Forex- Trade Myself Or Invest With the Professionals?

London, United Kingdom- The Multi Strategy Consultancy

The Forex Market, otherwise known as the FX market- is an asset class that attracts investors by the millions. A financial arena where fortunes have been made, and unfortunately for some- fortunes have been lost.

For every 'rags to riches' story, there is often an inflated inverse tail to tell. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Until the arrival on the scene of Bitcoin and its army of crypto currency cheerleaders- FX was the asset class of choice for the 'investment dream chasers'.

Unlike the crypto market, FX is real. It's tangible, governments use and accept it, its been around for as long as any mere mortal remembers, and it's most certainly here to stay.

So whilst the crypto market may be 'in trend' right now- it surely won't be too long until FX is back in vogue, and attracting the type of masses the Crypto arena can only imagine.

As an investor- should you look to take advantage of this market yourself, or should you employ an expert?

Do you possess strong feelings in regards to the fundamental outlook of the USD, GBP or EURO, possibly you believe you are informed enough to make some macro plays, or maybe you're confident in your technical analysis abilities. Whatever variables your skillset consists of, whatever attributes you hold in your armoury- this market is incredibly accessible, has a low cost of entry, it's transparent, and with the leveraged transaction facility on offer as a standard- it can be a market that makes or breaks your portfolio.

Is the potential reward worth the risk, and if you believe so- should you be approaching this market with a 'do it yourself' mentality, or aligned with one of the professionals available to you?

Lane Clark of the 'Multi Strategy Investment' at Cadogan Asset Management had the following to say-

'There is a reason investors look at the FX arena, and very simply it's because they believe it can generate far superior returns than more traditional asset classes.

However, scratch beneath the surface- and it becomes more transparent why investors gravitate towards this arena. It's a market where you can take advantage of any market belief you may have.

If you feel the BOE isn't performing like it should, if you believe growth in the UK is slowing, if your outlook on property is dire, then selling the Great British Pound is a way to invest your money to reflect your sentiment.

In a similar way, you may be of the opinion that the US economy will outstrip the performance of other major nations, you may be a strong believer in the policies set by the Federal Reserve- and you may well form the opinion that the markets will witness a stronger dollar in the year to come on the back of these beliefs. Again, buying the dollar is the method to express these feelings. If you are of the opinion that both the GBP will depreciate, and the dollar will appreciate- then selling the GBP against the USD would probably be your trade of choice.

This is what I believe is one of the main driving forces towards investors moving towards the FX arena. It's an easy market to understand, you can embark on many macro plays, and combine that with the potential upside in the arena- and it's obvious to see why it's the world's largest market. Having said that- should an investor invest themselves? Not in my humble opinion. I've been in this industry over 15 years, I've experienced some amazing times, but I've also felt the pain on numerous occasions, and although looking at the markets logically like we've discussed makes sense from a common sense perspective- there are far more variables involved in the FX arena which make this market far more challenging to trade than one might expect.

Although it is very easy to follow the 'fundamental macro' plays, and convince yourself that if you hold on to your position long enough, you will profit, after all 'it's logical'- we are of the opinion that the fundamental data is already factored into the market and the prices reflect this, so the best way to trade these markets is by following a militant, rules based technical analysis approach and this is why working with an Expert may increase the probability of succeeding in this market.

It's very unlikely your average investor will have a strong understanding of technical analysis, and we believe in the FX market- it is imperative.

As an example of how a professional may differ from an individual, at the 'Multi Strategy Investment' at Cadogan, our trading team will study multiple charts in multiple time frames searching for what we would term- high probability trades. Our team will utilise 5 trading strategies across 4 different markets, seeking trades that fit this criteria- and when they find one- they'll add it to portfolio.

Therefore, eventually what a client will hold is a portfolio built technically consisting of multiple smaller trades, creating an overall holding that is robust, diversified and has the intention to perform in any market climate.

Now let's be candid here, would you expect a retail investor to approach the markets with the same meticulous approach?

Hence why we believe that the FX market is best approached working alongside a professional. There are hundreds out there, so my only advice would be- Ensure you choose the right person or team who suit your specific needs and understand what you're looking to achieve on a per annum basis.

It's a great market to invest into, but do so wisely.'


About Cadogan Asset Management

The Multi Strategy Investment (MSI) is a division within Cadogan Asset Management who work with HNW and UHNW individuals, as well as family offices, pension funds, and other institutions building bespoke portfolios with a multi strategy/ multi market exposure in the derivatives arena. Although Cadogan Asset Management is a new business; the main principles are not new to the industry with some sixty five years’ of experience between them at other financial services firms. Cadogan is fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Company also has a Corporate Finance function that sees a specialist division operate in the Oil & Gas sector, along with a business pipeline from the property development and manufacturing industries. Cadogan currently offers a range of risk rated model portfolio's, becoming more bespoke for larger or more complex clients and these are available either directly managed or through an expanding number of wealth management platforms.