Market Analysis

Office Products Market Research

The office products market is a very extensive sector composed of specialised niche market segments like paper and stationery, filing products, computer accessories, business machines and general office products. It has also grown through the years by expanding into the non-niche market segments particularly in printing and copying services, office furniture, office appliances and the arts and crafts sector.

In Australia, it is a very lucrative industry as it accounts about A$11.8 billion in revenue as of June 2008, including $A7.5 billion in its core office products market. However, the office products market is on a 2.9% decline in 2009 and expected to decline by 6% by the end of the calendar year. Overall, the global financial crisis has adversely affected the industry’s business situation including niche market segments as well. Market researchers agree that the current business landscape is different as compared with other sectors and so different strategies are required for the office products industry to operate successfully. Despite the discouraging economic indicators, industry officials are still optimistic and hopeful that they can weather the economic crunch.

The office products market has evolved and now venturing into other sectors particularly in the printing industry. By following the printing industry trends, the industry has collaborated with print providers and commercial retailers to answer the growing need for outsourced and in-house printing. In this collaborative set-up, both parties are ensuring constant income flow and realise their business goals.

Many businesses in the office products market have recently expanded into related market segments like copy centres, which facilitate the creation and printing of business collateral such as business cards and stationery, plus printing and binding of high-quality, high-volume business and engineering documents. As a result, some businesses can compensate their losses on non-peak months. On the other hand, the so-called “Back to School” sales and associated promotions generate needed boost to the businesses. In Australia, the office products market usually held their advertising and marketing campaigns in January.

Market researchers contend that well-run businesses will capitalise on the difficult market conditions by acquiring weak competitors while some will react to market conditions by increasing their market activity, reducing costs, and purging the number of brands. In this way, bigger companies get stronger as they acquire new market and customers.

With this challenging situation brought about by competitive marketing environment and growing operations costs, market research has become a critical component in the success of the office products market. It is interesting to point out that businesses who want to be ahead of the competition by knowing crucial information particularly on market behaviour and new printing industry trends have contracted professional market research firms to help them determine important market indicators like market trends, consumer satisfaction, market growth, brand analysis, and market forecasts and predictions.

No wonder knowing these important market indicators play a crucial role in how businesses in the office products industry do their business. Market research is an important ingredient to business success in this highly volatile market environment

Forex Trading Articles

How to Trade CFDs

The term CFDs simply stands for contracts for difference. The ‘difference’ referred to means that between the buying price, the ‘offer price’ and the selling price or ‘bid price’ of a particular contract.

The value of the contract is based directly on the value of the underlying asset. You are, however, not buying the actual asset. If you buy a CFD on gold, for example, you are not actually buying gold, instead, you are speculating on the price of gold.

A CFD broker will pay you the difference between the price you bought the market at, the ‘offer price’ and the price you eventually sell the market, the bid price. If you should buy a CFD based on the price of one ounce of gold and sell it again immediately, you will lose the difference between the offer price and the bid price, which is part of the broker’s commission. Also be aware that some brokers will add fees each time you buy or sell a trade.

As the day goes by, the bid price might exceed the original offer price you paid, in which case the difference will be your profit. The reverse is true if the price moves against you; you will lose the initial difference between the offer price and the bid price plus the amount by which the price of the asset dropped.

Only buy a CFD if you are convinced the price of the commodity, equity or currency will increase. Since interest must be paid on your open position at the end of the day, many traders prefer to terminate all their trades before the market closes.

Since you are trading on the price of the underlying asset, you can use both technical and fundamental analysis to try and determine whether the price will move up or down. If you believe it will increase, enter into a long position; if you believe it will fall, take a short position.

There are some differences between long and short positions with CFDs. On long positions, you pay interest and receive any declared dividends, every day. On short positions, you must pay any declared dividends, but you receive interest on your open balance.

Since the value of a CFD closely reflects the value of the underlying share, commodity or currency, you can treat it in much the same way as if trading in the actual underlying asset.

The difference is that CFDs are leveraged instruments. You could trade with much more money than you actually possess, since you only have to pay a deposit, usually between 14% and 35% of the total. For example, with a deposit of 14,000 you could expose yourself to profits and losses on a total amount of 100,000.

Purchasing CFDs worth 100,000 would mean a deposit of 14,000 and you could potentially double your initial ‘investment’ if the price of the asset increased by 14%. You would make 14% profit, which equals 100% on the amount you actually invested.

The reverse is also true; if the price dropped by 14%, you would lose your entire 14,000 investment. To protect yourself against such a scenario, decide how much you are prepared to lose and set a stop loss at that level. Never put all your eggs in one basket, have a diverse portfolio and never risk more than what you can afford to lose on a single trade.

Like the risk warnings tell you CFDs trading is a leveraged investment product, it involves a high degree of risk to your capital and you can incur losses that exceed your investment. Please ensure that it matches your trading objectives as it may not be appropriate for all classes of investor. Ensure that you only trade CFDs with capital that you can afford to lose. Before trading, ensure that you are fully aware of the risks involved and obtain independent financial advice if appropriate.

Forex Trading Articles

Markets And Forex

When it comes to the forex trade, what you have is something extremely exhausting. If you want to learn about how the forex market operates then this article is something that you should read. There are plenty of elements that come into play in the forex market from the spreads to the pricing to the liquidity. In order for you to gain a profit from the forex market, what is necessary is for you to look for the best price. You place an order and just before it is executed there is a deterioration in the price, what you have is slippage. It is often said to be non-existent because of the trillions of dollars of daily volume traded. It is the lack of liquidity at key price levels that leads to the onset of slippage in the forex market.

There is an absence of slippage in other listed equity and futures markets and this is because of how access if provided to the participants when it comes to the liquidity pool. Via spreads and undisclosed volume numbers, slippage in the forex market is hidden and this is because of the fact that the transactions are not displayed for the participants to see. Minimizing slippage depends on the participation of the correct bank or broker in the transactions.

Trading normally happens on an exchange but this is not the case for the forex market which is part of the interbank market. Here, two main electronic broking systems are working to satisfy the trading needs of the interbank market which is primarily composed of large commercial and investment banks. Here is where a direct telephone based system is also used to supplement the computer systems.

Banks can conduct transactions by electronic means in the forex trade considering how there are private systems that come into play here. Here is where the official interbank rates are applied and these are the exchange rates that other traders do not get to enjoy.

It is forex liquidity that is known as the total amount of currency that is part of the trade. Buying or selling is normally done by brokers and traders after this information is obtained. Besides this, the time of the day, important support and resistance levels, and news flow announcements are also important considerations that should be made.

In this market, there are those who try their luck and trade in multiple positions and when this happens, it is important for the traders to familiarize themselves with the net exposures for each currency. In addition, you can often close your multiple exposures in a single trade if the net position is known, saving you paying the spread twice. This allows you the opportunity to react in accordance with market movements.

Before you make any decisions here, do consider several technical analysis techniques. You will not go wrong when you consider automating your trading strategy as it makes trading much more effective. Do consider automated systems of trading.

Trading will become more efficient when this system is in play. The system allows traders to see if their ideas can generate profits. You get to see whether or not your decisions will be profitable in the end.

General Investing

Making Money Investing in Silver And Gold

Investing in precious metals has always proved to be profitable financially as they showed great appreciation over a period of time and also offered security to the investor’s capital even during the most volatile times that hit the markets. The same holds very much valid for silver and gold. If the investor has a long term perspective and has an eye to invest in precious metals, silver investing and gold investing seem to pay off the maximum returns. A closer look at the past performances of these two metals would only elucidate and reaffirm the fact that they have paid off the investor lucrative profits over their investment.

Silver and gold have reached unimaginable peaks and all those who have invested in these two metals even during the beginning of this year are thoroughly rewarded with great returns. APMEX, the American Precious Metals Exchange gives the investors to trade in precious metals and a whole range of 3500 high demand and high value products round the clock and that too seven days in a week.

APMEX is a highly reliable online provider that gives the investor an opportunity to seriously consider gold investing and silver investing. Gold and silver are available in the form of gold bars and silver bars in different denominations. The Better Business Bureau has accredited APMEX with an ‘A+’ rating and also has given it the power to buy precious metals straight from the United States Mint.

The financial imbroglio that exists in the world markets today has spurred off such demand for the precious metals and many investors are open to buy a gold bar or a silver bar rather than invest in the volatile stock markets. APMEX gives you an opportunity to buy gold and silver at even more attractive prices through coupons, coupon codes and promo codes that it offers at regular intervals of time thereby saving more money while investing yet drawing the same profits when the metal appreciates.

Given the current global financial and economic situation, silver investing and gold investing through a trusted partner like APMEX is found to be a good proposition.

Forex Trading Articles

Open a Forex Demo Account to Get Ready For Challenges Ahead

When it comes to acquiring knowledge of how to trade in the forex market, the majority of beginners find it a highly complicated affair. A forex demo account can eliminate the pressure by creating an environment similar to the market with no spending of real money. This way, a novel trader in this business can achieve valuable insight and assurance, and subsequently make use of the experience earned in demos for live trading with real money.

Similar to any service program, there are both positive and negative aspects of using a demo forex account. First of all, the major positive point is studying how to trade and how to utilize the trading platform itself. A demo gets you acquainted with the fundamentals of trading. For instance, you can be taught how to execute a trade, make the trade, and carry out the trade. In the second place, you can have a specific, even though simulated, feel of the FX market itself and forecast the probabilities of profits against losses.

On the flip side, there are negative aspects of a forex demo account. To begin with, there is little pressure to handle, so you will be less motivated to invest money in the best possible manner. Secondly, the simulated abilities may deliver a fake notion of security in foreign exchange trading, and may not get converted to profits in real trades. In the third place, the quotes you receive in demos may change significantly as soon as the live trading commences. Though there are certain disadvantages, the advantages you gain in a demo forex account outnumber the possible risks.

As far as the features are concerned, demo accounts are very much the same as live accounts. The only exception is the use of virtual money instead of real money. To be able to use a forex demo, a novice has to visit the internet first, open a demo account, and subsequently make use of the suitable software. While using the software program, he/she comes across the value of diverse currencies and afterward attempts to make a forecast concerning a particular one, such as the USD or the United States dollar.

If you think that a different currency will come down compared to the USD, then you can carry on trading for that currency with the USD and sell it when the value gets elevated, thereby making a profit in the end. As a trader, your goal must be to buy low and sell high, which is the bedrock of the trading process.

Having a clear knowledge of the demo forex account will allow you to get the feel of the market and continuous practice will make you ready for the real battle. The subsequent challenge is to possess adequate funds and persistence for trading, so as to gain marginal profits frequently that rise and fall everyday.