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Trading Glossary

Take a look at our list of the financial terms associated with trading and the markets. From beginners starting their trading journey to experts with decades of experience, all traders need to clearly understand a huge number of terms.

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European Central Bank

What is the European Central Bank (ECB)?

The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the European Union's member states that have adopted the euro. The ECB is responsible for the management of the euro and for implementing monetary policy in the eurozone. It is independent of national governments and has the primary objective of maintaining price stability in the eurozone.

Who controls the European Central Bank?
As stated above, the European Central Bank (ECB) is independent from national governments and political influences. It is governed by the Governing Council, which is composed of the six members of the Executive Board and the governors of the national central banks of the 19 European Union (EU) member states that have adopted the euro as their currency. The President of the ECB, currently Christine Lagarde, is appointed by the European Council

EUR/RON

The euro to Romanian leu exchange rate has the abbreviation EUR/RON, and is classed as an exotic currency pair. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded daily. The Romanian leu the 34th most-active currency, accounting for just 0.1% of average daily turnover.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

While not a safe-haven asset, the euro is considered more stable than the Romanian leu, meaning that the EUR/RON strengthens in times of market uncertainty. Romania is an emerging market economy and is one of Europe's poorest nations. The country wanted to adopt the euro, but has so far failed to meet the criteria.

EUR/HUF

EUR/HUF is the abbreviation for the euro to Hungarian forint exchange rate. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded daily. The forint is the 26th most-active currency, accounting for just 0.3% of daily transactions. US$5 billion worth of EUR/HUF is traded each day.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

EUR/HUF strengthens in times of market uncertainty. As an emerging market currency, the forint is popular in times of confidence but is sold in favour of safer, lower-yielding assets when volatility increases.

Compared to its emerging market peers, Hungary has a small level of foreign currency debt, providing some insulation for the economy and its currency against external disruption.

EUR/AUD

EUR/AUD is the abbreviation for the euro to Australian dollar exchange rate. The pairing accounts for 0.3% of the average daily forex trading volume across the globe, which equates to US$16 billion.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar. However, the impact of this upon the euro is lessened when trading against the Australian dollar, because the “Aussie” also moves inversely to the US Dollar.

While not a safe-haven asset, the euro is considered more stable than the Australian dollar, meaning that the EUR/AUD/ pairing often strengthens in times of market pessimism, and weakens when risk-demand is elevated.

The Australian economy is highly-reliant upon exports of iron ore, for which Australia accounts for over 50% of the global supply. Changes in the market price can have a strong effect upon EUR/AUD.

EUR/CAD

EUR/CAD is the abbreviation for the euro to Canadian dollar exchange rate. The pairing accounts for around 0.3% of daily forex trading across the globe; the equivalent of US$14 billion.

The euro is the currency of the 19-nation Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar. However, the impact of this upon the euro is lessened when trading against the Canadian dollar, which also often moves inversely to the dollar.

The Canadian dollar is highly-sensitive to the price of crude oil, as this is Canada's main export. When oil prices fall, the outlook for the Canadian economy weakens, pushing the EUR/CAD exchange rate higher. When oil prices rise, the opposite happens.

Euro strength is influenced by the economic health of the Eurozone, which experienced a debt crisis in 2012 that saw several of its member states requiring bailouts.

EUR/CZK

EUR/CZK is the abbreviation for the euro to Czech koruna exchange rate. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded daily. The koruna is the 28th most-traded currency, accounting for just 0.3% of daily transactions.

The euro is the currency of the 19-nation Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

The Czech economy is strongly intertwined with that of the Eurozone; in particular Germany, which receives the bulk of Czech exports. Recent strength in the Eurozone has benefited the Czech Republic, contributing to an unemployment rate that is amongst the lowest in Europe.

In April 2017, the Czech National Bank exited its exchange rate commitment to cap CZK strength, implemented in November 2013, allowing the currency to fluctuate unrestrained.

EUR/NZD

EUR/NZD is the abbreviation for the euro to New Zealand dollar exchange rate. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded every day. The New Zealand dollar is the 10th most-traded currency, accounting for 2.1% of daily transactions. US$104 billion worth of NZD is traded daily.

The euro is the currency of the 19-nation Eurozone, overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

However, the impact of this upon the euro is lessened when trading against the New Zealand dollar, which also often moves inversely to the dollar.

The New Zealand dollar is highly-sensitive to commodity prices. Dairy is the country's main industry; when dairy prices fall, the outlook for the New Zealand economy weakens, pushing the EUR/NZD exchange rate higher. When dairy prices rise, the opposite happens.

AUD/CHF

AUD/CHF is the abbreviation for the Australian dollar to Swiss franc exchange rate. The Australian dollar is nicknamed the “Aussie”, and is the 5th most-traded currency in the world, involved in 6.9% of all daily forex trades. The Swiss franc is the 7th most popular currency in the world and is involved in nearly 5% of all forex transactions each day.

The Australian dollar is a commodity-correlated currency and is highly sensitive to price changes in iron ore, of which Australia is the world's largest exporter. The franc is a safe-haven asset, popular because of Switzerland's strong and stable economy. In times of market uncertainty the AUD/CHF pair is liable to fall.

The franc has a strong correlation with the euro, because it used to be pegged to the common currency, and Switzerland still shares strong political and economic ties with the Eurozone. Developments in the Eurozone, such as political unrest or changes in the European Central Bank monetary policy outlook can boost AUD/CHF.

EUR/JPY

The euro to Japanese yen exchange rate has the acronym EUR/JPY. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. The Japanese yen is the 3rd most-traded currency, involved in 22% of all daily currency trades. EUR/JPY accounts for 1.6% of all daily currency trades; $79 billion per day.

While a strong US Dollar can weaken demand for the Japanese yen, it has a much stronger impact upon the euro. This means that in times of safe-haven demand the EUR/JPY exchange rate falls and, although the euro is not a high-beta currency, the pairing appreciates when risk-appetite is strong.

Both the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan maintain ultra-loose monetary stimulus, but the ECB has recently taken tentative steps towards normalisation. Although negative rates are unlikely to disappear any time soon in either economy, the fact the ECB is in more of a position to adjust borrowing costs stands in the euro's favour.

EUR/SEK

EUR/SEK is the abbreviation for the euro to Swedish Krona exchange rate. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded daily. The Swedish Krona is the 9th most-traded currency, accounting for 2.2% of daily transactions. US$112 billion worth of SEK is traded daily.

The euro is the currency of the 19-nation Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

The Swedish krona shares a strong correlation with its Scandinavian peers the Norwegian krone and the Danish krone. These currencies - which all translate as “crown” - came about in 1873 when Sweden and Denmark formed the Scandinavian Monetary Union, backed by the gold standard. Norway joined two years later. When the union was dissolved after World War Two, the countries independently kept the currency.

EUR/USD

EUR/USD describes the euro (base currency) and US Dollar (quote currency) exchange rate and reflects the respective currency strength of the two largest economic blocs on the planet.

The EUR/USD exchange rate is the most traded currency pair in the world, accounting for 23.1% of all forex trading. Daily average volumes for EUR/USD trading amounts to more than $1 trillion.

As it is so actively traded and highly liquid, EUR/USD enjoys very low spreads. The euro makes up a very large weighting in the dollar index and as such the EUR/USD is closely correlated to the dollar index.

Much of the activity in the EUR/USD pair is driven by international business as well as speculators; the scale of the US and Eurozone economies means that many global corporations and banks have a need to convert large quantities of euros into US Dollars every day. The interest rate differential between the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve tends to exert the greatest impact on EUR/USD.

EUR/GBP

The euro to pound Sterling exchange rate is identified by the abbreviation EUR/GBP. The pairing accounts for 2% - US$100 billion - of all daily FX transactions. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. GBP is the 4th most-traded currency, accounting for 13% of all daily trades.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar. This weakens the EUR/GBP exchange rate when the dollar is strong, even if USD strength is pushing Sterling lower elsewhere.

Since the UK's vote in 2016 to leave the European Union, politics has become a stronger driver of movement for the EUR/GBP exchange rate. Uncertainty over the future relationship between the UK and the bloc weighs on the pairing, with GBP the more affected as economists agree the UK will come off worse.

EUR/NOK

The euro to Norwegian krone exchange rate has the acronym EUR/NOK. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. The krone is the 13th most-trade currency, accounting for 1.7% of all daily forex activity. Around $US28 billion worth of EUR/NOK - 0.6% of the total daily FX volume - is traded each day.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

The Norwegian economy is strongly-reliant upon crude oil and natural gas; the nation is one of the 5 top exporters of gas and oil, with the sector accounting for 22% of Norwegian GDP and 67% of the country's exports. The EU is an important trade partner for Norway, accounting for 72% of its trade. Eurozone economic data can therefore have an impact upon NOK as well as EUR.

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AUD/CHF

AUD/CHF is the abbreviation for the Australian dollar to Swiss franc exchange rate. The Australian dollar is nicknamed the “Aussie”, and is the 5th most-traded currency in the world, involved in 6.9% of all daily forex trades. The Swiss franc is the 7th most popular currency in the world and is involved in nearly 5% of all forex transactions each day.

The Australian dollar is a commodity-correlated currency and is highly sensitive to price changes in iron ore, of which Australia is the world's largest exporter. The franc is a safe-haven asset, popular because of Switzerland's strong and stable economy. In times of market uncertainty the AUD/CHF pair is liable to fall.

The franc has a strong correlation with the euro, because it used to be pegged to the common currency, and Switzerland still shares strong political and economic ties with the Eurozone. Developments in the Eurozone, such as political unrest or changes in the European Central Bank monetary policy outlook can boost AUD/CHF.

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European Central Bank

What is the European Central Bank (ECB)?

The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the European Union's member states that have adopted the euro. The ECB is responsible for the management of the euro and for implementing monetary policy in the eurozone. It is independent of national governments and has the primary objective of maintaining price stability in the eurozone.

Who controls the European Central Bank?
As stated above, the European Central Bank (ECB) is independent from national governments and political influences. It is governed by the Governing Council, which is composed of the six members of the Executive Board and the governors of the national central banks of the 19 European Union (EU) member states that have adopted the euro as their currency. The President of the ECB, currently Christine Lagarde, is appointed by the European Council

EUR/RON

The euro to Romanian leu exchange rate has the abbreviation EUR/RON, and is classed as an exotic currency pair. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded daily. The Romanian leu the 34th most-active currency, accounting for just 0.1% of average daily turnover.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

While not a safe-haven asset, the euro is considered more stable than the Romanian leu, meaning that the EUR/RON strengthens in times of market uncertainty. Romania is an emerging market economy and is one of Europe's poorest nations. The country wanted to adopt the euro, but has so far failed to meet the criteria.

EUR/HUF

EUR/HUF is the abbreviation for the euro to Hungarian forint exchange rate. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded daily. The forint is the 26th most-active currency, accounting for just 0.3% of daily transactions. US$5 billion worth of EUR/HUF is traded each day.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

EUR/HUF strengthens in times of market uncertainty. As an emerging market currency, the forint is popular in times of confidence but is sold in favour of safer, lower-yielding assets when volatility increases.

Compared to its emerging market peers, Hungary has a small level of foreign currency debt, providing some insulation for the economy and its currency against external disruption.

EUR/AUD

EUR/AUD is the abbreviation for the euro to Australian dollar exchange rate. The pairing accounts for 0.3% of the average daily forex trading volume across the globe, which equates to US$16 billion.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar. However, the impact of this upon the euro is lessened when trading against the Australian dollar, because the “Aussie” also moves inversely to the US Dollar.

While not a safe-haven asset, the euro is considered more stable than the Australian dollar, meaning that the EUR/AUD/ pairing often strengthens in times of market pessimism, and weakens when risk-demand is elevated.

The Australian economy is highly-reliant upon exports of iron ore, for which Australia accounts for over 50% of the global supply. Changes in the market price can have a strong effect upon EUR/AUD.

EUR/CAD

EUR/CAD is the abbreviation for the euro to Canadian dollar exchange rate. The pairing accounts for around 0.3% of daily forex trading across the globe; the equivalent of US$14 billion.

The euro is the currency of the 19-nation Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar. However, the impact of this upon the euro is lessened when trading against the Canadian dollar, which also often moves inversely to the dollar.

The Canadian dollar is highly-sensitive to the price of crude oil, as this is Canada's main export. When oil prices fall, the outlook for the Canadian economy weakens, pushing the EUR/CAD exchange rate higher. When oil prices rise, the opposite happens.

Euro strength is influenced by the economic health of the Eurozone, which experienced a debt crisis in 2012 that saw several of its member states requiring bailouts.

EUR/CZK

EUR/CZK is the abbreviation for the euro to Czech koruna exchange rate. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded daily. The koruna is the 28th most-traded currency, accounting for just 0.3% of daily transactions.

The euro is the currency of the 19-nation Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

The Czech economy is strongly intertwined with that of the Eurozone; in particular Germany, which receives the bulk of Czech exports. Recent strength in the Eurozone has benefited the Czech Republic, contributing to an unemployment rate that is amongst the lowest in Europe.

In April 2017, the Czech National Bank exited its exchange rate commitment to cap CZK strength, implemented in November 2013, allowing the currency to fluctuate unrestrained.

EUR/NZD

EUR/NZD is the abbreviation for the euro to New Zealand dollar exchange rate. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded every day. The New Zealand dollar is the 10th most-traded currency, accounting for 2.1% of daily transactions. US$104 billion worth of NZD is traded daily.

The euro is the currency of the 19-nation Eurozone, overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

However, the impact of this upon the euro is lessened when trading against the New Zealand dollar, which also often moves inversely to the dollar.

The New Zealand dollar is highly-sensitive to commodity prices. Dairy is the country's main industry; when dairy prices fall, the outlook for the New Zealand economy weakens, pushing the EUR/NZD exchange rate higher. When dairy prices rise, the opposite happens.

EUR/JPY

The euro to Japanese yen exchange rate has the acronym EUR/JPY. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. The Japanese yen is the 3rd most-traded currency, involved in 22% of all daily currency trades. EUR/JPY accounts for 1.6% of all daily currency trades; $79 billion per day.

While a strong US Dollar can weaken demand for the Japanese yen, it has a much stronger impact upon the euro. This means that in times of safe-haven demand the EUR/JPY exchange rate falls and, although the euro is not a high-beta currency, the pairing appreciates when risk-appetite is strong.

Both the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan maintain ultra-loose monetary stimulus, but the ECB has recently taken tentative steps towards normalisation. Although negative rates are unlikely to disappear any time soon in either economy, the fact the ECB is in more of a position to adjust borrowing costs stands in the euro's favour.

EUR/SEK

EUR/SEK is the abbreviation for the euro to Swedish Krona exchange rate. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. US$1.59 trillion worth of euros are traded daily. The Swedish Krona is the 9th most-traded currency, accounting for 2.2% of daily transactions. US$112 billion worth of SEK is traded daily.

The euro is the currency of the 19-nation Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

The Swedish krona shares a strong correlation with its Scandinavian peers the Norwegian krone and the Danish krone. These currencies - which all translate as “crown” - came about in 1873 when Sweden and Denmark formed the Scandinavian Monetary Union, backed by the gold standard. Norway joined two years later. When the union was dissolved after World War Two, the countries independently kept the currency.

EUR/USD

EUR/USD describes the euro (base currency) and US Dollar (quote currency) exchange rate and reflects the respective currency strength of the two largest economic blocs on the planet.

The EUR/USD exchange rate is the most traded currency pair in the world, accounting for 23.1% of all forex trading. Daily average volumes for EUR/USD trading amounts to more than $1 trillion.

As it is so actively traded and highly liquid, EUR/USD enjoys very low spreads. The euro makes up a very large weighting in the dollar index and as such the EUR/USD is closely correlated to the dollar index.

Much of the activity in the EUR/USD pair is driven by international business as well as speculators; the scale of the US and Eurozone economies means that many global corporations and banks have a need to convert large quantities of euros into US Dollars every day. The interest rate differential between the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve tends to exert the greatest impact on EUR/USD.

EUR/GBP

The euro to pound Sterling exchange rate is identified by the abbreviation EUR/GBP. The pairing accounts for 2% - US$100 billion - of all daily FX transactions. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. GBP is the 4th most-traded currency, accounting for 13% of all daily trades.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar. This weakens the EUR/GBP exchange rate when the dollar is strong, even if USD strength is pushing Sterling lower elsewhere.

Since the UK's vote in 2016 to leave the European Union, politics has become a stronger driver of movement for the EUR/GBP exchange rate. Uncertainty over the future relationship between the UK and the bloc weighs on the pairing, with GBP the more affected as economists agree the UK will come off worse.

EUR/NOK

The euro to Norwegian krone exchange rate has the acronym EUR/NOK. The euro is the 2nd most-traded currency on the planet, making up one side of 31% of daily trades. The krone is the 13th most-trade currency, accounting for 1.7% of all daily forex activity. Around $US28 billion worth of EUR/NOK - 0.6% of the total daily FX volume - is traded each day.

The euro is the currency of the Eurozone, which is overseen by the European Central Bank. The euro, also known as the common currency, the single currency, or the single unit, has an inverse correlation with the US Dollar.

The Norwegian economy is strongly-reliant upon crude oil and natural gas; the nation is one of the 5 top exporters of gas and oil, with the sector accounting for 22% of Norwegian GDP and 67% of the country's exports. The EU is an important trade partner for Norway, accounting for 72% of its trade. Eurozone economic data can therefore have an impact upon NOK as well as EUR.

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