FXCM Research Team

CME Group Inc. is one the world's largest derivatives exchange management companies handling 3 billion contracts annually.

Elections, whether they are presidential, parliamentary, or referenda oriented, provide an abundance of uncertainty to the marketplace. Over the course of an election cycle, issues such as international trade, national security, and government spending become focal points of the national discussion. Contrasting ideologies are put on display as opposing factions compete for political power, each with a different vision for a nation's future. Perhaps the election looked upon with the…

The U.S. and world markets are in the midst of another presidential election year, as of this writing (August 2016). The election-year rhetoric from candidates and their partisan supporters has ramped up to a din capable of bringing confusion to all but the most attentive and dispassionate observers. Analysts like to note that investors don't like uncertainty. However, with a divided U.S. electorate and candidates disposed to fight tooth and…

The rectangle pattern is a common and easily identifiable formation on charts when prices momentarily move into range-bound behavior.

The channel is a simple and effective technical analysis tool for charting and trading on a price trend. Channels can be used to identify a trend and the possible points of a reversal or a price breakout to a different trading level. What Is A Channel And How Is It Identified? Channels are customarily created by pinpointing the upper and lower limits of price action within an ongoing price trend…

The evening star is the name for a classic bearish pattern appearing in candlestick charts that signals the end of a price uptrend and the beginnings of a downtrend. The pattern appears at the climax of a trend as a cross-like star formation. It's often used to identify a selling opportunity upon a reversal or help traders prepare for further selling opportunities as a new bearish trend gains momentum. Candle…

A pennant is a triangle-shaped chart pattern formed by consolidating price action following a directional market move or trend. Pennants are classified as continuation patterns, meaning their presence acts as a signal that the market is merely taking a pause, and the preceding trend has a good chance of extending its range in the near future. Market Conditions In general, chart patterns have the most predictive value when they exhibit…

In the realm of technical analysis, a "flag" is a chart pattern that illustrates a temporary pause or compression in directional price action. A flag is classified as being a "continuation" pattern, suggesting that price is likely to resume movement in concert with a previously defined trend. Flags are widely accepted by long-term, swing and intraday traders as signals of potential breakouts. In addition, they provide technical traders a means…

In the financial marketplaces of the world, there are numerous different styles and trading methodologies employed with the goal of achieving profitability. One of the most prominent forms of trading used by both retail and institutional traders alike is known as "scalping." Scalping is a trade management strategy in which the trader elects to take small profits quickly as they become available within the marketplace. Often referred to as "picking…

Brief History Of Trading By definition, the term "trade" is the act of buying, selling, or exchanging goods with other parties. Dating back to the beginnings of human civilisation, "trade" has been the apparatus by which people have exchanged valued assets in an attempt to prosper or survive. The instrument of trade is credited with linking different cultures and acting as a conduit for the transmission of culture and ideas.…

In a not-so-distant past, investors who were interested in pooled investments commonly purchased mutual funds, where they could capture the returns of a diversified portfolio using a single investment vehicle. Those funds, however, came with some limitations, among these the fact that positions in them can normally only be adjusted after market hours according to their net asset value (NAV). In more recent years, a new type of pooled investment…