Trade the major and cross currency pairs
The seven major pairs combine the US dollar with the euro, yen, pound, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand dollars and the Swiss franc. They are the most liquid markets in the world. Cross pairs such as EUR/GBP, GBP/JPY and AUD/NZD let you trade two of these currencies directly against each other. Pick a pair to see what moves it, when to trade it and how to trade it on MT5 with IST Markets.
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Choose a pair
The 7 major forex pairs
The US dollar against the other leading currencies: the deepest liquidity in forex.
EUR/USDFiber
Euro vs US dollar
Trade EUR/USD
USD/JPYGopher
US dollar vs Japanese yen
Trade USD/JPY
GBP/USDCable
British pound vs US dollar
Trade GBP/USD
AUD/USDAussie
Australian dollar vs US dollar
Trade AUD/USD
USD/CADLoonie
US dollar vs Canadian dollar
Trade USD/CAD
USD/CHFSwissie
US dollar vs Swiss franc
Trade USD/CHF
NZD/USDKiwi
New Zealand dollar vs US dollar
Trade NZD/USD
Cross pairs
10 popular cross pairs
Two leading currencies without the US dollar: trade European, Japanese and Asia-Pacific news directly against each other.
EUR/GBPChunnel
Euro vs British pound
Trade EUR/GBP
GBP/JPYGuppy
British pound vs Japanese yen
Trade GBP/JPY
EUR/JPYYuppy
Euro vs Japanese yen
Trade EUR/JPY
GBP/CHFPound–franc cross
British pound vs Swiss franc
Trade GBP/CHF
EUR/CHFEuro–Swissie
Euro vs Swiss franc
Trade EUR/CHF
GBP/AUDPound–Aussie cross
British pound vs Australian dollar
Trade GBP/AUD
EUR/AUDEuro–Aussie cross
Euro vs Australian dollar
Trade EUR/AUD
GBP/CADPound–Loonie cross
British pound vs Canadian dollar
Trade GBP/CAD
EUR/CADEuro–Loonie cross
Euro vs Canadian dollar
Trade EUR/CAD
AUD/NZDAussie–Kiwi
Australian dollar vs New Zealand dollar
Trade AUD/NZD
Compare
All pairs side by side
| Pair | Central banks | Pip value (1 lot) | Most active |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USDMajor | ECB and US Federal Reserve | $10 per standard lot (100,000 units) | London, New York |
| USD/JPYMajor | US Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan | ¥1,000 per standard lot (about $6.67 at 150.00) | Tokyo, New York |
| GBP/USDMajor | Bank of England and US Federal Reserve | $10 per standard lot (100,000 units) | London, New York |
| AUD/USDMajor | Reserve Bank of Australia and US Federal Reserve | $10 per standard lot (100,000 units) | Sydney, Tokyo, London |
| USD/CADMajor | US Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada | C$10 per standard lot (about $7.30 at 1.3700) | New York |
| USD/CHFMajor | US Federal Reserve and Swiss National Bank | CHF 10 per standard lot (about $12.50 at 0.8000) | London, New York |
| NZD/USDMajor | Reserve Bank of New Zealand and US Federal Reserve | $10 per standard lot (100,000 units) | Sydney, Tokyo |
| EUR/GBPCross | ECB and Bank of England | £10 per standard lot (about $13.00 at GBP/USD 1.3000) | London |
| GBP/JPYCross | Bank of England and Bank of Japan | ¥1,000 per standard lot (about $6.67 at USD/JPY 150.00) | Tokyo, London |
| EUR/JPYCross | ECB and Bank of Japan | ¥1,000 per standard lot (about $6.67 at USD/JPY 150.00) | Tokyo, London |
| GBP/CHFCross | Bank of England and Swiss National Bank | CHF 10 per standard lot (about $12.50 at USD/CHF 0.8000) | London |
| EUR/CHFCross | ECB and Swiss National Bank | CHF 10 per standard lot (about $12.50 at USD/CHF 0.8000) | London |
| GBP/AUDCross | Bank of England and Reserve Bank of Australia | A$10 per standard lot (about $6.50 at AUD/USD 0.6500) | Sydney, Tokyo, London |
| EUR/AUDCross | ECB and Reserve Bank of Australia | A$10 per standard lot (about $6.50 at AUD/USD 0.6500) | Sydney, Tokyo, London |
| GBP/CADCross | Bank of England and Bank of Canada | C$10 per standard lot (about $7.30 at USD/CAD 1.3700) | London, New York |
| EUR/CADCross | ECB and Bank of Canada | C$10 per standard lot (about $7.30 at USD/CAD 1.3700) | London, New York |
| AUD/NZDCross | Reserve Bank of Australia and Reserve Bank of New Zealand | NZ$10 per standard lot (about $5.90 at NZD/USD 0.5900) | Sydney, Tokyo |
Why the majors
Why most traders start here
Deep liquidity
The majors carry most of the world's forex turnover, which usually means tighter spreads.
Clear drivers
Central-bank decisions and major data releases are scheduled and widely covered.
Around the clock
Somewhere in the world a major market is open from Monday morning in Asia to Friday evening in New York.
Practise first
Try any pair on a free MT5 demo account before you trade with real money.
Risk warning: CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the major currency pairs?
The majors are the most traded pairs that include the US dollar: EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, AUD/USD, USD/CAD, USD/CHF and NZD/USD. Together they account for most of the daily turnover in the global forex market.
Which currency pair is best for beginners?
Many beginners start with EUR/USD because it has the deepest liquidity and usually the tightest spreads. Whatever pair you choose, practise on a demo account first and use a stop-loss on every trade.
What is the difference between major, minor and exotic pairs?
Majors pair the US dollar with another leading currency. Minors (crosses) pair two leading currencies without the dollar, such as EUR/GBP. Exotics pair a leading currency with an emerging-market one and usually have wider spreads.
Why trade cross pairs?
Crosses let you trade a view on two economies directly, for example Europe against the UK with EUR/GBP, without US-dollar news in the way. Some crosses, such as GBP/JPY, move more than the majors; others, such as EUR/CHF, usually move less. Spreads on crosses are generally wider than on the majors.
When is the forex market open?
Forex trades 24 hours a day, five days a week, moving from Sydney and Tokyo to London and New York. The busiest period for most majors is when London and New York are both open, roughly 12:00–16:00 GMT (16:00–20:00 UAE time).
Start trading the majors.
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