Showing posts with label Hedging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hedging. Show all posts

What is Hedging?

Monday, November 24, 2008

The best way to understand hedging is to think of it as insurance. When people decide to hedge, they are insuring themselves against a negative event. This doesn't prevent a negative event from happening, but if it does happen and you're properly hedged, the impact of the event is reduced. So, hedging occurs almost everywhere, and we see it everyday.

For example, if you buy house insurance, you are hedging yourself against fires, break-ins or other unforeseen disasters.It is simply taking a buy or sell position in a futures market opposite to a position held in the cash market to minimize the risk of financial loss from an adverse price change.


Hedging is a risk strategy whereby investors and traders take offsetting positions in an instrument to reduce their risk profile. The practice usually involves taking both a long and a short position in an instrument and so, usually, necessitates using financial derivatives with which it's possible to short reduction sell.Hedging strategies are also employed by professional fund managers to control the risk exposure of large managed funds.

In this context, hedging is a more complex process as it involves a whole portfolio of different investments - each with its own unique risk/return profile.Making an investment to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in an asset. Normally, a hedge consists of taking an offsetting position in a related security, such as a futures contractAn example of a hedge would be if you owned a stock, then sold a futures contract stating that you will sell your stock at a set price, therefore avoiding market fluctuations.

Investors use this strategy when they are unsure of what the market will do. A perfect hedge reduces your risk to nothing (except for the cost of the hedge).
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Forex Hedging Strategy

Sunday, November 23, 2008


A forex hedging strategy is developed in four parts, including an analysis of the forex trader's risk exposure, risk tolerance and preference of strategy. These components make up the forex hedge:
1. Analyze risk: The trader must identify what types of risk he is taking in the current or proposed position. From there, the trader must identify what the implications could be of taking on this risk un-hedged, and determine whether the risk is high or low in the current forex currency market.
2. Determine risk tolerance: In this step, the trader uses their own risk tolerance levels, to determine how much of the position's risk needs to be hedged. No trade will ever have zero risk; it is up to the trader to determine the level of risk they are willing to take, and how much they are willing to pay to remove the excess risks.
3. Determine forex hedging strategy: If using foreign currency options to hedge the risk of the currency trade, the trader must determine which strategy is the most cost effective.
4. Implement and monitor the strategy: By making sure that the strategy works the way it should, risk will stay minimized. The forex currency trading market is a risky one, and hedging is just one way that a trader can help to minimize the amount of risk they take on. So much of being a trader is money and risk management that having another tool like hedging in the arsenal is incredibly useful.
Not all retail forex brokers allow for hedging within their platforms. Be sure to research fully the broker you use before beginning to trade.
Derivatives of using a hedge position :
Futures contracts are one of the most common derivatives used to hedge risk. A futures contract is as an arrangement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a particular time in the future for a particular price. The main reason that companies or corporations use future contracts is to offset their risk exposures and limit themselves from any fluctuations in price. The ultimate goal of an investor using futures contracts to hedge is to perfectly offset their risk. In real life, however, this is often impossible and, therefore, individuals attempt to neutralize risk as much as possible instead. For example, if a commodity to be hedged is not available as a futures contract, an investor will buy a futures contract in something that closely follows the movements of that commodity.
When a company knows that it will be making a purchase in the future for a particular item, it should take a long position in a futures contract to hedge its position. For example, suppose that Company X knows that in six months it will have to buy 20,000 ounces of silver to fulfill an order. Assume the spot price for silver is $12/ounce and the six-month futures price is $11/ounce. By buying the futures contract, Company X can lock in a price of $11/ounce. This reduces the company's risk because it will be able close its futures position and buy 20,000 ounces of silver for $11/ounce in six months.
If a company knows that it will be selling a certain item, it should take a short position in a futures contract to hedge its position. For example, Company X must fulfill a contract in six months that requires it to sell 20,000 ounces of silver. Assume the spot price for silver is $12/ounce and the futures price is $11/ounce. Company X would short futures contracts on silver and close out the futures position in six months. In this case, the company has reduced its risk by ensuring that it will receive $11 for each ounce of silver it sells.
Futures contracts can be very useful in limiting the risk exposure that an investor has in a trade. The main advantage of participating in a futures contract is that it removes the uncertainty about the future price of an item. By locking in a price for which you are able to buy or sell a particular item, companies are able to eliminate the ambiguity having to do with expected expenses and profits.
Example : Hedging Against Downside Risk:Strike Cost Est. Returnreturn (19) – put Capital at Riskmarket – strike + put
125 4.2 14.8 27.01
130 5.2 13.8 23.01
135 6.3 12.7 19.11
140 7.7 11.3 15.51
In the example, buying puts at higher strike prices results in less capital at risk in the investment, but pushes the overall investment return downward.

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ForexGen Hedging Trading Methodology

Friday, November 21, 2008



For beginners in Forex trading, Forex hedging is always a very good tool to be utilized in order to avoid from suffering a huge amount of losses in their early stage of investment. Forex hedging is a way of reducing some of the risk involved in holding an open position. There are many different circumstances in which a trader might wish to hedge. When someone mentions hedging, think of risk protection. A hedge is just a way of insuring an investment against risk. Therefore, it is most advisable for all of the investors, regardless of what type of investment they are in, to understand more about hedging because this is considerably one of the most effective way in order to protect themselves in Forex trading.

Forex hedging is much easier than other equity markets. In stocks, the simplest, but most expensive method is to buy a put option for the stock you own. (It\'s most expensive because you\'re buying insurance not only against market risk but against the risk of the specific security as well.) You can buy a put option on the market (like an OEX put) which will cover general market declines. You can also hedge by selling financial futures (e.g. the S&P 500 futures). Selling covered calls on your stocks is another option. However, in this case, you won't be completely covered.

ForexGen Trading Station

ForexGen Trading Station is the client's part of the online ForexGen Trading Platform. We provide all the needed trading tools for a successful trading. We attempt to supply the sufficient information and tools in order to make the Forex traders' decisions more appropriate and easy. The program has a simple and user friendly interface that allows traders to monitor their transactions and their account as well as performing technical analysis and develop Forex trading strategies of their own. ForexGen provides continuous real-time information and sophisticated technical analysis tools. ForexGen Trading platforms are stable, secure and characterized by its unique performance. It is the best solution for trading on Forex.

The 4 Key Players in the Forex Market

Thursday, November 6, 2008

When trades are conducted in the equity market, they are normally conducted with institutional investors (e.g. mutual funds
) or other individual investors. The Forex market operates differently in that there are additional players who trade for reasons that are different from that of the equity market. So for the purposes of educating the newcomers to the Forex market, the following is about the four key players in this arena.

Governments and Central Banks

Without a doubt, it could be strongly argued that the governments and central banks of the world's countries are the big players in the Forex market. Normally, the central bank is an extension of that country's government, and will usually formulate and regulate policy in conjunction of the government. There are governments that disagree with this, feeling that a centralized bank should be more of an independent entity.

The reasoning is that it could be more effective in the areas of curbing inflation rates and keeping interest rates down in the hopes of stimulating ongoing economic growth. But the government officials would still have the right to regular consulting privileges for the purpose of discussing monetary policy despite the banks independent platform.

Banks and Other Financial Institutions

Despite the depth of influence that governments and central banks exhibit, regular banks and other types of financial institutions are still a key factor in the Forex market in that they are available for those individuals who need to swap currencies in a small-scale type of transaction. So, they will deal with the neighborhood or local banks. However, these smaller scale transactions can't compare to the volume of the transactions that are conducted within the Forex market.

Oftentimes referred to as the interbank market, this is the area wherein larger banks conduct transactions with other similar banks as well as determine the exchange rates that traders see on the trading platforms. Electronic brokering methods that are based on credit transactions are the means with which these trades are conducted. Only those banks that have an established credit based relationship with one another can be involved in this type of activity.

Hedgers

Businesses dealing in international transactions are usually the banks biggest clients. Whether a client is purchasing from or selling to an international client, the transaction will always be subject to the volatility factors that influence the exchange rate. And if there is one thing that management or shareholders despise, it is the uncertainty factor. Normally, these individuals will offset this uncertainty by entering the spot market and make an immediate transaction to purchase the currency that they need.

Speculators

Speculators are another market participant involved in the Forex market. Speculators usually will attempt to make monetary gains by taking advantage of fluctuations in the exchange rates rather than hedging against the rates or exchanging currencies to fund their transactions. Hedge funds are considered to be some of the largest speculators in the Forex market. They are also considered the most controversial. A good analogy that was once used to describe hedge funds was "mutual funds on steroids."
Trading

The Foreign Exchange currency market is known as FX. It is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling another, currencies are traded and exchanged in pairs. Traders are all unified on one goal, making profit. Profits are produced when the prices move in the trader direction.

In the past, Forex markets were accessed only by larger financial institutes, investment banks, large multinational companies, global money managers, international currency dealers, and liquidity providers. Lately, online trading is offering trading platforms for each individual who wants to trade currencies in order to gain profit.

Is It Really Any Help On Forex Hedge Trading ?

Monday, November 3, 2008


Some Forex retail traders after incurring significant losses on equity trades try later to hedge against any further losses. On the surface it appears to be a good strategy to minimize losses. But in many such instances a policy of hedging fails to help. In this article, we would try to see how it happens.

What Exactly is Hedging?

Hedging in trades with purely financial implications is comparable to taking insurance policies against loss of inventories and properties from fire, or to cover loss of earning capacity due to unexpected injury, sickness or death.

To explain the concept of hedging further, let us take an example of a currency trade. Suppose you trade long on EUR/USD at a rate of 1.4595 and suddenly the rate plummets to 1.4565 incurring you a loss of 30 pips. So you enter into another contract to cover yourself against such further losses, shorting at the current market rate of 1.4565. By doing so you ensure that you will not lose anymore even if the rate falls by a further 10 pips to 1.4555. In this scenario, you would lose 10 pips on your first long trade and gain 10 pips on your subsequent short trade thus neutralizing each other to leave you in a no loss/no win position.

The Hidden Implications of This Type of Hedging:

At a glance, hedging appears to be a bright idea; which is the impression that inexperienced traders invariably get. It would appear that hedging effectively shields the investor from incurring further losses, while there is also the possibility of the rate to readjust in his favor in the meantime. This is the precise misconception that leads many investors to misguidedly fall into a trap of contracting such hedging trades.

The Problem of This Type of Hedging Unraveled:

Assume that the price turns around to the original level of 1.4595. Still you could be losing 30 pips! How?

To start with, you went long at 1.4595, (the current price prevailing then), which makes you to breakeven. But your subsequent short trade that you entered at 1.4565 would be incurring you an unrealizable loss of 30 pips. So, on the latest position, while you breakeven on your first long trade, you make an unrealizable loss of 30 pips on your second short trade, giving you a net loss of 30 pips on the whole. That is in addition to the extra transaction fees etc. you incurred on your bid/ask spread on the hedge.

Had you not entered into the second trade as a hedge, you would now enjoy a breakeven, no loss/no win position with prospects of earning profits, if the upward trend of the Euro continues. On the other hand you will incur further unrealizable losses as the Euro price rises as things stand now due to the second trade that was done as a hedge against possible losses on your initial long trade.

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ForexGen Trading Station is the client's part of the online ForexGen Trading Platform. We provide all the needed trading tools for a successful trading. We attempt to supply the sufficient information and tools in order to make the Forex traders' decisions more appropriate and easy. The program has a simple and user friendly interface that allows traders to monitor their transactions and their account as well as performing technical analysis and develop Forex trading strategies of their own. ForexGen provides continuous real-time information and sophisticated technical analysis tools. ForexGen Trading platforms are stable, secure and characterized by its unique performance. It is the best solution for trading on Forex.

The ForexGen Trading Station is our clients' gateway to the world's Foreign Exchange and Bullion markets. We have chosen the ForexGen Trading Station as our solution for the professional trader because in our opinion, it is the most reliable, professional and secure online trading software on the market at the current time.

Risks involved in Forex hedge trading

Forex Hedging is a good instrument for the beginners in Forex trading, if they wish to avoid incurring huge loss. With forex hedging you can minimize the risk in holding an open position. There are several situations that may prompt a forex trader to hedge. It can be implied in simple terms as a protection against risk. By hedging you can insure your investment against risk.

The concept of hedging is applied on every investment opportunities. Forex hedging however is much simple than other equity markets. For stocks, it is very expensive as it involves buying a put option for the stocks that is buying indemnity against market risk plus the specific security. Compared to this forex hedging is a much simpler operation.

For example, if a trader takes long on the JPY/USD on a specific month’s first Thursday, as he or she knows that Non-Farm payroll is generally released on first Friday of every month. In this case the trader takes a long-term with the thought that the market may move violently. As in Forex there is no long bias to the market the trader can open long and short positions quite easily. For hedging his or her position and for eliminate the risk involving economic release, the trader will have to open numerous short JPY/USD positions as they currently have long. This will insure the trader against risk immediately.

Hedging, in many cases, involves complex financial instrument like common derivative including future and options. With these, one can offset losses by gaining in derivatives. If you are involved in a business that needs frequent currency conversion you must take help of hedging to protect your profit. For example you manufacture a machine in USA and sell it in the UK market. So you need a conversion of USD to GBP during every transaction. But due to continuous fluctuation in the forex market, you get variable rates every time. To ensure your profit, you must hedge and fix the rate of conversion between USD and GBP. Options and future contracts come handy in hedging in Forex trading.

The concept of hedging is very useful for the traders but it has downside too. It works favorably for an investor only if he or she suffers a loss. Otherwise it is not going to help the trader in any way.
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Forex trading tip - his favor make


But never abort many Forex retail traders. After their losses in any help you will wait for the price to retrace. Try starting with a little more as a bad idea does eat their losses. To prepare you to cope up with a trade many sites are there on the hedge that provide you with this article or their trades. This article of price 1.4030 is a guaranteed money maker and the EUR/USD is not example. In this article on The market, I’ll discuss a good way of and example of the double top / double bottom chart pattern. The EUR/USD drilled into them that they must play this article first, before anything else and gave them further losses to apply.

This way usually costs you about 2-5 pips, depending on prices you’re looking at. Your doing it by ” a total “. Inexperienced traders what to use for This form to generate buy and sell signals for Hedging and here we are going to give you the potential losses, you can use to catch the really big moves and big profits.

First glance above are made by a trader if you avoid them and get a sensible, simple, trend following example which trades This Manner, you can enjoy hedging and make further losses. Well this happens every day, because the one on the world market push hedging for further losses up and down.

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