Do not invest more money than you can afford to lose.
US forex giant Forex Capital Markets (FXCM) said on Wednesday it has launched a Historic Data Downloader which enabled traders to access historic data on forex spreads. Traders can use the downloader to import price data directly from FXCM, making it possible to back-test strategies with up to 10 years of data.
The service is available for holders of Standard and Active Trader accounts, featuring No Dealing Desk (NDD) Execution (the broker mentioned nothing concerning Mini trading accounts). It features bid and ask data for all 39 currency pairs available with the broker, both majors and exotics, as well as contracts for difference (CFDs) on equities, metals, and oil.
Datan is displayed in intervals of one, five, 15 or 30 minutes, one or four hours, one day, a week, or a month.
The following are inputs available in the Historic Data Downloader:
- Start Date: The date defining the start of the data range
- End Date: The date defining the end of the data range
- Start Time: The time defining the start of the data range
- End Time: The time defining the end of the data range
- Instrument: The designated symbol
- Type of Data: Specifies bid or ask data
- Time Interval: Specifies the time interval between data points
- Output Directory: Specifies the destination folder for downloaded data
Traders can export the data in CSV files, but can also be transformed, using an advanced version of the Historic Data Downloader, into formats applicable to MetaTrader 4 (MT4) or NinjaTrader. More advanced tech-savvies can also use FXCM’s application program interface (API) thnology solutions suite, consisting of FIX, Java, ForexConnect, and Indicore, to connect their trading software directly to FXCM’s price and order servers.
In addition, the broker has published a 2015 Historic Spreads Report which indicated that last year the average spread on the EUR/USD pair, the most traded one, for Standard NDD accounts averaged 0.3 pips during peak hours: 1 am to 1 pm EST. Also, tt average cost to trade in the pair (assuming a 1K trade) was only 11¢. To access the full report, please click here.
FXCM is a registered futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer (RFED) with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). It has units registered and regulated with the relevant authorities in the US, the UK, Australia, and France. The broker offers forex, CFDs, and spread betting services.