Markets & Instruments
Forex Trading Fundamentals: Currency Pairs, Sessions, and Spreads
The foreign exchange market is the world's largest financial market — understanding pairs, sessions, pips, and what drives currency prices is the starting point for every forex trader.
Key rules
- Trade major pairs (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY) first — highest liquidity and tightest spreads
- The London/New York overlap (13:00–17:00 GMT) is the highest-liquidity window — best for trend-following entries
- Interest rate decisions by central banks are the primary driver of currency strength — follow them religiously
- Avoid trading exotic pairs until you fully understand spread costs — they can consume a large portion of your expected profit
- Always check economic calendar before a session — forex moves dramatically on CPI, NFP, and central bank announcements
The foreign exchange (forex) market facilitates the exchange of one currency for another. $7.5 trillion changes hands daily — dwarfing stock markets. It operates 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, across four global trading sessions.
**Currency Pairs** Forex is always traded in pairs — you buy one currency while selling another. The first currency is the base; the second is the quote. EUR/USD at 1.0850 means 1 Euro buys 1.0850 US Dollars.
**Major Pairs** (highest liquidity, tightest spreads): EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, USD/CHF, AUD/USD, USD/CAD, NZD/USD
**Minor Pairs** (no USD, moderate liquidity): EUR/GBP, EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY (often volatile — the "beast"), EUR/AUD
**Exotic Pairs** (emerging market currencies, wide spreads, high volatility): USD/TRY, USD/ZAR, USD/MXN — wider spreads and lower liquidity make these harder to trade profitably
**The Four Sessions** 1. Sydney (22:00–07:00 GMT): Lowest volume, quietest period 2. Tokyo/Asian (00:00–09:00 GMT): JPY pairs most active; tighter ranges 3. London (08:00–17:00 GMT): Most volatile session — 35% of global volume; highest institutional activity 4. New York (13:00–22:00 GMT): Second largest; overlaps with London 13:00–17:00 — the highest-volume window globally
**What Moves Currency Prices** - Interest rates (the most powerful driver): higher rates attract capital → currency strengthens - Inflation data (CPI, PPI): influences central bank rate decisions - Economic strength (GDP, employment data): stronger economy = stronger currency - Political stability, trade balances, and risk sentiment also move currencies significantly
**The Spread** Forex brokers charge via the spread (difference between bid and ask). EUR/USD spreads at major ECN brokers: 0.0–0.5 pips during London/NY overlap. Spreads widen significantly during news events and at session opens.