Is the foreign exchange market efficient? The answer lies in the informational efficiency of the exchange rate. An efficient market fully reflects all of the information, including the value of the domestic currency. No market participant can earn abnormal returns by exploiting this known information. That is why the FX markets in the United States and Europe are more than 90% efficient. Asian and African markets, however, are much less effective.
A global marketplace
The foreign exchange market is a global marketplace where participants buy and sell currencies. The currency market includes Spot, Futures, Forwards, and Options markets. In this market, investors can purchase and sell foreign currencies, speculate on their value, and earn profits. The participants in the foreign exchange market include commercial firms, central banks, investment management firms, hedge funds, retail forex dealers, and individual investors.
Importers and exporters
The foreign exchange market is an intermediary between importers and exporters. It functions as a creditor, providing short-term loans to importers. But unlike the traditional financial market, the FX market has fewer rules and fewer regulations. Because of this, the FX market is more efficient than the other markets. Nevertheless, the FX market is less transparent and has higher transaction costs than the stock market
