Glossario dei termini di mercato e di trading
Definizioni semplici della terminologia di trading dei mercati internazionali
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Aggregate
(Aggregate)
Total amount of exposure a bank has with a customer for both spot and forward contracts.
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American Option
(American Option)
An option which may be exercised at any valid business date throughout the life of the option.
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Appreciation
(Appreciation)
Describes a currency strengthening in response to market demand rather than by official action.
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Arbitrage
(Arbitrage)
A type of trading where the same instrument is bought and sold simultaneously in two different markets in order to cash in on the difference in these markets.
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Ask Price
(Ask Price)
Ask is the lowest price acceptable to the buyer.
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Asset
(Asset)
In the context of foreign exchange it is the right to receive from a counterparty an amount of currency either in respect of a balance sheet asset (e.g. a loan) or at a specified future date in respect of an unmatched forward or spot deal.
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At Par Forward Spread
(At Par Forward Spread)
When the forward price is equivalent to the spot price.
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At-the-Money
(At The Money)
An option whose strike/exercise price is equal to or near the current market price of the underlying instrument.
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Average Rate Option
(Average Rate Option)
A contract where the exercise price is based on the difference between the strike price and the average spot rate over the contract period. Sometimes called an "Asian option".
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Bank Notes
(Bank Notes)
Bank notes are paper issued by the central or issuing bank and are legal tender, but are not usually considered to be part of the FX market. However bank notes can be converted, in some counties, into FX. Bank notes are normally priced at a premium to the current spot rate for a currency.
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Bank Rate
(Bank Rate)
The rate at which a central bank is prepared to lend money to its domestic banking system.
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Bank of England
(Bank Of England)
Central Bank of the United Kingdom.
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Barrier Option
(Barrier Option)
A family of path dependent options whose pay-off pattern and survival to the expiration date depend not only on the final price of the underlying currency but also on whether or not the underlying currency breaks a predetermined price level at any time during the life of the option.
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Base Currency
(Base Currency)
The currency in which the operating results of the bank or institution are reported.
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Base Rate
(Base Rate)
A term used in the UK for the rate used by banks to calculate the interest rate to borrowers. Top quality borrowers will pay a small amount over base.
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Basis Convergence
(Basis Convergence)
The process whereby the basis tends towards zero as the contract expiry approaches.
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Basis Point
(Basis Point)
One per cent of one per cent.
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Basis Price
(Basis Price)
The price expressed in terms of yield maturity or annual rate of return.
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Basis
(Basis)
The difference between the cash price and futures price.
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Basket
(Basket)
A group of currencies normally used to manage the exchange rate of a currency. Sometimes referred to as a unit of account.
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Bear Market
(Bear Market)
A market in which prices decline sharply against a background of widespread pessimism (opposite of Bull Market).
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Bear
(Bear)
A person who believes that prices will decline.
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Bid Price
(Bid Price)
Bid is the highest price that the seller is offering for the particular currency/commodity at the moment; the difference between the ask and the bid price is the spread. Together, the two prices constitute a quotation; the difference between the two is the spread. The bid-ask spread is stated as a percentage cost of transacting in foreign exchange.
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Bilateral Clearing
(Bilateral Clearing)
A system used where foreign currency is limited. Payments are usually routed through the central banks, and sometimes require that the trade balance is equaled every year.
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Binary Options
(Binary Options)
A type of option in which the payoff is structured to be either a fixed amount of compensation if the option expires in the money, or nothing at all if the option expires out of the money.
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Black-Scholes Model
(Black Scholes Model)
An option pricing formula initially derived by Fisher Black and Myron Scholes for securities options and later refined by Black for options on futures. It is widely used in the currency markets.
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Break Even Point
(Break Even Point)
The price of a financial instrument at which the option buyer recovers the premium, meaning that they make neither a loss nor a gain. In the case of a call option, the break even point is the exercise price plus the premium.
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Break Out
(Break Out)
In the options market, undoing a conversion or a reversal to restore the option buyer's original position.
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Broker
(Broker)
An agent, who executes orders to buy and sell currencies and related instruments either for a commission or on a spread. Brokers are agents working on commission and not principals or agents acting on their own account. In the foreign exchange market brokers tend to act as intermediaries between banks bringing buyers and sellers together for a commission paid by the initiator or by both parties. There are four or five major global brokers operating through subsidiaries affiliates and partners in many countries.
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Bull Market
(Bull Market)
A market characterised by rising prices.
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Bull
(Bull)
A person who believes that prices will rise.
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Bulldogs
(Bulldogs)
Sterling bonds issued in the UK by foreign institutions.
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Butterfly Spread
(Butterfly Spread)
(1) A futures butterfly spread is a spread trade in which multiple futures months are traded simultaneously at a differential. The trade basically consists of two futures spread transactions with either three or four different futures months at one differential.
(2) An options butterfly spread is a combination of a bear and bull spread trade in which multiple options months and strike prices are traded simultaneously at a differential. The trade basically consists of two options spread transactions with either three or four different options months and strikes at one differential
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CBOE
(Cboe)
Chicago Board Options Exchange.
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CBOT or CBT
(Cbot Or Cbt)
Chicago Board of Trade.
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CFTC
(Cftc)
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the US Federal regulatory agency for futures traded on commodity markets, including financial futures.
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CME
(Cme)
Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
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Contracts for Difference (CFD)
(Contracts For Difference Cfd)
An arrangement made in a futures contract whereby differences in settlement are made through cash payments, rather than the delivery of physical goods or securities.
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CPI
(Cpi)
Consumer Price Index. Monthly measure of the change in the prices of a defined basket of consumer goods including food, clothing, and transport. Countries vary in their approach to rents and mortgages.
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Cable
(Cable)
A term used in the foreign exchange market for the British Pound / US Dollar rate.
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Call Option
(Call Option)
A call option confers the right but not the obligation to buy stock, shares or futures at a specified price.
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Call
(Call)
An option that gives the holder the right to buy the underlying instrument at a specified price during a fixed period.
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Central Bank
(Central Bank)
A central bank provides financial and banking services for a country's government and commercial banks. It implements the government's monetary policy, as well, by changing interest rates.
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Central Rate
(Central Rate)
Exchange rates against the ECU adopted for each currency within the EMS. Currencies have limited movement from the central rate according to the relevant band.
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Comex
(Comex)
Commodity Exchange of New York.
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Commission
(Commission)
The fee that a broker may charge clients for dealing on their behalf.
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Compound Option
(Compound Option)
An option on an option, the dates and price of such option being fixed.
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Contract Expiration Date
(Contract Expiration Date)
The date on which a currency must be delivered to fulfill the terms of the contract. For options, the last day on which the option holder can exercise his right to buy or sell the underlying instrument or currency.
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Contract Month
(Contract Month)
The month in which a futures contract matures or becomes deliverable if not liquidated or traded out before the date specified.
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Coupon Value
(Coupon Value)
The annual rate of interest of a bond.
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Coupon
(Coupon)
(1) On bearer stocks, the detachable part of the hide behind nominee status. A certificate exchangeable for dividends.
(2) Denotes the rate of interest on a fixed interest security.
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Cross Rate
(Cross Rate)
An exchange rate between two currencies, usually constructed from the individual exchange rates of the two currencies, as most currencies are quoted against the dollar.
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Currency Basket
(Currency Basket)
Various weightings of other currencies grouped together in relation to a basket currency (e.g. ECU or SDR). Sometimes used by currencies to fix their rate often on a trade weighted basket.
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Day Trading
(Day Trading)
A Day Trading deal is a currency exchange deal which renews automatically every night at 22:00 (GMT time) starting the day the deal was made and until it ends. The deal ends in one of the following events:
- Termination initiated by you.
- The day trading rate has reached the Stop-Loss or Take Profit rate you predefined.
- The deal end date.
As long as the deal is open, it is charged a renewal fee every night at 22:00 (GMT time).
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Dealer
(Dealer)
An individual or firm acting as a principal, rather than as an agent, in the purchase and /or sale of securities. Dealers trade for their own account and risk in contrast to the brokers who trade only on behalf of their clients.
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Delta
(Delta)
The ratio comparing the change in the price of the underlying asset to the corresponding change in the price of a derivative. Also referred as the "hedge ratio".
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Derivatives
(Derivatives)
A security whose price is dependent upon or derived from one or more underlying assets. The derivative itself is merely a contract between two or more parties. Its value is determined by fluctuations in the underlying asset. The most common underlying assets include stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, interest rates and market indexes. Most derivatives are characterised by high leverage.
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Discount
(Discount)
Less than the spot price. For example, forward discount.
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ECB
(Ecb)
The European Central Bank.
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Economic Indicator
(Economic Indicator)
A data release which indicates current economic growth rates and trends such as retail sales and employment.
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Effective Exchange Rate
(Effective Exchange Rate)
An attempt to summarise the effects on a country's trade balance of its currency's changes against other currencies.
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Exchange Rate Risk
(Exchange Rate Risk)
The potential loss that could be incurred from an adverse movement in exchange rates.
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Exercise Price (Strike Price)
(Exercise Price Strike Price)
The price at which an option can be exercised.
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Exotic Currency
(Exotic Currency)
A foreign exchange term for a thinly traded currency. Exotic currencies are illiquid, lack market depth and trade at low volumes. Trading an exotic currency can be expensive, as the bid-ask spread is usually large. Examples: Thai baht, Nok, Mexico peso.
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Expiration Date
(Expiration Date)
(1) Options - the last date after which the option can no longer be exercised.
(2) Bonds - the date on which a bond matures.
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Expiration Month
(Expiration Month)
The month in which an option expires.
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Expiry Date
(Expiry Date)
The last date on which an option can be bought or sold.
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FOMC
(Fomc)
Federal Open Market Committee, the committee that sets money supply targets in the US which tend to be implemented through Fed Fund interest rates etc.
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FX
(Fx)
Foreign Exchange.
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Fast Market
(Fast Market)
Rapid movement in a market caused by strong interest by buyers and/or sellers. In such circumstances price levels may be omitted and bid and offer quotations may occur too rapidly to be fully reported.
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Fed Funds
(Fed Funds)
Cash balances held by banks with their local Federal Reserve Bank. The normal transaction with these funds is an interbank sale of a Fed fund deposit for one business day. Straight deals are where the funds are traded overnight on an unsecured basis.
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Fed
(Fed)
The United States Federal Reserve. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Membership is compulsory for Federal Reserve members.
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Fiscal Policy
(Fiscal Policy)
Use of taxation as a tool in implementing monetary policy.
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Fixed Exchange Rate
(Fixed Exchange Rate)
Official rate set by monetary authorities for one or more currencies. In practice, even fixed exchange rates are allowed to fluctuate between definite upper and lower bands, leading to intervention by the central bank.
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Floating Exchange Rate
(Floating Exchange Rate)
When the value of a currency is decided by the market forces dictating the demand and supply of that particular currency.
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Floor
(Floor)
(1) An agreement with a counterparty that sets a lower limit to interest rates for the floor buyer for a stated time.
(2) A term for an exchanges trading area (cf. screen based trading), normally the trading area is referred to as a pit in the commodities and futures markets.
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Foreign Exchange
(Foreign Exchange)
The purchase or sale of a currency against the sale or purchase of another.
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Forex Deal
(Forex Deal)
The purchase or sale of a currency against the sale or purchase of another currency. The maximum time for a deal is defined when the deal opens, the deal can be closed at any moment until the expiry date and time. A deal cannot be closed in its first 3 minutes, due to technical reasons.
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Forex
(Forex)
An abbreviation of foreign exchange.
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Forward Contract
(Forward Contract)
Sometimes used as synonym for "forward deal" or "future". More specifically, for arrangements with the same effect as a forward deal between a bank and a customer.
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Forward Deal
(Forward Deal)
A deal with a value date greater than the spot value date.
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Forward Points
(Forward Points)
The interest rate differential between two currencies expressed in exchange rate points. The forward points are added to or subtracted from the spot rate to give the forward or outright rate depending on whether the currency is at a forward premium or discount.
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Forward Rate
(Forward Rate)
The rate at which a foreign exchange contract is struck today for settlement at a specified future date which is decided at the time of entering into the contract. The decision to subtract or add points is determined by the differential between the deposit rates for both currencies concerned in the transaction. The base currency with the higher interest rate is said to be at a discount to the lower interest rate quoted currency in the forward market. Therefore the forward points are subtracted from the spot rate. Similarly, the lower interest rate base currency is said to be at a premium, and the forward points are added to the spot rate to obtain the forward rate.
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Fractional Pips
(Fractional Pips)
Fractional pips are a new pricing feature which allows you to see more price action detail and will help you to make more informed trading decisions. A fractional pip is a tenth of a pip and the addition of this feature to your account allows you to take advantage of smaller price increments and moves in the market.
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Fundamental Analysis
(Fundamental Analysis)
Analysis based on economic and political factors.
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Fundamentals
(Fundamentals)
The macro economic factors that are accepted as forming the foundation for the relative value of a currency, these include inflation, growth, trade balance, government deficit, and interest rates.
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Futures Contract
(Futures Contract)
A contract traded on a futures exchange which requires the delivery of a specified quality and quantity of a commodity, currency or financial instruments a specified future month, if not liquidated before the contract matures.
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Gross Domestic Product
(Gross Domestic Product)
Total value of a country's output, income or expenditure produced within the country's physical borders.
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Gross National Product
(Gross National Product)
Gross domestic product plus "factor income from abroad" - income earned from investment or work abroad.
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Head and Shoulders
(Head And Shoulders)
A pattern in price trends which chartist consider indicates a price trend reversal. The price has risen for some time, at the peak of the left shoulder, profit taking has caused the price to drop or level. The price then rises steeply again to the head before more profit taking causes the price to drop to around the same level as the shoulder. A further modest rise or level will indicate that a further major fall is imminent. The breach of the neckline is the indication to sell.
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Hedge
(Hedge)
The purchase or sale of options or futures contracts as a temporary substitute for a transaction to be made at a later date. Usually it involves opposite positions in the cash or futures or options market.
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Hedging
(Hedging)
A hedging transaction is one whose main aim is to protect an asset or liability against a fluctuation in the foreign exchange rate rather than profit from the exchange rate fluctuations.
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Hyperinflation
(Hyperinflation)
Very high and self sustaining inflation levels. One definition being the period while inflation exceeds 50% until it drops below that level for 12 months.
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IMF
(Imf)
International Monetary Fund, established in 1946 to provide international liquidity on a short and medium term and encourage liberalization of exchange rates. The IMF helps its members to tide over the balance of payments problems with supplying the necessary loans.
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In-the-Money
(In The Money)
A call option is in-the-money if the price of the underlying instrument is higher than the exercise/strike price. A put option is in-the-money if the price of the underlying instrument is below the exercise/strike price.
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Inflation
(Inflation)
Continued rise in the general price level in conjunction with a related drop in purchasing power. Sometimes referred to as an excessive movement in such price levels.
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Initial Margin
(Initial Margin)
The deposit required by the Broker before a client can trade/transact a deal to have some cushion in the event of default by the party.
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Interest Rate Risk
(Interest Rate Risk)
The potential for losses arising from changes in interest rates.
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Intervention
(Intervention)
Action by a central bank to effect the value of its currency by entering the market.
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Intra Day Position
(Intra Day Position)
Open positions run by a dealer within the day. Usually squared by the close.
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Kiwi
(Kiwi)
Slang for the New Zealand dollar.
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LIFFE
(Liffe)
London International Financial Futures Exchange.
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Leading Indicators
(Leading Indicators)
Statistics that are considered to precede changes in economic growth rates and total business activity, e.g. factory orders.
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Liability
(Liability)
In terms of foreign exchange, the obligation to deliver to a counter party an amount of currency either in respect of a balance sheet holding at a specified future date or in respect of an un-matured forward or spot transaction.
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Limit Order – Reserved Day Trading Deal
(Limit Order Reserved Day Trading Deal)
See Pending Order.
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Liquidation
(Liquidation)
Any transaction that offsets or closes out a previously established position.
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Liquidity
(Liquidity)
The ability of a market to accept large transactions without having any major impact on the interest rates.
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Long
(Long)
A market position where the Client has bought a currency they previously did not own. For example: long Dollars.
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Loonie
(Loonie)
Slang for the Canadian dollar.
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MITI
(Miti)
Japanese Ministry of International Trade & Industry.
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MM
(Mm)
Money Markets
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Major Currencies
(Major Currencies)
The currencies against which most other world currencies are valued.
Major currencies:
British Pound (GBP)
United States dollar (USD)
Japanese yen (JPY)
Swiss Franc (CHF)
Euro (EUR)
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Market Maker
(Market Maker)
A dealer or company is said to make a market when they quote both the bid and offer prices at which they are ready to buy and sell.
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Margin Call
(Margin Call)
A demand for additional funds to cover positions.
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Margin
(Margin)
Collateral that the holder of a position in securities, options, forex or futures contracts, has to deposit to cover the credit risk of his counterparty. Other definitions to MARGIN, used in other areas are:
(1) Difference between the buying and selling rates, also used to indicate the discount or premium between spot or forward.
(2) For options, the sum required as collateral from the writer of an option.
(3) For futures, a deposit made to the clearing house on establishing a futures position account.
(4) The percentage reserve required by the US Federal Reserve to make an initial credit transaction.
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Market Value
(Market Value)
Market value of a forex position at any time is the amount of the domestic currency that could be purchased at the then market rate in exchange for the amount of foreign currency to be delivered under the forex Contract.
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Maturity
(Maturity)
Date for settlement of the transaction which is decided at the time of entering into the contract.
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Mutual fund
(Mutual Fund)
An open-end investment company. Equivalent to unit trust.
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Note
(Note)
A financial instrument consisting of a promise to pay rather than an order to pay or a certificate of indebtedness.
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Offer
(Offer)
The rate at which a dealer is willing to sell the base currency.
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Open Market Operations
(Open Market Operations)
The central bank operations in the markets to influence exchange and interest rates.
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Open Position
(Open Position)
Any deal which has not been settled by physical payment or reversed by an equal and opposite deal for the same value date. It can be termed as a high risk, high return proposition.
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Option Class
(Option Class)
All options of the same type - calls or puts - listed on the same underlying instrument.
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Option
(Option)
A contract conferring the right but not the obligation to buy (call) or to sell (put) a specified amount of an instrument at a specified price within a predetermined time period.
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Out-of-the-Money
(Out Of The Money)
A put option is out-of-the-money if the exercise/strike price is below the price of the underlying instrument. A call option is out-of-the money if the exercise/strike price is higher than the price of the underlying instrument.
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Over The Counter (OTC)
(Over The Counter Otc)
A market conducted directly between dealers and principals via a telephone and computer network rather than a regulated exchange trading floor.
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PPI
(Ppi)
Producer Price Indices. See wholesale price indices.
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Par
(Par)
(1) The nominal value of a security or instrument.
(2) The official value of a currency.
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Pending Order
(Pending Order)
An order to perform a Day Trading deal at a rate pre-defined by the customer, when and if such rate comes up in real market time. The pending rate is superior to the existing rate at the time of reservation. The reservation order lasts for a period defined by the customer, and is associated by the necessary collaterals to facilitate the potential Day Trading deal, when and if activated, under the pre-defined terms. Also referred to as a ‘limit’ order.
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Pip
(Pip)
See point. (0.0001 of a unit).
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Point
(Point)
(1) 100th part of a per cent, normally 10,000 of any spot rate. Movement of exchange rates are usually in terms of points.
(2) One percent on an interest rate e.g. from 8-9%.
(3) Minimum fluctuation or smallest increment of price movement.
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Position
(Position)
The netted total exposure in a given currency. A position can be either flat or square (no exposure), long (more currency bought than sold), or short (more currency sold than bought).
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Premium
(Premium)
(1) The amount by which a forward rate exceeds a spot rate.
(2) The amount by which the market price of a bond exceeds its par value.
(3) Options, the price a put or call buyer must pay to a put or call seller for an option contract.
(4) The margin paid above the normal price level.
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Purchasing Power Parity
(Purchasing Power Parity)
Model of exchange rate determination stating that the price of a good in one country should equal the price of the same good in another country after adjusting for the changes in the price due to the change in exchange rate. Also known as the law of one price.
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Put Call Parity
(Put Call Parity)
The equilibrium relationship between premiums of call and put options of the same strike and expiry.
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Put Option
(Put Option)
A put option confers the right but not the obligation to sell currencies, instruments or futures at the option exercise price within a predetermined time period.
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Quote
(Quote)
An indicative price. The price quoted for information purposes but not to deal.
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Range
(Range)
The difference between the highest and lowest price of a future recorded during a given trading session.
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Rate
(Rate)
The price of one currency or asset in terms of another. It has the same meaning as the term parities.
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Recession
(Recession)
A decline in business activity. Often defined as two consecutive quarters with a real fall in GNP.
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Resistance
(Resistance)
A price level at which the selling is expected to take place.
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Retail Price Index
(Retail Price Index)
Measurement of the monthly change in the average level of prices at retail, normally of a defined group of goods.
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Risk Management
(Risk Management)
The identification and acceptance or offsetting of the risks threatening the profitability or existence of an organisation. With respect to foreign exchange involves, among others, consideration of market, sovereign, country, transfer, delivery, credit, and counterparty risk.
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Risks
(Risks)
There are risks associated with any market. It means variance of the returns and the possibility that the actual return might not be in line with the expected returns. The risks associated with trading are: market, exchange, interest rate, yield curve, volatility, liquidity, forced sale, counter party, credit, and country risk.
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Rolling over
(Rolling Over)
The substituting of a far option for a near option of the same underlying stock at the same strike/exercise price.
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Rollover
(Rollover)
Where the settlement of a deal is carried forward to another value date based on the interest rate differential of the two currencies e.g. the next day. On some instruments there may be fee charged.
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Selling Rate
(Selling Rate)
Rate at which a bank is willing to sell foreign currency.
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Short
(Short)
A market position where the client has sold a currency or asset he does not already own. Usually expressed in base currency terms.
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Soft Market
(Soft Market)
More potential sellers than buyers, which creates an environment where rapid price falls are likely.
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Spot Next
(Spot Next)
The overnight swap from the spot date to the next business day.
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Spot Price/Rate
(Spot Price Rate)
The price at which the currency is currently trading in the spot market.
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Spot
(Spot)
(1) The most common foreign exchange transaction.
(2) Spot refers to the buying and selling of the currency where the settlement date is two business days forward.
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Spread
(Spread)
(1) The difference between the bid and ask price of a currency.
(2) The difference between the price of two related futures contracts.
(3) For options, transactions involving two or more option series on the same underlying currency.
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Stable Market
(Stable Market)
An active market which can absorb large sale or purchases of currency without having any major impact on the interest rates.
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Stagflation
(Stagflation)
Recession or low growth in conjunction with high inflation rates.
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Standard and Poors (S&P)
(Standard And Poors S P)
A US firm engaged in assessing the financial health of borrowers. The firm also has generated certain stock indices i.e. S&P 500.
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Sterling
(Sterling)
British pound.
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Stop Loss Order
(Stop Loss Order)
An order placed with a broker or market maker to close a position when it reaches a specified price in the market lower than the current rate. The intention being to limit the amount of loss made.
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Stop Out Price
(Stop Out Price)
US term for the lowest accepted price for Treasury Bills at auction.
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Straddle
(Straddle)
The simultaneous purchase/sale of both call and put options for the same share, exercise/strike price and expiry date.
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Strike Price
(Strike Price)
Also called exercise price. The price at which an option holder can buy or sell the underlying instrument.
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Strip
(Strip)
A combination of two puts and one call.
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Structural Unemployment
(Structural Unemployment)
Unemployment levels inherent in an economic structure.
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Support Levels
(Support Levels)
A price level at which the buying is expected to take place.
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Swap
(Swap)
The simultaneous purchase and sale of the same amount of a given currency for two different dates, against the sale and purchase of another. A swap can be a swap against a forward. In essence, swapping is somewhat similar to borrowing one currency and lending another for the same period. However, any rate of return or cost of funds is expressed in the price differential between the two sides of the transaction.
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Swissy
(Swissy)
Market slang for Swiss Franc.
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Take Profit
(Take Profit)
An order placed with a broker or market maker to close a position once it reaches a specified rate in the market above the current rate. The intention being to lock in a specific profit amount.
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T-Bill
(T Bill)
Treasury Bill.
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TIFFE
(Tiffe)
Tokyo International Financial Futures Exchange.
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Technical Analysis
(Technical Analysis)
The study of the price that reflects the supply and demand factors of a currency. Common methods are flags, trend-lines spikes, bottoms, tops, pennants, patterns and gaps.
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Theta
(Theta)
A measure of the sensitivity of the price of an option to a change in its time to expiry.
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Thin Market
(Thin Market)
A market in which trading volume is low and in which consequently bid and ask quotes are wide and the liquidity of the instrument traded is low.
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Tick
(Tick)
A minimum change in price, up or down.
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Transaction Exposure
(Transaction Exposure)
Potential profit and loss generated by current foreign exchange transactions.
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Transaction
(Transaction)
The buying or selling of securities resulting from the execution of an order.
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Value Date
(Value Date)
For exchange contracts it is the day on which the two contracting parties exchange the currencies which are being bought or sold. For a spot transaction it is two business banking days forward in the country of the bank providing quotations which determine the spot value date.
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Undervaluation
(Undervaluation)
An exchange rate is normally considered to be undervalued when it is below its purchasing power parity.
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Value Spot
(Value Spot)
Normally settlement is for two working days from the date the contract is entered into. Value Today Transaction is executed for same day settlement; sometimes also referred to as "cash transaction".
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Vanilla Option
(Vanilla Option)
A simple option whose terms and conditions do not include any provisions other than exercise style, expiry and strike. To compare with exotic options which have additional terms.
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Variation Margin
(Variation Margin)
Funds required to be deposited by a client when a price movement has caused funds to fall below the stipulated percentage of the value of the contract.
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Vega
(Vega)
Expresses the price change of an option for a one per cent change in the implied volatility.
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Volatility
(Volatility)
A measure of the amount by which an asset price is expected to fluctuate over a given period. Normally measured by the annual standard deviation of daily price changes (historic). Can be implied from futures pricing, implied volatility.
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World Bank
(World Bank)
A bank made up of members of the IMF whose aim is to assist in the development of member states by making loans where private capital is not available.
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Yield Curve
(Yield Curve)
The graph showing changes in yield on instruments depending on time to maturity. A system originally developed in the bond markets is now broadly applied to various financial futures. A positive sloping curve has lower interest rates at the shorter maturities and higher at the longer maturities. A negative sloping curve has higher interest rates at the shorter maturities.
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Zero Coupon Bond
(Zero Coupon Bond)
A bond that pays no interest. The bond is initially offered at a discount to its redemption value.
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Value Date
(Value Date)
For exchange contracts it is the day on which the two contracting parties exchange the currencies which are being bought or sold. For a spot transaction it is two business banking days forward in the country of the bank providing quotations which determine the spot value date.
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Discount
(Discount)
Less than the spot price. For example, forward discount.
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Fiscal Policy
(Fiscal Policy)
Use of taxation as a tool in implementing monetary policy.
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Structural Unemployment
(Structural Unemployment)
Unemployment levels inherent in an economic structure.
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Floor
(Floor)
(1) An agreement with a counterparty that sets a lower limit to interest rates for the floor buyer for a stated time.
(2) A term for an exchanges trading area (cf. screen based trading), normally the trading area is referred to as a pit in the commodities and futures markets.
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Fast Market
(Fast Market)
Rapid movement in a market caused by strong interest by buyers and/or sellers. In such circumstances price levels may be omitted and bid and offer quotations may occur too rapidly to be fully reported.
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Coupon Value
(Coupon Value)
The annual rate of interest of a bond.
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Commission
(Commission)
The fee that a broker may charge clients for dealing on their behalf.
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Contracts for Difference (CFD)
(Contracts For Difference Cfd)
An arrangement made in a futures contract whereby differences in settlement are made through cash payments, rather than the delivery of physical goods or securities.
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Black-Scholes Model
(Black Scholes Model)
An option pricing formula initially derived by Fisher Black and Myron Scholes for securities options and later refined by Black for options on futures. It is widely used in the currency markets.
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Selling Rate
(Selling Rate)
Rate at which a bank is willing to sell foreign currency.
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FX
(Fx)
Foreign Exchange.
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MITI
(Miti)
Japanese Ministry of International Trade & Industry.
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Hedge
(Hedge)
The purchase or sale of options or futures contracts as a temporary substitute for a transaction to be made at a later date. Usually it involves opposite positions in the cash or futures or options market.
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Theta
(Theta)
A measure of the sensitivity of the price of an option to a change in its time to expiry.
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At Par Forward Spread
(At Par Forward Spread)
When the forward price is equivalent to the spot price.
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Broker
(Broker)
An agent, who executes orders to buy and sell currencies and related instruments either for a commission or on a spread. Brokers are agents working on commission and not principals or agents acting on their own account. In the foreign exchange market brokers tend to act as intermediaries between banks bringing buyers and sellers together for a commission paid by the initiator or by both parties. There are four or five major global brokers operating through subsidiaries affiliates and partners in many countries.
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Bid Price
(Bid Price)
Bid is the highest price that the seller is offering for the particular currency/commodity at the moment; the difference between the ask and the bid price is the spread. Together, the two prices constitute a quotation; the difference between the two is the spread. The bid-ask spread is stated as a percentage cost of transacting in foreign exchange.
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Pending Order
(Pending Order)
An order to perform a Day Trading deal at a rate pre-defined by the customer, when and if such rate comes up in real market time. The pending rate is superior to the existing rate at the time of reservation. The reservation order lasts for a period defined by the customer, and is associated by the necessary collaterals to facilitate the potential Day Trading deal, when and if activated, under the pre-defined terms. Also referred to as a ‘limit’ order.
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Bull Market
(Bull Market)
A market characterised by rising prices.
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Open Market Operations
(Open Market Operations)
The central bank operations in the markets to influence exchange and interest rates.
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Offer
(Offer)
The rate at which a dealer is willing to sell the base currency.
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Standard and Poors (S&P)
(Standard And Poors S P)
A US firm engaged in assessing the financial health of borrowers. The firm also has generated certain stock indices i.e. S&P 500.
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Spot Next
(Spot Next)
The overnight swap from the spot date to the next business day.
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Over The Counter (OTC)
(Over The Counter Otc)
A market conducted directly between dealers and principals via a telephone and computer network rather than a regulated exchange trading floor.
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Initial Margin
(Initial Margin)
The deposit required by the Broker before a client can trade/transact a deal to have some cushion in the event of default by the party.
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CBOE
(Cboe)
Chicago Board Options Exchange.
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Mutual fund
(Mutual Fund)
An open-end investment company. Equivalent to unit trust.
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Foreign Exchange
(Foreign Exchange)
The purchase or sale of a currency against the sale or purchase of another.
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Position
(Position)
The netted total exposure in a given currency. A position can be either flat or square (no exposure), long (more currency bought than sold), or short (more currency sold than bought).
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TIFFE
(Tiffe)
Tokyo International Financial Futures Exchange.
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Intervention
(Intervention)
Action by a central bank to effect the value of its currency by entering the market.
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Intra Day Position
(Intra Day Position)
Open positions run by a dealer within the day. Usually squared by the close.
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World Bank
(World Bank)
A bank made up of members of the IMF whose aim is to assist in the development of member states by making loans where private capital is not available.
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Effective Exchange Rate
(Effective Exchange Rate)
An attempt to summarise the effects on a country's trade balance of its currency's changes against other currencies.
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Basket
(Basket)
A group of currencies normally used to manage the exchange rate of a currency. Sometimes referred to as a unit of account.
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Contract Expiration Date
(Contract Expiration Date)
The date on which a currency must be delivered to fulfill the terms of the contract. For options, the last day on which the option holder can exercise his right to buy or sell the underlying instrument or currency.
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Bull
(Bull)
A person who believes that prices will rise.
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CME
(Cme)
Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
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Margin
(Margin)
Collateral that the holder of a position in securities, options, forex or futures contracts, has to deposit to cover the credit risk of his counterparty. Other definitions to MARGIN, used in other areas are:
(1) Difference between the buying and selling rates, also used to indicate the discount or premium between spot or forward.
(2) For options, the sum required as collateral from the writer of an option.
(3) For futures, a deposit made to the clearing house on establishing a futures position account.
(4) The percentage reserve required by the US Federal Reserve to make an initial credit transaction.
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Vega
(Vega)
Expresses the price change of an option for a one per cent change in the implied volatility.
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Average Rate Option
(Average Rate Option)
A contract where the exercise price is based on the difference between the strike price and the average spot rate over the contract period. Sometimes called an "Asian option".
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Break Even Point
(Break Even Point)
The price of a financial instrument at which the option buyer recovers the premium, meaning that they make neither a loss nor a gain. In the case of a call option, the break even point is the exercise price plus the premium.
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Central Rate
(Central Rate)
Exchange rates against the ECU adopted for each currency within the EMS. Currencies have limited movement from the central rate according to the relevant band.
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Derivatives
(Derivatives)
A security whose price is dependent upon or derived from one or more underlying assets. The derivative itself is merely a contract between two or more parties. Its value is determined by fluctuations in the underlying asset. The most common underlying assets include stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, interest rates and market indexes. Most derivatives are characterised by high leverage.
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Value Spot
(Value Spot)
Normally settlement is for two working days from the date the contract is entered into. Value Today Transaction is executed for same day settlement; sometimes also referred to as "cash transaction".
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Thin Market
(Thin Market)
A market in which trading volume is low and in which consequently bid and ask quotes are wide and the liquidity of the instrument traded is low.
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Fundamentals
(Fundamentals)
The macro economic factors that are accepted as forming the foundation for the relative value of a currency, these include inflation, growth, trade balance, government deficit, and interest rates.
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Coppia di valute incrociate
(Cross Currency Pair)
A foreign exchange deal entered into involving two currencies, neither of which is the base currency.
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Head and Shoulders
(Head And Shoulders)
A pattern in price trends which chartist consider indicates a price trend reversal. The price has risen for some time, at the peak of the left shoulder, profit taking has caused the price to drop or level. The price then rises steeply again to the head before more profit taking causes the price to drop to around the same level as the shoulder. A further modest rise or level will indicate that a further major fall is imminent. The breach of the neckline is the indication to sell.
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Basis Price
(Basis Price)
The price expressed in terms of yield maturity or annual rate of return.
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Out-of-the-Money
(Out Of The Money)
A put option is out-of-the-money if the exercise/strike price is below the price of the underlying instrument. A call option is out-of-the money if the exercise/strike price is higher than the price of the underlying instrument.
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Expiration Month
(Expiration Month)
The month in which an option expires.
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Put Option
(Put Option)
A put option confers the right but not the obligation to sell currencies, instruments or futures at the option exercise price within a predetermined time period.
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Rolling over
(Rolling Over)
The substituting of a far option for a near option of the same underlying stock at the same strike/exercise price.
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T-Bill
(T Bill)
Treasury Bill.
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Basis
(Basis)
The difference between the cash price and futures price.
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Resistance
(Resistance)
A price level at which the selling is expected to take place.
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Floating Exchange Rate
(Floating Exchange Rate)
When the value of a currency is decided by the market forces dictating the demand and supply of that particular currency.
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Liquidation
(Liquidation)
Any transaction that offsets or closes out a previously established position.
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Forward Rate
(Forward Rate)
The rate at which a foreign exchange contract is struck today for settlement at a specified future date which is decided at the time of entering into the contract. The decision to subtract or add points is determined by the differential between the deposit rates for both currencies concerned in the transaction. The base currency with the higher interest rate is said to be at a discount to the lower interest rate quoted currency in the forward market. Therefore the forward points are subtracted from the spot rate. Similarly, the lower interest rate base currency is said to be at a premium, and the forward points are added to the spot rate to obtain the forward rate.
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ECB
(Ecb)
The European Central Bank.
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CPI
(Cpi)
Consumer Price Index. Monthly measure of the change in the prices of a defined basket of consumer goods including food, clothing, and transport. Countries vary in their approach to rents and mortgages.
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Base Currency
(Base Currency)
The currency in which the operating results of the bank or institution are reported.
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Leading Indicators
(Leading Indicators)
Statistics that are considered to precede changes in economic growth rates and total business activity, e.g. factory orders.
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Hyperinflation
(Hyperinflation)
Very high and self sustaining inflation levels. One definition being the period while inflation exceeds 50% until it drops below that level for 12 months.
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Bear Market
(Bear Market)
A market in which prices decline sharply against a background of widespread pessimism (opposite of Bull Market).
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Maturity
(Maturity)
Date for settlement of the transaction which is decided at the time of entering into the contract.
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Call
(Call)
An option that gives the holder the right to buy the underlying instrument at a specified price during a fixed period.
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Exchange Rate Risk
(Exchange Rate Risk)
The potential loss that could be incurred from an adverse movement in exchange rates.
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Swap
(Swap)
The simultaneous purchase and sale of the same amount of a given currency for two different dates, against the sale and purchase of another. A swap can be a swap against a forward. In essence, swapping is somewhat similar to borrowing one currency and lending another for the same period. However, any rate of return or cost of funds is expressed in the price differential between the two sides of the transaction.
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Forward Contract
(Forward Contract)
Sometimes used as synonym for "forward deal" or "future". More specifically, for arrangements with the same effect as a forward deal between a bank and a customer.
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Market Maker
(Market Maker)
A dealer or company is said to make a market when they quote both the bid and offer prices at which they are ready to buy and sell.
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Stable Market
(Stable Market)
An active market which can absorb large sale or purchases of currency without having any major impact on the interest rates.
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Liability
(Liability)
In terms of foreign exchange, the obligation to deliver to a counter party an amount of currency either in respect of a balance sheet holding at a specified future date or in respect of an un-matured forward or spot transaction.
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Fed
(Fed)
The United States Federal Reserve. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Membership is compulsory for Federal Reserve members.
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Support Levels
(Support Levels)
A price level at which the buying is expected to take place.
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Forward Points
(Forward Points)
The interest rate differential between two currencies expressed in exchange rate points. The forward points are added to or subtracted from the spot rate to give the forward or outright rate depending on whether the currency is at a forward premium or discount.
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At-the-Money
(At The Money)
An option whose strike/exercise price is equal to or near the current market price of the underlying instrument.
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MM
(Mm)
Money Markets
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Inflation
(Inflation)
Continued rise in the general price level in conjunction with a related drop in purchasing power. Sometimes referred to as an excessive movement in such price levels.
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Call Option
(Call Option)
A call option confers the right but not the obligation to buy stock, shares or futures at a specified price.
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Option
(Option)
A contract conferring the right but not the obligation to buy (call) or to sell (put) a specified amount of an instrument at a specified price within a predetermined time period.
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Pip
(Pip)
See point. (0.0001 of a unit).
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Basis Convergence
(Basis Convergence)
The process whereby the basis tends towards zero as the contract expiry approaches.
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Arbitrage
(Arbitrage)
A type of trading where the same instrument is bought and sold simultaneously in two different markets in order to cash in on the difference in these markets.
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Variation Margin
(Variation Margin)
Funds required to be deposited by a client when a price movement has caused funds to fall below the stipulated percentage of the value of the contract.
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Take Profit
(Take Profit)
An order placed with a broker or market maker to close a position once it reaches a specified rate in the market above the current rate. The intention being to lock in a specific profit amount.
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Risks
(Risks)
There are risks associated with any market. It means variance of the returns and the possibility that the actual return might not be in line with the expected returns. The risks associated with trading are: market, exchange, interest rate, yield curve, volatility, liquidity, forced sale, counter party, credit, and country risk.
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Note
(Note)
A financial instrument consisting of a promise to pay rather than an order to pay or a certificate of indebtedness.
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FOMC
(Fomc)
Federal Open Market Committee, the committee that sets money supply targets in the US which tend to be implemented through Fed Fund interest rates etc.
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Major Currencies
(Major Currencies)
The currencies against which most other world currencies are valued.
Major currencies:
British Pound (GBP)
United States dollar (USD)
Japanese yen (JPY)
Swiss Franc (CHF)
Euro (EUR)
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Stop Loss Order
(Stop Loss Order)
An order placed with a broker or market maker to close a position when it reaches a specified price in the market lower than the current rate. The intention being to limit the amount of loss made.
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Margin Call
(Margin Call)
A demand for additional funds to cover positions.
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Contract Month
(Contract Month)
The month in which a futures contract matures or becomes deliverable if not liquidated or traded out before the date specified.
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Bank of England
(Bank Of England)
Central Bank of the United Kingdom.
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Economic Indicator
(Economic Indicator)
A data release which indicates current economic growth rates and trends such as retail sales and employment.
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Market Value
(Market Value)
Market value of a forex position at any time is the amount of the domestic currency that could be purchased at the then market rate in exchange for the amount of foreign currency to be delivered under the forex Contract.
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Loonie
(Loonie)
Slang for the Canadian dollar.
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Interest Rate Risk
(Interest Rate Risk)
The potential for losses arising from changes in interest rates.
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Butterfly Spread
(Butterfly Spread)
(1) A futures butterfly spread is a spread trade in which multiple futures months are traded simultaneously at a differential. The trade basically consists of two futures spread transactions with either three or four different futures months at one differential.
(2) An options butterfly spread is a combination of a bear and bull spread trade in which multiple options months and strike prices are traded simultaneously at a differential. The trade basically consists of two options spread transactions with either three or four different options months and strikes at one differential
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CFTC
(Cftc)
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the US Federal regulatory agency for futures traded on commodity markets, including financial futures.
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Asset
(Asset)
In the context of foreign exchange it is the right to receive from a counterparty an amount of currency either in respect of a balance sheet asset (e.g. a loan) or at a specified future date in respect of an unmatched forward or spot deal.
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Rate
(Rate)
The price of one currency or asset in terms of another. It has the same meaning as the term parities.
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Expiration Date
(Expiration Date)
(1) Options - the last date after which the option can no longer be exercised.
(2) Bonds - the date on which a bond matures.
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Premium
(Premium)
(1) The amount by which a forward rate exceeds a spot rate.
(2) The amount by which the market price of a bond exceeds its par value.
(3) Options, the price a put or call buyer must pay to a put or call seller for an option contract.
(4) The margin paid above the normal price level.
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Base Rate
(Base Rate)
A term used in the UK for the rate used by banks to calculate the interest rate to borrowers. Top quality borrowers will pay a small amount over base.
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Bear
(Bear)
A person who believes that prices will decline.
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Compound Option
(Compound Option)
An option on an option, the dates and price of such option being fixed.
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Yield Curve
(Yield Curve)
The graph showing changes in yield on instruments depending on time to maturity. A system originally developed in the bond markets is now broadly applied to various financial futures. A positive sloping curve has lower interest rates at the shorter maturities and higher at the longer maturities. A negative sloping curve has higher interest rates at the shorter maturities.
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Strike Price
(Strike Price)
Also called exercise price. The price at which an option holder can buy or sell the underlying instrument.
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Purchasing Power Parity
(Purchasing Power Parity)
Model of exchange rate determination stating that the price of a good in one country should equal the price of the same good in another country after adjusting for the changes in the price due to the change in exchange rate. Also known as the law of one price.
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Binary Options
(Binary Options)
A type of option in which the payoff is structured to be either a fixed amount of compensation if the option expires in the money, or nothing at all if the option expires out of the money.
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Kiwi
(Kiwi)
Slang for the New Zealand dollar.
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Day Trading
(Day Trading)
A Day Trading deal is a currency exchange deal which renews automatically every night at 22:00 (GMT time) starting the day the deal was made and until it ends. The deal ends in one of the following events:
- Termination initiated by you.
- The day trading rate has reached the Stop-Loss or Take Profit rate you predefined.
- The deal end date.
As long as the deal is open, it is charged a renewal fee every night at 22:00 (GMT time).
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Vanilla Option
(Vanilla Option)
A simple option whose terms and conditions do not include any provisions other than exercise style, expiry and strike. To compare with exotic options which have additional terms.
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Open Position
(Open Position)
Any deal which has not been settled by physical payment or reversed by an equal and opposite deal for the same value date. It can be termed as a high risk, high return proposition.
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Retail Price Index
(Retail Price Index)
Measurement of the monthly change in the average level of prices at retail, normally of a defined group of goods.
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Rollover
(Rollover)
Where the settlement of a deal is carried forward to another value date based on the interest rate differential of the two currencies e.g. the next day. On some instruments there may be fee charged.
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Strip
(Strip)
A combination of two puts and one call.
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Limit Order – Reserved Day Trading Deal
(Limit Order Reserved Day Trading Deal)
See Pending Order.
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Stop Out Price
(Stop Out Price)
US term for the lowest accepted price for Treasury Bills at auction.
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In-the-Money
(In The Money)
A call option is in-the-money if the price of the underlying instrument is higher than the exercise/strike price. A put option is in-the-money if the price of the underlying instrument is below the exercise/strike price.
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Par
(Par)
(1) The nominal value of a security or instrument.
(2) The official value of a currency.
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Straddle
(Straddle)
The simultaneous purchase/sale of both call and put options for the same share, exercise/strike price and expiry date.
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Appreciation
(Appreciation)
Describes a currency strengthening in response to market demand rather than by official action.
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Basis Point
(Basis Point)
One per cent of one per cent.
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Fixed Exchange Rate
(Fixed Exchange Rate)
Official rate set by monetary authorities for one or more currencies. In practice, even fixed exchange rates are allowed to fluctuate between definite upper and lower bands, leading to intervention by the central bank.
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Forward Deal
(Forward Deal)
A deal with a value date greater than the spot value date.
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Undervaluation
(Undervaluation)
An exchange rate is normally considered to be undervalued when it is below its purchasing power parity.
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Fundamental Analysis
(Fundamental Analysis)
Analysis based on economic and political factors.
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American Option
(American Option)
An option which may be exercised at any valid business date throughout the life of the option.
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Range
(Range)
The difference between the highest and lowest price of a future recorded during a given trading session.
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Gross Domestic Product
(Gross Domestic Product)
Total value of a country's output, income or expenditure produced within the country's physical borders.
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Cable
(Cable)
A term used in the foreign exchange market for the British Pound / US Dollar rate.
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Zero Coupon Bond
(Zero Coupon Bond)
A bond that pays no interest. The bond is initially offered at a discount to its redemption value.
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Currency Basket
(Currency Basket)
Various weightings of other currencies grouped together in relation to a basket currency (e.g. ECU or SDR). Sometimes used by currencies to fix their rate often on a trade weighted basket.
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Fed Funds
(Fed Funds)
Cash balances held by banks with their local Federal Reserve Bank. The normal transaction with these funds is an interbank sale of a Fed fund deposit for one business day. Straight deals are where the funds are traded overnight on an unsecured basis.
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Volatility
(Volatility)
A measure of the amount by which an asset price is expected to fluctuate over a given period. Normally measured by the annual standard deviation of daily price changes (historic). Can be implied from futures pricing, implied volatility.
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IMF
(Imf)
International Monetary Fund, established in 1946 to provide international liquidity on a short and medium term and encourage liberalization of exchange rates. The IMF helps its members to tide over the balance of payments problems with supplying the necessary loans.
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Central Bank
(Central Bank)
A central bank provides financial and banking services for a country's government and commercial banks. It implements the government's monetary policy, as well, by changing interest rates.
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Long
(Long)
A market position where the Client has bought a currency they previously did not own. For example: long Dollars.
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Stagflation
(Stagflation)
Recession or low growth in conjunction with high inflation rates.
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Bank Rate
(Bank Rate)
The rate at which a central bank is prepared to lend money to its domestic banking system.
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Comex
(Comex)
Commodity Exchange of New York.
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Fractional Pips
(Fractional Pips)
Fractional pips are a new pricing feature which allows you to see more price action detail and will help you to make more informed trading decisions. A fractional pip is a tenth of a pip and the addition of this feature to your account allows you to take advantage of smaller price increments and moves in the market.
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Gross National Product
(Gross National Product)
Gross domestic product plus "factor income from abroad" - income earned from investment or work abroad.
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PPI
(Ppi)
Producer Price Indices. See wholesale price indices.
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Hedging
(Hedging)
A hedging transaction is one whose main aim is to protect an asset or liability against a fluctuation in the foreign exchange rate rather than profit from the exchange rate fluctuations.
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Risk Management
(Risk Management)
The identification and acceptance or offsetting of the risks threatening the profitability or existence of an organisation. With respect to foreign exchange involves, among others, consideration of market, sovereign, country, transfer, delivery, credit, and counterparty risk.
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Quote
(Quote)
An indicative price. The price quoted for information purposes but not to deal.
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Sterling
(Sterling)
British pound.
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Ask Price
(Ask Price)
Ask is the lowest price acceptable to the buyer.
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Expiry Date
(Expiry Date)
The last date on which an option can be bought or sold.
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Spot
(Spot)
(1) The most common foreign exchange transaction.
(2) Spot refers to the buying and selling of the currency where the settlement date is two business days forward.
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Put Call Parity
(Put Call Parity)
The equilibrium relationship between premiums of call and put options of the same strike and expiry.
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Spread
(Spread)
(1) The difference between the bid and ask price of a currency.
(2) The difference between the price of two related futures contracts.
(3) For options, transactions involving two or more option series on the same underlying currency.
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Spot Price/Rate
(Spot Price Rate)
The price at which the currency is currently trading in the spot market.
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Cross Rate
(Cross Rate)
An exchange rate between two currencies, usually constructed from the individual exchange rates of the two currencies, as most currencies are quoted against the dollar.
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Aggregate
(Aggregate)
Total amount of exposure a bank has with a customer for both spot and forward contracts.
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Bank Notes
(Bank Notes)
Bank notes are paper issued by the central or issuing bank and are legal tender, but are not usually considered to be part of the FX market. However bank notes can be converted, in some counties, into FX. Bank notes are normally priced at a premium to the current spot rate for a currency.
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Barrier Option
(Barrier Option)
A family of path dependent options whose pay-off pattern and survival to the expiration date depend not only on the final price of the underlying currency but also on whether or not the underlying currency breaks a predetermined price level at any time during the life of the option.
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Technical Analysis
(Technical Analysis)
The study of the price that reflects the supply and demand factors of a currency. Common methods are flags, trend-lines spikes, bottoms, tops, pennants, patterns and gaps.
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Coupon
(Coupon)
(1) On bearer stocks, the detachable part of the hide behind nominee status. A certificate exchangeable for dividends.
(2) Denotes the rate of interest on a fixed interest security.
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Tick
(Tick)
A minimum change in price, up or down.
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Swissy
(Swissy)
Market slang for Swiss Franc.
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Futures Contract
(Futures Contract)
A contract traded on a futures exchange which requires the delivery of a specified quality and quantity of a commodity, currency or financial instruments a specified future month, if not liquidated before the contract matures.
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Forex
(Forex)
An abbreviation of foreign exchange.
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Break Out
(Break Out)
In the options market, undoing a conversion or a reversal to restore the option buyer's original position.
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Transaction Exposure
(Transaction Exposure)
Potential profit and loss generated by current foreign exchange transactions.
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Transaction
(Transaction)
The buying or selling of securities resulting from the execution of an order.
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Delta
(Delta)
The ratio comparing the change in the price of the underlying asset to the corresponding change in the price of a derivative. Also referred as the "hedge ratio".
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Soft Market
(Soft Market)
More potential sellers than buyers, which creates an environment where rapid price falls are likely.
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Dealer
(Dealer)
An individual or firm acting as a principal, rather than as an agent, in the purchase and /or sale of securities. Dealers trade for their own account and risk in contrast to the brokers who trade only on behalf of their clients.
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Liquidity
(Liquidity)
The ability of a market to accept large transactions without having any major impact on the interest rates.
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Short
(Short)
A market position where the client has sold a currency or asset he does not already own. Usually expressed in base currency terms.
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Point
(Point)
(1) 100th part of a per cent, normally 10,000 of any spot rate. Movement of exchange rates are usually in terms of points.
(2) One percent on an interest rate e.g. from 8-9%.
(3) Minimum fluctuation or smallest increment of price movement.
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CBOT or CBT
(Cbot Or Cbt)
Chicago Board of Trade.
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LIFFE
(Liffe)
London International Financial Futures Exchange.
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Option Class
(Option Class)
All options of the same type - calls or puts - listed on the same underlying instrument.
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Exercise Price (Strike Price)
(Exercise Price Strike Price)
The price at which an option can be exercised.
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Forex Deal
(Forex Deal)
The purchase or sale of a currency against the sale or purchase of another currency. The maximum time for a deal is defined when the deal opens, the deal can be closed at any moment until the expiry date and time. A deal cannot be closed in its first 3 minutes, due to technical reasons.
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Recession
(Recession)
A decline in business activity. Often defined as two consecutive quarters with a real fall in GNP.
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Bulldogs
(Bulldogs)
Sterling bonds issued in the UK by foreign institutions.
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Exotic Currency
(Exotic Currency)
A foreign exchange term for a thinly traded currency. Exotic currencies are illiquid, lack market depth and trade at low volumes. Trading an exotic currency can be expensive, as the bid-ask spread is usually large. Examples: Thai baht, Nok, Mexico peso.
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