Forex Pair Characteristics Cheat Sheet
Your complete reference guide to major, minor, and exotic currency pairs with trading characteristics, volatility patterns, and optimal trading times.
Major Pairs
High liquidity, tight spreads
Minor Pairs
Cross currencies, moderate spreads
Exotic Pairs
Higher spreads, lower liquidity
Commodity Pairs
Resource-dependent economies
Major Currency Pairs
| Pair | Nickname | Avg Daily Range | Spread | Best Trading Time | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Euro | 70-90 pips | 1-2 pips | London/NY Overlap | Most liquid, predictable trends, ECB/Fed sensitive |
| GBP/USD | Cable | 100-150 pips | 1-3 pips | London Session | High volatility, Brexit sensitive, sharp reversals |
| USD/JPY | Gopher | 60-80 pips | 1-2 pips | Tokyo/London | BoJ intervention risk, carry trade favorite |
| USD/CHF | Swissie | 50-70 pips | 2-3 pips | London Session | Safe haven, SNB intervention, low volatility |
| AUD/USD | Aussie | 80-120 pips | 2-4 pips | Sydney/Tokyo | Commodity sensitive, China correlation, RBA policy |
| USD/CAD | Loonie | 70-100 pips | 2-4 pips | NY Session | Oil correlation, BoC policy, North American trade |
| NZD/USD | Kiwi | 80-120 pips | 3-5 pips | Sydney/Tokyo | Dairy prices, RBNZ policy, risk sentiment |
Minor Currency Pairs (Cross Pairs)
EUR Crosses
| EUR/GBP | 60-90 pips | Brexit sensitive, ECB/BoE divergence |
| EUR/JPY | 80-120 pips | Risk sentiment, carry trade popular |
| EUR/CHF | 40-60 pips | SNB floor history, low volatility |
| EUR/AUD | 90-130 pips | Commodity correlation, RBA/ECB policy |
| EUR/CAD | 80-110 pips | Oil prices, BoC/ECB meetings |
GBP Crosses
| GBP/JPY | 120-180 pips | Highest volatility cross, sharp moves |
| GBP/CHF | 80-120 pips | Safe haven vs risk, Brexit impact |
| GBP/AUD | 100-150 pips | Commodity sensitive, high volatility |
| GBP/CAD | 110-160 pips | Oil correlation, Commonwealth ties |
| GBP/NZD | 120-180 pips | Very volatile, dairy/Brexit sensitive |
Exotic Currency Pairs
Emerging Markets
Characteristics: High volatility, wide spreads (5-20 pips), political sensitivity
Scandinavian
Characteristics: Oil correlation (NOK), moderate spreads (3-8 pips)
Asian Exotics
Characteristics: Trade sensitive, managed floats, Asia session active
Optimal Trading Sessions
π Asian Session
Time: 23:00-08:00 GMT
Best Pairs:
- β’ USD/JPY - Main focus
- β’ AUD/USD - Sydney open
- β’ NZD/USD - Wellington open
- β’ Asian exotic pairs
ποΈ London Session
Time: 08:00-17:00 GMT
Best Pairs:
- β’ EUR/USD - Highest volume
- β’ GBP/USD - Most volatile
- β’ EUR/GBP - Pure European
- β’ All EUR & GBP crosses
π½ New York Session
Time: 13:00-22:00 GMT
Best Pairs:
- β’ USD/CAD - North American
- β’ USD/MXN - Regional pair
- β’ Major USD pairs
- β’ Commodity currencies
Risk Management by Pair Type
β Lower Risk Pairs
- β’ EUR/USD: 1-2% risk per trade
- β’ USD/CHF: 1-2% risk per trade
- β’ USD/JPY: 1-2.5% risk per trade
- β’ Characteristics: Predictable, liquid, tight spreads
β οΈ Higher Risk Pairs
- β’ GBP/JPY: 0.5-1% risk per trade
- β’ Exotic pairs: 0.25-0.5% risk per trade
- β’ Emerging markets: 0.1-0.25% risk per trade
- β’ Characteristics: Volatile, wide spreads, unpredictable
π Quick Reference Legend
Spread Categories:
π’ Low: 1-3 pips
π‘ Medium: 3-8 pips
π΄ High: 8+ pips
Volatility Levels:
π Low: 50-80 pips
π Medium: 80-120 pips
π High: 120+ pips
Key Influences:
β’ Central Bank Policies (ECB, Fed, BoJ, etc.)
β’ Economic Data Releases (GDP, CPI, NFP)
β’ Geopolitical Events & Commodity Prices