What is the bid-ask spread and why does it matter for every trade?

The bid-ask spread is the difference between the buy and sell price of a currency pair.

- Bid price: The price at which the broker/market is willing to buy the base currency from you (your sell price).

- Ask price: The price at which the broker/market is willing to sell the base currency to you (your buy price).

Example: EUR/USD is quoted as 1.0850 / 1.0853.

The spread here is 3 pips (1.0853 - 1.0850).

G
@godswillfx - 8 hours ago
Why it matters for every trade:

The spread is the hidden cost you pay the moment you enter a trade.

- You buy at the higher Ask price.

- You sell at the lower Bid price.

To break even, the market must move in your favor by at least the size of the spread.

Wider spreads = higher trading cost = you need bigger moves to profit. Tight spreads = lower cost.