FxPro Partners with BeeksFX To Reduce Trade Execution Time As Race To Zero Goes Retail
- Gordon McArthur, CEO of BeeksFX today announced to Forex Magnates that the firm has entered a strategic partnership with FxPro Financial Services in order to provide low latency to the firm's retail FX traders.
Low latency and the advancement of technology has most certainly become a point of discussion and technical development among institutional firms lately, with the race to achieve minimal latency increasing its momentum almost every day.
On the retail side, things are somewhat different, however today in an exclusive announcement by low-latency VPS provider BeeksFX, it has been confirmed that the company has entered into a strategic partnership with FxPro Financial Services in order to offer FxPro’s clients its Next Generation Virtual Private Server (VPS).
This solution will be hosted via the BeeksFX London data center and will offer a low latency solution for users of FxPro’s MetaTrader 4 and cTrader platforms.
This morning, Gordon McArthur, CEO of BeeksFX, spoke to Forex Magnates on the partnership: “FxPro has chosen us as a UK Based provider to work with due to our best in class VPS which offers higher tick throughput and faster execution than other providers. We are leading the way on VPS innovation for traders seeking ever higher performance for their automated strategies”.
"BeeksFX looks forward to an ongoing, successful relationship with FxPro and we are excited to be part of this new innovation for the FxPro clients” enthused Mr. McArthur.
Institutional Advances Overshadow Retail Infrastructure
On the institutional side, there have been some major infrastructure advances recently, whereby the entire worldwide networks are connecting via high-speed fiber optic and in some cases microwave technology to the world’s venues in order to widen the access to Liquidity Liquidity The term liquidity refers to the process, speed, and ease of which a given asset or security can be converted into cash. Notably, liquidity surmises a retention in market price, with the most liquid assets representing cash. The most liquid asset of all is cash itself. · In economics, liquidity is defined by how efficiently and quickly an asset can be converted into usable cash without materially affecting its market price. · Nothing is more liquid than cash, while other assets represent varying degrees of liquidity. This can be differentiated as market liquidity or accounting liquidity.· Liquidity refers to a tangible construct that can be measures. The most common ways to do so include a current ratio, quick ratio, and cash ratio. What is the Definition of Liquidity? Liquidity is a common definition used in investing, banking, or the financial services space. Its primary function is to ascertain how quickly a given asset can be bought, sold, or exchanged without a disparity in market price. Which of the following assets is the most liquid? By definition, in terms of liquidity, cash is unequivocally seen as the most liquid asset in an economic sense. This is due to its widespread acceptance and ease of conversion into other assets, forms of cash, or currencies, etc. All other liquid assets must be able to be quickly and efficiently converted into cash, i.e., financial liquidity. This includes such things as stocks, commodities, or virtually any other construct that has an associated value. By extension, illiquid or non-liquid assets are not able to be quickly converted into cash. These assets, also known as tangible assets, can include such things as rare art or collectables, real estate, etc. Liquidity Spectrum Liquid assets can be defined primarily as either cash on hand or simply an asset that can be easily or readily converted into usable cash. It is important to note that cash is not uniformly liquid for several reasons. The below examples encompass all types of assets and their corresponding level of liquidity. Examples of Liquid Assets or Securities A good example of this is the US dollar, which is recognized or accepted globally, and backed by the US government or Federal Reserve Bank. Other major forms of cash include Euros, or major currencies. This differs notably from the legal tender in many emerging countries or others for political or economic reasons. Cash aside, assets such as stocks or equities, bonds and other securities, money market assets, marketable securities, US treasuries or T-notes, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a savings account, and mutual funds serve as the most liquid assets. These are generally assumed to be quick assets. Each of these assets can be converted into cash either instantaneously, or via any brokerage platform, exchange, etc., often in as little as minutes or seconds. As such, these assets are liquid. Examples of Illiquid Assets or Securities Conversely, illiquid assets still retain importance and value, though are much more difficult to convert into cash. Common examples of this include land or real estate, intellectual property, or other forms of capital such as equipment or machinery. In the examples above, liquid assets are assumed to be convertible into cash without substantial fees or delays in time. Illiquid assets on the other hand often suffer from fees or additional conversion costs, processing times, ultimately creating a price disparity. The best example of an illiquid asset is a house. For many individuals this is the most valuable asset they will own in their entire lives. However, selling a house typically requires taxes, realtor fees, and other costs, in addition to time. Real estate or land also takes much longer to exchange into cash, relative to other assets. Types of Liquidity Overall, liquidity is a broad term that needs to be defined by two different measures: market liquidity and accounting liquidity. Both measures deal with different constructs or entities entirely, though are useful metrics with regards to individuals or financial markets. Market Liquidity Market liquidity is a broader term that is used by a market maker to measure the ease of which assets can be bought and sold at transparent prices, namely across exchanges, stock markets, or other financial sectors. This can include among others, a real estate or property market, market for fine arts and collectable, and other goods. Market Liquidity Example As mentioned above, certain financial markets are much more liquid than others. The degree to which stocks from large companies or foreign currencies can be exchanged is much easier than finding a readily available market for antiques, collectables, or other capital, regardless of utility. Overall, a stock market, financial brokerage, or exchange is considered to have the high market liquidity. This is because the difference between both the bid and ask prices between parties is very low. The lower the spread between these two prices, the more liquid a given market is. Additionally, low liquidity refers to a higher spread between two prices. Why Liquidity Varies and What Does Liquidity Mean in Stocks? Every asset has a variable level of liquidity meaning this can change depending on what is being analyzed. One can define liquidity in stocks or stock markets in the same way as in foreign exchange markets, brokers, commodities exchanges, and crypto exchanges. Additionally, how large the market is will also dictate liquidity. The foreign exchange market for example is currently the largest by trading volume with high liquidity due to cash flows. This is hardly surprising given that forms of cash or currencies are being exchanged. What is Liquidity in Stocks? A stock's liquidity refers to how rapidly shares of a stock can be bought or sold without largely impacting a stock price. By definition, liquidity in stocks varies for a number of reasons. Stocks with low liquidity may be difficult to sell and may cause you to take a bigger loss if you cannot sell the shares when you want to. In finance, the most liquid assets are always the most popular. By extension, if a spread between buyers and sellers increases, the market is considered to be less liquid. A good example of this is the real estate or property market. While highly valuable, there are large disparities between the purchase price and selling price of property, as well as the time associated in making these transactions, and additional fees incurred by other parties. Liquidity providers play a key role in this regard. Accounting Liquidity Unlike market liquidity, accounting liquidity measures something different entirely. Accounting liquidity is a measure by which either an individual or entity can meet their respective current financial obligations with the current liquid assets available to them. This includes paying off debts, overhead, or any other fixed costs associated with a business. Accounting liquidity is a functional comparison between one’s current liquid assets and their current liabilities. In the United States and other countries, companies and individuals have to reconcile accounting on a yearly basis. Accounting liquidity is an excellent measure that captures financial obligations due in a year. Accounting Liquidity Example Accounting liquidity itself can be differentiated by several ratios, controlling for how liquid assets are. These measures are useful tools for not just the individual or company in focus but for others that are trying to ascertain current financial health.As an example, accounting liquidity can measure any company’s current financial assets and compare them to its financial obligations. If there is a large disparity between these figures, or much more assets than obligations, a company can be considered to have a strong depth of liquidity.How to Calculate Liquidity Liquidity is of importance to investors, financial market participants, analysts, or even for an investment strategy. Calculating liquidity is a measure of firm or individual’s ability to utilize or harness current liquid assets to current cover short-term debt. This can be achieved using a total of four formulas: the current ratio, quick ratio, acid-test variation, and cash ratio. Current Ratio The current ratio is the easiest measure due to its lack of complexity. Quite simply, the current ratio measures a firm or individual’s current assets or those than can be sold within a calendar year, weighed against all current liabilities. Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities If the current ratio’s value is greater than 1, then the entity in question can be assumed to reconcile its financial obligations using its current liquid assets. Highly liquid assets will correspond to higher numbers in this regard. Conversely, any number less than 1 indicates that current liquid assets are not enough to cover short-term obligations. Quick Ratio A quick ratio is a slightly more complex way of measuring accounting liquidity via a balance sheet. Unlike the current ratio, the quick ratio excludes current assets that are not as liquid as cash, cash equivalents, or other shorter-term investments. The quick ratio can be defined below by the following: Quick Ratio = (Cash or Cash Equivalents + Shorter-Term Investments + Accounts Receivable)/Current Liabilities Acid-Test Ratio The acid-test ratio is a variation of the quick ratio. The acid-test ratio seeks to deduct inventory from current assets, serving as a traditionally broader measure that is more forgiving to individuals or entities. Acid-Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventories – Prepaid Costs)/Current Liabilities Cash Ratio Finally, the cash ratio further isolates current assets, looking to measure only liquid assets that are designated as cash or cash equivalents. In this sense, the cash ratio is the most precise of the other liquidity ratios, excluding accounts receivable, inventories, or other assets. A more precise measure has its uses, namely regarding assessing financial strength in the face of an emergency, i.e., an unforeseen and time sensitive event. The cash ratio can help measure an entity or individual’s hypothesized solvency in the face of unexpected scenarios, events, etc. As such, the cash ratio is defined below: Cash Ratio = Cash and Cash Equivalents/Current Liabilities The cash ratio is not simply a doomsday tool but a highly practical measure when determining market value. In the financial services space, even large companies or profitable institutions can find themselves at liquidity risk due to unexpected events beyond their control. Why is Liquidity Important and Why it Matters to You? Liquidity is very important for not just financial markets but for individuals and investors. Liquid markets benefit all market participants and make it easier to buy and sell securities, stocks, collectables, etc. On an individual level, this is important for personal finance, as ordinary investors are able to better take advantage of trading opportunities. Additionally, high liquidity promotes financial health in companies in the same way it does for individuals. Conclusion – What Does Liquidity Mean? What is liquidity? This metric is a commonly used as a measure in the investing, banking, or financial services space. Liquidity determines how quickly a given asset can be bought, sold, or exchanged without a disparity in market price. Which of the following assets is the most liquid? – cash, stocks, real estate. Of all assets, cash or money is the most liquid, meaning it is the easiest to utilize. All other liquid assets must be able to be quickly and efficiently converted into cash. This includes such things as stocks, commodities, or virtually any other construct that has an associated value. Conversely, illiquid or non-liquid assets are not able to be quickly converted into cash. These assets, also known as tangible assets, can include such things as rare art or collectables, real estate, etc. Frequently Asked Questions About Liquidity Is Liquidity Good or Bad? The term liquidity refers to a measure and is neither good nor bad but is instead a metric of how convertible an asset is to cash. However, high liquidity is associated with lower risk, while a liquid stock is more likely to keep its value when being traded.Is a Home a Liquid Asset? A home or properly is not considered to be a liquid asset. Selling any property can incur additional costs and take a long amount of time. Additionally, there is often a price disparity from the time of purchase, meaning a seller may not even get its original market value back at the time of the sale. Why Are Stocks Liquid? Stocks are some of the most liquid assets in financial markets because these assets can be converted to cash in a short period of time in the event of any financial emergency. Is Tesla a Liquid Stock? Tesla is a liquid stock and while hugely volatile, is an integral part of the NASDAQ and is a globally recognized company. Additionally, the company is a popular single-stock CFD offering at many brokerages, with very high volumes. Is a Pension a Liquid Asset? Certain pensions are liquid assets once you have reached a retirement age. Until you are eligible to withdraw or collect a pension, without early withdrawal penalty, it is not considered a liquid asset. The term liquidity refers to the process, speed, and ease of which a given asset or security can be converted into cash. Notably, liquidity surmises a retention in market price, with the most liquid assets representing cash. The most liquid asset of all is cash itself. · In economics, liquidity is defined by how efficiently and quickly an asset can be converted into usable cash without materially affecting its market price. · Nothing is more liquid than cash, while other assets represent varying degrees of liquidity. This can be differentiated as market liquidity or accounting liquidity.· Liquidity refers to a tangible construct that can be measures. The most common ways to do so include a current ratio, quick ratio, and cash ratio. What is the Definition of Liquidity? Liquidity is a common definition used in investing, banking, or the financial services space. Its primary function is to ascertain how quickly a given asset can be bought, sold, or exchanged without a disparity in market price. Which of the following assets is the most liquid? By definition, in terms of liquidity, cash is unequivocally seen as the most liquid asset in an economic sense. This is due to its widespread acceptance and ease of conversion into other assets, forms of cash, or currencies, etc. All other liquid assets must be able to be quickly and efficiently converted into cash, i.e., financial liquidity. This includes such things as stocks, commodities, or virtually any other construct that has an associated value. By extension, illiquid or non-liquid assets are not able to be quickly converted into cash. These assets, also known as tangible assets, can include such things as rare art or collectables, real estate, etc. Liquidity Spectrum Liquid assets can be defined primarily as either cash on hand or simply an asset that can be easily or readily converted into usable cash. It is important to note that cash is not uniformly liquid for several reasons. The below examples encompass all types of assets and their corresponding level of liquidity. Examples of Liquid Assets or Securities A good example of this is the US dollar, which is recognized or accepted globally, and backed by the US government or Federal Reserve Bank. Other major forms of cash include Euros, or major currencies. This differs notably from the legal tender in many emerging countries or others for political or economic reasons. Cash aside, assets such as stocks or equities, bonds and other securities, money market assets, marketable securities, US treasuries or T-notes, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a savings account, and mutual funds serve as the most liquid assets. These are generally assumed to be quick assets. Each of these assets can be converted into cash either instantaneously, or via any brokerage platform, exchange, etc., often in as little as minutes or seconds. As such, these assets are liquid. Examples of Illiquid Assets or Securities Conversely, illiquid assets still retain importance and value, though are much more difficult to convert into cash. Common examples of this include land or real estate, intellectual property, or other forms of capital such as equipment or machinery. In the examples above, liquid assets are assumed to be convertible into cash without substantial fees or delays in time. Illiquid assets on the other hand often suffer from fees or additional conversion costs, processing times, ultimately creating a price disparity. The best example of an illiquid asset is a house. For many individuals this is the most valuable asset they will own in their entire lives. However, selling a house typically requires taxes, realtor fees, and other costs, in addition to time. Real estate or land also takes much longer to exchange into cash, relative to other assets. Types of Liquidity Overall, liquidity is a broad term that needs to be defined by two different measures: market liquidity and accounting liquidity. Both measures deal with different constructs or entities entirely, though are useful metrics with regards to individuals or financial markets. Market Liquidity Market liquidity is a broader term that is used by a market maker to measure the ease of which assets can be bought and sold at transparent prices, namely across exchanges, stock markets, or other financial sectors. This can include among others, a real estate or property market, market for fine arts and collectable, and other goods. Market Liquidity Example As mentioned above, certain financial markets are much more liquid than others. The degree to which stocks from large companies or foreign currencies can be exchanged is much easier than finding a readily available market for antiques, collectables, or other capital, regardless of utility. Overall, a stock market, financial brokerage, or exchange is considered to have the high market liquidity. This is because the difference between both the bid and ask prices between parties is very low. The lower the spread between these two prices, the more liquid a given market is. Additionally, low liquidity refers to a higher spread between two prices. Why Liquidity Varies and What Does Liquidity Mean in Stocks? Every asset has a variable level of liquidity meaning this can change depending on what is being analyzed. One can define liquidity in stocks or stock markets in the same way as in foreign exchange markets, brokers, commodities exchanges, and crypto exchanges. Additionally, how large the market is will also dictate liquidity. The foreign exchange market for example is currently the largest by trading volume with high liquidity due to cash flows. This is hardly surprising given that forms of cash or currencies are being exchanged. What is Liquidity in Stocks? A stock's liquidity refers to how rapidly shares of a stock can be bought or sold without largely impacting a stock price. By definition, liquidity in stocks varies for a number of reasons. Stocks with low liquidity may be difficult to sell and may cause you to take a bigger loss if you cannot sell the shares when you want to. In finance, the most liquid assets are always the most popular. By extension, if a spread between buyers and sellers increases, the market is considered to be less liquid. A good example of this is the real estate or property market. While highly valuable, there are large disparities between the purchase price and selling price of property, as well as the time associated in making these transactions, and additional fees incurred by other parties. Liquidity providers play a key role in this regard. Accounting Liquidity Unlike market liquidity, accounting liquidity measures something different entirely. Accounting liquidity is a measure by which either an individual or entity can meet their respective current financial obligations with the current liquid assets available to them. This includes paying off debts, overhead, or any other fixed costs associated with a business. Accounting liquidity is a functional comparison between one’s current liquid assets and their current liabilities. In the United States and other countries, companies and individuals have to reconcile accounting on a yearly basis. Accounting liquidity is an excellent measure that captures financial obligations due in a year. Accounting Liquidity Example Accounting liquidity itself can be differentiated by several ratios, controlling for how liquid assets are. These measures are useful tools for not just the individual or company in focus but for others that are trying to ascertain current financial health.As an example, accounting liquidity can measure any company’s current financial assets and compare them to its financial obligations. If there is a large disparity between these figures, or much more assets than obligations, a company can be considered to have a strong depth of liquidity.How to Calculate Liquidity Liquidity is of importance to investors, financial market participants, analysts, or even for an investment strategy. Calculating liquidity is a measure of firm or individual’s ability to utilize or harness current liquid assets to current cover short-term debt. This can be achieved using a total of four formulas: the current ratio, quick ratio, acid-test variation, and cash ratio. Current Ratio The current ratio is the easiest measure due to its lack of complexity. Quite simply, the current ratio measures a firm or individual’s current assets or those than can be sold within a calendar year, weighed against all current liabilities. Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities If the current ratio’s value is greater than 1, then the entity in question can be assumed to reconcile its financial obligations using its current liquid assets. Highly liquid assets will correspond to higher numbers in this regard. Conversely, any number less than 1 indicates that current liquid assets are not enough to cover short-term obligations. Quick Ratio A quick ratio is a slightly more complex way of measuring accounting liquidity via a balance sheet. Unlike the current ratio, the quick ratio excludes current assets that are not as liquid as cash, cash equivalents, or other shorter-term investments. The quick ratio can be defined below by the following: Quick Ratio = (Cash or Cash Equivalents + Shorter-Term Investments + Accounts Receivable)/Current Liabilities Acid-Test Ratio The acid-test ratio is a variation of the quick ratio. The acid-test ratio seeks to deduct inventory from current assets, serving as a traditionally broader measure that is more forgiving to individuals or entities. Acid-Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventories – Prepaid Costs)/Current Liabilities Cash Ratio Finally, the cash ratio further isolates current assets, looking to measure only liquid assets that are designated as cash or cash equivalents. In this sense, the cash ratio is the most precise of the other liquidity ratios, excluding accounts receivable, inventories, or other assets. A more precise measure has its uses, namely regarding assessing financial strength in the face of an emergency, i.e., an unforeseen and time sensitive event. The cash ratio can help measure an entity or individual’s hypothesized solvency in the face of unexpected scenarios, events, etc. As such, the cash ratio is defined below: Cash Ratio = Cash and Cash Equivalents/Current Liabilities The cash ratio is not simply a doomsday tool but a highly practical measure when determining market value. In the financial services space, even large companies or profitable institutions can find themselves at liquidity risk due to unexpected events beyond their control. Why is Liquidity Important and Why it Matters to You? Liquidity is very important for not just financial markets but for individuals and investors. Liquid markets benefit all market participants and make it easier to buy and sell securities, stocks, collectables, etc. On an individual level, this is important for personal finance, as ordinary investors are able to better take advantage of trading opportunities. Additionally, high liquidity promotes financial health in companies in the same way it does for individuals. Conclusion – What Does Liquidity Mean? What is liquidity? This metric is a commonly used as a measure in the investing, banking, or financial services space. Liquidity determines how quickly a given asset can be bought, sold, or exchanged without a disparity in market price. Which of the following assets is the most liquid? – cash, stocks, real estate. Of all assets, cash or money is the most liquid, meaning it is the easiest to utilize. All other liquid assets must be able to be quickly and efficiently converted into cash. This includes such things as stocks, commodities, or virtually any other construct that has an associated value. Conversely, illiquid or non-liquid assets are not able to be quickly converted into cash. These assets, also known as tangible assets, can include such things as rare art or collectables, real estate, etc. Frequently Asked Questions About Liquidity Is Liquidity Good or Bad? The term liquidity refers to a measure and is neither good nor bad but is instead a metric of how convertible an asset is to cash. However, high liquidity is associated with lower risk, while a liquid stock is more likely to keep its value when being traded.Is a Home a Liquid Asset? A home or properly is not considered to be a liquid asset. Selling any property can incur additional costs and take a long amount of time. Additionally, there is often a price disparity from the time of purchase, meaning a seller may not even get its original market value back at the time of the sale. Why Are Stocks Liquid? Stocks are some of the most liquid assets in financial markets because these assets can be converted to cash in a short period of time in the event of any financial emergency. Is Tesla a Liquid Stock? Tesla is a liquid stock and while hugely volatile, is an integral part of the NASDAQ and is a globally recognized company. Additionally, the company is a popular single-stock CFD offering at many brokerages, with very high volumes. Is a Pension a Liquid Asset? Certain pensions are liquid assets once you have reached a retirement age. Until you are eligible to withdraw or collect a pension, without early withdrawal penalty, it is not considered a liquid asset. Read this Term pools and reduce trade execution time. So critical is this becoming that large software houses have engaged in complete buyouts of big data Analytics Analytics Analytics may be defined as the detection, analysis, and relay of consequential patterns in data. Analytics also seeks to explain or accurately reflect the relationship between data and effective decision making. In the trading space, analytics are applied in a predictive manner in an attempt to more accurately forecast the price. This predictive model of analytics generally involves the analysis of historical price patterns that are used in an attempt to determine certain price outcomes. Analytics may also be structured with a descriptive model, where readers attempt to draw a correlation and better understanding as to how and why traders react to a particular set of variables. Traders sometimes implement technical indicators such as moving averages, Bollinger Bands, and breakpoints which are built upon historical data and are used to predict future price movements. How Analytics Relates to Algo TradingAnalytics are relied upon in the concept of algorithmic trading where software is programmed to autonomously signal and/or execute buy and sell orders based upon a series of predetermined factors. In the institutional space, Algo-trading has become vastly competitive over the years as trading institutions seek to outperform competitors through automated systems and the virtual application of trading strategies.The digestion and computation of analytics are also seen in the emerging field of high-frequency trading, where supercomputers are used to analyze multiple markets simultaneously to make near-instantaneous automated trading decisions. Platforms that support HFT have the capability to significantly outperform human traders.This is due to the innate ability to be able to comprehensively analyze big data sets while taking under do consideration an innumerable sum of factors that humans are incapable of comprehending in such speed. Additionally, analytics are seen with backtesting. Backtesting is used by traders to test the consistency and effectiveness of trading strategies and software-based trading solutions against historical price data. Backtesting also serves as an ideal playground for the further development of high-frequency trading as well as evaluating the performance of manual or automated trades. Analytics will continue to have an increasingly significant role in trading as emerging technologies and the advancement of trading applications progress beyond human capability. Analytics may be defined as the detection, analysis, and relay of consequential patterns in data. Analytics also seeks to explain or accurately reflect the relationship between data and effective decision making. In the trading space, analytics are applied in a predictive manner in an attempt to more accurately forecast the price. This predictive model of analytics generally involves the analysis of historical price patterns that are used in an attempt to determine certain price outcomes. Analytics may also be structured with a descriptive model, where readers attempt to draw a correlation and better understanding as to how and why traders react to a particular set of variables. Traders sometimes implement technical indicators such as moving averages, Bollinger Bands, and breakpoints which are built upon historical data and are used to predict future price movements. How Analytics Relates to Algo TradingAnalytics are relied upon in the concept of algorithmic trading where software is programmed to autonomously signal and/or execute buy and sell orders based upon a series of predetermined factors. In the institutional space, Algo-trading has become vastly competitive over the years as trading institutions seek to outperform competitors through automated systems and the virtual application of trading strategies.The digestion and computation of analytics are also seen in the emerging field of high-frequency trading, where supercomputers are used to analyze multiple markets simultaneously to make near-instantaneous automated trading decisions. Platforms that support HFT have the capability to significantly outperform human traders.This is due to the innate ability to be able to comprehensively analyze big data sets while taking under do consideration an innumerable sum of factors that humans are incapable of comprehending in such speed. Additionally, analytics are seen with backtesting. Backtesting is used by traders to test the consistency and effectiveness of trading strategies and software-based trading solutions against historical price data. Backtesting also serves as an ideal playground for the further development of high-frequency trading as well as evaluating the performance of manual or automated trades. Analytics will continue to have an increasingly significant role in trading as emerging technologies and the advancement of trading applications progress beyond human capability. Read this Term firms such last week’s acquisitions of Apama and StreamBase by two large software conglomerates.
In addition, point to point connectivity communities such as TMX Atrium is experiencing significant expansion into new areas by fostering alliances outside of North America, and new infrastructure and data centers being set in place as demonstrated by Volta’s new 45,000 square foot facility in London, which yesterday entered into a partnership with Dutch carrier-neutral connectivity firm Custom Connect.
Catering to the requirements of latency-sensitive users in the institutional sector of the indsutry, Volta’s 33,000 volt Great Sutton Street facility which goes live later this year is very close to the City’s financial district.
In preparation for such a move, Custom Connect, headquartered in Amsterdam, has recently expanded its footprint by opening up a new office in the City of London. The new partnership with Volta will enable Custom Connect to deliver their services in the heart of the City of London in a state of the art carrier neutral facility. Custom Connect’s full portfolio will become available including the possibility to connect to ultra-low latency microwave transmission services.
VPS As A Means Of Shrinking The World
Application of infrastructure technology is somewhat different on the retail side, whereby in a lot of cases traditional infrastructure is used, and therefore differences in execution speed are more evident depending on the location of the trader compared to the broker.
By utilizing a VPS close to servers used by liquidity providers and technology partners of brokers in the retail sector, latency can be substantially reduced.
Mr. McArthur is of the opinion that the large institutional FX technology providers often concentrate on supplying high-level infrastructure solutions with which to compete with other companies in that market segment, plus to give institutional FX companies the best solution they can offer, but in doing so often forget the needs of the individual trader as these solutions are aimed at large-scale organizations which execute thousands of orders per day rather than solitary retail traders.
Customizing Low Latency
Viewing execution time from the perspective of individual traders, Mr. McArthur believes that the real value of using the VPS is that traders can individually locate themselves close to servers without having to be part of a large, institutional FX firm.
As most of the trade executions made by retail clients is carried via standard fixed-line broadband internet, the retail traders based away from their brokers are disadvantaged compared to those with access to the latest institutional connectivity systems. As well as distance from servers, there are also large regional differences in domestic internet speed, further impeding execution time. For example in North America or Europe, traders experience a significant speed differential compared with those of the Asia Pacific region due to the less advanced internet connections and distance from western brokers' servers. This can sometimes result in a difference of between 200 to 300 milliseconds in execution times.
Evolution of the Forex VPS
When forex traders started using VPSs it was more to reduce the risk of automated strategies being interrupted by power outages or bandwidth failures on home PC’s as this was where most automated strategies were run by retail clients.
Today this has changed massively. Resiliency in power and network are taken as basic pre-requisites in retail VPS provision. Further, due to the explosion in EA trading and the move to retail HFT, clients now demand specialist optimized VPS configurations that have both low latency and are optimized to maximize tick throughput and round trip execution speed.
Mr.McArthur further explained the detail of this to Forex Magnates today: "The location of the VPS to reduce latency has become all important as has the performance of the VPS. There are so many tools to measure VPS and broker performance it is becoming a critical component in the battle to win and retain retail clients as the move to the agency model gathers pace. This is why we see almost every major broker already partnering or in the process of partnering with a specialist low latency Forex VPS provider" he said.
Direct Fiber Connections
"The race for low latency is also a client side phenomenon, agrees Mr. McArthur. "The most common question our support desk gets asked on a daily basis is to test latency between broker and VPS. Clients make decisions on which broker to open an account with based on this (obviously, amongst other factors) and also if the broker offer a “free” VPS service."
"To get to an unbeatable position in the latency race as a VPS vendor we made a decision to have a dedicated presence in Equinix NY4 over 18 months ago and we will move into Equinix LD5 to add to our London presence over the next few months."
"We will as far as we are aware be the only VPS provider to offer both locations. BeeksFX were the first to use direct fiber x-connects within the data center to connect traders’ VPS’s to brokers/bridge and liquidity providers. This allows sub 1 m/s latency between us and the brokers. We continue to proliferate these direct fibre connections and it is the main reason we are moving to LD5 in London as Europe’s major hosting facility for forex providers" Mr. McArthur explained.
Next Generation VPS Platform
With regard to the future of the VPS and its expansion into other areas, Mr. McArthur stated: "Within the last month or so we have released and deployed our next generation platform in both our London and NY locations. We see a large improvement on execution speeds; reduction is slippage and an increase in traded volume by retail using our new platform. It was 12 months in development and is fully tuned and optimized for forex trading."
"As the market matures and becomes more specialist retail clients no longer want VPSs from generic web hosters as they cannot match the performance of a specialist set-up. To give a few examples of this would be difficult without releasing any operational details behind our new platform."
"In a normal web hosting environment web applications are very “read biased” to the storage infrastructure i.e. the web site sends mostly read requests to the disks. In trading this is the exact opposite and most of the activity is write intensive so when you know that you can optimize your storage footprint to be optimized for this type of workload."
"Also the amount of ticks received is not the same as the amount of ticks sent by say an MetaTrader 4 server. There is huge variation in this, and by as much as 30% this has an amazing effect on traded volume particularly with automated strategies. It is possible to optimize the network and the TCP/IP stack to get much higher tick throughput for traders."
"Configuring systems for trading like the above examples would make for a poor web hosting experience so I believe as the market continues to evolve more retails clients will move to Forex VPS specialists and brokers will continue to work with VPS innovators and low latency specialists" concluded Mr. McArthur.
Low latency and the advancement of technology has most certainly become a point of discussion and technical development among institutional firms lately, with the race to achieve minimal latency increasing its momentum almost every day.
On the retail side, things are somewhat different, however today in an exclusive announcement by low-latency VPS provider BeeksFX, it has been confirmed that the company has entered into a strategic partnership with FxPro Financial Services in order to offer FxPro’s clients its Next Generation Virtual Private Server (VPS).
This solution will be hosted via the BeeksFX London data center and will offer a low latency solution for users of FxPro’s MetaTrader 4 and cTrader platforms.
This morning, Gordon McArthur, CEO of BeeksFX, spoke to Forex Magnates on the partnership: “FxPro has chosen us as a UK Based provider to work with due to our best in class VPS which offers higher tick throughput and faster execution than other providers. We are leading the way on VPS innovation for traders seeking ever higher performance for their automated strategies”.
"BeeksFX looks forward to an ongoing, successful relationship with FxPro and we are excited to be part of this new innovation for the FxPro clients” enthused Mr. McArthur.
Institutional Advances Overshadow Retail Infrastructure
On the institutional side, there have been some major infrastructure advances recently, whereby the entire worldwide networks are connecting via high-speed fiber optic and in some cases microwave technology to the world’s venues in order to widen the access to Liquidity Liquidity The term liquidity refers to the process, speed, and ease of which a given asset or security can be converted into cash. Notably, liquidity surmises a retention in market price, with the most liquid assets representing cash. The most liquid asset of all is cash itself. · In economics, liquidity is defined by how efficiently and quickly an asset can be converted into usable cash without materially affecting its market price. · Nothing is more liquid than cash, while other assets represent varying degrees of liquidity. This can be differentiated as market liquidity or accounting liquidity.· Liquidity refers to a tangible construct that can be measures. The most common ways to do so include a current ratio, quick ratio, and cash ratio. What is the Definition of Liquidity? Liquidity is a common definition used in investing, banking, or the financial services space. Its primary function is to ascertain how quickly a given asset can be bought, sold, or exchanged without a disparity in market price. Which of the following assets is the most liquid? By definition, in terms of liquidity, cash is unequivocally seen as the most liquid asset in an economic sense. This is due to its widespread acceptance and ease of conversion into other assets, forms of cash, or currencies, etc. All other liquid assets must be able to be quickly and efficiently converted into cash, i.e., financial liquidity. This includes such things as stocks, commodities, or virtually any other construct that has an associated value. By extension, illiquid or non-liquid assets are not able to be quickly converted into cash. These assets, also known as tangible assets, can include such things as rare art or collectables, real estate, etc. Liquidity Spectrum Liquid assets can be defined primarily as either cash on hand or simply an asset that can be easily or readily converted into usable cash. It is important to note that cash is not uniformly liquid for several reasons. The below examples encompass all types of assets and their corresponding level of liquidity. Examples of Liquid Assets or Securities A good example of this is the US dollar, which is recognized or accepted globally, and backed by the US government or Federal Reserve Bank. Other major forms of cash include Euros, or major currencies. This differs notably from the legal tender in many emerging countries or others for political or economic reasons. Cash aside, assets such as stocks or equities, bonds and other securities, money market assets, marketable securities, US treasuries or T-notes, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a savings account, and mutual funds serve as the most liquid assets. These are generally assumed to be quick assets. Each of these assets can be converted into cash either instantaneously, or via any brokerage platform, exchange, etc., often in as little as minutes or seconds. As such, these assets are liquid. Examples of Illiquid Assets or Securities Conversely, illiquid assets still retain importance and value, though are much more difficult to convert into cash. Common examples of this include land or real estate, intellectual property, or other forms of capital such as equipment or machinery. In the examples above, liquid assets are assumed to be convertible into cash without substantial fees or delays in time. Illiquid assets on the other hand often suffer from fees or additional conversion costs, processing times, ultimately creating a price disparity. The best example of an illiquid asset is a house. For many individuals this is the most valuable asset they will own in their entire lives. However, selling a house typically requires taxes, realtor fees, and other costs, in addition to time. Real estate or land also takes much longer to exchange into cash, relative to other assets. Types of Liquidity Overall, liquidity is a broad term that needs to be defined by two different measures: market liquidity and accounting liquidity. Both measures deal with different constructs or entities entirely, though are useful metrics with regards to individuals or financial markets. Market Liquidity Market liquidity is a broader term that is used by a market maker to measure the ease of which assets can be bought and sold at transparent prices, namely across exchanges, stock markets, or other financial sectors. This can include among others, a real estate or property market, market for fine arts and collectable, and other goods. Market Liquidity Example As mentioned above, certain financial markets are much more liquid than others. The degree to which stocks from large companies or foreign currencies can be exchanged is much easier than finding a readily available market for antiques, collectables, or other capital, regardless of utility. Overall, a stock market, financial brokerage, or exchange is considered to have the high market liquidity. This is because the difference between both the bid and ask prices between parties is very low. The lower the spread between these two prices, the more liquid a given market is. Additionally, low liquidity refers to a higher spread between two prices. Why Liquidity Varies and What Does Liquidity Mean in Stocks? Every asset has a variable level of liquidity meaning this can change depending on what is being analyzed. One can define liquidity in stocks or stock markets in the same way as in foreign exchange markets, brokers, commodities exchanges, and crypto exchanges. Additionally, how large the market is will also dictate liquidity. The foreign exchange market for example is currently the largest by trading volume with high liquidity due to cash flows. This is hardly surprising given that forms of cash or currencies are being exchanged. What is Liquidity in Stocks? A stock's liquidity refers to how rapidly shares of a stock can be bought or sold without largely impacting a stock price. By definition, liquidity in stocks varies for a number of reasons. Stocks with low liquidity may be difficult to sell and may cause you to take a bigger loss if you cannot sell the shares when you want to. In finance, the most liquid assets are always the most popular. By extension, if a spread between buyers and sellers increases, the market is considered to be less liquid. A good example of this is the real estate or property market. While highly valuable, there are large disparities between the purchase price and selling price of property, as well as the time associated in making these transactions, and additional fees incurred by other parties. Liquidity providers play a key role in this regard. Accounting Liquidity Unlike market liquidity, accounting liquidity measures something different entirely. Accounting liquidity is a measure by which either an individual or entity can meet their respective current financial obligations with the current liquid assets available to them. This includes paying off debts, overhead, or any other fixed costs associated with a business. Accounting liquidity is a functional comparison between one’s current liquid assets and their current liabilities. In the United States and other countries, companies and individuals have to reconcile accounting on a yearly basis. Accounting liquidity is an excellent measure that captures financial obligations due in a year. Accounting Liquidity Example Accounting liquidity itself can be differentiated by several ratios, controlling for how liquid assets are. These measures are useful tools for not just the individual or company in focus but for others that are trying to ascertain current financial health.As an example, accounting liquidity can measure any company’s current financial assets and compare them to its financial obligations. If there is a large disparity between these figures, or much more assets than obligations, a company can be considered to have a strong depth of liquidity.How to Calculate Liquidity Liquidity is of importance to investors, financial market participants, analysts, or even for an investment strategy. Calculating liquidity is a measure of firm or individual’s ability to utilize or harness current liquid assets to current cover short-term debt. This can be achieved using a total of four formulas: the current ratio, quick ratio, acid-test variation, and cash ratio. Current Ratio The current ratio is the easiest measure due to its lack of complexity. Quite simply, the current ratio measures a firm or individual’s current assets or those than can be sold within a calendar year, weighed against all current liabilities. Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities If the current ratio’s value is greater than 1, then the entity in question can be assumed to reconcile its financial obligations using its current liquid assets. Highly liquid assets will correspond to higher numbers in this regard. Conversely, any number less than 1 indicates that current liquid assets are not enough to cover short-term obligations. Quick Ratio A quick ratio is a slightly more complex way of measuring accounting liquidity via a balance sheet. Unlike the current ratio, the quick ratio excludes current assets that are not as liquid as cash, cash equivalents, or other shorter-term investments. The quick ratio can be defined below by the following: Quick Ratio = (Cash or Cash Equivalents + Shorter-Term Investments + Accounts Receivable)/Current Liabilities Acid-Test Ratio The acid-test ratio is a variation of the quick ratio. The acid-test ratio seeks to deduct inventory from current assets, serving as a traditionally broader measure that is more forgiving to individuals or entities. Acid-Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventories – Prepaid Costs)/Current Liabilities Cash Ratio Finally, the cash ratio further isolates current assets, looking to measure only liquid assets that are designated as cash or cash equivalents. In this sense, the cash ratio is the most precise of the other liquidity ratios, excluding accounts receivable, inventories, or other assets. A more precise measure has its uses, namely regarding assessing financial strength in the face of an emergency, i.e., an unforeseen and time sensitive event. The cash ratio can help measure an entity or individual’s hypothesized solvency in the face of unexpected scenarios, events, etc. As such, the cash ratio is defined below: Cash Ratio = Cash and Cash Equivalents/Current Liabilities The cash ratio is not simply a doomsday tool but a highly practical measure when determining market value. In the financial services space, even large companies or profitable institutions can find themselves at liquidity risk due to unexpected events beyond their control. Why is Liquidity Important and Why it Matters to You? Liquidity is very important for not just financial markets but for individuals and investors. Liquid markets benefit all market participants and make it easier to buy and sell securities, stocks, collectables, etc. On an individual level, this is important for personal finance, as ordinary investors are able to better take advantage of trading opportunities. Additionally, high liquidity promotes financial health in companies in the same way it does for individuals. Conclusion – What Does Liquidity Mean? What is liquidity? This metric is a commonly used as a measure in the investing, banking, or financial services space. Liquidity determines how quickly a given asset can be bought, sold, or exchanged without a disparity in market price. Which of the following assets is the most liquid? – cash, stocks, real estate. Of all assets, cash or money is the most liquid, meaning it is the easiest to utilize. All other liquid assets must be able to be quickly and efficiently converted into cash. This includes such things as stocks, commodities, or virtually any other construct that has an associated value. Conversely, illiquid or non-liquid assets are not able to be quickly converted into cash. These assets, also known as tangible assets, can include such things as rare art or collectables, real estate, etc. Frequently Asked Questions About Liquidity Is Liquidity Good or Bad? The term liquidity refers to a measure and is neither good nor bad but is instead a metric of how convertible an asset is to cash. However, high liquidity is associated with lower risk, while a liquid stock is more likely to keep its value when being traded.Is a Home a Liquid Asset? A home or properly is not considered to be a liquid asset. Selling any property can incur additional costs and take a long amount of time. Additionally, there is often a price disparity from the time of purchase, meaning a seller may not even get its original market value back at the time of the sale. Why Are Stocks Liquid? Stocks are some of the most liquid assets in financial markets because these assets can be converted to cash in a short period of time in the event of any financial emergency. Is Tesla a Liquid Stock? Tesla is a liquid stock and while hugely volatile, is an integral part of the NASDAQ and is a globally recognized company. Additionally, the company is a popular single-stock CFD offering at many brokerages, with very high volumes. Is a Pension a Liquid Asset? Certain pensions are liquid assets once you have reached a retirement age. Until you are eligible to withdraw or collect a pension, without early withdrawal penalty, it is not considered a liquid asset. The term liquidity refers to the process, speed, and ease of which a given asset or security can be converted into cash. Notably, liquidity surmises a retention in market price, with the most liquid assets representing cash. The most liquid asset of all is cash itself. · In economics, liquidity is defined by how efficiently and quickly an asset can be converted into usable cash without materially affecting its market price. · Nothing is more liquid than cash, while other assets represent varying degrees of liquidity. This can be differentiated as market liquidity or accounting liquidity.· Liquidity refers to a tangible construct that can be measures. The most common ways to do so include a current ratio, quick ratio, and cash ratio. What is the Definition of Liquidity? Liquidity is a common definition used in investing, banking, or the financial services space. Its primary function is to ascertain how quickly a given asset can be bought, sold, or exchanged without a disparity in market price. Which of the following assets is the most liquid? By definition, in terms of liquidity, cash is unequivocally seen as the most liquid asset in an economic sense. This is due to its widespread acceptance and ease of conversion into other assets, forms of cash, or currencies, etc. All other liquid assets must be able to be quickly and efficiently converted into cash, i.e., financial liquidity. This includes such things as stocks, commodities, or virtually any other construct that has an associated value. By extension, illiquid or non-liquid assets are not able to be quickly converted into cash. These assets, also known as tangible assets, can include such things as rare art or collectables, real estate, etc. Liquidity Spectrum Liquid assets can be defined primarily as either cash on hand or simply an asset that can be easily or readily converted into usable cash. It is important to note that cash is not uniformly liquid for several reasons. The below examples encompass all types of assets and their corresponding level of liquidity. Examples of Liquid Assets or Securities A good example of this is the US dollar, which is recognized or accepted globally, and backed by the US government or Federal Reserve Bank. Other major forms of cash include Euros, or major currencies. This differs notably from the legal tender in many emerging countries or others for political or economic reasons. Cash aside, assets such as stocks or equities, bonds and other securities, money market assets, marketable securities, US treasuries or T-notes, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a savings account, and mutual funds serve as the most liquid assets. These are generally assumed to be quick assets. Each of these assets can be converted into cash either instantaneously, or via any brokerage platform, exchange, etc., often in as little as minutes or seconds. As such, these assets are liquid. Examples of Illiquid Assets or Securities Conversely, illiquid assets still retain importance and value, though are much more difficult to convert into cash. Common examples of this include land or real estate, intellectual property, or other forms of capital such as equipment or machinery. In the examples above, liquid assets are assumed to be convertible into cash without substantial fees or delays in time. Illiquid assets on the other hand often suffer from fees or additional conversion costs, processing times, ultimately creating a price disparity. The best example of an illiquid asset is a house. For many individuals this is the most valuable asset they will own in their entire lives. However, selling a house typically requires taxes, realtor fees, and other costs, in addition to time. Real estate or land also takes much longer to exchange into cash, relative to other assets. Types of Liquidity Overall, liquidity is a broad term that needs to be defined by two different measures: market liquidity and accounting liquidity. Both measures deal with different constructs or entities entirely, though are useful metrics with regards to individuals or financial markets. Market Liquidity Market liquidity is a broader term that is used by a market maker to measure the ease of which assets can be bought and sold at transparent prices, namely across exchanges, stock markets, or other financial sectors. This can include among others, a real estate or property market, market for fine arts and collectable, and other goods. Market Liquidity Example As mentioned above, certain financial markets are much more liquid than others. The degree to which stocks from large companies or foreign currencies can be exchanged is much easier than finding a readily available market for antiques, collectables, or other capital, regardless of utility. Overall, a stock market, financial brokerage, or exchange is considered to have the high market liquidity. This is because the difference between both the bid and ask prices between parties is very low. The lower the spread between these two prices, the more liquid a given market is. Additionally, low liquidity refers to a higher spread between two prices. Why Liquidity Varies and What Does Liquidity Mean in Stocks? Every asset has a variable level of liquidity meaning this can change depending on what is being analyzed. One can define liquidity in stocks or stock markets in the same way as in foreign exchange markets, brokers, commodities exchanges, and crypto exchanges. Additionally, how large the market is will also dictate liquidity. The foreign exchange market for example is currently the largest by trading volume with high liquidity due to cash flows. This is hardly surprising given that forms of cash or currencies are being exchanged. What is Liquidity in Stocks? A stock's liquidity refers to how rapidly shares of a stock can be bought or sold without largely impacting a stock price. By definition, liquidity in stocks varies for a number of reasons. Stocks with low liquidity may be difficult to sell and may cause you to take a bigger loss if you cannot sell the shares when you want to. In finance, the most liquid assets are always the most popular. By extension, if a spread between buyers and sellers increases, the market is considered to be less liquid. A good example of this is the real estate or property market. While highly valuable, there are large disparities between the purchase price and selling price of property, as well as the time associated in making these transactions, and additional fees incurred by other parties. Liquidity providers play a key role in this regard. Accounting Liquidity Unlike market liquidity, accounting liquidity measures something different entirely. Accounting liquidity is a measure by which either an individual or entity can meet their respective current financial obligations with the current liquid assets available to them. This includes paying off debts, overhead, or any other fixed costs associated with a business. Accounting liquidity is a functional comparison between one’s current liquid assets and their current liabilities. In the United States and other countries, companies and individuals have to reconcile accounting on a yearly basis. Accounting liquidity is an excellent measure that captures financial obligations due in a year. Accounting Liquidity Example Accounting liquidity itself can be differentiated by several ratios, controlling for how liquid assets are. These measures are useful tools for not just the individual or company in focus but for others that are trying to ascertain current financial health.As an example, accounting liquidity can measure any company’s current financial assets and compare them to its financial obligations. If there is a large disparity between these figures, or much more assets than obligations, a company can be considered to have a strong depth of liquidity.How to Calculate Liquidity Liquidity is of importance to investors, financial market participants, analysts, or even for an investment strategy. Calculating liquidity is a measure of firm or individual’s ability to utilize or harness current liquid assets to current cover short-term debt. This can be achieved using a total of four formulas: the current ratio, quick ratio, acid-test variation, and cash ratio. Current Ratio The current ratio is the easiest measure due to its lack of complexity. Quite simply, the current ratio measures a firm or individual’s current assets or those than can be sold within a calendar year, weighed against all current liabilities. Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities If the current ratio’s value is greater than 1, then the entity in question can be assumed to reconcile its financial obligations using its current liquid assets. Highly liquid assets will correspond to higher numbers in this regard. Conversely, any number less than 1 indicates that current liquid assets are not enough to cover short-term obligations. Quick Ratio A quick ratio is a slightly more complex way of measuring accounting liquidity via a balance sheet. Unlike the current ratio, the quick ratio excludes current assets that are not as liquid as cash, cash equivalents, or other shorter-term investments. The quick ratio can be defined below by the following: Quick Ratio = (Cash or Cash Equivalents + Shorter-Term Investments + Accounts Receivable)/Current Liabilities Acid-Test Ratio The acid-test ratio is a variation of the quick ratio. The acid-test ratio seeks to deduct inventory from current assets, serving as a traditionally broader measure that is more forgiving to individuals or entities. Acid-Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventories – Prepaid Costs)/Current Liabilities Cash Ratio Finally, the cash ratio further isolates current assets, looking to measure only liquid assets that are designated as cash or cash equivalents. In this sense, the cash ratio is the most precise of the other liquidity ratios, excluding accounts receivable, inventories, or other assets. A more precise measure has its uses, namely regarding assessing financial strength in the face of an emergency, i.e., an unforeseen and time sensitive event. The cash ratio can help measure an entity or individual’s hypothesized solvency in the face of unexpected scenarios, events, etc. As such, the cash ratio is defined below: Cash Ratio = Cash and Cash Equivalents/Current Liabilities The cash ratio is not simply a doomsday tool but a highly practical measure when determining market value. In the financial services space, even large companies or profitable institutions can find themselves at liquidity risk due to unexpected events beyond their control. Why is Liquidity Important and Why it Matters to You? Liquidity is very important for not just financial markets but for individuals and investors. Liquid markets benefit all market participants and make it easier to buy and sell securities, stocks, collectables, etc. On an individual level, this is important for personal finance, as ordinary investors are able to better take advantage of trading opportunities. Additionally, high liquidity promotes financial health in companies in the same way it does for individuals. Conclusion – What Does Liquidity Mean? What is liquidity? This metric is a commonly used as a measure in the investing, banking, or financial services space. Liquidity determines how quickly a given asset can be bought, sold, or exchanged without a disparity in market price. Which of the following assets is the most liquid? – cash, stocks, real estate. Of all assets, cash or money is the most liquid, meaning it is the easiest to utilize. All other liquid assets must be able to be quickly and efficiently converted into cash. This includes such things as stocks, commodities, or virtually any other construct that has an associated value. Conversely, illiquid or non-liquid assets are not able to be quickly converted into cash. These assets, also known as tangible assets, can include such things as rare art or collectables, real estate, etc. Frequently Asked Questions About Liquidity Is Liquidity Good or Bad? The term liquidity refers to a measure and is neither good nor bad but is instead a metric of how convertible an asset is to cash. However, high liquidity is associated with lower risk, while a liquid stock is more likely to keep its value when being traded.Is a Home a Liquid Asset? A home or properly is not considered to be a liquid asset. Selling any property can incur additional costs and take a long amount of time. Additionally, there is often a price disparity from the time of purchase, meaning a seller may not even get its original market value back at the time of the sale. Why Are Stocks Liquid? Stocks are some of the most liquid assets in financial markets because these assets can be converted to cash in a short period of time in the event of any financial emergency. Is Tesla a Liquid Stock? Tesla is a liquid stock and while hugely volatile, is an integral part of the NASDAQ and is a globally recognized company. Additionally, the company is a popular single-stock CFD offering at many brokerages, with very high volumes. Is a Pension a Liquid Asset? Certain pensions are liquid assets once you have reached a retirement age. Until you are eligible to withdraw or collect a pension, without early withdrawal penalty, it is not considered a liquid asset. Read this Term pools and reduce trade execution time. So critical is this becoming that large software houses have engaged in complete buyouts of big data Analytics Analytics Analytics may be defined as the detection, analysis, and relay of consequential patterns in data. Analytics also seeks to explain or accurately reflect the relationship between data and effective decision making. In the trading space, analytics are applied in a predictive manner in an attempt to more accurately forecast the price. This predictive model of analytics generally involves the analysis of historical price patterns that are used in an attempt to determine certain price outcomes. Analytics may also be structured with a descriptive model, where readers attempt to draw a correlation and better understanding as to how and why traders react to a particular set of variables. Traders sometimes implement technical indicators such as moving averages, Bollinger Bands, and breakpoints which are built upon historical data and are used to predict future price movements. How Analytics Relates to Algo TradingAnalytics are relied upon in the concept of algorithmic trading where software is programmed to autonomously signal and/or execute buy and sell orders based upon a series of predetermined factors. In the institutional space, Algo-trading has become vastly competitive over the years as trading institutions seek to outperform competitors through automated systems and the virtual application of trading strategies.The digestion and computation of analytics are also seen in the emerging field of high-frequency trading, where supercomputers are used to analyze multiple markets simultaneously to make near-instantaneous automated trading decisions. Platforms that support HFT have the capability to significantly outperform human traders.This is due to the innate ability to be able to comprehensively analyze big data sets while taking under do consideration an innumerable sum of factors that humans are incapable of comprehending in such speed. Additionally, analytics are seen with backtesting. Backtesting is used by traders to test the consistency and effectiveness of trading strategies and software-based trading solutions against historical price data. Backtesting also serves as an ideal playground for the further development of high-frequency trading as well as evaluating the performance of manual or automated trades. Analytics will continue to have an increasingly significant role in trading as emerging technologies and the advancement of trading applications progress beyond human capability. Analytics may be defined as the detection, analysis, and relay of consequential patterns in data. Analytics also seeks to explain or accurately reflect the relationship between data and effective decision making. In the trading space, analytics are applied in a predictive manner in an attempt to more accurately forecast the price. This predictive model of analytics generally involves the analysis of historical price patterns that are used in an attempt to determine certain price outcomes. Analytics may also be structured with a descriptive model, where readers attempt to draw a correlation and better understanding as to how and why traders react to a particular set of variables. Traders sometimes implement technical indicators such as moving averages, Bollinger Bands, and breakpoints which are built upon historical data and are used to predict future price movements. How Analytics Relates to Algo TradingAnalytics are relied upon in the concept of algorithmic trading where software is programmed to autonomously signal and/or execute buy and sell orders based upon a series of predetermined factors. In the institutional space, Algo-trading has become vastly competitive over the years as trading institutions seek to outperform competitors through automated systems and the virtual application of trading strategies.The digestion and computation of analytics are also seen in the emerging field of high-frequency trading, where supercomputers are used to analyze multiple markets simultaneously to make near-instantaneous automated trading decisions. Platforms that support HFT have the capability to significantly outperform human traders.This is due to the innate ability to be able to comprehensively analyze big data sets while taking under do consideration an innumerable sum of factors that humans are incapable of comprehending in such speed. Additionally, analytics are seen with backtesting. Backtesting is used by traders to test the consistency and effectiveness of trading strategies and software-based trading solutions against historical price data. Backtesting also serves as an ideal playground for the further development of high-frequency trading as well as evaluating the performance of manual or automated trades. Analytics will continue to have an increasingly significant role in trading as emerging technologies and the advancement of trading applications progress beyond human capability. Read this Term firms such last week’s acquisitions of Apama and StreamBase by two large software conglomerates.
In addition, point to point connectivity communities such as TMX Atrium is experiencing significant expansion into new areas by fostering alliances outside of North America, and new infrastructure and data centers being set in place as demonstrated by Volta’s new 45,000 square foot facility in London, which yesterday entered into a partnership with Dutch carrier-neutral connectivity firm Custom Connect.
Catering to the requirements of latency-sensitive users in the institutional sector of the indsutry, Volta’s 33,000 volt Great Sutton Street facility which goes live later this year is very close to the City’s financial district.
In preparation for such a move, Custom Connect, headquartered in Amsterdam, has recently expanded its footprint by opening up a new office in the City of London. The new partnership with Volta will enable Custom Connect to deliver their services in the heart of the City of London in a state of the art carrier neutral facility. Custom Connect’s full portfolio will become available including the possibility to connect to ultra-low latency microwave transmission services.
VPS As A Means Of Shrinking The World
Application of infrastructure technology is somewhat different on the retail side, whereby in a lot of cases traditional infrastructure is used, and therefore differences in execution speed are more evident depending on the location of the trader compared to the broker.
By utilizing a VPS close to servers used by liquidity providers and technology partners of brokers in the retail sector, latency can be substantially reduced.
Mr. McArthur is of the opinion that the large institutional FX technology providers often concentrate on supplying high-level infrastructure solutions with which to compete with other companies in that market segment, plus to give institutional FX companies the best solution they can offer, but in doing so often forget the needs of the individual trader as these solutions are aimed at large-scale organizations which execute thousands of orders per day rather than solitary retail traders.
Customizing Low Latency
Viewing execution time from the perspective of individual traders, Mr. McArthur believes that the real value of using the VPS is that traders can individually locate themselves close to servers without having to be part of a large, institutional FX firm.
As most of the trade executions made by retail clients is carried via standard fixed-line broadband internet, the retail traders based away from their brokers are disadvantaged compared to those with access to the latest institutional connectivity systems. As well as distance from servers, there are also large regional differences in domestic internet speed, further impeding execution time. For example in North America or Europe, traders experience a significant speed differential compared with those of the Asia Pacific region due to the less advanced internet connections and distance from western brokers' servers. This can sometimes result in a difference of between 200 to 300 milliseconds in execution times.
Evolution of the Forex VPS
When forex traders started using VPSs it was more to reduce the risk of automated strategies being interrupted by power outages or bandwidth failures on home PC’s as this was where most automated strategies were run by retail clients.
Today this has changed massively. Resiliency in power and network are taken as basic pre-requisites in retail VPS provision. Further, due to the explosion in EA trading and the move to retail HFT, clients now demand specialist optimized VPS configurations that have both low latency and are optimized to maximize tick throughput and round trip execution speed.
Mr.McArthur further explained the detail of this to Forex Magnates today: "The location of the VPS to reduce latency has become all important as has the performance of the VPS. There are so many tools to measure VPS and broker performance it is becoming a critical component in the battle to win and retain retail clients as the move to the agency model gathers pace. This is why we see almost every major broker already partnering or in the process of partnering with a specialist low latency Forex VPS provider" he said.
Direct Fiber Connections
"The race for low latency is also a client side phenomenon, agrees Mr. McArthur. "The most common question our support desk gets asked on a daily basis is to test latency between broker and VPS. Clients make decisions on which broker to open an account with based on this (obviously, amongst other factors) and also if the broker offer a “free” VPS service."
"To get to an unbeatable position in the latency race as a VPS vendor we made a decision to have a dedicated presence in Equinix NY4 over 18 months ago and we will move into Equinix LD5 to add to our London presence over the next few months."
"We will as far as we are aware be the only VPS provider to offer both locations. BeeksFX were the first to use direct fiber x-connects within the data center to connect traders’ VPS’s to brokers/bridge and liquidity providers. This allows sub 1 m/s latency between us and the brokers. We continue to proliferate these direct fibre connections and it is the main reason we are moving to LD5 in London as Europe’s major hosting facility for forex providers" Mr. McArthur explained.
Next Generation VPS Platform
With regard to the future of the VPS and its expansion into other areas, Mr. McArthur stated: "Within the last month or so we have released and deployed our next generation platform in both our London and NY locations. We see a large improvement on execution speeds; reduction is slippage and an increase in traded volume by retail using our new platform. It was 12 months in development and is fully tuned and optimized for forex trading."
"As the market matures and becomes more specialist retail clients no longer want VPSs from generic web hosters as they cannot match the performance of a specialist set-up. To give a few examples of this would be difficult without releasing any operational details behind our new platform."
"In a normal web hosting environment web applications are very “read biased” to the storage infrastructure i.e. the web site sends mostly read requests to the disks. In trading this is the exact opposite and most of the activity is write intensive so when you know that you can optimize your storage footprint to be optimized for this type of workload."
"Also the amount of ticks received is not the same as the amount of ticks sent by say an MetaTrader 4 server. There is huge variation in this, and by as much as 30% this has an amazing effect on traded volume particularly with automated strategies. It is possible to optimize the network and the TCP/IP stack to get much higher tick throughput for traders."
"Configuring systems for trading like the above examples would make for a poor web hosting experience so I believe as the market continues to evolve more retails clients will move to Forex VPS specialists and brokers will continue to work with VPS innovators and low latency specialists" concluded Mr. McArthur.