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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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Margin Call

What is a Margin Call?

A margin call is a demand from a broker to a trader that additional funds must be added to the trader’s account in order to maintain their current positions. 

What would trigger a margin call?
A margin call occurs when an investor using margin (borrowed money) to trade in securities or other financial instruments, does not have enough money or equity in their account to meet the minimum margin requirement set by their broker. This can happen when the value of the securities in the account falls below a certain level, resulting in a negative balance in the margin account. A margin call can be a warning sign that the investor is taking on too much risk, and it can be a good opportunity to re-evaluate their investment strategy.

What happens if you get a margin call?
When a margin call happens, the broker will contact the investor and ask them to deposit additional funds into their account or sell some of their profiting securities to bring the account equity back above the minimum margin requirement. If the investor is unable to meet the margin call, the broker may take action to liquidate the investor's securities in order to bring the account back to a positive balance.

Do you lose money on a margin call?
A margin call itself does not necessarily mean that you will lose money, but it does indicate that you are at risk of losing money if you do not take action to meet the call. When a margin call occurs, it is a warning that your account balance has dropped below the minimum margin requirement set by your broker, and if you do not take action to bring it back above that level, your broker may take action to liquidate your securities in order to bring the account back to a positive balance.

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.

Margin

What is a margin?

What is a margin in finance?
A margin in finance is the amount of money an investor borrows to purchase or trade securities. It is the difference between the total value of the borrowed funds and the market value of the collateral provided as security for the loan. Margin trading allows investors to buy more securities than they would otherwise be able to purchase with just their own capital.

What is margin vs profit?
Margin and profit are related but different concepts in finance and trading. 

Margin refers to the amount of money or collateral that is required to open a leveraged position, such as a margin account, which allows traders to buy securities by borrowing money from a broker. Profit, on the other hand, refers to the amount of money that is gained from a trade or investment, after all costs and expenses have been subtracted. Profit is the result of a successful trade, which is the difference between the buying and selling price.

How do I calculate margin?
There are a few different ways to calculate margin, depending on the context and the type of trade or investment. 

One of the most common ways to calculate margin is to use the following formula: 

Margin = (Value of Trade / Leverage) x 100%

Margin Trading

What is Margin Trading?

Margin trading refers to the practice of borrowing money from a broker to purchase securities. It allows traders to buy more securities than they could afford to buy with cash alone, by leveraging the securities they already own as collateral. This increases the potential returns but also increases the potential risks, as the trader is responsible for paying interest on the borrowed money and must also cover any losses. Margin trading is considered to be a high-risk strategy and is only suitable for experienced traders with a good understanding of the risks involved.

How much money do you need for margin?
The amount of money required for margin trading depends on the minimum deposit requirement set by the broker. For markets.com this is 100 of your local currency, with the exception of South Africa where it is 1000 rand. 

What level of margin is safe?
The level of margin that is considered safe depends on the trader's risk tolerance and investment goals. A lower margin level is generally considered to be safer, as it reduces the potential for large losses

Trading Alerts

What are Trading Alerts?

Trading alerts are notifications or signals that are sent to traders to inform them of potential trading opportunities or market conditions that may affect their trades. These alerts can be generated by software programs, financial analysts, or other sources, and can be delivered via email, text message, or other forms of communication. They are typically used by traders to help them make more informed trading decisions and stay up-to-date on market conditions.

How do I set up trade alerts?
To set up trade alerts, you will need to use a trading platform or software that offers the alert feature. You can set up trading alerts easily on markets.com.

Can I set an alert for a stock price?
A stock price alert is just one of the types of trade alerts you can set up through markets.com.

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.

Market Cap

What is Market Capitalization?

Market capitalization, commonly referred to as market cap, is a measure of a company's size and is calculated by multiplying the total number of its shares outstanding by the current market price of each share. Market cap can be used to help assess how much a company is worth in the eyes of investors.

Is high market cap good?
A high market capitalization (market cap) generally indicates that a company is well-established, has a strong financial performance, and is considered to be a reliable investment by the market. High market cap companies are often considered to be blue-chip stocks and are more stable and less risky than lower market cap companies.

However, a high market cap does not guarantee that a company will perform well in the future, it just reflects the current market's perception of the company, the stock price and the number of shares outstanding. The company may still be facing internal or external challenges, and the stock may be overvalued. Therefore, it's always important to do your own research and analysis before investing in any stock regardless of its market capitalization.

What is a good market capitalization?
A good market capitalization for an investment depends on the investor's individual preferences and goals. Generally, companies with a high market capitalization are considered to be well-established and financially stable, making them a more reliable investment. However, it is important to note that high market capitalization does not always guarantee future performance.

Is it better to have a small or large market cap?
Small-cap companies tend to be more risky but have higher growth potential. Large-cap companies are considered to be more stable but have lower growth potential. At the end of the day it will all depend on the investor's preference for risk and tolerance for profit/loss.

 

Maintenance Margin

What is a Maintenance margin (also known as variation margin)?

Maintenance Margin, or “variation margin,” is considered as the minimum amount of equity (i.e., funds) which needs to be maintained in a trader’s margin account before a margin call is issued as due to the account value being below a minimum threshold and not being able to support open margin trade positions. Margin accounts are what leveraged trades use to trade, where they can purchase securities such as stocks, bonds, or options with funds borrowed from the brokerage.

How do you avoid maintenance margin?
To avoid maintenance margin issues, traders should monitor their account closely and adjust their leverage if needed. If your maintenance margin is not maintained it will result in a margin call, which may indicate that the trader should reconsider the risk exposure of their portfolio.

Why are maintenance margins important?
Maintenance margins are important to protect against losses due to fluctuations in the market. They ensure that traders maintain adequate capital reserves and can cover any potential losses.
 

Technical Analysis

What is Technical Analysis?

Technical analysis is a type of financial analysis that looks at historical price movements and trading volumes to predict future price movements in the market. It involves studying trends, chart patterns, momentum indicators, and other factors to make informed decisions about trading. Technical analysis can help traders and investors gain insight into market sentiment, timing their trades for optimal returns.

Why is technical analysis important?  
Technical analysis is a critical component of successful financial and trading strategies. It helps investors understand the past performance of a security, identify current trends and anticipate future price movements. Technical analysis relies on mathematical calculations and charting techniques to evaluate securities, which can be an invaluable tool for traders to optimize returns and manage risk.

Which tool is best for technical analysis?  
There are many tools that can be used for technical analysis, and different traders may have different preferences. Some commonly used tools include:

  • Candlestick charts: These charts provide a visual representation of price movements and can be used to identify patterns and trends.
  • Moving averages: These indicators can be used to smooth out price movements and identify trends.
  • Relative strength index (RSI): This indicator compares the magnitude of recent gains to recent losses and can be used to identify overbought and oversold conditions.
  • Bollinger Bands: These indicators are used to measure volatility and identify potential buy and sell signals.

Ultimately, the best tool for technical analysis will depend on the individual trader's preferences and the market conditions they are trading in. it's important to use multiple tools and indicators to validate the signals and make better decisions.

Basic Attention Token

Basic Attention Token (BAT) crypto was built to improve the security, fairness, and efficiency of digital advertising through the use of blockchain technology. Users are rewarded with BAT for viewing ad content, publishers can deliver higher-impact ads and advertisers can be assured their messaging is being viewed by a willing audience. Trade BAT in USD using the BAT/USD symbol.

Materials Select Sector Fund

Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLB) tracks US basic materials companies within the S&P 500. This asset uses the Materials Select Sector Index as its tracking benchmark. The limited spread and niche sector mean that it is heavily concentrated. Just a few holdings make up a big part of the portfolio, and there are only 24 holdings in total.

Top holdings for the benchmark index include DowDuPont Inc, Linde Plc, Ecolab Inc and The Sherwin-Williams Co.

MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF

The iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF (DSI) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. companies that have positive environmental, social and governance characteristics as identified by the index provider.

A-D

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.

Basic Attention Token

Basic Attention Token (BAT) crypto was built to improve the security, fairness, and efficiency of digital advertising through the use of blockchain technology. Users are rewarded with BAT for viewing ad content, publishers can deliver higher-impact ads and advertisers can be assured their messaging is being viewed by a willing audience. Trade BAT in USD using the BAT/USD symbol.

E-H

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.

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M-P

Margin Call

What is a Margin Call?

A margin call is a demand from a broker to a trader that additional funds must be added to the trader’s account in order to maintain their current positions. 

What would trigger a margin call?
A margin call occurs when an investor using margin (borrowed money) to trade in securities or other financial instruments, does not have enough money or equity in their account to meet the minimum margin requirement set by their broker. This can happen when the value of the securities in the account falls below a certain level, resulting in a negative balance in the margin account. A margin call can be a warning sign that the investor is taking on too much risk, and it can be a good opportunity to re-evaluate their investment strategy.

What happens if you get a margin call?
When a margin call happens, the broker will contact the investor and ask them to deposit additional funds into their account or sell some of their profiting securities to bring the account equity back above the minimum margin requirement. If the investor is unable to meet the margin call, the broker may take action to liquidate the investor's securities in order to bring the account back to a positive balance.

Do you lose money on a margin call?
A margin call itself does not necessarily mean that you will lose money, but it does indicate that you are at risk of losing money if you do not take action to meet the call. When a margin call occurs, it is a warning that your account balance has dropped below the minimum margin requirement set by your broker, and if you do not take action to bring it back above that level, your broker may take action to liquidate your securities in order to bring the account back to a positive balance.

Margin

What is a margin?

What is a margin in finance?
A margin in finance is the amount of money an investor borrows to purchase or trade securities. It is the difference between the total value of the borrowed funds and the market value of the collateral provided as security for the loan. Margin trading allows investors to buy more securities than they would otherwise be able to purchase with just their own capital.

What is margin vs profit?
Margin and profit are related but different concepts in finance and trading. 

Margin refers to the amount of money or collateral that is required to open a leveraged position, such as a margin account, which allows traders to buy securities by borrowing money from a broker. Profit, on the other hand, refers to the amount of money that is gained from a trade or investment, after all costs and expenses have been subtracted. Profit is the result of a successful trade, which is the difference between the buying and selling price.

How do I calculate margin?
There are a few different ways to calculate margin, depending on the context and the type of trade or investment. 

One of the most common ways to calculate margin is to use the following formula: 

Margin = (Value of Trade / Leverage) x 100%

Margin Trading

What is Margin Trading?

Margin trading refers to the practice of borrowing money from a broker to purchase securities. It allows traders to buy more securities than they could afford to buy with cash alone, by leveraging the securities they already own as collateral. This increases the potential returns but also increases the potential risks, as the trader is responsible for paying interest on the borrowed money and must also cover any losses. Margin trading is considered to be a high-risk strategy and is only suitable for experienced traders with a good understanding of the risks involved.

How much money do you need for margin?
The amount of money required for margin trading depends on the minimum deposit requirement set by the broker. For markets.com this is 100 of your local currency, with the exception of South Africa where it is 1000 rand. 

What level of margin is safe?
The level of margin that is considered safe depends on the trader's risk tolerance and investment goals. A lower margin level is generally considered to be safer, as it reduces the potential for large losses

Market Cap

What is Market Capitalization?

Market capitalization, commonly referred to as market cap, is a measure of a company's size and is calculated by multiplying the total number of its shares outstanding by the current market price of each share. Market cap can be used to help assess how much a company is worth in the eyes of investors.

Is high market cap good?
A high market capitalization (market cap) generally indicates that a company is well-established, has a strong financial performance, and is considered to be a reliable investment by the market. High market cap companies are often considered to be blue-chip stocks and are more stable and less risky than lower market cap companies.

However, a high market cap does not guarantee that a company will perform well in the future, it just reflects the current market's perception of the company, the stock price and the number of shares outstanding. The company may still be facing internal or external challenges, and the stock may be overvalued. Therefore, it's always important to do your own research and analysis before investing in any stock regardless of its market capitalization.

What is a good market capitalization?
A good market capitalization for an investment depends on the investor's individual preferences and goals. Generally, companies with a high market capitalization are considered to be well-established and financially stable, making them a more reliable investment. However, it is important to note that high market capitalization does not always guarantee future performance.

Is it better to have a small or large market cap?
Small-cap companies tend to be more risky but have higher growth potential. Large-cap companies are considered to be more stable but have lower growth potential. At the end of the day it will all depend on the investor's preference for risk and tolerance for profit/loss.

 

Maintenance Margin

What is a Maintenance margin (also known as variation margin)?

Maintenance Margin, or “variation margin,” is considered as the minimum amount of equity (i.e., funds) which needs to be maintained in a trader’s margin account before a margin call is issued as due to the account value being below a minimum threshold and not being able to support open margin trade positions. Margin accounts are what leveraged trades use to trade, where they can purchase securities such as stocks, bonds, or options with funds borrowed from the brokerage.

How do you avoid maintenance margin?
To avoid maintenance margin issues, traders should monitor their account closely and adjust their leverage if needed. If your maintenance margin is not maintained it will result in a margin call, which may indicate that the trader should reconsider the risk exposure of their portfolio.

Why are maintenance margins important?
Maintenance margins are important to protect against losses due to fluctuations in the market. They ensure that traders maintain adequate capital reserves and can cover any potential losses.
 

Materials Select Sector Fund

Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLB) tracks US basic materials companies within the S&P 500. This asset uses the Materials Select Sector Index as its tracking benchmark. The limited spread and niche sector mean that it is heavily concentrated. Just a few holdings make up a big part of the portfolio, and there are only 24 holdings in total.

Top holdings for the benchmark index include DowDuPont Inc, Linde Plc, Ecolab Inc and The Sherwin-Williams Co.

MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF

The iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF (DSI) seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of U.S. companies that have positive environmental, social and governance characteristics as identified by the index provider.

Q-T

Trading Alerts

What are Trading Alerts?

Trading alerts are notifications or signals that are sent to traders to inform them of potential trading opportunities or market conditions that may affect their trades. These alerts can be generated by software programs, financial analysts, or other sources, and can be delivered via email, text message, or other forms of communication. They are typically used by traders to help them make more informed trading decisions and stay up-to-date on market conditions.

How do I set up trade alerts?
To set up trade alerts, you will need to use a trading platform or software that offers the alert feature. You can set up trading alerts easily on markets.com.

Can I set an alert for a stock price?
A stock price alert is just one of the types of trade alerts you can set up through markets.com.

Technical Analysis

What is Technical Analysis?

Technical analysis is a type of financial analysis that looks at historical price movements and trading volumes to predict future price movements in the market. It involves studying trends, chart patterns, momentum indicators, and other factors to make informed decisions about trading. Technical analysis can help traders and investors gain insight into market sentiment, timing their trades for optimal returns.

Why is technical analysis important?  
Technical analysis is a critical component of successful financial and trading strategies. It helps investors understand the past performance of a security, identify current trends and anticipate future price movements. Technical analysis relies on mathematical calculations and charting techniques to evaluate securities, which can be an invaluable tool for traders to optimize returns and manage risk.

Which tool is best for technical analysis?  
There are many tools that can be used for technical analysis, and different traders may have different preferences. Some commonly used tools include:

  • Candlestick charts: These charts provide a visual representation of price movements and can be used to identify patterns and trends.
  • Moving averages: These indicators can be used to smooth out price movements and identify trends.
  • Relative strength index (RSI): This indicator compares the magnitude of recent gains to recent losses and can be used to identify overbought and oversold conditions.
  • Bollinger Bands: These indicators are used to measure volatility and identify potential buy and sell signals.

Ultimately, the best tool for technical analysis will depend on the individual trader's preferences and the market conditions they are trading in. it's important to use multiple tools and indicators to validate the signals and make better decisions.

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