Facts About the US Dollar

The United States Dollar has its own very important and unique role to play in the international finance world. As the globe’s most commonly accepted reserve currency, the American Dollar is used in settling the majority of international financial transactions, and the central banks around the world hold a large proportion of their foreign currency reserves in US Dollars. Many small countries either opt to peg the value of their own nation’s currency to the Dollar, or even use the US Dollar as their own currency in place of developing one of their own. The US Dollar is also used to set gold prices and the prices of many commodities as well as being the

currency of choice for conducting OPEC oil transactions. The combination of these factors all contribute to making the US Dollar the most important currency in the world. As the US Dollar is also the most frequently traded world currency, the majority of foreign currencies trade against it more frequently than in any other currency pairing. With this in mind, any investor who is embarking on Forex trading should develop a firm understanding of the factors that drive the American economy, and pay attention to the direction in which the Dollar is heading.

The Euro and the Economy of the European Union

Overall, the largest economic region in the world is the European Union (EU), with its GDP exceeding $13 trillion. Similarly to the US, the European economy is focused heavily on services; however, manufacturing represents a larger percentage of Europe’s GDP than America’s. When there is strong economic activity in the EU, the Euro usually becomes stronger, and when there is a slowdown in European economic activity, the Euro generally weakens. The Euro is unique in the currency markets because, while the American Dollar represents the currency of just one country, the Euro is a single currency of the Eurozone or EMU (The European Economic and Monetary Union) – the 16 different countries in the EU. Disagreements sometimes occur between the various governments within the European Union about the union’s future course, or its monetary policies. When these economic arguments arise, the Euro usually weakens. The countries that are currently part of the Eurozone are

• Austria
• Cyprus
• Belgium
• France
• Finland
• Greece
• Germany
• Luxembourg
• Italy
• Republic of Ireland
• The Netherlands
• Malta
• Slovakia
• Portugal
• Slovenia
• Spain

Which Factors Affect the EUR/USD Pair?

The main factor that has an influence upon the direction of the EUR/USD pairing is the relative strengths of the two economies. When the United States’ economy is growing more quickly, the USD will strengthen against the EUR, whereas if the European Union’s economy is growing more rapidly, the Euro will be stronger against the US Dollar. The level of interest rates is a major indicator of the relationship between the two economies’ strengths. If the interest rate in the United States is higher than the interest rates of major European economies, the US Dollar will usually grow stronger. However if interest rates in the Eurozone are higher, the Dollar will usually weaken.

Another primary factor with a major influence upon the EUR/USD relationship is political instability within the EU itself. In comparison to most of the major currencies in the world, the Euro is a fairy new currency, having only appeared on the scene as recently as 1999. This results in some differences arising between the governments of various Eurozone countries in opinion and monetary policy, and when the differences seem to be a potential threat to the Eurozone’s future stability it is almost certain that the US Dollar will be stronger than the Euro. This means that when an investor wishes to trade the EUR/USD pair, they should pay close attention to any political news from European countries that may indicate any instability in the EU economy.

What are the Advantages of Trading the USD/EUR Pair?

There is considerable interest among Forex traders in the USD/EUR currency pair because of the many benefits that come from choosing to trade in these currencies. Here are some of the advantages:

• The EUR/USD pairing has a very active trading environment.
• The EUR/USD has an exceptionally competitive pricing environment, which leads to greater profits for investors.
• There are multiple spread types available when trading in these currencies, including CFDs and ETFs.
• The EUR to USD currency pair is now used for 30% of spot trades.
• 90% of spot trades are carried out in US Dollars.
• 40% of spot trades are made in Euros.
• Swing profits are another benefit to choosing the EUR/USD pair.

Investors always seek the best possible return when they select a currency pair for investment. Choosing the EUR/USD pair gives traders the best opportunity of profiting, and high liquidity in this particular market as well as competitive pricing can have the effect of increasing the investor’s chance of making a profit rather than a loss.