What are the major and minor currency pairs?
All forex major pairs include the US dollar. If you pair one major trading currency against another and neither are US dollars, this is a “minor trading pair.” An example of this would be a pair between then Swiss Franc and the Euro.
The major currency pairs on the forex market are the EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and USD/CHF. The four major currency pairs are some of the most actively traded pairs in the world, along with the so-called commodity currency pairs: USD/CAD, AUD/USD, and NZD/USD.
Symbol | Price | Change % |
---|---|---|
EURUSD | 1.06526 | +0.09% |
USDJPY | 154.562 | −0.02% |
GBPUSD | 1.2370 | −0.54% |
AUDUSD | 0.64160 | −0.08% |
The major currencies and their designation in the foreign exchange market are the US dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), Japanese yen (JPY), British pound (GBP), Australian dollar (AUD), Canadian dollar (CAD), and the Swiss franc (CHF).
A minor currency pair is a pair of currencies from large, strong economies that do not include the US Dollar. The most popular and most traded minor currency pairs include the Pound, the Euro, and the Yen because, besides the US Dollar, these are the three most traded currencies.
Minor currency pairs, also known as cross currency pairs, are pairs that do not include the U.S. dollar, but do include at least one of the world's other three major currencies. That is to say that the Japanese yen, British pound or the euro are at least one, if not both of the currencies included in the pair.
- The euro and US dollar: EUR/USD.
- The US dollar and Japanese yen: USD/JPY.
- The British pound sterling and US dollar: GBP/USD.
- The US dollar and Swiss franc: USD/CHF.
- The Australian dollar and US dollar: AUD/USD.
- The US dollar and Canadian dollar: USD/CAD.
- The New Zealand dollar and US dollar: NZD/USD.
Currencies in the pair | Nickname | |
---|---|---|
EUR/USD | Euro and US dollar | Fiber |
USD/JPY | US dollar and Japanese yen | Gopher |
GBP/USD | British pound and US dollar | Cable |
USD/CHF | US dollar and Swiss franc | Swissie |
Major currency pairs (“majors”) are those that include the U.S. dollar and are the most frequently traded. There are seven of them: EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, USD/CAD, USD/CHF, AUD/USD, and NZD/USD.
- What Are Currency Pairs?
- Forex Trades.
- EUR/USD: Trading the "Fiber"
- USD/JPY: Trading the "Gopher"
- GBP/USD: Trading the "Cable"
- USD/CNY: Trading the Yuan.
- USD/CAD: Trading the "Loonie"
- AUD/USD: Trading the "Aussie"
How much is $1 USD to?
US Dollar | 1.00 USD | inv. 1.00 USD |
---|---|---|
Euro | 0.937894 | 1.066219 |
British Pound | 0.808472 | 1.236902 |
Indian Rupee | 83.384587 | 0.011993 |
Australian Dollar | 1.558864 | 0.641493 |
Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
The Kuwaiti dinar is the strongest currency in the world with 1 Kuwaiti dinar buying 3.25 US dollars (or, put another way, US$1 equals 0.31 Kuwaiti dinars). Kuwait is located between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, earning much of its wealth from being a leading global exporter of oil.
While there are many pairs you could trade for most traders, it is best to stick to one to five pairs and become an expert. There is always a temptation to change markets when making losses. Other forex pairs can appear to have stronger trends, higher volatility, and easier-to-make profits.
The U.S. dollar is the home denomination of the world's largest economy, sometimes referred to as the greenback.
Minor currency pairs:
EUR/GBP - Euro/British Pound. EUR/AUD - Euro/Australian Dollar. GBP/JPY - British Pound/Japanese Yen. AUD/JPY - Australian Dollar/Japanese Yen.
Major vs minor support and resistance levels
Minor levels will temporarily delay rising or falling prices within a larger trend, while major ones could stop and reverse a trend altogether. The more times a market bounces off a support or resistance level, the stronger it is seen as being.
- EUR/USD (Euro/US Dollar)
- USD/JPY (US Dollar/Japanese Yen)
- GBP/USD (British Pound/US Dollar)
- USD/CHF (US Dollar/Swiss Franc)
- USD/CAD (US Dollar/Canadian Dollar)
- AUD/USD (Australian Dollar/US Dollar)
- NZD/USD (New Zealand Dollar/US Dollar) EUR Pairs.
- EUR/JPY (Euro/Japanese Yen)
The price of a currency pair is how much one unit of the base currency is worth in the quote currency. For example, for the currency “EUR/USD”, EUR is the base currency and USD is the quote currency. If EUR/USD is trading at 1.0950, then one euro is worth 1.0950 U.S. dollars.
A currency is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general definition is that a currency is a system of money in common use within a specific environment over time, especially for people in a nation state.
The base currency is always equal to one unit, and the value of the quote currency is expressed in relation to the base currency. For example, if the USD/EUR exchange rate is 1.20, it means that one euro is worth 1.20 US dollars.
Which currency pair is most traded?
Most popular forex pairs for beginners
The United States dollar (USD) is the most commonly traded currency in the world, and therefore most major forex pairs include the USD as the base or quote currency.
- EUR/USD (Euro/US dollar)
- USD/JPY (US dollar/Japanese yen)
- GBP/USD (British pound/US dollar)
- AUD/USD (Australian dollar/US dollar)
- USD/CHF (US dollar/Swiss franc)
- USD/CAD (US dollar/Canadian dollar)
Beginners might find the AUD/USD pair to be an excellent choice, since it is more predictable and less likely to spike or drop suddenly. In many studies, this pair has also been cited as one of the least volatile. In conclusion, the best currency pairs to trade for beginners are EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY.
Minor currency pairs in forex
Minor pairs include the major currencies which don't include the US Dollar. The most traded minor pairs include the Euro, Japanese Yen, and British Pound.
- EUR/CAD. ...
- EUR/AUD. ...
- EUR/JPY. ...
- EUR/CHF. ...
- EUR/GBP. ...
- GBP/JPY. ...
- GBP/CAD. ...
- EUR/TRY.