FXCM Research Team

Since the first mining in 2009, Bitcoin's price has undergone some dramatic rises and falls. Learn about the most notable price changes in the digital currency's history in this FXCM Insights article.

What Is A Central Bank? A central bank manages a nation's currency, money supply and interest rates and acts as a lender of last resort to the country's banks. Many are also responsible for regulating and supervising their country's banks. Many are set up to be independent from their government, although their directors are usually appointed by that country's chief executive or leader of government. Most countries have their own…

An important part of measuring various items in investing, a weighted average is a mathematical formula that takes into account the relative size or importance of each item in a list of financial data rather than a simple average.

A repurchase agreement is a short-term loan structured as the sale of securities. As part of the repo, the seller agrees to buy the securities back at a later date. Learn more about a repo works at FXCM Insights.

A Ponzi scheme is a type of financial fraud that occurs when the perpetrator promises consistent, guaranteed returns on an investment. In reality, however, it simply involves paying early investors by using payments from new investors.

In forex, volatility is the exchange rate variance facing a domestic currency. It is commonly attributed to many factors including politics, economic events and central bank activities. Given adequate understanding, a volatile currency may be easily identified.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a statistic derived and used around the globe to identify prevailing inflationary or deflationary pressures. It is calculated by averaging the prices of a basket of select goods and services commonly consumed by households.

In the standardised trade of futures, participants buy and sell contracts in an attempt to secure marketshare. The phenomenon of contango is a prime example of how the process of price discovery works and how the expectations of market participants influence asset value. Contango Defined Pricing derivative products, such as futures and options, is dependent on three factors: asset class, quantity and time. In the case of futures, a contract's…

The World Bank Group (WBG) is a product of the Bretton Woods Accords ratified in 1944. With a stated mission of eradicating world poverty, the WBG issues loans, grants, and other aid to developing economies in need of financial or technological assistance.

In live forex trading, having a solid understanding of your profit and loss (P&L) potential at any given time is a must. It is simply not enough to place a trade and hope for positive results. Quantifying the upside of an open position, as well as its downside liability, is a great way to ensure consistent and responsible risk management. Warning: Ad-blockers may prevent calculator from loading. However, completing this…

Fibonacci numbers, also referred to as the Fibonacci sequence, have been observed for hundreds of years by statisticians the world over. First quantified in the early 13th century by mathematician Leonardo Pisano, Fibonacci numbers are utilised in everything from architecture to weather forecasting. They are a mainstay of forex technical analysis as well, and they're readily applied to the markets on a daily basis. Warning: Ad-blockers may prevent calculator from…