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Trading Glossary

Take a look at our list of the financial terms associated with trading and the markets. From beginners starting their trading journey to experts with decades of experience, all traders need to clearly understand a huge number of terms.

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Bitcoin

Bitcoin is the first of the ‘cryptocurrencies' and remains the most stable. It was created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, whose identity remains a mystery.

His creation - Bitcoin - is a cashless currency. Balances are kept online and it is decentralised, allowing anonymity. Despite Bitcoin not being legal tender in most countries, it has continued to increase in popularity and its launch has sparked the creation of a number of other cryptocurrencies.

It is priced in USD per Bitcoin and saw a record high of $68,789.63 in Nov 2021. Bitcoin futures trade as BTC.

Bitcoin has been criticised for its links to illegal activity and the dark web, as well as the high demand for energy created by ‘mining' Bitcoins. A PIN is necessary to access your

Bitcoins, with as many as 20% of all Bitcoins thought to be lost to forgotten PINs.

Bitcoin futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Bitcoin. Futures rollover on the last Thursday of every month.

BitcoinSV

BitcoinSV uses original Bitcoin protocol, as laid out by inventor Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2008 whitepaper. Thus, BitcoinSV should be stable, and enjoy high scalability. It is priced in USD and the instrument is tradeable using the BSV/USD spot rate.

Bitcoin Cash

Bitcoin Cash is the younger, more user-friendly, brother of Bitcoin. It was born in August 2017, arising from a fork of Bitcoin Classic.

It is priced in USD per Bitcoin and saw a record high of $3,816 in December 2017. Bitcoin Cash futures trade as BCC.

The break from Bitcoin Classic came about after frustration of the one MB limit. This causes major issues with transaction processing times and limits the number of transactions the network can process.

A number of solutions were proposed, with Bitcoin Cash ‘born' in mid-2017 with an increased blocksize of eight MB. Everyone who previously owned Bitcoin Classic received the same about in Bitcoin Cash.

Despite being one of the youngest cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Cash has soared in popularity - it is now the world's third-largest cryptocurrency by market value. However, it has experienced significant volatility in its short life so far.

Litecoin

Just like many of the other cryptocurrencies, Litecoin was created to improve on some of the perceived failings of Bitcoin - primarily a higher number of tokens and a much faster processing speeds.

Litecoin (LTC) is priced in USD per coin and reached a peak of $341 in December 2017. It was launched in April 2013 by Charlie Lee, a former Google software engineer.

Lee was central to a change in attitude about Bitcoin, helping it gain approval from big names. He wanted to position Litecoin as silver to Bitcoin's gold, and knew that the success of all cryptocurrencies would be tied to stalwart Bitcoin.

Litecoin uses blockchain in a similar way to Bitcoin, but has very low transaction fees and has adopted ‘Segregated Witess (SegWit) - a process by which the size of blocks in a blockchain is reduced by removing data.

Proshares Bitcoin Strategy ETF

The Proshares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (Bitcoin ETF) offers managed exposure to bitcoin futures contracts. The Fund does not invest directly in bitcoin and may also invest in other instruments. It’s one of the first of its kind and marks a new way to get exposure to cryptocurrency price movements.

Position

What is a Position?

What is a Position in trading?

A position in trading refers to the amount of a security or financial instrument that is held by an investor or trader. It can be a long position, where the trader has bought the security and expects its price to rise, or a short position, where the trader has sold the security and expects its price to fall. The size of the position is typically measured in units of the security or financial instrument, such as shares or contracts. The trader or investor can then make a profit or loss based on the movement of the price of that security or instrument. In addition, an open position is one that has been entered into but not yet closed or settled, and a closed position is one that has been settled or offset by an opposing trade.

Acquisition

What is an Acquisition?

An Acquisition is a business transaction where one company buys all, or part, of another company's shares or assets. This can be done in an attempt to gain control of, and expand on, the target company's market while also gaining or at least conserving resources.

There are three main forms of “pairing business together”:

  • Acquisitions – When both business entities continue their operations in one form or another.
  • Mergers – When only one of the entities remains while the other is taken over.
  • Conglomeration / Amalgamation – When both business entities are reformed into a new one.

As part of the Acquisition process, the acquiring company purchases the target business's shares or assets, which gives it the authority to make use of the target’s assets as if they are its own.

Why do companies make acquisitions?
Companies make acquisitions as there are several benefits to doing so, including lower entry barriers, growth and market influence. There are also some challenges and difficulties associated with this process. These include conflicts of cultures, redundancy, contradicting objectives and unmatched businesses.

What are the four types of acquisitions?
There are four types of acquisitions that companies perform.

  1. A Horizontal acquisition happens when company acquires another company that is in the same business.
  2. A Vertical acquisition is defined as one company acquiring another which is in a different position on market or the supply chain.
  3. Conglomerate acquisitions happen when the company buying the target and the target company itself operate in unrelated industries or are engaged in unrelated functions.
  4. Congeneric acquisition occurs when an acquiring company and the acquired company market different products or services, yet sell to the same customers. 

ICLN

The iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities in the clean energy sector.

Tron

TRON’s goal is to create a decentralised internet. Its TRX cryptocurrency allows buyers to vote on who gets rewards for validating transactions on its blockchain. markets.com lets you trade TRX/USD at the latest spot rate.

Corn

Corn is a soft commodity - referring to those that are grown rather than mined - and is valued for its versatility. As well as being a dietary staple it has many other uses, from biofuels to animal feed.

Corn is grown in every continent on the globe with the exception on Antarctica. 40% of global corn supplies are produced in the US, while China, Brazil, the EU, and Argentina are also major players.

Corn is priced in USD per bushel. In August 2012 corn struck a record high of $849, while the lowest price ever recorded was $22.90 in November 1932.

As corn is a soft commodity, prices are vulnerable to weather conditions which can affect harvests. The strength of emerging market economies also affects prices, as demand for meat products rises as incomes rise, and much of the corn produced each year is used for animal feed.

Corn futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of corn. Futures rollover on the fourth Friday of February, April, June, and November.

Cotton

Cotton is a “soft” commodity - meaning it is grown and not mined - and has for thousands of years been one of the most important crops. Its lightweight and absorbent fibres mean that cotton is the most popular natural fibre on the planet.

China, India, and the US are the top producers of cotton in the world; in the US cotton primarily comes from Florida, Mississippi, California, Texas, and Arizona.

The fibre is priced in USD per lb. It reached a record high price of $210.64 during March 2011 and struck a record low of $5.66 during December 1930.

As well as weather conditions, cotton prices are heavily influenced by demand for competing synthetic fibres and changes in government policy. Cotton farmers enjoy heavy subsidies in the US, so a change here could have significant consequences.

Cotton futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of cotton. Futures rollover on the third Friday of February, April, June, and November.

GBP/RON

The pound Sterling to Romanian leu exchange rate has the abbreviation GBP/RON, and is classed as an exotic currency pair. GBP is present in 13% of all daily forex trades and on average US$649 billion worth of GBP is traded every single day, making it the fourth most-active currency on the planet.

The Romanian leu the 34th most-active currency, accounting for just 0.1% of average daily turnover.

Recently, political factors have seen their influence over pound pairings grow. This is because the Brexit referendum, which resulted in the UK voting to leave the EU, has created significant uncertainty regarding the UK economic outlook. The monetary policy outlook is also key - after nearly ten years the Bank of England has begun to raise interest rates.

Romania is an emerging market economy and is one of Europe's poorest nations. The country wanted to adopt the euro, but has so far failed to meet the criteria. GBP/RON appreciates in times of market uncertainty.

Platinum

Platinum is one of the world's rarest metals, and mines are concentrates in just a handful of countries around the world.

Platinum is priced in USD per troy ounce. It saw a high of $2253 in March 2008, and a record low of $97.70 in January 1970.

Most of the world's platinum is produced in South Africa, which accounts for 80% of supply. Russia is a distant second with 11% and North America produces 6%.

Platinum is an important metal due to its ability to catalyse reactions and its strong resistance to corrosion. This makes it irreplaceable in a broad range of industrial and laboratory reactions, especially the catalytic converter which is the most widely used application of platinum.

The metal is also highly sought-after for jewellery, which is the second largest area of demand,

The concentration of platinum in South Africa (an often-volatile emerging market), combined with the importance of platinum as an industrial material, has led to instability in price.

Open Position

What is an open position?

An open position in trading refers to a trade that has been entered into but not yet closed or settled. The position remains open until the trader decides to close it by executing an opposing order or if the order reaches its expiration. It can refer to a long or short position in a security or financial instrument.

When should you close your position?
A trader should close their position in trading when their predetermined criteria for exiting the trade have been met, such as reaching a certain profit level or stop-loss point. It could also be closed because the trade no longer aligns with their overall strategy or market conditions have changed.

Spread Betting

What is Spread Betting?

Spread Betting is a type of financial speculation which allows you to take a position on the future direction of the price of a security, such as stocks, commodities or currencies. You can choose to speculate whether an asset will go up or down in value, without having to buy or sell it. Spread Betting enables you to take a view on the markets and gain access to the financial markets with limited capital outlay.

How does a spread bet work?
A spread bet is placed by betting on whether the asset's price will rise or fall. The investor can set their own stake size, which means they can take more or less risk according to their preferences. Spread bets are flexible and convenient, allowing you to benefit from even the slightest market movements.

What does a negative spread mean?
A negative spread in trading refers to a situation where the ask price for a security is lower than the bid price. This means that a trader could potentially sell a security for a higher price than they would have to pay to buy it. This is an unusual situation that can occur due to a temporary market anomaly or a technical error. Negative spreads are rare and they tend to be corrected quickly, as they represent an opportunity for arbitrage. Traders should be cautious when dealing with negative spreads and should consult with their broker or trading platform to understand the cause of the negative spread and its potential impact on their trade.
 

Long Position

What is a long position?

A long position is a market position where the investor has purchased a security such as a stock, commodity, or currency in expectation of it increasing in value. The holder of the position will benefit if the asset increases in value. A long position may also refer to an investor buying an option, where they will be able to purchase an underlying security at a specific price on or before the expiration date. 

What is riskier a long or a short position?
A short position is considered riskier than a long position because the potential loss is theoretically unlimited, while the potential profit is limited to the amount of depreciation in the value of the security. When an investor short sells a stock, they borrow shares from someone else and sell them, with the hope that the price will drop so they can buy the shares back at a lower price and return them to the lender, pocketing the difference. In case the price of the stock rises instead, the loss for the short seller is theoretically unlimited as there is no limit to how high the stock price can go.

When should I buy a long position?
When an investor believes that the market will rise, they could consider purchasing a long position.

How can I protect my long position?
Protecting a long position often involves setting up a stop-loss order, which automatically sells the asset at a predetermined price. This ensures that any sharp market drops don't result in excessive losses for the investor.

Equity in Trading

What is equity in trading?

Equity is the value of a trader's account, representing the total assets minus any margin used to open trades. It reflects their financial position and potential financial outcomes from any trading activities as they currently stand. Traders can use equity to decide when to enter or exit positions and what size positions to take.

What is difference equity and stock?
For traders, stock and equity are synonymous terms as stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity are items found on the balance sheet.

What is difference between equity and account balance?
Equity is the total account balance including profits/losses from open positions, whereas the account balance is simply the total money deposited in an account before any trades have been made.

BTC Futures

Bitcoin is the first of the ‘cryptocurrencies' and remains the most stable. It was created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, whose identity remains a mystery. 

His creation - Bitcoin - is a cashless currency. Balances are kept online and it is decentralised, allowing anonymity. Despite Bitcoin not being legal tender in most countries, it has continued to increase in popularity and its launch has sparked the creation of a number of other cryptocurrencies

It is priced in USD per Bitcoin and saw a record high of $68,789.63 in November 2021. Bitcoin futures trade as BTC.

Bitcoin has been criticised for its links to illegal activity and the dark web, as well as the high demand for energy created by ‘mining' Bitcoins. A PIN is necessary to access your Bitcoins, with as many as 20% of all Bitcoins thought to be lost to forgotten PINs

Bitcoin futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Bitcoin. Futures rollover on the last Thursday of every month.
 

Economic Calendar

What is an Economic Calendar?

An economic calendar is a schedule of dates when significant news releases or events are expected, which may affect the global or local financial markets volatility as well as currency exchange rates. Traders and all functions involved in the markets and financial issues make use of the economic calendar to follow up and prepare on what is going to happen, where and when.
 
Due to the impact of financial events and announcements, on exchange rates, the forex market is highly affected by monetary and fiscal policy announcements. As such, traders make use the economic calendar to plan ahead on their positions and trades and to be aware of any issues that may affect them.

What is Financial Market volatility? 
Financial Market volatility is the degree of variation of a trading price series over time. Many traders will consider the historic volatility of a stock. This is the fluctuations of price in a given time frame. Historic volatility creates forward looking implied volatility. This allows us to predict price variation in the future.

Account Balance

What is an account balance in trading?

A trader's "account balance" is the total value of the account including all and any settled profit & loss, deposits, and withdrawals. 

How do I check my trading account balance?
As mentioned, your account balance is the total sum of settled positions, P&L, deposits, and withdrawals. Yet this balance does not include profit or loss resulting from any open positions. If positions are indeed open, the balance might change depending on pending losses or profits until such positions are closed. As such, it is recommended to check your trading account balance regularly as new positions open and close on a regular basis.

Bollinger Bands

What are Bollinger Bands?

Bollinger Bands® are a helpful technical analysis tool. They assist traders to identify short-term price movements and potential entry and exit points.

A Bollinger Band typically consists of a moving average band (the middle band), as well as an upper and lower band which are set above and below the moving average. This represents the volatility of reviewed asset. When comparing a share’s position relative to these bands, traders may be able to determine if that share’s price is low or high. Bollinger bands are good indicators and are good for day trading.

Additionally, the width of this band can serve as an indicator of the share’s volatility. Narrower bands indicate less volatility while wider ones indicate higher volatility. A Bollinger Band typically uses a 20-period moving average. These “periods” can represent any timeframe from 5 minutes per frame to hours or even days.

Bonds CFDs

What is a Bond?

While all traders know that crypto is traded online, they may not be aware that they can also trade more traditional markets such as bonds. So, what are Bonds, what is a bond, and where can you trade them?

A bond is a form of financial derivative trading. Traders take position on the price of the underlying instrument and not purchasing the instrument itself. As such, they buy a Bond CFD or Contract for Difference of that instrument. If a Bond CFD is expected to go up in value, traders can take a long position. The opposite is true of course and if the value of a bond is expected to fall, traders can take a short position.

A bond is a loan that the trader (now bond holder) makes to the issuer. Bonds can be issued by governments, corporations or companies looking to raise capital. When traders buy a bond, they are providing the issuer with a loan in return for that bond. The issuer takes on a commitment to pay the bondholder interest and to return the principal sum when the bond matures.

China 50

The FTSE China A50 index, also known as the China 50, is a Chinese benchmark index that allows investors to trade A Shares, which are securities of companies that are incorporated in mainland China that are permitted to be traded by international investors thanks to government regulation.

The index comprises the 50 largest companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges by market capitalisation and is free float-adjusted and liquidity screened. The instrument is priced in US Dollars on the {%brand.name%} platform.

The index was launched on 13th December 2003, with a base date of 21st July 2003 and a base value of 5,000.

The China 50 index is dominated by banks, with a weighting of 33%. The second-largest sector is Insurance, with a share of 14.58%, followed by Food & Beverage with 13.28%.

China 50 index futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Chinese stocks. Futures rollover on the 4th Friday of every month.

Fibonacci Retracement

What is Fibonacci Retracement?

Fibonacci retracement is a technical analysis tool that uses horizontal lines to indicate areas where a stock's price may experience support or resistance at the key Fibonacci levels before it continues to move in the original direction. These levels are derived from the Fibonacci sequence and are commonly used in conjunction with trend lines to find entry and exit points in the market. The key levels are 23.6%, 38.2%, 50%, 61.8% and 100%.

Unlike moving averages, Fibonacci retracement levels are static prices. They do not change. This allows quick and simple identification and allows traders and investors to react when price levels are tested. Because these levels are inflection points, traders expect some type of price action, either a break or a rejection.

Why do people use Fibonacci in trading?
Fibonacci retracement is used in trading as it enables traders to identify long-term trends by determining when an asset's price is likely to change direction. This is useful to traders since it can help them to decide when to open or close trading positions, or when to apply stops and limits to their trades.

Is Fibonacci retracement a good strategy?
Fibonacci retracement can be a powerful trading tool when used correctly. It is based on the principle of support and resistance levels and can help identify key levels of entry and exit. When combined with other technical indicators it can help traders take better informed decisions.
 

Heating Oil

Heating Oil is a low-viscosity petroleum product derived from crude oil. Around 25% of the yield of crude oil is devoted to heating oil, the second most after gasoline products. As a result, prices often closely follow those of WTI crude.

It is priced in USD per gallon, and has a historic high of $3.32 in April 2011. The record low was $0.87 in January 2016.

Heating oil is used as a fuel for furnaces and boilers to heat homes and businesses. It is especially popular in the British Isles and the North-eastern US. As a result, demand fluctuates seasonally, peaking in the colder months between October and March.

Price is, as a result, also affected by cold weather. Other factors affecting price include the price of alternative heating options, energy efficiency and insulation, refining costs and government regulations.

Heating Oil futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Heating Oil. Futures rollover on the third Friday of every month.

Basis Point

What is a Basis Point?

A basis point (abbreviated as BP, bps or “bips”) measures changes in the interest rate of a financial instrument. It is also used describe the percentage change in the value of financial instruments or the rate change of an index. They are less ambiguous than percentages as they represent an absolute, set figure instead of a ratio.
 
Why do we use Basis Points?
In the bond market, a basis point is used to refer to the yield that a bond pays to the investor. They are also used when referring to the cost of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

Chainlink (LINK)

Chainlink (LINK) connects contracts smartly by linking them with real world events, data, and payments. Using the LINK cryptocurrency, Chainlink is tradeable on our platform via the LINK/USD instrument.

Robotics ETF

Robotics ETF (ARKQ) constituents are focused on, and are expected to substantially benefit from, the development of new products or services, technological improvements, and scientific research advancements in areas like energy, automation and manufacturing, materials, and transportation.

Companies within the ETF either develop, produce, or enable autonomous transportation, robotics & automation, 3D printing, energy storage, and space exploration.

Limit Order

What is a Limit Order?

A limit order is an order to buy or sell an asset such as a security at a specific price or better than that price. Traders wishing to define a maximum price for either buying or selling an asset can use limit orders. By placing a limit order they tell a broker to buy or sell a particular stock at a certain price or better than that price (lower for buying, higher for selling). This order is executed only if the transaction can be processed at the limit set in the order.

Is a limit order a good idea?
A key benefit of using a limit order is to ensure that the stock is bought or sold at a certain price point or better than that price point. There is of course the risk of not being able to execute that order as that specific price may never reach that limit as set in the order.

What are the types of limit order?

There are several types of limit orders in trading: 

Buy Limit Order: An order to buy a security at a specific price or lower. 

Sell Limit Order: An order to sell a security at a specific price or higher. 

Buy Stop Limit Order: A stop order to buy a security at a specific price or higher, only activated once a specified stop price has been reached. 

Sell Stop Limit Order: A stop order to sell a security at a specific price or lower, only activated once a specified stop price has been reached. 

Trailing Stop Limit Order: A type of stop order where the stop price is set at a fixed amount or percentage below or above the market price, and adjusts as the market price moves.
 

Consumer Price Index

What is CPI?

Consumer Price Index or CPI is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. Indexes are available for the U.S. and various geographic areas. It is considered as one of the most popular measures of inflation and deflation. CPI is also used to estimate the purchasing power of a country’s currency.
 
How is CPI Calculated?
CPI is calculated by considering Key contributors, including retail and services businesses as well as the U.S. rental housing market (housing accounts for approx. 30% of the CPI). There are several CPI variations:
• CPI-U index reviews the spending habits of urban consumers in the U.S.A. This constitutes for approx. 88% of the U.S population. 
• CPI-W index for calculates changes in the costs of benefits paid to “urban wage earners and clerical workers,” which is used to calculate changes in the costs of benefits paid via Social Security. 
• CPI ex-food and energy – is highly volatile and thus is excluded from the overall CPI.

US TBond 30

US Treasury Bonds 30Y (UB) are securities issued by the US government with maturities that vary from ten to 30 years. The U.S Treasury suspended issuance of the 30 year bond between February 2002 and February 2006. When bonds are sold on the secondary market, they can go up and down in price in the same way that shares and funds do. US Treasury Bond prices are primarily affected by interest rates, inflation and economic growth, as well as their reputation as a safe haven. 

Historically, the US Government Bond 30Y reached an all-time high of 15.21% in 1981 and a record low of 2.11% in 2016.

Arbitrage in trading

What is Arbitrage in Trading?

Arbitrage is trading that makes use of small differences in price between identical assets in two or more markets. An asset will most likely be sold in different markets, forms or via a different financial products. 

Arbitrage is one alternative trading strategy that can prove exceptionally profitable when leveraged by sophisticated traders. It also carries risks which need to be considered prior and during an arbitrage. 

Arbitrage as a trading strategy is when an asset is simultaneously bought and sold in different markets, thus taking advantage of a price difference, and generating a potential profit. Arbitrage is commonly leveraged by hedge funds and other sophisticated investors.


What is an example of arbitrage?
Without going into actual trading advice, here are several examples of Arbitrage in Trading:
• Exchange rates
• Offshore operations
Cryptocurrency 
And perhaps the most obvious and common form of arbitrage which is acting as a go between or affiliate, earning commission on price differences between the seller and the buyer.

Types of arbitrage traders use:
• Pure arbitrage - Traders simultaneously buying and selling assets in different markets to take advantage of a price differences. 
• Merger arbitrage – When two publicly traded companies merge. If the target is a publicly traded company, the acquiring company must purchase its outstanding shares Convertible arbitrage. 
• Convertible Arbitrage. It is related to convertible bonds, also called convertible notes or convertible debt.

Delisting a Stock

What is Delisting?

Delisting is the removal of a security from a stock exchange. This can happen voluntarily by the company, or involuntarily by the exchange if the security no longer meets certain listing criteria. When a security is delisted, it cannot be traded on the exchange, although investors may still hold it as an unlisted investment.

What happens when stock is delisted?
A company can undergo voluntary or compulsory delisting. 
• In voluntary delisting, a company removes its own securities / shares from a stock exchange. 
• In compulsory (or involuntary) delisting, the securities of a company are removed by regulatory functions, usually for not complying with Listing Agreement.

Can I sell delisted shares?
Delisted stocks often continue to trade over-the-counter. Shareholders can still trade the stock, though it is likely that the market will be less liquid.

Will I get my money back if a stock is delisted?
It depends on the type of delisting. Generally, investors receive their initial investment if a stock is voluntarily delisted. However, in cases of involuntary delisting, investors may not be entitled to any reimbursement.

Trailing Stop Orders

What are Trailing Stop Orders in trading?

Trailing Stop Orders are a type of stock order that lets investors adjust the stop price as a security rises or falls. This order works by continuously monitoring the price of a security and dynamically adjusts the stop price with every tick. The advantage of this type of order is that it allows investors to limit their losses, while locking in profits, without having to manually modify the stop-loss point.

Are Trailing Stop Orders good?
Trailing Stop Orders can be a good way to protect profits in your trading. They allow you to set an automated stop-loss that trails the price of a stock, adjusting up as it rises, while allowing you to lock in some gains if the stock begins to fall. This is especially useful when dealing with volatile stocks, giving you more control over your position.

What is a disadvantage of a trailing stop loss?
Trailing stop losses can help minimize risk when trading, however they also limit potential gains. The stop price adjusts based on market conditions, so as the price increases, the stop loss will move up. If the stock drops significantly and your trailing stop loss is too close, it may be triggered before you have a chance to react.

Which is better stop limit or trailing stop?
It depends entirely on the trader. A stop limit will sell at the specified price, while a trailing stop will track price changes and sell when the specified amount is exceeded. Different traders may have different needs and objectives, so which type of order is best will vary. Consider your goals before deciding which option is right for you.

Lithium and Battery Tech

Lithium and Battery Tech ETF (LIT) tracks a market-cap weighted index of global lithium miners and battery producers. The asset invests in the full cycle of lithium, from mining to refining and battery production.  

For this reason, it doesn't offer the exposure of other assets to metals and mining sectors, instead is an investment for niche lithium exposure. Holdings in the ETF include Tesla, Albemarle corp, Panasonic, Samsung SDI and Enersys.
 

All Country World Index

ACWI stands for All Country World Index and this ETF is designed to provide a broad reflection of the performance of equity markets around the world comprising stocks from 23 developed and 24 emerging markets. It’s owned by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI).

The ETF tracks nearly 2,500 stocks, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook. Stocks from five countries make up 72.6% of the ACWI, those being the USA, Japan, the UK, France and China. The remaining 27.4% comprises stocks from the other 42 countries. The ACWI is used as a benchmark of performance by fund managers, and is considered a good way to diversify a portfolio.

Heikin Ashi Candlestick Chart

What is a Heikin Ashi Candlestick chart?

The Heikin Ashi chart is a type of chart pattern used in technical analysis. Heikin Ashi charts are similar to a candlestick charts, but the main difference is that a Heikin Ashi chart uses the daily price averages to show the median price movement of an asset.

How do you use a Heikin-Ashi chart? 
Heikin-Ashi charts resemble candlestick charts, yet have a smoother appearance as they track a range of price movements, instead of tracking every price movement the way candlestick charts do. As with the standard candlestick charts, a Heikin-Ashi candle has a body and a wick. Yet , these candles do not have the same purpose as on a candlestick chart. The last price of a Heikin-Ashi candle is calculated by the average price of the current bar or timeframe.

Is it better to use Heikin-Ashi or candlestick?
Heikin-Ashi averages out price data to create a smoother, easier-to-read chart, while traditional candlestick charts provide more detailed price information. It ultimately depends on the investor's preferences and trading strategy which chart type is better.

Are Heikin-Ashi candles accurate?
Heikin-Ashi candles can be an accurate tool for gauging market trends, although they are often regarded to be less accurate than standard candlestick charts.
 

China CSI 300 AMC Index

China AMC CSI 300 Index comprises 300 stocks from A-share companies in China. A-shares are stocks trades on the Shenzhen or Shanghai stock exchanges and are generally only available to Chinese citizens. This ensures they command a significant premium compared to H-shares which are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and available primarily for foreign investors. 

China AMC CSI 300 Index ETF mirrors the performance of the CSI 300 Index. It is a benchmark of the 300 largest and most liquid Chinese stocks.

Consumer Staples Select Sector Fund

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) tracks US consumer staples companies within the S&P 500. This asset uses the Consumer Staples Select Sector Index as its tracking benchmark. The fund provides strong and representative exposure to consumer staples and the companies are large-cap in the main.

The index comprises just 34 holdings from the consumer sector and includes many household names. Top holdings include Procter and Gamble, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Walmart.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Fund

The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) tracks US consumer discretionary companies within the S&P 500. This asset uses the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index as its tracking benchmark. The top ten holdings account for 66.2% of the fund’s portfolio.

The index comprises just 66 holdings from the consumer sector and includes many household names. Top holdings include Amazon, Home Depot, McDonalds and Nike.

Asset

What is an Asset in trading?

The definition of Assets in trading is as resources which provide an economic value. Assets include but are not limited to cash, property, rights, as well as resources that have the potential of generating. Assets are what businesses require and use to operate. Assets are considered as one of the three fundamentals of any financial calculation, together with liabilities and equity.

Trading Assets Definition
There are several ways of defining and classifying assets:
• Convertible – Liquidity based, as in how fast they can be converted into cash. 
• Current Assets – Liquid assets that are expected to be converted to cash within a year. 
• Fixed Assets – Cannot be easily and readily converted into cash.
• Physical Existence – Tangible or intangible assets defined by their material presence. 
• Tangible Assets – Having physical substance, such as hardware, cash, & inventory. 
• Intangible Assets – Resources without physical substance patents, licenses, & copyrights.
• Operating Assets – Necessary to the ongoing operation of a business.
• Non-Operating Assets – Non-functional such as idle equipment & vacant land.

A-D

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is the first of the ‘cryptocurrencies' and remains the most stable. It was created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, whose identity remains a mystery.

His creation - Bitcoin - is a cashless currency. Balances are kept online and it is decentralised, allowing anonymity. Despite Bitcoin not being legal tender in most countries, it has continued to increase in popularity and its launch has sparked the creation of a number of other cryptocurrencies.

It is priced in USD per Bitcoin and saw a record high of $68,789.63 in Nov 2021. Bitcoin futures trade as BTC.

Bitcoin has been criticised for its links to illegal activity and the dark web, as well as the high demand for energy created by ‘mining' Bitcoins. A PIN is necessary to access your

Bitcoins, with as many as 20% of all Bitcoins thought to be lost to forgotten PINs.

Bitcoin futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Bitcoin. Futures rollover on the last Thursday of every month.

BitcoinSV

BitcoinSV uses original Bitcoin protocol, as laid out by inventor Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2008 whitepaper. Thus, BitcoinSV should be stable, and enjoy high scalability. It is priced in USD and the instrument is tradeable using the BSV/USD spot rate.

Bitcoin Cash

Bitcoin Cash is the younger, more user-friendly, brother of Bitcoin. It was born in August 2017, arising from a fork of Bitcoin Classic.

It is priced in USD per Bitcoin and saw a record high of $3,816 in December 2017. Bitcoin Cash futures trade as BCC.

The break from Bitcoin Classic came about after frustration of the one MB limit. This causes major issues with transaction processing times and limits the number of transactions the network can process.

A number of solutions were proposed, with Bitcoin Cash ‘born' in mid-2017 with an increased blocksize of eight MB. Everyone who previously owned Bitcoin Classic received the same about in Bitcoin Cash.

Despite being one of the youngest cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin Cash has soared in popularity - it is now the world's third-largest cryptocurrency by market value. However, it has experienced significant volatility in its short life so far.

Acquisition

What is an Acquisition?

An Acquisition is a business transaction where one company buys all, or part, of another company's shares or assets. This can be done in an attempt to gain control of, and expand on, the target company's market while also gaining or at least conserving resources.

There are three main forms of “pairing business together”:

  • Acquisitions – When both business entities continue their operations in one form or another.
  • Mergers – When only one of the entities remains while the other is taken over.
  • Conglomeration / Amalgamation – When both business entities are reformed into a new one.

As part of the Acquisition process, the acquiring company purchases the target business's shares or assets, which gives it the authority to make use of the target’s assets as if they are its own.

Why do companies make acquisitions?
Companies make acquisitions as there are several benefits to doing so, including lower entry barriers, growth and market influence. There are also some challenges and difficulties associated with this process. These include conflicts of cultures, redundancy, contradicting objectives and unmatched businesses.

What are the four types of acquisitions?
There are four types of acquisitions that companies perform.

  1. A Horizontal acquisition happens when company acquires another company that is in the same business.
  2. A Vertical acquisition is defined as one company acquiring another which is in a different position on market or the supply chain.
  3. Conglomerate acquisitions happen when the company buying the target and the target company itself operate in unrelated industries or are engaged in unrelated functions.
  4. Congeneric acquisition occurs when an acquiring company and the acquired company market different products or services, yet sell to the same customers. 

Corn

Corn is a soft commodity - referring to those that are grown rather than mined - and is valued for its versatility. As well as being a dietary staple it has many other uses, from biofuels to animal feed.

Corn is grown in every continent on the globe with the exception on Antarctica. 40% of global corn supplies are produced in the US, while China, Brazil, the EU, and Argentina are also major players.

Corn is priced in USD per bushel. In August 2012 corn struck a record high of $849, while the lowest price ever recorded was $22.90 in November 1932.

As corn is a soft commodity, prices are vulnerable to weather conditions which can affect harvests. The strength of emerging market economies also affects prices, as demand for meat products rises as incomes rise, and much of the corn produced each year is used for animal feed.

Corn futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of corn. Futures rollover on the fourth Friday of February, April, June, and November.

Cotton

Cotton is a “soft” commodity - meaning it is grown and not mined - and has for thousands of years been one of the most important crops. Its lightweight and absorbent fibres mean that cotton is the most popular natural fibre on the planet.

China, India, and the US are the top producers of cotton in the world; in the US cotton primarily comes from Florida, Mississippi, California, Texas, and Arizona.

The fibre is priced in USD per lb. It reached a record high price of $210.64 during March 2011 and struck a record low of $5.66 during December 1930.

As well as weather conditions, cotton prices are heavily influenced by demand for competing synthetic fibres and changes in government policy. Cotton farmers enjoy heavy subsidies in the US, so a change here could have significant consequences.

Cotton futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of cotton. Futures rollover on the third Friday of February, April, June, and November.

BTC Futures

Bitcoin is the first of the ‘cryptocurrencies' and remains the most stable. It was created in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, whose identity remains a mystery. 

His creation - Bitcoin - is a cashless currency. Balances are kept online and it is decentralised, allowing anonymity. Despite Bitcoin not being legal tender in most countries, it has continued to increase in popularity and its launch has sparked the creation of a number of other cryptocurrencies

It is priced in USD per Bitcoin and saw a record high of $68,789.63 in November 2021. Bitcoin futures trade as BTC.

Bitcoin has been criticised for its links to illegal activity and the dark web, as well as the high demand for energy created by ‘mining' Bitcoins. A PIN is necessary to access your Bitcoins, with as many as 20% of all Bitcoins thought to be lost to forgotten PINs

Bitcoin futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Bitcoin. Futures rollover on the last Thursday of every month.
 

Account Balance

What is an account balance in trading?

A trader's "account balance" is the total value of the account including all and any settled profit & loss, deposits, and withdrawals. 

How do I check my trading account balance?
As mentioned, your account balance is the total sum of settled positions, P&L, deposits, and withdrawals. Yet this balance does not include profit or loss resulting from any open positions. If positions are indeed open, the balance might change depending on pending losses or profits until such positions are closed. As such, it is recommended to check your trading account balance regularly as new positions open and close on a regular basis.

Bollinger Bands

What are Bollinger Bands?

Bollinger Bands® are a helpful technical analysis tool. They assist traders to identify short-term price movements and potential entry and exit points.

A Bollinger Band typically consists of a moving average band (the middle band), as well as an upper and lower band which are set above and below the moving average. This represents the volatility of reviewed asset. When comparing a share’s position relative to these bands, traders may be able to determine if that share’s price is low or high. Bollinger bands are good indicators and are good for day trading.

Additionally, the width of this band can serve as an indicator of the share’s volatility. Narrower bands indicate less volatility while wider ones indicate higher volatility. A Bollinger Band typically uses a 20-period moving average. These “periods” can represent any timeframe from 5 minutes per frame to hours or even days.

Bonds CFDs

What is a Bond?

While all traders know that crypto is traded online, they may not be aware that they can also trade more traditional markets such as bonds. So, what are Bonds, what is a bond, and where can you trade them?

A bond is a form of financial derivative trading. Traders take position on the price of the underlying instrument and not purchasing the instrument itself. As such, they buy a Bond CFD or Contract for Difference of that instrument. If a Bond CFD is expected to go up in value, traders can take a long position. The opposite is true of course and if the value of a bond is expected to fall, traders can take a short position.

A bond is a loan that the trader (now bond holder) makes to the issuer. Bonds can be issued by governments, corporations or companies looking to raise capital. When traders buy a bond, they are providing the issuer with a loan in return for that bond. The issuer takes on a commitment to pay the bondholder interest and to return the principal sum when the bond matures.

China 50

The FTSE China A50 index, also known as the China 50, is a Chinese benchmark index that allows investors to trade A Shares, which are securities of companies that are incorporated in mainland China that are permitted to be traded by international investors thanks to government regulation.

The index comprises the 50 largest companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges by market capitalisation and is free float-adjusted and liquidity screened. The instrument is priced in US Dollars on the {%brand.name%} platform.

The index was launched on 13th December 2003, with a base date of 21st July 2003 and a base value of 5,000.

The China 50 index is dominated by banks, with a weighting of 33%. The second-largest sector is Insurance, with a share of 14.58%, followed by Food & Beverage with 13.28%.

China 50 index futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Chinese stocks. Futures rollover on the 4th Friday of every month.

Basis Point

What is a Basis Point?

A basis point (abbreviated as BP, bps or “bips”) measures changes in the interest rate of a financial instrument. It is also used describe the percentage change in the value of financial instruments or the rate change of an index. They are less ambiguous than percentages as they represent an absolute, set figure instead of a ratio.
 
Why do we use Basis Points?
In the bond market, a basis point is used to refer to the yield that a bond pays to the investor. They are also used when referring to the cost of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

Chainlink (LINK)

Chainlink (LINK) connects contracts smartly by linking them with real world events, data, and payments. Using the LINK cryptocurrency, Chainlink is tradeable on our platform via the LINK/USD instrument.

Consumer Price Index

What is CPI?

Consumer Price Index or CPI is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. Indexes are available for the U.S. and various geographic areas. It is considered as one of the most popular measures of inflation and deflation. CPI is also used to estimate the purchasing power of a country’s currency.
 
How is CPI Calculated?
CPI is calculated by considering Key contributors, including retail and services businesses as well as the U.S. rental housing market (housing accounts for approx. 30% of the CPI). There are several CPI variations:
• CPI-U index reviews the spending habits of urban consumers in the U.S.A. This constitutes for approx. 88% of the U.S population. 
• CPI-W index for calculates changes in the costs of benefits paid to “urban wage earners and clerical workers,” which is used to calculate changes in the costs of benefits paid via Social Security. 
• CPI ex-food and energy – is highly volatile and thus is excluded from the overall CPI.

Arbitrage in trading

What is Arbitrage in Trading?

Arbitrage is trading that makes use of small differences in price between identical assets in two or more markets. An asset will most likely be sold in different markets, forms or via a different financial products. 

Arbitrage is one alternative trading strategy that can prove exceptionally profitable when leveraged by sophisticated traders. It also carries risks which need to be considered prior and during an arbitrage. 

Arbitrage as a trading strategy is when an asset is simultaneously bought and sold in different markets, thus taking advantage of a price difference, and generating a potential profit. Arbitrage is commonly leveraged by hedge funds and other sophisticated investors.


What is an example of arbitrage?
Without going into actual trading advice, here are several examples of Arbitrage in Trading:
• Exchange rates
• Offshore operations
Cryptocurrency 
And perhaps the most obvious and common form of arbitrage which is acting as a go between or affiliate, earning commission on price differences between the seller and the buyer.

Types of arbitrage traders use:
• Pure arbitrage - Traders simultaneously buying and selling assets in different markets to take advantage of a price differences. 
• Merger arbitrage – When two publicly traded companies merge. If the target is a publicly traded company, the acquiring company must purchase its outstanding shares Convertible arbitrage. 
• Convertible Arbitrage. It is related to convertible bonds, also called convertible notes or convertible debt.

Delisting a Stock

What is Delisting?

Delisting is the removal of a security from a stock exchange. This can happen voluntarily by the company, or involuntarily by the exchange if the security no longer meets certain listing criteria. When a security is delisted, it cannot be traded on the exchange, although investors may still hold it as an unlisted investment.

What happens when stock is delisted?
A company can undergo voluntary or compulsory delisting. 
• In voluntary delisting, a company removes its own securities / shares from a stock exchange. 
• In compulsory (or involuntary) delisting, the securities of a company are removed by regulatory functions, usually for not complying with Listing Agreement.

Can I sell delisted shares?
Delisted stocks often continue to trade over-the-counter. Shareholders can still trade the stock, though it is likely that the market will be less liquid.

Will I get my money back if a stock is delisted?
It depends on the type of delisting. Generally, investors receive their initial investment if a stock is voluntarily delisted. However, in cases of involuntary delisting, investors may not be entitled to any reimbursement.

All Country World Index

ACWI stands for All Country World Index and this ETF is designed to provide a broad reflection of the performance of equity markets around the world comprising stocks from 23 developed and 24 emerging markets. It’s owned by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI).

The ETF tracks nearly 2,500 stocks, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook. Stocks from five countries make up 72.6% of the ACWI, those being the USA, Japan, the UK, France and China. The remaining 27.4% comprises stocks from the other 42 countries. The ACWI is used as a benchmark of performance by fund managers, and is considered a good way to diversify a portfolio.

China CSI 300 AMC Index

China AMC CSI 300 Index comprises 300 stocks from A-share companies in China. A-shares are stocks trades on the Shenzhen or Shanghai stock exchanges and are generally only available to Chinese citizens. This ensures they command a significant premium compared to H-shares which are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and available primarily for foreign investors. 

China AMC CSI 300 Index ETF mirrors the performance of the CSI 300 Index. It is a benchmark of the 300 largest and most liquid Chinese stocks.

Consumer Staples Select Sector Fund

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) tracks US consumer staples companies within the S&P 500. This asset uses the Consumer Staples Select Sector Index as its tracking benchmark. The fund provides strong and representative exposure to consumer staples and the companies are large-cap in the main.

The index comprises just 34 holdings from the consumer sector and includes many household names. Top holdings include Procter and Gamble, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Walmart.

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Fund

The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) tracks US consumer discretionary companies within the S&P 500. This asset uses the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index as its tracking benchmark. The top ten holdings account for 66.2% of the fund’s portfolio.

The index comprises just 66 holdings from the consumer sector and includes many household names. Top holdings include Amazon, Home Depot, McDonalds and Nike.

Asset

What is an Asset in trading?

The definition of Assets in trading is as resources which provide an economic value. Assets include but are not limited to cash, property, rights, as well as resources that have the potential of generating. Assets are what businesses require and use to operate. Assets are considered as one of the three fundamentals of any financial calculation, together with liabilities and equity.

Trading Assets Definition
There are several ways of defining and classifying assets:
• Convertible – Liquidity based, as in how fast they can be converted into cash. 
• Current Assets – Liquid assets that are expected to be converted to cash within a year. 
• Fixed Assets – Cannot be easily and readily converted into cash.
• Physical Existence – Tangible or intangible assets defined by their material presence. 
• Tangible Assets – Having physical substance, such as hardware, cash, & inventory. 
• Intangible Assets – Resources without physical substance patents, licenses, & copyrights.
• Operating Assets – Necessary to the ongoing operation of a business.
• Non-Operating Assets – Non-functional such as idle equipment & vacant land.

E-H

GBP/RON

The pound Sterling to Romanian leu exchange rate has the abbreviation GBP/RON, and is classed as an exotic currency pair. GBP is present in 13% of all daily forex trades and on average US$649 billion worth of GBP is traded every single day, making it the fourth most-active currency on the planet.

The Romanian leu the 34th most-active currency, accounting for just 0.1% of average daily turnover.

Recently, political factors have seen their influence over pound pairings grow. This is because the Brexit referendum, which resulted in the UK voting to leave the EU, has created significant uncertainty regarding the UK economic outlook. The monetary policy outlook is also key - after nearly ten years the Bank of England has begun to raise interest rates.

Romania is an emerging market economy and is one of Europe's poorest nations. The country wanted to adopt the euro, but has so far failed to meet the criteria. GBP/RON appreciates in times of market uncertainty.

Equity in Trading

What is equity in trading?

Equity is the value of a trader's account, representing the total assets minus any margin used to open trades. It reflects their financial position and potential financial outcomes from any trading activities as they currently stand. Traders can use equity to decide when to enter or exit positions and what size positions to take.

What is difference equity and stock?
For traders, stock and equity are synonymous terms as stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity are items found on the balance sheet.

What is difference between equity and account balance?
Equity is the total account balance including profits/losses from open positions, whereas the account balance is simply the total money deposited in an account before any trades have been made.

Economic Calendar

What is an Economic Calendar?

An economic calendar is a schedule of dates when significant news releases or events are expected, which may affect the global or local financial markets volatility as well as currency exchange rates. Traders and all functions involved in the markets and financial issues make use of the economic calendar to follow up and prepare on what is going to happen, where and when.
 
Due to the impact of financial events and announcements, on exchange rates, the forex market is highly affected by monetary and fiscal policy announcements. As such, traders make use the economic calendar to plan ahead on their positions and trades and to be aware of any issues that may affect them.

What is Financial Market volatility? 
Financial Market volatility is the degree of variation of a trading price series over time. Many traders will consider the historic volatility of a stock. This is the fluctuations of price in a given time frame. Historic volatility creates forward looking implied volatility. This allows us to predict price variation in the future.

Fibonacci Retracement

What is Fibonacci Retracement?

Fibonacci retracement is a technical analysis tool that uses horizontal lines to indicate areas where a stock's price may experience support or resistance at the key Fibonacci levels before it continues to move in the original direction. These levels are derived from the Fibonacci sequence and are commonly used in conjunction with trend lines to find entry and exit points in the market. The key levels are 23.6%, 38.2%, 50%, 61.8% and 100%.

Unlike moving averages, Fibonacci retracement levels are static prices. They do not change. This allows quick and simple identification and allows traders and investors to react when price levels are tested. Because these levels are inflection points, traders expect some type of price action, either a break or a rejection.

Why do people use Fibonacci in trading?
Fibonacci retracement is used in trading as it enables traders to identify long-term trends by determining when an asset's price is likely to change direction. This is useful to traders since it can help them to decide when to open or close trading positions, or when to apply stops and limits to their trades.

Is Fibonacci retracement a good strategy?
Fibonacci retracement can be a powerful trading tool when used correctly. It is based on the principle of support and resistance levels and can help identify key levels of entry and exit. When combined with other technical indicators it can help traders take better informed decisions.
 

Heating Oil

Heating Oil is a low-viscosity petroleum product derived from crude oil. Around 25% of the yield of crude oil is devoted to heating oil, the second most after gasoline products. As a result, prices often closely follow those of WTI crude.

It is priced in USD per gallon, and has a historic high of $3.32 in April 2011. The record low was $0.87 in January 2016.

Heating oil is used as a fuel for furnaces and boilers to heat homes and businesses. It is especially popular in the British Isles and the North-eastern US. As a result, demand fluctuates seasonally, peaking in the colder months between October and March.

Price is, as a result, also affected by cold weather. Other factors affecting price include the price of alternative heating options, energy efficiency and insulation, refining costs and government regulations.

Heating Oil futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Heating Oil. Futures rollover on the third Friday of every month.

Heikin Ashi Candlestick Chart

What is a Heikin Ashi Candlestick chart?

The Heikin Ashi chart is a type of chart pattern used in technical analysis. Heikin Ashi charts are similar to a candlestick charts, but the main difference is that a Heikin Ashi chart uses the daily price averages to show the median price movement of an asset.

How do you use a Heikin-Ashi chart? 
Heikin-Ashi charts resemble candlestick charts, yet have a smoother appearance as they track a range of price movements, instead of tracking every price movement the way candlestick charts do. As with the standard candlestick charts, a Heikin-Ashi candle has a body and a wick. Yet , these candles do not have the same purpose as on a candlestick chart. The last price of a Heikin-Ashi candle is calculated by the average price of the current bar or timeframe.

Is it better to use Heikin-Ashi or candlestick?
Heikin-Ashi averages out price data to create a smoother, easier-to-read chart, while traditional candlestick charts provide more detailed price information. It ultimately depends on the investor's preferences and trading strategy which chart type is better.

Are Heikin-Ashi candles accurate?
Heikin-Ashi candles can be an accurate tool for gauging market trends, although they are often regarded to be less accurate than standard candlestick charts.
 

I-L

Litecoin

Just like many of the other cryptocurrencies, Litecoin was created to improve on some of the perceived failings of Bitcoin - primarily a higher number of tokens and a much faster processing speeds.

Litecoin (LTC) is priced in USD per coin and reached a peak of $341 in December 2017. It was launched in April 2013 by Charlie Lee, a former Google software engineer.

Lee was central to a change in attitude about Bitcoin, helping it gain approval from big names. He wanted to position Litecoin as silver to Bitcoin's gold, and knew that the success of all cryptocurrencies would be tied to stalwart Bitcoin.

Litecoin uses blockchain in a similar way to Bitcoin, but has very low transaction fees and has adopted ‘Segregated Witess (SegWit) - a process by which the size of blocks in a blockchain is reduced by removing data.

ICLN

The iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities in the clean energy sector.

Long Position

What is a long position?

A long position is a market position where the investor has purchased a security such as a stock, commodity, or currency in expectation of it increasing in value. The holder of the position will benefit if the asset increases in value. A long position may also refer to an investor buying an option, where they will be able to purchase an underlying security at a specific price on or before the expiration date. 

What is riskier a long or a short position?
A short position is considered riskier than a long position because the potential loss is theoretically unlimited, while the potential profit is limited to the amount of depreciation in the value of the security. When an investor short sells a stock, they borrow shares from someone else and sell them, with the hope that the price will drop so they can buy the shares back at a lower price and return them to the lender, pocketing the difference. In case the price of the stock rises instead, the loss for the short seller is theoretically unlimited as there is no limit to how high the stock price can go.

When should I buy a long position?
When an investor believes that the market will rise, they could consider purchasing a long position.

How can I protect my long position?
Protecting a long position often involves setting up a stop-loss order, which automatically sells the asset at a predetermined price. This ensures that any sharp market drops don't result in excessive losses for the investor.

Limit Order

What is a Limit Order?

A limit order is an order to buy or sell an asset such as a security at a specific price or better than that price. Traders wishing to define a maximum price for either buying or selling an asset can use limit orders. By placing a limit order they tell a broker to buy or sell a particular stock at a certain price or better than that price (lower for buying, higher for selling). This order is executed only if the transaction can be processed at the limit set in the order.

Is a limit order a good idea?
A key benefit of using a limit order is to ensure that the stock is bought or sold at a certain price point or better than that price point. There is of course the risk of not being able to execute that order as that specific price may never reach that limit as set in the order.

What are the types of limit order?

There are several types of limit orders in trading: 

Buy Limit Order: An order to buy a security at a specific price or lower. 

Sell Limit Order: An order to sell a security at a specific price or higher. 

Buy Stop Limit Order: A stop order to buy a security at a specific price or higher, only activated once a specified stop price has been reached. 

Sell Stop Limit Order: A stop order to sell a security at a specific price or lower, only activated once a specified stop price has been reached. 

Trailing Stop Limit Order: A type of stop order where the stop price is set at a fixed amount or percentage below or above the market price, and adjusts as the market price moves.
 

Lithium and Battery Tech

Lithium and Battery Tech ETF (LIT) tracks a market-cap weighted index of global lithium miners and battery producers. The asset invests in the full cycle of lithium, from mining to refining and battery production.  

For this reason, it doesn't offer the exposure of other assets to metals and mining sectors, instead is an investment for niche lithium exposure. Holdings in the ETF include Tesla, Albemarle corp, Panasonic, Samsung SDI and Enersys.
 

M-P

Proshares Bitcoin Strategy ETF

The Proshares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (Bitcoin ETF) offers managed exposure to bitcoin futures contracts. The Fund does not invest directly in bitcoin and may also invest in other instruments. It’s one of the first of its kind and marks a new way to get exposure to cryptocurrency price movements.

Position

What is a Position?

What is a Position in trading?

A position in trading refers to the amount of a security or financial instrument that is held by an investor or trader. It can be a long position, where the trader has bought the security and expects its price to rise, or a short position, where the trader has sold the security and expects its price to fall. The size of the position is typically measured in units of the security or financial instrument, such as shares or contracts. The trader or investor can then make a profit or loss based on the movement of the price of that security or instrument. In addition, an open position is one that has been entered into but not yet closed or settled, and a closed position is one that has been settled or offset by an opposing trade.

Platinum

Platinum is one of the world's rarest metals, and mines are concentrates in just a handful of countries around the world.

Platinum is priced in USD per troy ounce. It saw a high of $2253 in March 2008, and a record low of $97.70 in January 1970.

Most of the world's platinum is produced in South Africa, which accounts for 80% of supply. Russia is a distant second with 11% and North America produces 6%.

Platinum is an important metal due to its ability to catalyse reactions and its strong resistance to corrosion. This makes it irreplaceable in a broad range of industrial and laboratory reactions, especially the catalytic converter which is the most widely used application of platinum.

The metal is also highly sought-after for jewellery, which is the second largest area of demand,

The concentration of platinum in South Africa (an often-volatile emerging market), combined with the importance of platinum as an industrial material, has led to instability in price.

Open Position

What is an open position?

An open position in trading refers to a trade that has been entered into but not yet closed or settled. The position remains open until the trader decides to close it by executing an opposing order or if the order reaches its expiration. It can refer to a long or short position in a security or financial instrument.

When should you close your position?
A trader should close their position in trading when their predetermined criteria for exiting the trade have been met, such as reaching a certain profit level or stop-loss point. It could also be closed because the trade no longer aligns with their overall strategy or market conditions have changed.

Q-T

Tron

TRON’s goal is to create a decentralised internet. Its TRX cryptocurrency allows buyers to vote on who gets rewards for validating transactions on its blockchain. markets.com lets you trade TRX/USD at the latest spot rate.

Spread Betting

What is Spread Betting?

Spread Betting is a type of financial speculation which allows you to take a position on the future direction of the price of a security, such as stocks, commodities or currencies. You can choose to speculate whether an asset will go up or down in value, without having to buy or sell it. Spread Betting enables you to take a view on the markets and gain access to the financial markets with limited capital outlay.

How does a spread bet work?
A spread bet is placed by betting on whether the asset's price will rise or fall. The investor can set their own stake size, which means they can take more or less risk according to their preferences. Spread bets are flexible and convenient, allowing you to benefit from even the slightest market movements.

What does a negative spread mean?
A negative spread in trading refers to a situation where the ask price for a security is lower than the bid price. This means that a trader could potentially sell a security for a higher price than they would have to pay to buy it. This is an unusual situation that can occur due to a temporary market anomaly or a technical error. Negative spreads are rare and they tend to be corrected quickly, as they represent an opportunity for arbitrage. Traders should be cautious when dealing with negative spreads and should consult with their broker or trading platform to understand the cause of the negative spread and its potential impact on their trade.
 

Robotics ETF

Robotics ETF (ARKQ) constituents are focused on, and are expected to substantially benefit from, the development of new products or services, technological improvements, and scientific research advancements in areas like energy, automation and manufacturing, materials, and transportation.

Companies within the ETF either develop, produce, or enable autonomous transportation, robotics & automation, 3D printing, energy storage, and space exploration.

Trailing Stop Orders

What are Trailing Stop Orders in trading?

Trailing Stop Orders are a type of stock order that lets investors adjust the stop price as a security rises or falls. This order works by continuously monitoring the price of a security and dynamically adjusts the stop price with every tick. The advantage of this type of order is that it allows investors to limit their losses, while locking in profits, without having to manually modify the stop-loss point.

Are Trailing Stop Orders good?
Trailing Stop Orders can be a good way to protect profits in your trading. They allow you to set an automated stop-loss that trails the price of a stock, adjusting up as it rises, while allowing you to lock in some gains if the stock begins to fall. This is especially useful when dealing with volatile stocks, giving you more control over your position.

What is a disadvantage of a trailing stop loss?
Trailing stop losses can help minimize risk when trading, however they also limit potential gains. The stop price adjusts based on market conditions, so as the price increases, the stop loss will move up. If the stock drops significantly and your trailing stop loss is too close, it may be triggered before you have a chance to react.

Which is better stop limit or trailing stop?
It depends entirely on the trader. A stop limit will sell at the specified price, while a trailing stop will track price changes and sell when the specified amount is exceeded. Different traders may have different needs and objectives, so which type of order is best will vary. Consider your goals before deciding which option is right for you.

U-Z

US TBond 30

US Treasury Bonds 30Y (UB) are securities issued by the US government with maturities that vary from ten to 30 years. The U.S Treasury suspended issuance of the 30 year bond between February 2002 and February 2006. When bonds are sold on the secondary market, they can go up and down in price in the same way that shares and funds do. US Treasury Bond prices are primarily affected by interest rates, inflation and economic growth, as well as their reputation as a safe haven. 

Historically, the US Government Bond 30Y reached an all-time high of 15.21% in 1981 and a record low of 2.11% in 2016.

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