover the funds they lose.
• Promising profit that is never delivered.
• Claiming that most customers make a profit when, in fact most of them lose money
• Claiming to be trading customers’ funds when, in fact, they are stealing from customer’s funds
• Advertising fake success stories, using fake customers.
• Providing customers with fake account statements that show false trading profits.
• Claiming long tenures in the business when, in tact, they have only been in business for a matter or months.
Feel like getting several forex software? STOP, before you purchase you must read the reviews of the forex software you want to pay for.
For more details about forex software - check this review.

The Shortcut into Forex Issues


Most large forex firms trade in the interbank market with banks such as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Deutsche Bank, or JP Morgan. When a trader uses one of the major global financial institutions, that trader is trading in the interbank market, which starts at $1 million. Each forex firm has a market maker who maintains order and provides liquidity in the market through market trade pricing. In Forex market making, Forex firms receive feeds from outside providers such as EBS, Reuters, or the banks involved in the trades. Market makers review those outside feeds and establish pricing to offer to clients. Each Forex firm also has a market specialist who intervenes in market situations when there are temporary price disparities.
Forex dealers are responsible for making trading opportunities available to retail investors and providing an orderly market for retail investors, forex dealers handle clearing, extend credit to investors, and provide a number of other back office operations. The role of the Forex dealer is a combination of market maker and market specialist in the equity market. When a retail trader views a quote, a Forex dealer is providing that quote. Firms that act as Forex dealers must register as Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs). The Commodity Futures Trading Community (CFTC), an independent entity or the US government, provides a listing of Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs).
In the United States, FCMs are the market makers in retail forex. The CFTC and National Futures Association (NFA) implement strict requirements for all FCMs. Requirements include adequate capitalization and specific provisions regarding ethics and anti-fraud. These requirements are similar to rules established for dealers and brokers in the securities market. Traders are cautioned against trailing with Forex dealers who are not registered as a FCM.
Forex dealers do not trade in the interbank market, though, some claim to do so. Retail traders do not have the credit rating or trading volume to trade in interbank so that Forex dealers provide traders an opportunity to trade in a limited subset of the larger interbank market.
It is retail forex that attracts millions of people all over the world. You do not need millions to enter market. You do not need any licenses and permissions. All you have to do is to find a trading firm and open an account. You can do it online without leaving your house.
With the development of the Internet retail forex has become very popular because it became widely accessible. This simplicity is one of the major causes why most traders fail there. Forex only seems easy. In fact this is a very serious job that requires much knowledge, experience, persistence and psychological readiness to handle big money.
If you are searching for productive forex software - please make sure to read the review of this forex software, before buying any.
It is a must to read unbiased reviews before buying forex software.

Denmark Forex




Forex is a Swedish financial services company. The company was started in 1927 as a currency exchange service for travellers, at the Central Station in Stockholm. The owner of Gyllenspet's Barber Shop, according to the legend, discovered that most of his customers were tourists in need of currency for their trips. So he started keeping the major currencies on hand.The company was subsequently acquired by Statens Järnvägar, the Swedish State Railways, which expanded the operations until it was sold off to one of the managers, Rolf Friberg, in 1965. The company was the only one apart from the banks that was licensed to conduct currency exchange in Sweden.The company, which is still wholly owned by the Friberg family, has expanded into Denmark and Finland and has over 50 shops, usually located at train stations or airports. The decrease in the business brought on by introduction of the Euro has made the company look for alternative sources of revenue, like applying for a banking license and attempting to move into more regular transaction services, earlier handled by the Swedish postal service.