Forex Investment and Currency Trading

A currency forward is a contractual agreement between two parties to exchange two agreed amounts of currencies on a certain date in the future.
Term of currency forwards
There are at least three banking days between the execution and final settlement of a currency forward transaction. The term of a currency forward usually ranges from one month up to two years. In individual cases, the term may be even longer.
Final settlement
Currency forwards general provide for final settlement in the form of physical delivery. The counterparties exchange the relevant amounts of currency on the due date as agreed.
Closing of positions
The closing out of [...]

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Futures prices are continuously determined during exchange trading hours. You can find selected prices, such as the opening price, the highest price (day high), the lowest price (day low) and the closing price in financial newspapers.
Price determination
The price of a futures contract depends on:

The price of the underlying asset (spot price),
The cost of carry, and
Other influencing factors (e.g. market liquidity)

It is essential for you as an investor to understand how futures contracts are valued. Only through a precise understanding of the most important factors which determine supply and demand will you be able to efficiently utilize these instruments.
Influence of the [...]

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If you wish to engage in futures transaction, various types of futures contracts are available to you based on various underlying assets and instruments.
Futures on interest rates
Interest-rate futures contracts are available on a broad range of financial instruments. The underlying asset is always an instrument which is based on the payment of interest. Contracts on money market instruments and time deposits as well as contracts on short- and long-term government securities are traded on futures and options exchanges across the globe. There are standardized interest-rate futures contracts on U.S. treasury securities, British long tilts and French OATs, among many others.
Futures [...]

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Financial futures are standardized forward contracts which are traded on futures and options exchanges. A futures contract is an unconditional sale agreement which is binding on both counterparties, the seller as well as the buyer. Various financial instruments may be used as the underlying asset. There are, for example, financial futures contracts on interest rates (interest-rate futures), on equity indices (equity index futures) and on foreign currencies (currency futures). Futures have a symmetrical risk profile.
You, as an investor, can assume the position of either buyer or seller. The basic idea, however, is not to actually acquire or deliver the underlying [...]

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