Dividend Adjustment Notice – October 3, 2023

Dear Client,

Please note that the dividends of the following products will be adjusted accordingly. Index dividends will be executed separately through a balance statement directly to your trading account, and the comment will be in the following format “Div & Product Name & Net Volume ”.

Please refer to the table below for more details:

The above data is for reference only, please refer to the MT4/MT5 software for specific data.

If you’d like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact info@vtmarkets.com.

Dividend Adjustment Notice – October 2, 2023

Dear Client,

Please note that the dividends of the following products will be adjusted accordingly. Index dividends will be executed separately through a balance statement directly to your trading account, and the comment will be in the following format “Div & Product Name & Net Volume ”.

Please refer to the table below for more details:

The above data is for reference only, please refer to the MT4/MT5 software for specific data.

If you’d like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact info@vtmarkets.com.

Week Ahead: Markets to Focus on US Jobs Report, RBA Rate Statement, and RBNZ Rate Statement

Several key economic releases are expected to impact the financial markets this week. Notably, attention will be on the US Jobs Report, the rate statement from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), and the rate statement from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ). Given the potential for heightened market volatility, we advise traders to approach their trading activities with caution.

Here are some of the notable market highlights for this week:

Reserve Bank of Australia Rate Statement (3 October 2023) 

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained its cash rate at 4.1% during its final meeting under Governor Philip Lowe in September 2023, extending the rate pause for the third successive month. 

Under the new Governor Michele Bullock, analysts predict that the RBA will keep its cash rate at 4.1% following its next meeting on 3 October.

Reserve Bank of New Zealand Rate Statement (4 October 2023) 

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) maintained its official cash rate (OCR) at 5.5% during its August 2023 meeting, extending its rate pause for the second consecutive month.

Analysts expect the OCR to remain at 5.5% following the central bank’s upcoming meeting on 4 October.

US ISM Services PMI (4 October 2023)

The US Institute of Supply Management (ISM) Services PMI jumped from 52.7 in July 2023 to 54.5 in August 2023, the largest growth in the services sector in six months.

Updated data will be released on 4 October, with analysts expecting the index to be lowered to 53.6.

Canada Employment Change (6 October 2023) 

39,900 jobs were added to the Canadian economy in August 2023. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate held steady at 5.5%, maintaining its level from the previous month.

The figures for September are scheduled for release on 6 October, with analysts anticipating the addition of 17,000 new jobs. However, the unemployment rate is expected to rise slightly to 5.6%.

US Jobs Report (6 October 2023) 

187,000 jobs were added to the US economy in August 2023. However, the unemployment rate rose to 3.8%, the highest level since February 2022.

The figures for September 2023 are set to be released on 6 October. Analysts anticipate the addition of 163,000 jobs. Additionally, the unemployment rate is expected to decrease slightly to 3.7%.

Dividend Adjustment Notice – September 29, 2023

Dear Client,

Please note that the dividends of the following products will be adjusted accordingly. Index dividends will be executed separately through a balance statement directly to your trading account, and the comment will be in the following format “Div & Product Name & Net Volume ”.

Please refer to the table below for more details:

The above data is for reference only, please refer to the MT4/MT5 software for specific data.

If you’d like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact info@vtmarkets.com.

Dividend Adjustment Notice – September 28, 2023

Dear Client,

Please note that the dividends of the following products will be adjusted accordingly. Index dividends will be executed separately through a balance statement directly to your trading account, and the comment will be in the following format “Div & Product Name & Net Volume ”.

Please refer to the table below for more details:

The above data is for reference only, please refer to the MT4/MT5 software for specific data.

If you’d like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact info@vtmarkets.com.

Dividend Adjustment Notice – September 27, 2023

Dear Client,

Please note that the dividends of the following products will be adjusted accordingly. Index dividends will be executed separately through a balance statement directly to your trading account, and the comment will be in the following format “Div & Product Name & Net Volume ”.

Please refer to the table below for more details:

The above data is for reference only, please refer to the MT4/MT5 software for specific data.

If you’d like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact info@vtmarkets.com.

Secure profits, minimize losses: The forex trader’s risk management guide 

Welcome to the world of Forex trading, a dynamic marketplace where currencies are bought and sold. This market offers incredible potential for profit, but it’s crucial to understand and manage the risks that come with it. 

A knight in the armour
source: The Writing Train

Read more about the nature of risks and emotional discipline techniques in our previous article. In this guide, we’ll explore practical risk management strategies to help non-professional traders like you navigate the Forex market and make informed trading decisions. 

Stop Loss and Take Profit Orders 

In the fascinating world of Forex trading, mastering risk management isn’t just a good practice—it’s a game-changer. Let’s talk about two powerful allies in this domain: stop loss and take profit orders. 

These tools are like your trading buddies, keeping you safe from sudden market changes and helping you stay on track. For anyone starting out in Forex and wanting to succeed, knowing how to use these tools is really important. 

Stop Loss Orders 

A stop loss order is a protective tool used in Forex trading to minimise potential losses by automatically closing a trade when the market moves against your position. It serves as a buffer against unexpected market shifts, providing traders with a predefined exit strategy to limit their downside. 

Let’s say you enter a trade to buy EUR/USD at 1.2000. You set a stop loss order at 1.1950. If the market price drops and reaches 1.1950, your trade will automatically close, limiting your loss to 50 pips. 

Take Profit Orders 

A take profit order is a predefined price level at which you choose to close a portion or the entire trade to secure profits. This structured approach enables you to lock in gains, maintaining discipline in your trading strategy by closing the trade at a predetermined profit level and ensuring you secure profits before the market potentially reverses. 

Continuing with the EUR/USD trade, if you set a take profit order at 1.2050, and the market price reaches this level, your trade will automatically close, securing a profit of 50 pips. 

Setting Realistic Levels 

When setting stop loss and take profit levels, consider a comprehensive analysis of the market, historical price data, and your risk appetite. It’s akin to planning your bike ride route based on your fitness level and preferences. Assess the market conditions, recent trends, and your trading goals to determine optimal levels. 

Risk-Reward Ratio 

The risk-reward ratio is a fundamental metric used in trading to measure the potential profit in relation to the potential loss for a specific trade. 

Maintaining an advantageous risk-reward ratio is paramount, ensuring that the potential reward significantly outweighs the potential risk. This balance is key to bolstering the overall profitability of your trades. 

The risk-reward ratio is calculated by dividing the potential profit by the potential loss for a trade: 

Risk-Reward Ratio = Potential Profit / Potential Loss 

Let’s say you are willing to risk $100 on a trade in the hopes of making a potential profit of $300. In this scenario, your risk-reward ratio would be 1:3. This implies that for every $1 you risk, your potential reward is $3. 

A favorable risk-reward ratio helps you assess whether a trade is worth pursuing. For instance, a ratio of 1:3 indicates that you are aiming for a reward three times greater than your risk. This can guide your trade decisions and contribute to a more successful trading strategy over time. 

Diversification 

Diversification, in the context of Forex trading, means spreading your investments across various currency pairs or assets. This approach is aimed at reducing risk and promoting a more balanced investment portfolio. 

Diversification offers a twofold advantage. Firstly, it helps to mitigate the impact of a downturn in a single currency pair. Secondly, it ensures your portfolio is not overly reliant on one particular asset, providing stability in varying market conditions. 

source: Real Simple

Picture diversification like building a well-rounded meal. Just as you’d include a mix of proteins, vegetables, and grains for a balanced diet, diversifying your investment portfolio involves including different currency pairs to create a balanced financial “meal.” This strategic approach aims to minimise the overall risk and maximise potential returns. 

By spreading your trades across different currency pairs, you avoid overconcentration in a single pair. Think of it as not putting all your eggs in one basket. This way, if one currency pair experiences an adverse movement, it won’t drastically impact your entire portfolio, allowing for more consistent and sustainable trading outcomes. 

Using Economic Calendars 

Economic calendars are valuable tools that offer crucial information about upcoming economic events and indicators that could impact the financial markets. 

Leveraging the data from economic calendars allows traders to make informed decisions and adjust their trading strategy in anticipation of significant market movements driven by economic events. 

Imagine you’re planning a cross-country road trip. Before you hit the road, you’d naturally check the traffic conditions, right? Similarly, in trading, economic calendars like the one provided by VT Markets serve as your traffic report for the Forex market. 

Economic Calendar by VT Markets

They provide advanced knowledge about economic events, helping you navigate the market more effectively. By considering the economic calendar data, you can make informed decisions about when to enter or exit trades, thereby reducing the risk of being caught off-guard by unexpected market volatility. 

Demo Trading 

A demo trading account is a simulated trading environment that allows you to practice trading using virtual funds. The primary purpose of a demo account is to familiarise yourself with the mechanics of the market and the trading platform without risking your actual capital. 

Demo trading offers a multitude of benefits. Firstly, it provides a risk-free environment for refining your risk management skills. Secondly, it allows you to experiment with different trading strategies, helping you identify what works best for you. Lastly, it can boost your confidence as you witness your virtual trades succeeding, offering a valuable learning experience. 

A demo account with VT Markets offers traders a completely risk-free opportunity to hone their skills and test strategies before engaging in live trading. With virtual funds at your disposal, you can gain valuable hands-on experience in a secure environment. To open your demo account with VT Markets and embark on your risk-free trading journey, simply tap on this link: Open demo Account with VT Markets. 

Risk Management Tools 

Risk management tools, including position sizing calculators, play a crucial role in the trading world. These tools aid in determining appropriate position sizes for your trades based on various factors like risk tolerance, account balance, and trade specifics. 

Making the most of these tools involves using them strategically to align your position sizes with your risk tolerance and trading objectives. It’s about finding the right balance that allows for potential profits while mitigating potential losses. 

A position size calculator helps traders decide the appropriate trade size considering factors like risk tolerance, account balance, and stop-loss levels. By inputting these parameters, it ensures trades align with their risk strategy, facilitating informed and responsible trading decisions. 

In conclusion, mastering risk management in Forex trading is a journey that requires discipline, knowledge, and continuous learning. By understanding and implementing the strategies outlined in this guide, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the Forex market while preserving and growing your investment. Always remember, successful trading is not about avoiding risks entirely, but managing them wisely to achieve your financial goals. Happy trading! 

The anatomy of a bubble: How economic booms turn to busts 

Picture yourself back in the late ’90s, a time when the Internet was just beginning to change the world. Investors were caught in a whirlwind of excitement, dreaming of fortunes to be made. Fast forward to today, and a new sensation is sweeping the investment world: Artificial Intelligence, or AI. 

Much like the dot-com bubble that saw investors captivated by the internet’s promises, AI is now stealing the spotlight. What’s fuelling this AI frenzy? Innovations like ChatGPT, OpenAI’s chatbot, and the skyrocketing stocks of tech giants like Meta Platforms and Nvidia. 

AI Bubble perspective
source: BofA Global Investment Strategy

But amidst this whirlwind of excitement, there’s a whisper of caution. Some are saying that AI might be in a “baby bubble.” Bank of America is raising the alarm, warning that if the Federal Reserve makes a particular mistake, this AI investment craze could burst in a fashion reminiscent of the dot-com era. 

Just as the dot-com bubble rode high on easy money and came crashing down with rate hikes, the same script could unfold with AI. 

In this context, the importance of understanding economic bubbles becomes crystal clear. Whether in technology, housing, or any other sector, these bubbles all share common traits: enthusiasm, speculation, and the potential for boom or bust. 

Recognising the signs and knowing when to tread carefully is essential for investors looking to ride these waves of excitement while safeguarding their financial future. 

AI Bubble
source: BofA Global Investment Strategy

Understanding Financial Bubbles 

Financial bubbles are like wild surges of optimism and enthusiasm that flood through different parts of the economy, sending prices soaring to dizzying heights. These bubbles can pop up in various domains, from real estate and the stock market to cryptocurrencies. To understand them better, let’s explore some real-life examples: 

Tulip Mania Bubble: In 17th-century Netherlands, “Tulip Mania” saw tulip bulbs become a craze. People believed these bulbs could be lucrative investments. Tulip prices skyrocketed to extraordinary levels, with some bulbs costing as much as houses. When the bubble burst, tulip bulb prices plummeted, leaving investors with worthless assets and financial losses. 

The Dot-Com Bubble: Think back to the late 1990s when the internet was all the rage. Companies with “dot-com” in their names saw their stock prices skyrocket, driven by wild speculation. But eventually, the bubble burst, and many of these companies went bankrupt. 

A financial bubble occurs when the prices of assets, such as real estate or stocks, significantly exceed their intrinsic or fundamental value due to excessive buying and investor enthusiasm. It’s a bit like a party that gets too crowded. 

However, these bubbles are not sustainable, and they eventually burst, leading to a sharp decline in asset prices, which can result in financial challenges for overexposed investors. 

2008 Housing Bubble
source: Internet Archive

Why Do Bubbles Burst? 

Imagine a party that’s been going on for hours, and everyone’s having a great time. Eventually, though, it has to end. Economic bubbles are similar—they can’t last indefinitely. 

Let’s explore the triggers that can bring these bubbles to a dramatic close: 

  • Interest Rate Hikes: Central banks, like the Federal Reserve in the United States, have a significant role in managing the economy. They can raise interest rates to control inflation or cool down an overheated economy. When interest rates go up, borrowing money becomes more expensive. 
  • Regulatory Changes: Governments and financial authorities can introduce new rules and regulations that affect the behaviour of investors and market participants. These changes can have a profound impact on the dynamics of a bubble. 
  • Investor Panic: Just like partygoers leaving when the fun is over, investors can rush for the exit when they doubt a bubble’s sustainability. This mass selling floods the market, driving prices down. Fear and uncertainty worsen the selling pressure, creating a self-perpetuating cycle as falling prices trigger margin calls, forcing leveraged investors to sell even more. 

These triggers can burst a bubble, and the aftermath can vary from one bubble to another. Some bubbles deflate gradually, while others can burst suddenly and dramatically, leading to significant financial repercussions for those caught in the frenzy. 

The Lifecycle of Financial Bubbles 

Let’s follow the financial bubble evolution from the very beginning to the end. Its understanding is essential for investors looking to protect themselves from the downside of phenomenon. 

Lifecycle of a Bubble
source: Wikipedia

The mechanism of a financial bubble typically follows a pattern: 

1. Initial Optimism: It begins with a positive economic or financial development that sparks optimism among investors. This could be a new technology, a booming industry, or favorable economic conditions. 

2. Increased Investment: As optimism grows, more investors start pouring their money into the asset class associated with the optimism. This increased demand drives up prices. 

3. Herd Mentality: As prices rise, more investors join the bandwagon, driven by the fear of missing out (FOMO). This herd mentality further inflates prices. 

4. Speculation: Speculators, who are not necessarily interested in the fundamentals of the asset but are looking to profit from price increases, become a significant force in the market. Their activity amplifies price movements. 

5. Media Hype: Media coverage often fuels the frenzy, with positive stories and excessive optimism, attracting even more investors. 

6. Excessive Borrowing: Many investors borrow money to invest in the rising market, further increasing demand and prices. 

7. Peak Prices: Prices reach unsustainable levels, far exceeding the asset’s intrinsic value or earnings potential. 

8. Warning Signs: Some informed investors and analysts begin to voice concerns about overvaluation, but these warnings often go unheeded. 

9. Market Correction or Trigger: Something triggers a shift in sentiment or a realisation that prices are too high. It could be an economic event, a change in interest rates, or simply a collective realisation that prices are unsustainable. 

10. Sell-off: Investors rush to sell their assets to lock in profits, and panic can set in as prices rapidly decline. 

11. Bubble Bursts: The bubble bursts, and prices plummet, often causing significant financial losses for those who bought at the peak. 

12. Economic Impact: The bursting of a financial bubble can have broader economic consequences, affecting consumer confidence, investment, and financial stability. 

The specific triggers and characteristics of financial bubbles can vary, but this general mechanism highlights the key stages that typically occur during a bubble’s lifecycle. 

A shocked trader during the market crash
source: Fortune

The Kinds of Financial Bubbles 

Economic bubbles aren’t confined to the stock market. They can manifest in various sectors: 

Stock Market Bubbles: Dot-Com Bubble 

In the late 1990s, internet-related companies saw their stock prices skyrocket. Investors believed the internet would change everything, and they poured money into these companies. However, when the bubble burst, many of these companies went bankrupt, and investors lost fortunes. It’s like buying a ticket for a hot new band without realising they might be a one-hit wonder. 

Real Estate Bubbles: 2008 Housing Bubble 

In the mid-2000s, the U.S. housing market was on fire. People were buying homes at inflated prices, often with mortgages they couldn’t afford. When the bubble burst, home values plummeted, leading to the 2008 financial crisis. It’s like signing up for a mortgage you can’t handle because everyone else is doing it. 

Commodity Bubbles: Mid-2000s Oil Price Spike 

Remember when gas prices skyrocketed seemingly overnight? That was a commodity bubble. People believed oil prices would keep rising, so they bought and hoarded oil. When reality set in, prices crashed, leaving many feeling like they had overpaid at the pump. 

Credit Bubbles: Subprime Mortgage Crisis (2007-2008) 

Banks were lending to people who couldn’t afford to buy homes. These risky loans were bundled together and sold as investments. When people couldn’t pay their mortgages, it triggered a crisis that rippled through the entire financial system. It’s like borrowing money you know you can never repay. 

In conclusion, understanding economic bubbles is like knowing when it’s time to leave the party before it’s too late. These waves of enthusiasm can be thrilling, but they can also lead to financial disaster. So, stay informed reading VT Markets’ daily market analysis, be cautious, and don’t let the excitement of a bubble carry you away. It’s a skill that can help protect your financial future. 

Dividend Adjustment Notice – September 26, 2023

Dear Client,

Please note that the dividends of the following products will be adjusted accordingly. Index dividends will be executed separately through a balance statement directly to your trading account, and the comment will be in the following format “Div & Product Name & Net Volume ”.

Please refer to the table below for more details:

The above data is for reference only, please refer to the MT4/MT5 software for specific data.

If you’d like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact info@vtmarkets.com.

Dividend Adjustment Notice – September 25, 2023

Dear Client,

Please note that the dividends of the following products will be adjusted accordingly. Index dividends will be executed separately through a balance statement directly to your trading account, and the comment will be in the following format “Div & Product Name & Net Volume ”.

Please refer to the table below for more details:

The above data is for reference only, please refer to the MT4/MT5 software for specific data.

If you’d like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact info@vtmarkets.com.

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