Learn the Markets
A plain-English primer on the main markets people trade — what each one is, and how it's actually traded. Educational only; not financial advice.
Forex (FX)
The foreign-exchange market — trading one currency against another (e.g. EUR/USD). It's the largest, most liquid market in the world, open 24 hours a day, five days a week.
You trade currency PAIRS: buying one currency while selling the other. Prices move in tiny increments (pips). It's traded almost entirely with leverage through brokers, mostly via CFDs or spot FX — you never take delivery of the currency.
Stocks (Equities)
Shares of ownership in a public company. Owning a share means owning a small piece of that business.
Bought and sold on exchanges (NYSE, Nasdaq, LSE) during market hours. You can own shares outright (and may receive dividends), or trade their price movement with CFDs/derivatives. Prop-firm and retail traders often trade the most liquid large-caps and ETFs.
Commodities
Physical raw materials — metals, energy, and agricultural goods. Split into 'hard' (mined/extracted, like gold and oil) and 'soft' (grown, like wheat and coffee).
Traded mainly through futures contracts (an agreement to buy/sell at a set price and date), plus CFDs and ETFs that track the price. Most speculators close out before delivery — they trade the price, not the barrels.
Indices
A basket that measures the performance of a group of stocks — a single number representing a whole market or sector. Trading an index is a bet on the broad market rather than one company.
You can't buy an index directly; you trade it via index futures, CFDs, or index-tracking ETFs. Popular with traders because one instrument gives broad exposure and deep liquidity.
Cryptocurrencies
Digital assets that run on blockchain networks, traded 24/7 with no central exchange. Highly volatile.
Bought/sold on crypto exchanges (spot), or traded with leverage via CFDs and perpetual futures. Volatility is far higher than traditional markets — risk management matters more, not less.
Bonds & Rates
Debt instruments — a loan to a government or company that pays interest. Government-bond yields underpin the price of almost everything else.
Traded directly or, for most speculators, via futures and ETFs on bond prices or interest-rate expectations. Often used to gauge risk sentiment ('risk-on' vs 'risk-off').
Concepts that apply across all markets
Trading a large position with a small deposit. It magnifies both gains AND losses — you can lose more than you put in. The single biggest risk for new traders.
Long = profit if price rises. Short = profit if price falls. Derivatives (CFDs, futures) let you do both.
The spread is the gap between buy and sell price — your cost to enter. Liquid markets have tight spreads; thin ones cost more.
Position sizing and stop-losses decide survival. Most who blow accounts do so through risk, not bad entries.
📚 Recommended reading
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This primer is general educational information, not financial advice or a recommendation to trade any market or product. Leveraged trading carries a high risk of loss. Consider your circumstances and seek licensed advice if unsure. Trade at your own risk.