Forex Street Weblog

Save already your Work on FXstreet's Charts

Hi everyone

At IT-Finance (Prorealtime.com) charts at FXstreet.com

http://www.fxstreet.com/rates-charts/live-charts/

You can already save your lines and indicators

Just login FXstreet.com or create your membership now - top right of all pages - and then go to Live Charts Window. At the bottom of the chart you´ll see save feature.

Interactive Data's charts will be added soon to FXstreet.com and you´ll be able to save your work too if you are a member of FXstreet.com.

Again, to be a member of FXstreet.com is Free.

You just have to register yourself and that´s it

Enjoy this new feature!

Francesc

IT-Finance joins Interactive Data as FXstreet's Rates&Charts provider

Hi everyone

The office is boiling up today, everybody so busy replacing Netdania as a rates&charts software provider with Interactive Data and IT-Finance.

In a previous post on January 25th I already announced that Interactive Data would become not only our main feed provider of FX and Futures data but also a software provider through different formats as XML, java applets, flash and snapshots.

I also mentioned that we were in advanced conversations with a second software and data provider. Well, conversations ended well and we are signing up an agreement with one of the fast growing companies in the FX software field as the French company IT-Finance is.

IT-Finance is lead by Arnaud Trepat, a young entrepreneur that not only offers service to end users through their site prorealtime.com but also succesfully develops trading softwares for FX FDM's.

IT-Finance already provides FXstreet.com with a java chart applet that is the most viewed chart page on FXstreet.com

This chart will be considerably improved not just by increasing pairs disclosed from 42 to 115, but also by offering features like saving, multiple charts, news on charts, 20 indicators including Doug Schaff’s STC, and more…

IT-Finance will also provide us with java applets rates including 115 fx symbols from the Swiss market maker Realtime Forex SA.

Realtime Forex SA was established in January 2000 as Switzerland's first online market maker for foreign exchange. We at FXstreet.com have been using their feed in our Premium's desktop software for Traders Visual Chart and we now want to use it in our open web site.

With this initiative, FXstreet.com should be the first FX site – as far as I know – offering rates from an interbank feed like Interactive Data’s - with prices from HSBC, RBoS, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citibank, Deutsche Bank or UBS - and from a top European market maker like Realtime Forex SA.

You will shortly notice how charts improve and incorporate new features as months go by. This will for sure represent an important improvement in terms of quantity and quality of the data we offer.

Hope we will have a smooth launching day tomorrow and you´ll be able to appreciate that things are moving for good.

Francesc

FXstreet.com and GFT cancel their MAP relationship

Hi everyone

Effective of today, GFT and FOREXSTREET SL put a stop to their relationship on the Managed Accounts Program (MAP), run by FOREXSTREET SL.

The reasons at the origin of that split in the relationship are found in the discrepancies arising from the trading approach used in the MAP G8 FX VALUE GROWTH PROGRAM.

MAP G8 FX VALUE GROWTH PROGRAM is FOREXSTREET SL's aggressive and leveraged Program aimed at retail clients with tolerance for risk, while aiming at higher returns.

GFT found the conditions not to be on what they would consider manageable risk and considers the swings in equity far too excessive. The discrepancies led to a dispute that has ended up with the termination of the relationship.

At this moment, InterbankFX is the sole FDM offering access to both MAP's programs

Francesc

Interactive Data will replace Netdania as FXstreet's Rates&Charts provider

Hi everyone

Good news.

We are about to launch new charts and rates on FXstreet.com.

Launching date February 1st 2008

As you probably already know, FXstreet.com has been successfully working the last few years with a rates and charts software provider named Netdania.com.

Through Netdania’s XML and Java Applets, our users have been enjoying great feeds initially provided by Tenfore and later on by Interactive Data and Netdania itself.

I want to thank Netdania’s leader Stig Brylle for having been providing us good services for so many years.

We wanted to explore new opportunities so we decided to move to a new software provider that could be even two if our conversations with a second player end up succesfully.

We are now going to work only with Interactive Data. So they will become feed provider as well as software provider of FXstreet.com.

Interactive Data will put at our disposal either through XML or java applets over 1,000 symbols and advanced charts that will include features as saving artwork, benchmarking with other rates, indices and futures, wide range of indicators, news on charts and more…

Those features will be implemented from launching date February 1st 2008 to April 31st 2008.

On the other hand, we are in very advanced conversations with another provider to launch internet java charts that will also include features like saving, multiple charts, news, 20 indicators including Doug Schaff’s STC, and more…

The partner should also provide us with java applets rates including 115 fx symbols from a Swiss market maker.

With this initiative, FXstreet.com should be the first FX site – as far as I know – offering rates from an interbank feed like Interactive Data’s and from a market maker.

You will shortly notice how charts improve and incorporate new features as months go by. This will for sure represent an important improvement in terms of quantity and quality of the data we offer.

Just crossing my fingers that change will be for good and that we will soon be able to reach an agreement with the second provider.

Happy weekend

Francesc

FXstreet and KBC Bank content relationship improved

Hi everyone

Glad to let you know that KBC Bank is going to increase the number of reports it is currently publishing at FXstreet.com

We started a couple of years ago by publishing their Sunrise report. From here, the content relationship has never stopped improving through more research, webinars….

To view all reports from KBC Bank at FXstreet.com, click here

List of New reports:
- Central European Daily
- Central European Weekly
- The Commodities Report

Reports to be published soon:
-The Market Pulse
-KBC Weekly Government Bond Auction Calendar
-KBC Weekly Overview Economic Indicators

Francesc

Black Monday and Fed brought New day-highs to FXstreet.com on Tuesday

Hi everyone

I´m starting to get used to the fact that days that are bad for the financial world in general are excellent for us.

Financial turmoil across all world stock markets - except U.S markets that were closed - on Monday January 21st generated a lot of expectations about what could happen the next day in the U.S.

As you know, previsions were indicating a big drop in the U.S open and the Fed unexpectecly intervened with a 75 basic points reduction of its main interest rates.

The result of all this is that on Tuesday January 22nd the biggest crowd ever stopped by FXstreet.com.

53k unique visitors came in beating the previous high of 45,631 reached on January 8th 2008.

In terms of page views and visits, new highs were touched as well, reaching 83k visits and 220k page views. September 18th 2007 was our last record, when FXstreet.com got  68,657 visits and 209,208 page views .

January 22nd 2008 (new all-time daily highs)
83,686 Visits
53,388 Absolute Unique Visitors
220,829 Pageviews

Thank you all!

Francesc

Rob Booker: Creating and Using a Powerful Trading Plan

Hi everyone,

Maud Gilson, our LIVE manager asked me to let you all know that tomorrow we will hold Rob Booker's monthly webinar.

Topic: Creating and Using a Powerful Trading Plan

Do not miss it as the topic is relevant for you traders

Here you have below the necessary info Maud sent me to register

Francesc

Rob Booker Monthly Webinar
In this special Monthly Webinar, Rob argues that having a plan is critically important for your day to day trading -- and much less important for the "big picture". This goes against much of what we are taught as traders. In the presentation, Rob will include a description of what a trading plan can include, how a trading plan can boost your trading to a higher level, how you can keep track of your progress and implementation of your plan, and much more.

As always, our Monthly webinar is made of two parts.
Part 1 (at 14:00 GMT / 09:00 EST) is free and open to all users. You can register now here!

Topics:
* How to Share Your Plan with Others
* How to Use a Trading Plan Every Day, Week, and Month

Part 2 is reserved for Premium Users only and will start at 15:30 GMT / 10:30 EST (More info here)

Topics:
* The Essentials of a Powerful Trading Plan
* What a Trading Plan Is NOT: Common Misconceptions

To attend our webinars, the hotComm software has to be downloaded on your computer. You can do it for free from here.

Don't miss our Monthly Webinar! Rob's webinars are always very lively and interesting educational sessions!

You can watch the "Longer-term Support and Resistance Trading: Setups and Rules" previous webinars that Rob Booker held at FXstreet.com:

* Recording of the webinar held on of Jan 08 2008
* Recording of the webinar held on of Dec 11 2007
* Recording of the webinar Webinar of Tue, Nov 13 2007

Thanks to all and see you soon in our Live Section!

Fed unexpected rate cut - Attend urgent live coverage at FXstreet.com

Hi everyone

Fed cut interest rates to 3.50%, an emergency and unexpected 75 bp cut

We at FXstreet.com are running a emergency and unexpected live coverage about it

If you wish to attend, please go to

http://www.fxstreet.com/

U.S Recession?

Hi everyone

I wanted to share with you a link to the latest special coverage my people prepared today.

It is called U.S recession?

As you very well know, the financial markets are caught by fears of a US recession and a worsening of the problems in the financial sector. The coverage tries to review the most recent events that have led to this situation.

I hope you´ll like it

Francesc

Schaff Trend Cycle indicator code released on February 15th at FXstreet.com

Hi everyone

As I announced on last December 5th 2007, Doug Schaff chose FXstreet.com as the place to release the code of the Schaff Trend Cycle Indicator

The code will be released on February 15th 2008.

Also, FXstreet.com will display new charts from February 1st 2008. These will incorporate the STC indicator for the use of all visitors.

Stay tuned to FXstreet.com and this blog for more details on the release.

We are very happy to have this opportunity to release a trend indicator code that could be of much help for many traders as this is what we think FXstreet's goal is... to help traders.

Francesc

note: As my friend John Putman  pointed very well out, there are other trend cycle indicators out there that could work well for traders too. I invited John to publish his at our Forum as my content department only wants to have Doug's on our charts.
Any indicator author out there is very welcome to contact me if he wants to release propietary code as Doug is doing.

Francesc's Rocking blog.... I´m the man! :)

Hi there

Feedburner is having problems but what the heck!.... They made my day! Yes indeed!

I was very happy to have a group of around 400 subscribers to my blog through Feedburner.

For being a boring, self-promoting, bad written from a selfish so called CEO, I should have been proud of myself :)

But today Feedburner made me a present I won´t forget.... I'VE GOT 3,023 subscribers!

Oh my..... 3,000 followers... What a pressure! :)

You don't believe me? See below :)

Thanks Feedburner!

Francesc

New bill means though times for retail FDM's

Hi everyone

FranFX was so kind to send us all the link to the passed bill at the House Committee of Agriculture 

http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/Legislation/110/sbsCFTC.pdf

A quick and very interesting read

Francesc

B2B FX Event London 2008

Hi everyone,

After a very bad and busy week I had the pleasure to send belows e-mail to many of our collaborators, providers, clients and friends.

If you are a professional/company interested in this event, please do not hesitate to let me know

Francesc

Hi ----,

FXstreet.com will organize a B2B FX event in London/Barcelona in October 2008.

The idea is to offer professionals of the Forex Market (FDM's, Hedge Funds, Institutional Investors, High net worth individuals, IB's, Forex Magazines, Educational Companies, Software developers, Signal Providers, Forex Websites...) the opportunity to present their products or services (40 minutes presentations in a conference room) but also to meet other professionals of the sector, either in a common meeting room either in private assembly rooms you can book in advance.

We would like to know if:

- you are interested in attending the event and/or presenting your company's products or services

- which other professionals you would like to meet

Your comments or proposals are also very welcome. Thank you!

I hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,

Francesc

Francesc Riverola
CEO & Founder
FXstreet.com
FOREXSTREET S.L
Portaferrissa 7, 1er 2ona
Barcelona, 08002
Tel. +34 93 3040495
Fax +34 93 3040496

January 2008 should bring new highs at FXstreet.com

Hi everyone

If we consider that we will get the same audience from January 1st to January 15th than for the rest of the month, we should reach a new all-time record high at FXstreet.com.

Above all, January should represent a noteworthy increase in unique visitors (34%) as they should be almost 500,000 only for our English website.

As life is not just good news, the bad news is that we are reducing number of page views per visitor.
It seems our visitors this month are being more selective than usual and just come to visit what they want and then leave.

Most importantly I must stress the spectacular increase our Economic Calendar is experiencing. It should raise by 33%, moving from 150,000 impressions last month to around 200,000 this month.

November 2007 (All-time highs)
1,326,871 Visits
370,762 Absolute Unique Visitors
3,970,914 Pageviews
2.99 Average Pageviews
00:04:12 Time on Site

January 2008 Forecast
1,381,319 Visits
495,142 Absolute Unique Visitors
3,922,054 Pageviews
2.84 Average Pageviews
00:03:54 Time on Site

I also want to underline the quite good success our recorded webinars are having: 22,000 page views and 10,000 unique visitors last month and in January I´m expecting to beat these numbers.

Francesc

NFA's list: a shared gift :)

Hi everyone,

I took advantage that the football game I was watching --Barcelona vs Sevilla-- was at half time to write you all the post you can see just below.

Then I went to my e-mail account and there I got 5 e-mails from people sending me the same list I just published.

It seems NFA was very busy today sending the list to everyone :)

Second half starting already... I hope Barcelona wins :)

Bye

Francesc

NFA: Registered FDMs as of December 2007

Hi everyone

This won´t be anything new to you but I just got a list of registered FDM's as of December 2007 and a list of FDM's who have ceased operations since September 1, 2007.

The value of the list is that it has been sent to me by a member of the NFA.

Francesc

Registered Forex Dealer Members (as of December 21, 2007)
Advanced Markets Inc.
Bacera Corporation
Capital Market Services
CMC Markets US LLC
E FX Options LLC
Easy Forex US Ltd.
Forex Capital Markets
Forex Club Financial Company LLC
Friedberg Mercantile Group, Inc.
FX Solutions LLC
Gain Capital Group Inc.
GFS Securities and Futures, Inc.
Global Futures & Forex Ltd.
Hotspot FXr, Inc.
I Trade FX LLC
IFSCL USA, Inc.
IFX Markets, Inc.
Interbank FX, LLC
MB Trading Futures
Money Garden Corporation
Oanda Corporation
ODL Securities Inc.
Peregrine Financial Group, Inc.
RJ O'Brien Associates Inc.

Forex Dealer Members Who Have Ceased Operations Since September 1, 2007
American National Trading Corp.
Direct Forex FX
Farr Financial Group
Forex Liquidity
Hamilton Williams LLC
One World Capital Group LLC
Royal Forex Trading LLC (Freedom FX LLC)
SNC Investments, Inc.
Solid Gold Financial Services, Inc.
XpressTrade LLC

NFA: Tough times ahead....

Tough times ahead....

I´m reproducing here an e-mail I just got from one of my sources.

Things are moving and things won´t ever be the same... I think changes will be for good, but the path will be tough for everybody.

I´ll keep you posted

Francesc

"Francesc,

Both U.S. house and senate have passed the CFTC reauthorization act as an attachment to the farm bill. It should take a few weeks to reconcile the two versions of the farm bill and be sent to the president of the United States to sign. 

Even though it could die in one of these steps, odds are greater then 50% that it will pass.

The two biggest changes impacting the U.S. Forex industry will be:

1.  All IBs will be required to register with NFA and CFTC.

2.  Minimum capital requirements will jump to 20m for FDMs or any FCM offering Forex. 

Once the bill is passed the CFTC and NFA will have wide lattitude in implementing the specifics and we expect them to make it even tougher for the industry. 

The industry is now under the gun publicity wise due to the collapse of One World and FXLQ - Forex Liquidity - with customers there ending up with less then total balances. 

We expect more bad news in coming months with many of the still living marginal FCMs expected to fold and its fairly certain there are more disasters looming within the small FCM community as many share the same traits with failed FCMs of having little money for proper accounting, compliance and other essential functions."

NFA reports four forex firms ceasing operations

Hi everyone

Things are starting to move.... I´ll try to find out names and details, but here you have the latest presse release from NFA

NFA reports four forex firms have ceased operations in light of increased capital requirements

January 11, Chicago - National Futures Association (NFA) announced today that four of its Forex Dealer Members (FDMs) have ceased operations as a result of NFA's new $5 million capital requirement, which became effective on December 21. In addition, six additional FDMs have ceased operating since September 1, 2007.

"When NFA's Board of Directors adopted the increased capital requirement on August 15, 2007, NFA had 34 registered FDMs," said Regina Thoele, vice-president of Compliance. "As of December 31, 2007, that number has decreased to 24."

The four firms that were unable to meet the new capital requirement and ceased operating transferred their customer accounts to other FDMs.

"We closely monitored each of the firms to ensure that customer funds were transferred to another, fully-capitalized firm," says Thoele.

NFA is the premier independent provider of innovative and efficient regulatory programs that safeguard the integrity of the derivatives markets.

Hate FXstreet.com?.... Shoot them!

Hi everyone

If you have had enough of trading, pips and trends, here you have a small thing to get relaxed before closing your computer down.

If you hate FXstreet.com or you want to punish us.... here you have a tool to do it

http://www.netdisaster.com/goff.php?mode=gun&lang=es&sound=on&url=http://www.fxstreet.com/

I´m a guy of peace and I hate guns, so do not take this wrong :)

Francesc

ECB Live Coverage Transcript

Hi everyone

Just a quick post to tell you that if you missed our first ever live coverage of a market mover event we made today on FXstreet's home page, you can view it here:

http://transcripts.fxstreet.com/2008/01/ecb-rate-decisi.html

Francesc

Recorded Webinars Back with Rob Booker's Last Session

Hi everyone

I hope you have enjoyed the live coverage we have just made about the ECB's release.

Also, I want to share with you that we're back with our webinars recordings.

After a 2-week holiday break, FXstreet.com LIVE resumes its recordings of some educational live sessions.

The first video of 2008 is Rob Booker's "Longer-term Support and Resistance Trading: Setups and Rules" webinar which was held on Jan. 8th.

As usual, Rob holds a very lively webinar with Dave Murphy.... and this time, with music and Stevie Wonder! Don't miss it! :)

As announced, we will publish a minimum of 2 new videos every week.

Stay tuned and check regularly our Transcripts page.

And of course, you can attend our webinars everyday live! Trading strategies, Technical Analysis, Live Market Commentaries.... Interact with some of the best experts of the market and learn to be a better trader!

Go to our Live Section to discover them!

Links:
Longer-term Support and Resistance Trading: Setups and Rules
http://www.fxstreet.com/live/transcripts/
http://www.fxstreet.com/live/

ECB live coverage!

Hi everyone

Today we are going to cover ECB's interest rates decision LIVE!

That´s our first live coverage ever with Cover It Live, so we are not used yet to that tool and we can make a lot of mistakes, but temperature here is boiling and nerves are everywhere :)

If this works, we are going to cover live all main events that affects the FX market as the Non-Farm Payrolls, Fed, BoE and ECB's interest rates decision, US GDP, etc...

Follow it up at FXstreet's home page

www.fxstreet.com

Live coverage has already started... Join us now!

Announcement expected at 12:45GMT, so 15 minutes from now.

 

Francesc

FXstreet.com New all-time high

Hi everyone

Just a quick post to let you know that FXstreet.com reached a new all-time high yesterday January 8th 2008.

45,631 unique visitors came during the day of yesterday to FXstreet.com, 6,000 more visitors than our previous high of 39,646 reached September 18th 2007.

That´s good news indeed!

Francesc

Google... you are the man!

Hi everyone

I wanted to share with you all today something funny, well maybe curious is the right word to describe it.

I have already expressed my admiration for Google and how they are dominating the war of search engines. I can certainly guarantee you that Google is a winning horse as over 20% of our daily traffic comes from Google.

Today I want to stress you how disruptive Google and the other search engines have been. Search Engines are so disruptive that they have even changed the way people use their browser.

They have changed the way people surf the net!

Want to know the top 5 keywords used to find FXstreet.com on search engines?

Here they go... brace yourself:

1. fxstreet
2. fxstreet.com
3. forex
4. fx street
5. www.fxstreet.com

These are the top 5 keywords for January 7th 2008.

Funny, eh?

First keyword: fxstreet... second: fxstreet.com!

Why on earth people do not type down fxstreet.com on their browser instead of doing it on search boxes and then clicking on the link? You are doing an extra click, it doesn't make any sense!

Number five top keyword: www.fxstreet.com!

That's really something weird, isn't it?

I can't believe it :)

As I said... disruptive... very disruptive! :)

And Google is the king in the search engines world.

Conclusion: Google, you are the man!

Francesc

Ask FXWizard

Hi everyone,

FXstreet's Forum is launching a new feature that I hope will be of your interest.

The idea is that an expert will answer all your questions, from maybe what a pip is to whatever you can think of .... but of course, our expert, FXWizard, will answer questions ONLY related to FX :)

FXWizard is an experienced trader from Madrid (Spain) with almost 15 years of experience, so he got started very VERY young as he is thirtysomething.

Well, I give you my authorization to load him with questions. Let´s make him work! :)

Ask FXWizard

Francesc

Trade Non-Farm Payrolls webinar 20th Edition

Hi everyone

On Friday January 4th 2008 we will hold our monthly webinar covering the release of the Non-Farm Payrolls data with Wayne McDonell.

This webinar will be special as it is already the 20th edition.

Yes, for 20 months in a row Wayne has been performing with a high degree of success the NFP webinar.

It is by far the biggest webinar on FXstreet.com.

If you enjoy trading the news releases, you should not miss it.

Remember the webinar starts around 13:00 GMT and it is free

To register, please click here

Francesc

101 members at FXstreet's Premium

Hi everyone

With a year of delay - I was expecting to reach this number in a year period but the truth is that we needed two years - we have finally broken de 100 members strong resistance level and FXstreet's Premium reached 101 members in January 2008.

Of those 101 members, 56 are paid members, while the others 45 are free members that placed FXstreet.com as their referral agent when opening their trading account with FXCM US, FXCM UK, GFT US - soon we will have GFT UK -, FX Solutions, ACM, InterbankFX, Forex.com, MG Forex and MF Global UK, and generated rebates worth at least $150 - 15 lots traded in a standard account, 150 lots in a mini account.

Well... I´m very happy of having beaten such resistance level and I now hope it will become a strong support level that will drive Premium to overcome 200 members before July 1st 2008.

Let´s see if this time I´m right with my forecasts :)

Francesc

Oil hits $100... Finally he made it!

Hi everyone

Just reviewing the latest news before going to bath my children when I saw that Oil has finally hit $100/bbl.

I´m not an expert about oil nor FX as you all very well know, but I´m very bearish on cheap oil. I think the cheap oil era ended long time ago to not be back ever again.

As you can see from the news I took from MarketWatch, this time is Nigeria's situation that is raising concerns on supply.

A supply concern era is hear to stay, today is Nigeria, tomorrow will be China's big demand and the other will be you name it. Also, I think speculators are keen to push it up, so we will see it reaching new highs for sure.

Oil hits $100 on supply concerns, Nigeria violence - MarketWatch

Fortunatelly, I found a news from Houston Chronicle where some experts says complete opposite than me and they assure that tipping point that will pierce oil and gasoline demand are not far away


Experts expect oil, gasoline prices soon will reach ‘tipping points’ - Houston Chronicle

I´ll be delighted to be convinced that I´m wrong, so do not hesitate to share your opinion with me here

Francesc

December's Traffic Figures at FXstreet.com... could they have been better?

Hi everyone

Happy new year to all of you!

I wish you a very healthy and prosperous 2008 for you, family and friends. Of course, I wish you all a very good year when trading FX... May the force be with you!

FXstreet.com had a quite good performance in December 2007.

Of course we didn´t touch any new all-time high as we did in October and November, but numbers were pretty good.

No idea if they could have been better... but I do know I can´t complain. The biggest drop was in page views, a lost of 18% versus previous month, while unique visitors and visits lost 15%.

We will see what January and February 2008 will bring us.

Also, remain tuned to FXstreet.com because the first quarter of 2008 will be a quarter of big changes and improvements that I hope you´ll really enjoy. Those improvements/changes should have to have a big impact in our traffic numbers, so I´ll keep my fingers crossed :)

October 2007
1,316,167 Visits
377,545 Absolute Unique Visitors
3,951,017 Pageviews
3.00 Average Pageviews
00:04:11 Time on Site

November 2007
1,326,871 Visits
370,762 Absolute Unique Visitors
3,970,914 Pageviews
2.99 Average Pageviews
00:04:12 Time on Site

December 2007
1,111,756 Visits
317,121 Absolute Unique Visitors
3,283,697 Pageviews
2.95 Average Pageviews
00:04:10 Time on Site

Remember that the traffic data offered here is for FXstreet's English web site, so Spanish and Chinese numbers are not counted. Also, blogs, ITC's web site and MAP web site traffic is excluded.

Francesc