ESMA Formally Extends Binary Option Restrictions, Again

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA ESMA European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is an independent Authority of the European Union that is responsible for the safety, security, and stability of the European Unions’ financial system and is charged with protecting the public. The European supervisory authority for the securities sector, ESMA was established on 1 January 2011. The European Securities and Markets Authority is an independent EU authority based in Paris. It aims to contribute to the effectiveness and stability of the EU financial system by ensuring the integrity, transparency, efficiency, and orderly functioning of securities markets, as well as enhancing investor protection. ESMA fosters supervisory convergence among securities regulators and financial sectors through its work with other EU supervisory authorities. ESMA is independent; there is full accountability towards the European Parliament, where it appears before the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, at their request for formal hearings. What Functions Does ESMA Perform?The purpose of assessing risks to investors, markets, and financial stability is to spot emerging trends, threats, and vulnerabilities, and where possible opportunities in a timely fashion so that they can be responded to. ESMA uses its unique position to identify market developments that threaten financial stability, investor protection, or the orderly functioning of financial markets. ESMA’s risk assessments build on and complement risk assessments made by others. The purpose of compiling a single rulebook for European financial markets is to enhance the EU Single Market by creating a level playing field for investors and issuers across the EU. ESMA’s four activities are linked. Insights gained from risk assessment feed into the work on the single rulebook, supervisory convergence, and direct supervision, and vice versa. European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is an independent Authority of the European Union that is responsible for the safety, security, and stability of the European Unions’ financial system and is charged with protecting the public. The European supervisory authority for the securities sector, ESMA was established on 1 January 2011. The European Securities and Markets Authority is an independent EU authority based in Paris. It aims to contribute to the effectiveness and stability of the EU financial system by ensuring the integrity, transparency, efficiency, and orderly functioning of securities markets, as well as enhancing investor protection. ESMA fosters supervisory convergence among securities regulators and financial sectors through its work with other EU supervisory authorities. ESMA is independent; there is full accountability towards the European Parliament, where it appears before the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, at their request for formal hearings. What Functions Does ESMA Perform?The purpose of assessing risks to investors, markets, and financial stability is to spot emerging trends, threats, and vulnerabilities, and where possible opportunities in a timely fashion so that they can be responded to. ESMA uses its unique position to identify market developments that threaten financial stability, investor protection, or the orderly functioning of financial markets. ESMA’s risk assessments build on and complement risk assessments made by others. The purpose of compiling a single rulebook for European financial markets is to enhance the EU Single Market by creating a level playing field for investors and issuers across the EU. ESMA’s four activities are linked. Insights gained from risk assessment feed into the work on the single rulebook, supervisory convergence, and direct supervision, and vice versa. Read this Term) has published a notice on its website this Friday, that on December 14 of this year, it has formally adopted a decision to renew the prohibition of Marketing Marketing Marketing is defined as the business process of identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers' needs and wants.This is a crucial element of any operation or brokerage in the financial services space. Well-funded marketing campaigns are instrumental to the survival and longevity of these companies in an increasingly competitive industry.Within the forex space, marketers perform a wide range of functions to help procure, secure, or retain clients.In particular, newer forex brokers also have to handle the acquisition of traders, retaining them for a longer period of time or distinguishing between brokerage and competitors.What Are the Most Common Marketing Strategies Used by FX Brokers?This process can take shape in a variety of forms. Advertising is the most commonly deployed technique for forex marketing.This includes a marketing plan that touches on digital and traditional advertising. Advertising can include banner ads, notifications, newsletters, or other mechanisms for drawing attention to any brand or brokerage.Blog posting or other forms of search engine optimization (SEO) are also effective marketing tools for forex brokers.Well-organized and attractive pieces of content on websites are very useful for users and clients and have proven to be successful marketing strategies.Such efforts also enable websites to be found by those looking for what a broker offers and those who are looking for some knowledge about the trading industry. This can also help generate traffic on landing pages, converting sales. Social media has also rapidly evolved as a critical element of marketing.Forex brokers rely on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, or Linkedin for marketing needs, capable of reaching a huge audience. Ultimately marketing requires efforts on part of brokers to bridge the gap with their desired audience. In this instance, this means potential clients or existing ones. Marketing is defined as the business process of identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers' needs and wants.This is a crucial element of any operation or brokerage in the financial services space. Well-funded marketing campaigns are instrumental to the survival and longevity of these companies in an increasingly competitive industry.Within the forex space, marketers perform a wide range of functions to help procure, secure, or retain clients.In particular, newer forex brokers also have to handle the acquisition of traders, retaining them for a longer period of time or distinguishing between brokerage and competitors.What Are the Most Common Marketing Strategies Used by FX Brokers?This process can take shape in a variety of forms. Advertising is the most commonly deployed technique for forex marketing.This includes a marketing plan that touches on digital and traditional advertising. Advertising can include banner ads, notifications, newsletters, or other mechanisms for drawing attention to any brand or brokerage.Blog posting or other forms of search engine optimization (SEO) are also effective marketing tools for forex brokers.Well-organized and attractive pieces of content on websites are very useful for users and clients and have proven to be successful marketing strategies.Such efforts also enable websites to be found by those looking for what a broker offers and those who are looking for some knowledge about the trading industry. This can also help generate traffic on landing pages, converting sales. Social media has also rapidly evolved as a critical element of marketing.Forex brokers rely on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, or Linkedin for marketing needs, capable of reaching a huge audience. Ultimately marketing requires efforts on part of brokers to bridge the gap with their desired audience. In this instance, this means potential clients or existing ones. Read this Term, distribution or sale of binary options to retail investors.

This news will come as no surprise to many of you, as the regulator previously announced it was going to renew the prohibitions on binary options from January 2, 2019, for three months back in November, as Finance Magnates reported at the time.

In November, the regulator said the motivation for its move was: “ESMA has carefully considered the need to extend the intervention measure currently in effect. It considers that a significant investor protection concern related to the offer of binary options to retail clients continues to exist.”

Today, however, the notice merely reaffirms the conditions of the prohibition, stating that a binary option is a derivative that meets the following conditions:

(a) it must be settled in cash or may be settled in cash at the option of one of the parties other than by reason of default or other termination event;

(b) it only provides for payment at its close-out or expiry;

(c) its payment is limited to:

(i) a predetermined fixed amount or zero if the underlying of the derivative meets one or more predetermined conditions; and

(ii) a predetermined fixed amount or zero if the underlying of the derivative does not meet one or more predetermined conditions.

ESMA continues its restrictions for CFDs

The announcement comes just days after the European regulator announced that it will also extend its temporary restrictions on selling contracts for differences (CFDs) to retail customers for a further three-month period, saying it was still concerned about investor protection, as Finance Magnates reported.

Theoretically, ESMA can continue to renew its prohibitions on both binary options and CFDs until the end of time. In the next couple of years the regulator may put a permanent policy in place, but until then, it is highly likely the regulator will continue to renew the restrictions indefinitely.