Forex Trading - U.S. Dollar Index

The U.S. dollar index measures the value of U.S. dollars in comparison to six other major currencies-euro, yen, British pound sterling, Canadian dollar, Swedish krona, and Swiss franc. In forex trading, this is measured by the weighted geometric mean of the U.S. dollar against the six global currencies. The index is updated twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The U.S. dollar index serves as the general assessment of the value of the U.S. dollar.

The U.S. dollar index was invented back in March 1973 to replace the Bretton Woods system. That period was chosen as the zero point because it was significant in the history of forex options trading market. This implies that during the time most currency trading nations were quoted freely against one another. It was agreed upon in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington and was considered by market theorists as a victory against the Bretton Woods system that promotes the collapsed fixed rate invented 25 years ago.

The U.S. dollar index is now used as an indicator in forex trading by most speculators who uses currency pairs that involves the U.S. dollar. Besides, the forex market is all about the highs and lows of the U.S. dollars. Taking into account the value of the American greenback by using U.S. dollar index is a good signal to the trader as to when to enter a trade. This shall be an addition to the growing knowledge of traders when it comes to the ins and outs of the financial market.