www.informedtrades.com/25425-how-interest-rates-move-forex-market-part-1-a.html

Like current and future earnings prospects are the most important factors to consider when trying to forecast the long term direction of a stock, current and future interest rate prospects are the most important factors to consider when trying to forecast the long term direction of a currency. Because of this fact, currencies are highly sensitive to any economic news that can affect the country's interest rates, an important factor for traders of all time frames to understand.

As we learned in module 8 of our free basics of trading course located in the free course section of InformedTrades.com, when the central bank of a country raises interest rates this not only affects the short term rate that they target, but the interest rates for all types of debt instruments. If the central bank of a country raises interest rates then debt instruments of all types are going to become more attractive to investors, all else being equal. This not only means that foreign investors are more likely to invest in the debt of that country, but also that domestic investors are less likely to look outside the country for higher yield, creating more demand for the debt of that country and driving the value of the currency up, all else being equal.

Conversely, when a central bank lowers interest rates, then interest rates on all types of debt instruments for that country are going to be less attractive to investors, all else being equal. This not only means that both foreign and domestic investors are less likely to invest in the debt of that country, but that they are also more likely to pull money out to seek higher returns in other countries, creating less demand for, and a greater market supply of that currency, and driving its value down, all else being equal.

Once this is understood, it is next important to understand that foreign investors are exposed to not only the potential profit or loss from interest rate changes on the debt instrument they are investing in, but also to profits and losses which result from fluctuations in the value of that country's currency. This is an important concept to understand, as it generally will work to increase the profits for investors when interest rates increase, as the increase in the value of the currency is realized when they sell the investment and convert back into their home country's currency. This gives the foreign investor that much extra return on their investment, and that much extra incentive to invest when interest rates rise, driving the value of the currency up further all else being equal.

Conversely when interest rates decrease, there will be less demand for the debt instruments of a country not only because of the lower yield to investors, but also because of the decrease in the value of the currency that normally comes with a decrease in interest rates. The additional whammy of a loss to the foreign investor from the currency conversion that results as part of the investment, further incitivizes them to put their money elsewhere, decreasing the value of the currency further, all else being equal.

1. An Overview of the Forex Market
2. The Difference Between Over the Counter (OTC) and Exchange-Based Markets
3. Who Really Controls the Forex Market?
4. The Role of the Retail Forex Broker
5. How Central Banks Move the Forex Market
6. How Banks, Hedge Funds, and Corporations Move Currencies
7. A Breakdown of the Forex Trading Day
8. Forex Trading - Characteristics of the Main Currencies
9. Setting Up Your Forex Trading Software
10. Forex Trading - How to Read a Currency Quote
11. Forex Trading - Understanding Currency Rate Movements
12. Forex Trading - Understanding the Bid/Ask Spread
13. How to Place Your First Forex Trade
14. How to Determine Your Position Size in the Forex Market
15. Forex Trading - Pips and Fractional Pip Pricing
16. How to Calculate Forex Trading Profits and Losses
17. An Introduction to Leverage in Trading
18. How Trading on Margin Works
19. How to Calculate Leverage in the Forex Market
20. How to Calculate Leverage in the Forex Market Part 2
21. How to Place a Market Order in the Forex Market
22. How to Place a Stop Loss and Take Profit Order in Forex
23. How to Place A Pending Entry Order in the Forex Market
24. How Rollover Works in Forex Trading
25. How Rollover Works in Forex Trading Part 2
26. Free Forex Charts Userguide
27. What Moves the Forex Market? - Trade Flows
28. How Capital Flows Move the Forex Market
29. The Current Account: How Forex Traders Can Use it to Identify Opportunities
30. Interpreting the Capital Account and Measuring Capital Flows
31. Fundamentals that Move Currencies - Balance of Payments
32. How Interest Rates Move the Forex Market Part 1
33. How Interest Rates Move the Forex Market Part 2
34. How To Trade the Carry Trade Strategy Part 1
35. How To Trade the Carry Trade Strategy Part 2
36. How To Trade the Carry Trade Strategy Part 3
37. Fundamental Analysis Vs. Technical Analysis in Forex
38. Forex Trading Fundamentals Quiz - Test Your Knowledge
39. Why the US Dollar is Still King
40. Determining the Fate of the US Dollar
41. Determining the Fate of the US Dollar Part II
42. Determining the Fate of the US Dollar, Part III
43. Economic Releases that Move the US Dollar
44. A Trader's Introduction to the Euro
45. A Trader's Introduction to the Euro, Part II
46. A Trader's Introduction to the Euro, Part III
47. A Trader's Introduction to the Yen
48. A Trader's Introduction to the Yen, Part II
49. A Trader's Introduction to the Japanese Yen, Part III
50. A Trader's Introduction to the British Pound
51. A Trader's Introduction to the Swiss Franc
52. A Trader's Introduction to the Canadian Dollar
53. A Trader's Introduction to the Australian Dollar
54. A Trader's Introduction to the New Zealand Dollar
55. Why Choosing a Forex Broker is so Confusing
56. Choosing a Forex Broker: Regulation and Financial Stability
57. Choosing a Forex Broker Part III: Transaction Costs
58. Choosing a Forex Broker, Part IV: Technology & Add-ons
59. Choosing a Forex Broker: Evaluating Customer Service
60. An Introduction to Forex Capital Markets (FXCM)
61. An Introduction to DailyFX Plus

This 61-video series is an introduction and in-depth look at the forex market, including how to place trades, the fundamentals of the forex market, profiles of the main currency pairs, and factors to consider when choosing a forex broker.



This is a continuation of The Basics of Trading course by Informed Trades.