A futures contract to exchange one currency for another at a specified date in the future at a price (exchange rate) that is fixed on the purchase date; see Foreign exchange derivative. Typically, one of the currencies is the US dollar

Futures based upon currencies are similar to the actual currency markets often known as Forex, but there are some significant differences. For example, currency futures are traded via exchanges, such as the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange), but the currency markets are traded via currency brokers, and are therefore not as controlled as the currency futures. Some day traders prefer the currency markets, and some day traders prefer the currency futures. I recommend the currency futures as they do not suffer from some of the problems that currency markets suffer from, such as currency brokers trading against their clients, and non centralized pricing.

USES:

HEDGING:
Hedging means reducing or controlling risk. This is done by taking a position in the futures market that is opposite to the one in the physical market with the objective of reducing or limiting risks associated with price changes.
Hedging is a two-step process. A gain or loss in the cash position due to changes in price levels will be countered by changes in the value of a futures position. For instance, a wheat farmer can sell wheat futures to protect the value of his crop prior to harvest. If there is a fall in price, the loss in the cash market position will be countered by a gain in futures position.

SPECULATION:
Speculators make bets or guesses on where they believe the market is headed. For example, if a speculator believes that a stock is overpriced, he or she may short sell the stock and wait for the price of the stock to decline, at which point he or she will buy back the stock and receive a profit. Speculators are vulnerable to both the downside and upside of the market; therefore, speculation can be extremely risky.

ARBITRAGE:
Arbitrage is basically buying in one market and simultaneously selling in another, profiting from a temporary difference. This is considered risk-less profit for the investor/trader.
In the context of the stock market, traders often try to exploit arbitrage opportunities. For example, a trader may buy a stock on a foreign exchange where the price has not yet adjusted for the constantly fluctuating exchange rate. The price of the stock on the foreign exchange is therefore undervalued compared to the price on the local exchange, and the trader makes a profit from this difference.

    Posted in Stock market from Investor on 14. Jul. 2010