But it was the bank’s largest rate hike since 2007, and currency traders took note of the implications. These trades offer a way to earn regular returns in stable market conditions. However, these opportunities rely on the stability of interest rates and currency values. Carry trades often involve the use of leverage, which means borrowing more money than you own to amplify potential gains.

However, if the exchange rate fluctuated positively, such that the TRY appreciated by 10%, the trader’s return would be 17% (7% + 10%) or $1,700 profit. On the other hand, if the TRY depreciated by 10%, the return would be -3% (7% – 10%) or $300 loss. The currency pairs with the best conditions for using the carry trading method tend to be very volatile. Nervous markets can have a fast and heavy effect on currency pairs considered to be “carry pairs.” Without proper risk management, traders can be drained by a surprising and brutal turn.

Borrowing cheaply to buy high-yielding assets is popular, but risky

1. A retail investor may decide to take the cash advance and invest in an asset with a higher yield for as long the 0% interest rate on the cash advance lasts.
2. The 2024 market correction triggered by the unwinding of yen-related carry trades was not unprecedented.
3. In a carry trade, a trader profits from the difference in two countries’ interest rates, as long as the exchange rate between the currencies does not change significantly.
4. With that borrowed money, you turn around and purchase a $10,000 bond that pays 5% a year.

On the contrary, when the return from a carry trade is positive (carry trade profit), the trade could be referred to as a positive carry trade. Let’s say that a Forex trader notices that the Turkish lira offers a 7% interest rate, but at the same time, the Fed lowered the interest rate to 0.0% to stimulate the U.S. economy. This trader can decide to go long on the Turkish lira (TRY) against what are the various forex trading strategies the U.S. dollar (USD), so he sells the USD/TRY pair. If the exchange rate between the dollar and lira remains the same for the entire year, the trader makes 7% in profit from the interest. Assuming he bets $10,000 in the market, selling 0.1 lot of USD/TRY without any leverage, he earns the 7% profit or $700.

In this case, the investor loses 11% on the carry trade, instead of making a profit of 9% as intended. For years, investors had borrowed in Japanese yen (JPY) at near-zero interest rates to invest in higher-yielding currencies. This strategy worked well as long as Japan maintained its extremely low interest rates. Carry trading is one of the most simple strategies for currency trading that exists. A carry trade occurs when you buy a high-interest currency against a low-interest currency. For each day that you hold that trade, your broker will pay you the interest difference between the two currencies, as long as you are trading in the interest-positive direction.

Currency Carry Trade: Definition as Trading Strategy and Example

Those concerns soared on July 31, when the Bank of Japan raised interest rates from 0.1% to 0.25%. Founded in 1993, The Motley Fool is a financial services company dedicated to making the world smarter, happier, and richer. The Motley Fool reaches millions of people every month through our premium investing solutions, free guidance and market analysis on Fool.com, top-rated podcasts, and non-profit The Motley Fool Foundation. It’s a way for investors to earn passive income from interest payments while also potentially benefiting from favorable currency movements. We introduce people to the world of trading currencies, both fiat and crypto, through our non-drowsy educational content and tools. We’re also a community of traders that support each other on our daily trading journey.

Currency Carry Trade Example

The already struggling USD/JPY pair plunged from around 155 to under 142 in a matter of days in a cascade of liquidations. Traders closing their positions created additional pressure on the dollar, forcing even more international council of air shows traders to liquidate. ETF shares are bought and sold through exchange trading at market price (not NAV), and are not individually redeemed from the fund. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV in the secondary market.

What is a Currency Carry Trade?

People entering the carry trade will further help push up the value of the currency pair. Similarly, beginner’s guide to currency trading these trades work well during times of low volatility since traders are willing to take on more risk. As long as the currency’s value doesn’t fall—even if it doesn’t move much, or at all—traders will still be able to get paid by collecting the interest rate differential. In a carry trade, a trader profits from the difference in the interest rates of the two countries, as long as the exchange rate between the currencies does not change significantly. Many professional traders use this trade because leverage allows them to magnify the potential gains.

In a carry trade, the potential gains from the interest-rate differential can be eroded by appreciation of the lower-yielding currency. It appears that many investors are now unwinding their carry trade positions as the yen appreciates while the interest-rate spread narrows. Federal Reserve begin easing in September, this would further narrow the interest-rate differential. Hence, traders aim to gain not just from the interest rate differences but from any deviation between the actual exchange rate movement and what the forward rates predicted. This complexity makes carry trades potentially lucrative and inherently risky, especially since when these markets shift, they do so rapidly.