Currency Trading and its 7 pairs | Forexlive (2024)

Didyou know that only 7 currency pairs make up for about 75% of all forex trades? Infact, given the way these 7 major currency pairs relate to one another, theyplay a very important role on their own; a role that some traders occasionallyfail to understand.

Whilesome currency pairs are safe havens, others will have correlations with milkprices or iron ore and coal.

Theintricacies of the forex market are often complex but they’re the reason somany traders love forextrading and what makes it so incredibly rewarding.

Assuch, let’s take a look at the top 7 currency pairs, how they shape up tradingsessions all across the world, and how they can turn yours into a profitablecurrency trading experience.

EUR/USD

Whenyou combine the Euro with the US Dollar, given that they stem from two of theworld’s most powerful economies to no one’s surprise, you get the top tradedcurrency pair.

Thiscurrency pair is well known for its high liquidity and incredibly large volumesof trade which is why it is widely considered to be prime forex scalpers’territory.

TheEUR/USD stability ensures that earnings are frequent albeit rather smaller thanwhen trading other currency pairs.

GBP/USD

Ifthe EUR/USD is the most popular trading pair, the GBP/USD is referred to as the“cable” (the precursor to the fiber optics cable), but that surely doesn’t meanthat the currency pair has in any way lost its importance.

Infact, the GBP/USD tends to be seen as a highly volatile pair given how commonfluctuations in price, pip movements, and exchange rates tend to be, meaningtechnical analysis is a must for those willing to venture into it.

Accordingly,given these price fluctuations, the GBP/USD is usually disputed by both day andswing traders.

EUR/GBP

Commonlyreferred to as the “Chunnel” (as in channel + tunnel connecting themgeographically), the EUR/GBP was widely considered to be a strong pair due tohow interconnected the two regions are in terms of trade and often policy.

However,Brexit shook things up and the currency pair now sees more volatility, meaninga higher skill level is necessary to trade it, so remember to bring yourtechnical analysis a-game for this one.

USD/JPY

Givenhow the Japanese yen is prominent across Asia, this currency pair is one of themost popular ones in the world.

TheUSD/JPY is known for its high liquidity, something which means that largevolumes won’t affect the price too much in terms of its exchange rate.

Moreover,spreads are usually seen as the tightest in the market, meaning trading coststend to be low.

USD/CHF

Thiscurrency pair is known for being a bastion of financial stability, a safe havenfor investors, which is why it earned the endearing term: the “Swissie”.

Traderstend to flock towards the Swiss Franc in times of high volatility, meaning thatin times of turmoil, or political or economic uncertainty, you will probablysee the USD/CHF becoming an increasingly popular choice amongst traders.

Onthe flip side, the USD/CHF stability also means that once markets face lowvolatility you won’t see a lot of action going on here.

AUD/USD

Knownas the “Aussie”, the AUD/USD is known for its negative correlation with theUSD/CHF and USD/JPY.

Australiais a massive exporter of coal and iron ore, meaning its economy is heavilyreliant on commodities trading.

Accordingly,you’ll find that the price of the Australian Dollar will be very dependent oncommodity prices so keep an eye out for those if you’re planning to trade thisone.

NZD/USD

Aslong as we’re looking at the economy down under, let’s skip ahead to NewZealand.

Thiscurrency pair is known as the “Kiwi” and just as Australia depends oncommodities, a big part of New Zealand’s strength comes from its tourismindustry and dairy industry.

Thismeans that for trading NZD you might need to keep a close eye on milk prices asNew Zealand is the single highest exporter of milk (and it’s not even close).Accordingly, if milk is on the rise, the NZD will likely chase that priceaction upwards.

USD/CAD

Commonlyreferred to as the “Loonie”, the USD/CAD sees itself as incredibly dependent oncommodity prices.

Canada’seconomy is big on natural gas, oil reserves, and timber.

Giventhe USA and Canada’s geographical proximity, their shared trading volume andtariffs are two things to closely monitor when trading this currency pair.

Wrappingup: the advantages of trading the “major 7” forex pairs

It’sone thing to understand how currency trading works, but it takes time to fullygrasp how currency pairs work.

Whiletrading the major 7, you’re bound to be met with large trading volumes, so ifyou’re using the right currency trading platforms you’ll get tighter spreads,meaning you can enter or exit a position at any given moment.

Moreover,their added versatility primes them to be traded at any time, night, or day, soyou can trade on your schedule.

Andfor those who have never engaged in any form of currency trading, no two pairsare the same but with the major 7, you can at least count on stability, meaningthat there’s little chance you’ll be met with sudden fluctuations.

Currencyin Forex moves fascinatingly, and if you want to figure it out, all you have todo is look at the right places.

Currency Trading and its 7 pairs | Forexlive (2024)

FAQs

How many currency pairs should a trader trade? ›

While there are many pairs you could trade for most traders, it is best to stick to one to five pairs and become an expert. There is always a temptation to change markets when making losses. Other forex pairs can appear to have stronger trends, higher volatility, and easier-to-make profits.

What is the best currency pair to trade? ›

EUR/USD This can be considered the most popular Forex pair. Additionally, it has the lowest spread among modern world Forex brokers. It is associated with basic technical analysis. The best thing about EUR/USD is that it is not too volatile.

How many currency pairs are there in total? ›

Forex (128 currency pairs) price list and quotes
Financial instrumentCurrent priceLow
AUD/SGD0.89840.8979
AUD/USD0.66720.6665
AUD/ZAR12.048112.0373
CAD/CHF0.66820.6679
26 more rows

Which currency pairs are easy to trade? ›

Opting for stable, liquid, and easily understandable currency pairs such as EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, USD/CHF, and AUD/USD provides a solid foundation for novice traders.

What happens when you buy a currency pair? ›

When you buy a currency pair from a forex broker, you buy the base currency and sell the quote currency. Conversely, when you sell the currency pair, you sell the base currency and receive the quote currency. Currency pairs are quoted based on their bid (buy) and ask prices (sell).

Which currency pairs are the most profitable? ›

The Best Forex Major Currency to Trade
  • EUR/USD: The Euro and US dollar. ...
  • USD/JPY: The US dollar and Japanese Yen. ...
  • GBP/USD: The British pound sterling and US dollar. ...
  • USD/CHF: The US dollar and Swiss Franc. ...
  • AUD/CAD: The Australian dollar and Canadian dollar. ...
  • NZD/USD: The New Zealand dollar and US dollar.

What is the safest currency pairs to trade? ›

List of Top 10 Stable Currency Pairs
  • USD/JPY. ...
  • USD/CAD. ...
  • AUD/USD. ...
  • USD/CNY. ...
  • USD/CHF. ...
  • GBP/JPY. ...
  • EUR/CHF. Though EUR/CHF (Euro/Swiss Franc) is not a major currency pair, it is popular among traders, particularly due to its inverse relationship with EUR/USD. ...
  • NZD/USD. NZD/USD ("Kiwi") is a popular minor currency pair.

What is the hardest currency pair to trade? ›

Exotic currency pairs are the most difficult pairs to trade. They are highly volatile and provide very little liquidity and widest spreads. Due to the very high volatility these pairs are extremely difficult to anticipate and trade. These pairs include: AUD/NOK, AUD/PLN, AUD/SEK, AUD/SGD, CAD/SGD, CHF/SGD, etc.

What pairs move 100 pips a day? ›

The AUD/JPY, AUD/USD, CAD/JPY, NZD/JPY, GBP/AUD, USD/MXN, USD/TRY, and USD/ZAR move the most pips daily but are not the most liquid currency pairs. Among highly liquid currency pairs, the EUR/USD and the GBP/USD move between 70 to 120 pips daily, followed by the USD/CHF and the USD/JPY.

What is the best trading pair for beginners? ›

Beginners might find the AUD/USD pair to be an excellent choice, since it is more predictable and less likely to spike or drop suddenly. In many studies, this pair has also been cited as one of the least volatile. In conclusion, the best currency pairs to trade for beginners are EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY.

Which currency pair is best for scalping? ›

The best currency pairings to scalp are usually USD to EUR, USD to JPY and USD to GBP. This is because they generally have the highest trade volumes. By paying attention to trends and signals in a particular pair of currencies, you can start to judge when it's best to 'take' (the profit) or 'exit' (the trade).

Which currency pair to buy? ›

Major currency pairs are the most commonly traded currency pairs and include the US dollar, Euro, Japanese yen, British pound, Canadian dollar, and Australian dollar. These currency pairs typically have high liquidity, tight spreads, and average volatility.

Should I trade only one pair? ›

Avoid Overtrading: Trading only one pair may lead to overtrading as you constantly monitor and look for opportunities in a limited market space. Diversifying your trading across multiple pairs can help prevent overtrading and promote disciplined trading habits.

What are the 8 major currency pairs? ›

Major Pairs
  • EUR/USD (Euro Dollar)
  • GBP/USD (Pound Dollar)
  • USD/CHF (Dollar Swissy)
  • USD/JPY (Dollar Yen)
  • AUD/USD (Aussie Dollar)
  • NZD/USD (Kiwi Dollar)
  • USD/CAD (Dollar Loonie)

What are the big 5 forex pairs? ›

The five currencies that make up the major pairs—the U.S. dollar, euro, Japanese yen, British pound, and Swiss franc—are all among the top seven of the most traded currencies as of 2021. The EUR/USD is the world's most heavily traded currency pair, representing more than 20% of all forex transactions.

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