Arbitrage:
Some people call âArbitrageâ as a risk free strategy. But other people call it as a trick which looks like the cat pawing chestnuts from a fire. But in theory, its risk is minimum in deed. We introduce three types of arbitrage strategies here:
1, Triangle Arbitrage: Searching for two highly fast-moving pairs (like EUR/USD and USD/JPY), the price of a not-so-fast moving pair like EURJPY should always be derived by multiplying (or dividing, etc) the fast-moving pairs. So for example, if EUR/USD is 1.4871 and USD/JPY is 108.24, the logical price of EUR/JPY should be 1.2 x 120 = 160.96. But at the same time, the real EUR/JPY rate is 160.90. The slower moving pair lags behind the logical price, then profit opportunity comes.
In practice currencies are quoted with a bid ask spread, so a trader should be careful that he is actually buying at the quoted ask price, and selling at the quoted bid price. Other transaction costs, such as commissions, might also invalidate the apparent free lunch.
More pairs:
AUD/CAD CAD/JPY AUD/JPY
AUD/CAD GBP/CAD GBP/AUD
AUD/CAD USD/CAD AUD/USD
AUD/CHF CHF/JPY AUD/JPY
AUD/CHF GBP/CHF GBP/AUD
AUD/CHF USD/CHF AUD/USD
AUD/JPY EUR/JPY EUR/AUD
AUD/JPY GBP/JPY GBP/AUD
AUD/JPY USD/JPY AUD/USD
AUD/USD GBP/USD GBP/AUD
AUD/USD USD/CAD AUD/CAD
AUD/USD USD/CHF AUD/CHF
AUD/USD USD/JPY AUD/JPY
CAD/JPY EUR/JPY EUR/CAD
CAD/JPY GBP/JPY GBP/CAD
CAD/JPY USD/JPY USD/CAD
CHF/JPY EUR/JPY EUR/CHF
CHF/JPY GBP/JPY GBP/CHF
EUR/AUD AUD/CHF EUR/CHF
EUR/AUD AUD/JPY EUR/JPY
EUR/AUD AUD/USD EUR/USD
EUR/AUD GBP/AUD EUR/GBP
EUR/CAD AUD/CAD EUR/AUD
EUR/CAD GBP/CAD EUR/CAD
EUR/CAD USD/CAD EUR/USD
EUR/CHF AUD/CHF EUR/AUD
EUR/CHF GBP/CHF EUR/GBP
EUR/CHF USD/CHF EUR/USD
EUR/GBP GBP/AUD EUR/AUD
EUR/GBP GBP/CAD EUR/CAD
EUR/GBP GBP/CHF EUR/CHF
EUR/GBP GBP/JPY EUR/JPY
EUR/GBP GBP/USD EUR/USD
EUR/JPY GBP/JPY EUR/GBP
EUR/JPY USD/JPY EUR/USD
EUR/USD GBP/USD EUR/GBP
EUR/USD USD/JPY EUR/JPY
GBP/JPY USD/JPY GBP/USD
2, Hedging Arbitrage:
This technique is the safest ever, and the most profitable of all hedging techniques while keeping minimal risks. This technique uses the arbitrage of roll over interest rates (SWAP) between two brokers.
One broker which pays or charges roll over interest at end of day, and the other should not charge or pay this kind of roll over SWAP interest. The main idea about this type of Hedge Arbitrage is to open a position of currency (Fore example, the highest SWAP GBP/JPY) at a broker which will pay you a high interest for every night the position is carried, and to open a reverse of that position for the same currency with the broker that does not charge interest for carrying the trade. This way you will gain the interest or SWAP that is credited to your account, risk-free.
3, Netting Arbitrage:
The main idea behind the strategy is, using differences between cross rates (such as EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and EUR/GBP) at different markets.
For example, suppose you had opened the following positions:
buy 1 lot EUR/USD at 1.4867;
sell 1 lot EUR/GBP at 0.7600;
and sell 0.76 lot GBP/USD at 1.9566.
The netting/clearing gives the following results:
Long EUR from the first pair and short EUR from the second pair gives zero exposure in EUR.
Long position in GBP from the second pair and short position from the third pair gives zero exposure in GBP.
Short position from the first pair ($148,670.00) in USD and long position from the third pair ($195,660.00*0.76) in USD gives you $31.60 profit without open positions and exposures. Simple? You tell me.