Part II: Forex Quotes (Base vs Quote Currency)

Core skill: interpret a quote like EUR/USD = 1.08 correctly, compute reciprocals and cross rates, and identify arbitrage when quotes are inconsistent.

Video: 6 Correlated Currency Pairs (YouTube) Quiz: Quote Currency Quiz Reading: Investopedia: Quote Currency
Theme

Major currencies (quick reference)

Currency Symbol Nickname Controlled by Key features
US DollarUSDGreenbackFederal Reserve (Fed)Most traded; global reserve; safe-haven
EuroEURSingle CurrencyEuropean Central Bank (ECB)Second most traded; Eurozone currency
Japanese YenJPYYenBank of Japan (BOJ)Safe-haven; typically low rates
British PoundGBPSterlingBank of England (BOE)Historically strong; can be volatile
Australian DollarAUDAussieReserve Bank of Australia (RBA)Commodity-linked; carry-trade use
Canadian DollarCADLoonieBank of Canada (BOC)Oil-linked; strong US trade ties
Swiss FrancCHFSwissySwiss National Bank (SNB)Safe-haven; stable institutions
Norwegian KroneNOKKroneNorges BankEnergy exporter; oil/gas sensitivity

What is a quote currency?

In a currency pair BASE/QUOTE, the quote currency (counter currency) is the second currency. The exchange rate tells you how many units of the quote currency you need to exchange for 1 unit of the base currency. This is the standard definition used in professional FX quoting.

Rule (memorize)
EUR/USD = 1.08 means 1 EUR costs 1.08 USD. You are “pricing” the base currency (EUR) in units of the quote currency (USD).
Buying vs. selling the pair
  • Buy (go long) EUR/USD → you buy EUR (base) and sell USD (quote).
  • Sell (go short) EUR/USD → you sell EUR (base) and buy USD (quote).
Direct vs. indirect quote (U.S. perspective)
  • EUR/USD: USD is the quote currency (price of 1 EUR in USD).
  • USD/EUR: EUR is the quote currency (price of 1 USD in EUR).
  • Reciprocal rule: USD/EUR = 1 ÷ (EUR/USD).
Source alignment
Investopedia uses the same structure: quote/counter is the second currency; it values the base currency. (See linked reading.)

Reciprocal & cross-rate calculators

1) Reciprocal quote
Reciprocal (QUOTE/BASE)
USD/EUR = 0.925926
Computed as 1 ÷ rate
2) Cross rate

Example: if you know EUR/USD and USD/JPY, you can compute EUR/JPY.

Cross result
EUR/JPY = 129.80
Uses multiplication/division depending on shared currency
Sanity check
If your cross-rate implies a “too good to be true” loop (ending with more of your starting currency), you just found an arbitrage.

Currency conversion exercise (auto-check)

Enter your answers. Use the reciprocal rule and cross-rate logic above.

# Question Your answer Check
Instructor note (optional)
This auto-check uses internally stored “correct” values for questions 1–6. For grading, keep your official homework submission separate.

Triangular arbitrage practice (7–11)

Each scenario computes the end value after following the suggested conversion path. If the end value exceeds the start, there is arbitrage.

7) €1 = $0.70; £1 = $1.40; and €2.20 = £1.00 (start with $1,000,000)
Result
Expected best path: USD → GBP → EUR → USD
8) Stock + FX return (start $100, buy £50 at £1=$2; later £60 and £1=$1.75)
USD value & return
Return = (final USD / initial USD) − 1
9) 1€=$1.10; 1£=$1.21; 1£=€1.05 (start $1,000,000)
Result
Path: USD → EUR → GBP → USD
10) 1€=$1.10; 1£=$1.21; 1£=€1.15 (start $1,000,000)
Result
Path: USD → GBP → EUR → USD
11) 1€=$1.10; 1£=$1.21; 1£=€1.10 (start $1,000,000)
Result
Expected: no arbitrage

Discussion / homework (due with the first midterm)

  1. Do you think the Chinese Yuan (CNY) will become a major global currency? Why or why not?
  2. Do you think the Norwegian Krone (NOK) will become a major global currency? Why or why not?
Evidence anchors you can cite (optional)
  • IMF COFER reports the USD share of allocated reserves in the mid-50% range in 2025 (varies by quarter). Use IMF COFER data briefs/dataset for specific quarters.
  • Reuters reporting on IMF COFER shows CNY reserve share near ~2% in recent releases; this remains low relative to USD/EUR/JPY/GBP. (Useful for discussing “major reserve currency” criteria.)
Disclaimer: For educational use only. FX quotes are illustrative; real trading involves transaction costs, spreads, and execution risk.

Quick Quiz (optional, ungraded)

Keep your official quiz in your LMS/jufinance system. This is only a fast comprehension check.