Currency | Notes
An exchange rate is the current market price for which one currency can be exchanged for another. For instance, if the Euro exchange rate for the United States Dollar stands at 1.3, this means that 1 euro can be exchanged for 1.3 U.S. dollars. Because exchange rates play such an important role in a country's competiveness level, currency exchange rates are among the most analysed and forecasted indicators in the world. The exchange rate is determined by the level of supply and demand on the international markets. However, changes in foreign exchange market rates are often difficult to understand and to predict because the market is very large and volatile. In fact, the currency markets are the most liquid in the world with a daily turnover of close to $2 trillion, which compares to $500 billion for the US government bond market and $70 billion on the New York Stock Exchange.