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How to Read a Forex Quote: Bid, Ask, and Spread ExplainedSo, you’ve decided to jump into the forex markets and stumbled upon your first quote. Now you're staring at numbers like EUR/USD 1.0987/1.0990, wondering what these flashing digits mean. Don’t worry—we’ve all been there. Let’s break it down, TradingView style, and get you up to speed on forex quotes, bid-ask spreads, and why these tiny decimal points matter more than you might think. The Basics: What’s a Forex Quote? At its core, a forex quote tells you the exchange rate between two currencies. Think of it like a price tag for the money you want to buy or sell. In any quote, you’ve got two currencies: the base currency and the quote currency. For example, in EUR/USD , the euro (EUR) is the base currency, and the US dollar (USD) is the quote currency. This quote tells you how many US dollars it costs to buy one euro. Now the fun part: You’ll notice two prices next to that quote—the bid and the ask. Bid vs. Ask: What’s the Difference? When you see a forex quote like EUR/USD 1.0987/1.0990, you’re actually looking at two prices: Bid Price (1.0987): This is the price a buyer (broker or trader) is willing to pay for the base currency. In simpler terms, this is the price you sell at. Ask Price (1.0990): This is the price the seller (broker or trader) is willing to sell you the base currency for. In other words, this is the price you buy at. So, if you’re buying EUR/USD , you’ll pay the ask price (1.0990), and if you’re selling, you’ll receive the bid price (1.0987). Notice how the ask is always higher than the bid? That’s where brokers make their money. Which brings us to… The Spread: The Broker’s Cut The spread is the difference between the bid and the ask. In this case, it’s 1.0990 - 1.0987 = 0.0003 or 3 pips (percentage in points). Think of the spread as the broker’s fee for facilitating the trade, essentially acting as the middleman. The tighter the spread, the less you’re paying to execute a trade. For major currency pairs like EUR/USD , the spread is often pretty small (like 1-3 pips), but for exotic pairs (think USD/ZAR or USD/TRY ), spreads can get wider than your Uncle Bob’s waistband after Thanksgiving dinner. Why the Spread Matters for Traders Here’s the thing: spreads eat into your profits. Whether you’re a day trader or holding a longer-term position, the spread is something you need to bake into your strategy. Scalpers and day traders need tight spreads. If you’re making a bunch of small, quick trades throughout the day, every pip counts. Wide spreads can kill your profit margins faster than a rogue tweet from Elon Musk. Swing traders and position traders are less sensitive to spreads. If you’re in it for the long haul, a few pips won’t make or break your trade. But it’s still something to keep an eye on, especially when trading less liquid currency pairs. Market Conditions and Spreads Spreads aren’t fixed — ideally, they should be floating around in real-time dealmaking. They widen and tighten based on market conditions. During high volatility (like, say, a major economic announcement or a surprise central bank rate cut), spreads can widen. Conversely, during quiet market hours, spreads tend to tighten. To avoid getting fleeced by wide spreads, keep an eye on liquidity. Major pairs like EUR/USD , GBP/USD , or USD/JPY have higher liquidity, meaning tighter spreads. Exotic pairs? Not so much. You’ll pay more to play in the less popular markets. How to Use the Bid-Ask Spread to Your Advantage Here’s a pro tip: If you’re in a tight spread market, like EUR/USD during peak trading hours, you can place tighter stop-loss and take-profit orders, maximizing your profits with minimal slippage. In volatile markets with wider spreads, give yourself more breathing room, or wait until liquidity returns. How TradingView Does It On TradingView, forex pairs are displayed with a single price quote rather than separate bid and ask prices. This single price quote represents the midpoint between the bid and the ask. TradingView uses this midpoint, also called the last trade price , to better display price flow and make it simpler to analyze price trends without the fluctuation that would come from constantly updating bid and ask prices. For traders using TradingView to monitor forex prices, this single price quote allows them to focus more on price movements and technical analysis rather than factoring in the spread between bid and ask, which as we mentioned, is available with brokers since it's their bread and butter. So factor this in. The Bottom Line Going expert-level at bid, ask, and spread isn’t just forex surviving — it’s forex thriving. These tiny details can be the difference between making bank or watching your profits trickle away. Always factor in the spread when setting up trades, especially if you're trading lower-volume currency pairs or during off-hours. Ready to flex your new bid-ask spread skills? And win some prizes at the same time? Join our paper trading competition "The Leap" , starting November 1, and show everyone what you've got. $25,000 are up for grabs.
Editors' picks
Education
by TradingView
4
Trade like the pros in dark pools█ Trade like the pros in dark pools If you're accustomed to trading on the stock exchange, you know that an exchange operates like a digitalized marketplace. Buyers and sellers gather around a stock and indicate what they're willing to trade for, hoping that two orders will match. Before you decide at what price you're willing to trade, you likely look at the order book depth. There, we see how many shares are seeking buyers or sellers at a specific price. For a trade to be completed, the so-called spread needs to be crossed. The spread is the difference between the buying and selling price, in the example above 20 cents (226.40 – 226.20). In stocks that are traded very frequently, the spread is smaller and it's seldom a problem to execute very large volumes on the open market. █ Dark pools simplify trading in small companies Many stocks have too small a turnover to place a larger order without significantly affecting the price. Therefore, professionals have used dark pools for many years. Leading brokers are now making this flow available to all their customers. The advantage of a dark pool is that you don't need to show your order to other market participants until a trade has been completed. This facilitates, especially, trading in larger volumes. Another advantage of dark pools is that trades are made at so-called midprice. Returning to the example above, a trade would occur when someone is willing to pay the full spread of 20 cents. Had the order book been a dark pool, the midprice would have been 226.30 SEK. In this way, it results in a better price for both buyers and sellers. For those trading in larger volumes, this can mean a lot of money. █ All orders pass through dark pools The fact that dark pools are now available to everyone does not mean that all orders should be placed there. In fact, there are several barriers to how much trading can be routed this way before the dark pool is temporarily limited. When you place a regular order, thanks to so-called smart order routing, it will check if a better completion can be achieved via this dark pool than on the open market. So, whether you choose to actively place an order in the dark pool or not, you can benefit from the characteristics of the dark pool. █ Shouldn't the exchange be completely open? A criticism of dark pools is that they are exactly as they sound, hidden. But all trades made in Nasdaq Stockholm's dark pool are visible under completions. Stocks with low turnover can be difficult to trade without significantly affecting the price. ⚪ Let's take another example. Here we have a stock where the entire buy side corresponds to just over 130,000 SEK. That's a lot of money, but not an unreasonable holding for a private individual. This is also an order book from a company with a market value of about 1.6 billion. Thus, a small company, but not so small that trading for a couple of hundred thousand SEK should be unreasonable. Here, the spread is also 30 cents. Which is over one (1) percent on this stock price. Being able to halve this cost can save a lot of money both directly and over time. It is also possible to hide parts of an order today. In the advanced order placement on the open market, there is actually a tool for that problem as well. There, you can set the visible number of shares to be shown in the order book. █ When you should use the dark pool If you have never had problems with your order placement, you probably don't even need to consider placing an order in the dark pool. But if you trade stocks where you need to split your orders to not swallow too large a part of the order book, it might be valuable to try. ----------------- Disclaimer This is an educational study for entertainment purposes only. The information in my Scripts/Indicators/Ideas/Algos/Systems does not constitute financial advice or a solicitation to buy or sell securities. I will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from the use of or reliance on such information. All investments involve risk, and the past performance of a security, industry, sector, market, financial product, trading strategy, backtest, or individual's trading does not guarantee future results or returns. Investors are fully responsible for any investment decisions they make. Such decisions should be based solely on evaluating their financial circumstances, investment objectives, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs. My Scripts/Indicators/Ideas/Algos/Systems are only for educational purposes!
Editors' picks
OMXSTO:ERIC_AEducation
by Zeiierman
3
What is a Spread in Forex?Hello hello! In this post, we'll take a look at the basic principles behind the spread in forex market and why it is important. In the foreign exchange market, the spread is the difference between the bid price and the ask price for a particular currency pair. The bid price is the highest price that a market maker is willing to pay for a currency, while the ask price is the lowest price at which a market maker is willing to sell the same currency. The spread, therefore, represents the cost of trading a particular currency pair. When trading in the forex market, traders usually buy a currency at the ask price and then sell it at a higher bid price, hoping to make a profit. The spread is the difference between the two prices and it represents the trader's cost of trading that currency pair. The spread is usually expressed in pips, which is the smallest unit of price change in the forex market. For example, if the bid price for EUR/USD is 1.0735 and the ask price is 1.0740, the spread would be 5 pips. The size of the spread can vary depending on the currency pair being traded and the market conditions. Some currency pairs, such as the major pairs like EUR/USD, USD/JPY, and GBP/USD, tend to have relatively tight spreads, while others, such as the exotic pairs, can have wider spreads. Also, the spread can vary depending on the trading conditions, for instance, during high volatility period, such as economic news release, the spread tend to widen. In forex trading, traders should always be aware of the spread as it represents a cost of trading and it affects the trader's potential profits and losses. Spreads are usually factored into a trader's profit and loss calculations and it is important to consider the spread before opening a trade. Some brokers also offer variable spreads and fixed spreads, it is important to be aware of the difference between the two. Many online forex brokers now offer variable spreads, which means that the spread will change depending on the market conditions, but some brokers also offer fixed spreads, which means that the spread will remain the same regardless of market conditions.
Education
by m_maia14
BID AND ASK BASICS📚 🔴In all markets, there is a price at which a market participant is willing to buy an asset and a price that suits the seller. At the same time, traders intend to carry out a purchase and sale transaction only within the amount that is profitable for them. ⚠️In the foreign exchange market, the ask line is the cost of buying an asset or the price that is set by the broker in the Buy order. ⚠️Bid - accordingly, the cost at which the broker opens a sell order when accepting an application for the sale of currency from a trader. ❗️The spread is the difference between ask and bid prices. To be more precise, the spread is the difference between the best bid and ask offers for a specific asset over a certain period. Thus, the spread is dynamic, changing over time. The spread value is formed by the initial value set by the broker, as well as due to the volatility of the currency. The spread can vary from 0.1 to 100 points. ✅In the market of physical goods, a similar example can be given: a seller and a buyer, haggling, narrow the difference between prices that satisfy them, bringing them to one at which they make a deal. ✅In the foreign exchange market, the spread between prices is the commission charged by the broker. It should be borne in mind that the broker takes a commission regardless of the volume of the transaction and its result.
OANDA:XAUUSDEducation
by TopTradingSignals
7
CADJPY H4 - Short SetupCADJPY H4 Possible short incoming as we approach this 90.00 handle, we have already extended 150 pips from our pivot point without a correction (88 handle). Even if we see a relief rally from 90.00 this could still offer us a solid 2R or even 3R. We have been trending some time and as we approach year end, I wonder if these will continue. I'm fairly doubtful and expect we may see ranges between 90 and 85 again before year close. We have our 90 whole number, 618 fib resistance and S/R from previous zone holds already.
Short
by Trade_Simple_FX
1
Trader's Guide to Options Part 2The information in this guide is intended to get you started with your understanding of options, the terminology, and their basic characteristics. In addition to this guide, it is recommended that you study all information available under the education section of your broker’s website. Most brokers who cater to options traders provide good information that will help you learn. Types of Options: Call Options: Call options increase in value when the underlying stock rises. Buyers of calls have the right, without any obligation, to buy the underlying stock at the strike of the options contract. They retain their right until the option no longer exists, defined by the expiration date. Call buyers anticipate the value of the underlying stock will rise. When it does, the value of the option will also increase at approximately the rate of the Delta. Buyers pay for the right to buy the stock in the future, sometime before expiration of the option. When buying the option, they pay the ask price. The premium they pay is less than buying the stock, yet they will still benefit from any appreciation in the value of the stock. Say you wanted to buy XYZ stock because you think it is going to move up from its current price of $84. Instead of buying the stock a trader could buy a call option for a fraction of the price of the stock. Remember, all the trader is doing is buying the right to buy the stock without any obligation to actually buy it. The option only costs $4.00 for the right to buy the stock at some future date. Buying 1,000 shares of the stock would require $84,000 but buying 10 options contracts would only cost $4,000. Call Options – The Sellers… Sellers of call options are selling to someone else the right to buy the underlying stock from them. When/if the buyer chooses to buy the stock from the seller, (remember, the buyer has no obligation to do so) it is referred to as an exercise…the buyer is exercising the right to buy the stock. The seller is obligated to deliver the stock to the buyer. A seller’s obligation ends when the stock is exercised, the option expires, or the option is bought to close (BTC). Call sellers receive a premium from the buyer. The buyer is paying the seller for the right to buy the stock in the future. Sellers want the price of the stock to go down. Why? If the price goes down, the buyer will have no reason to exercise since they could buy the stock for less at the current market price. In this case, the seller gets to keep the premium paid by the buyer. So, what does this mean in plain English? The concept of a call option is present in many situations. For example, you discover a painting that you would love to purchase. Unfortunately, you will not have the cash to buy it for another two months. You talk to the owner and negotiate a deal that gives you an option to buy the painting in two months for a price of $1,000. The owner agrees, and you pay the owner a premium of $50 for the right to buy the painting. Consider two possible scenarios that can impact the value of this “option”: Scenario 1: It is discovered that the back of the painting has a signature of a famous artist, which drives the value of the painting up to $10,000. Because the owner sold you an option which gives you the right but no obligation to purchase the painting at the previously agreed price, he is obligated to sell the painting to you, the buyer, for $1,000. The buyer would make a profit of $8,950 ($10,000 value – $1,000 purchase price – $50 for the cost of the option). Scenario 2: After closer review of the painting, it is discovered that the signature on the back is not of a famous artist, but is the brother of a famous artist. This actually drives the value of the painting down to $500. If the buyer exercised their option to purchase the painting it would cost $1,000. This would not make sense because the buyer could instead just buy it at “market price” for just $500. Since the buyer had no obligation to purchase based on the option contract, the agreement, or contract, would just expire and the buyer would lose the $50 premium paid. The example demonstrates two important points. When you buy an option, you have a right, but not an obligation, to do something. You can always let the expiration date pass, at which point the option becomes worthless. If this happens, you lose 100% of your investment, which is the money you paid for the option. Put Options Put options increase in value when the underlying stock decreases in value. Buyers of puts have the right, without any obligation, to “put” the underlying stock to someone else at the strike price of the options contract. They retain their right until they sell to close (STC) the option or it no longer exists, defined by the expiration date. Put buyers anticipate the value of the underlying stock will go down. When it does, the value of the option will increase at approximately the rate of the Delta. Buyers pay a premium for the right to be able to put (sell) the stock to someone else in the future, sometime before expiration of the option. When buying the option, they pay the ask price. Say you thought XYZ stock is going to move down from its current price of $84. Buying a put with a strike of $85 gives the buyer the right in the future to sell or put the stock to someone else at $85. So, if the stock declined to $75, the buyer of the option could buy the stock at $75 and immediately exercise their right to sell/put the stock at $85, making a $10 profit. Remember, all the trader is doing is buying the right but has no obligation. Put Options – The Sellers… Sellers of put options are selling to someone else the right to sell/put the underlying stock to them. When/if the buyer chooses to put their stock to the seller, this is referred to as being assigned……the buyer of the put option is assigning the stock to the seller. The seller is obligated to buy the stock based on the strike price of the contract. A seller’s obligation ends when the option expires or the option is bought to close (BTC). Put sellers receive a premium from the buyer. The buyer is paying the seller for the right to sell the stock to the seller in the future. Put sellers want the price of the stock to go up. Why? If the price goes up, the buyer will have no reason to assign the stock since they could sell the stock for more at the current market price. In this case, the seller gets to keep the premium paid by the buyer. Exercise and Assignment Most stocks and ETF’s are American style options. This means that if the buyer of an option chooses to exercise or assign their rights they may do so at any time prior to expiration. Indexes such at SPX , NDX and RUT are European style options. This means that any exercise or assignment may only occur at expiration. Who wins when the stock moves? 1. Buyers of Calls – win when the stock goes up 2. Sellers of Calls – win when the stock goes down 3. Buyers of Puts – win when the stock goes down 4. Sellers of Puts – win when the stock goes up Are you new to options trading? Stay tuned for Part 3 of Trader's Guide to Options which will include in-the-money, at-the-money, and out-of-the-money options as well as the reality of trading.
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SP:SPXEducation
by NewCycleTrading
8
Trader's Guide to OptionsThe information in this guide is intended to get you started with your understanding of #options, the terminology, and their basic characteristics. In addition to this guide, it is recommended that you study all information available under the education section of your broker’s website. Most brokers who cater to options traders provide good information that will help you learn. What is an option? An option is a financial contract between a buyer and a seller. It is an agreement to buy or sell the underlying equity (stock or index) at a set price by a pre-determined date. Instead of buying the stock a trader could buy an option for a fraction of the price of the stock. Options have the following characteristics: Traded as contracts and each contract represents 100 shares of the underlying stock or index. Pre-set expiration dates. Standard monthly options expire the third Friday of each month. Some index options like TVC:RUT , TVC:SPX , and TVC:NDX cease trading on Thursday before the third Friday. Weekly options expire each Friday. Price points, referred to as the strike price, are the prices at which buyers and sellers trade option contracts. Options are, usually, available to trade in standard price increments of $5 and $10. Quotes to buy or sell an option are presented as the bid and ask. When selling an option, the bid price is used. When buying an option, the ask price is used. Sell the bid / Buy the ask. Delta is the change in the value of an option relative to each $1.00 change in the value of the underlying stock. If an option has a Delta value of .45, it will change in value by 45 cents for each $1.00 change in the value of the stock. - NASDAQ:GOOG is trading at 1445. -The 1445 call strike has a Delta of .50 -GOOG goes down $10 -The 1445 call will decline in value by $5.00 = ( $10 * .50) The Options Chain: All option information for any stock or index is listed on an options chain. The options chain can be found on the website of the broker you use to trade. The chain will list all available strikes and expirations, the Delta, and the bid and ask prices. It will also display both Call and Put options. Ways to trade Options: There are four actions that could possibly be taken when trading options: 1. Buy To Open (BTO) - buying an option as part of opening a new position. 2. Sell To Open (STO) - selling an option as part of opening a new position. 3. Buy To Close (BTC) - buying back an option that was originally sold to open 4. Sell To Close (STC) - selling an option that was originally bought to open When a position is Bought-To-Open, it is referred to as a long position . When a position is Sold-To-Open, it is referred to as a short position . When a position is Bought-To-Open, it is done for a debit . When a position is Sold-To-Open, it is done for a credit . Are you new to options trading? Stay tuned for Part 2 of Trader's Guide to Options which will include teaching about call and put options. <- Direct link to chart image.
NASDAQ:GOOGEducation
by NewCycleTrading