ASIC Freezes Licence of Failed Investment Firm Longhou Markets
- Prior to April 2016, Longhou was formerly known as Avestra Capital Pty Ltd and as AG Capital Markets Pty Ltd from March 2015.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) today suspended the license of embattled brokerage Longhou Capital Markets, which fell into voluntary administration on February 28.
The ASIC’s order against Longhou is restraining them from dealing with monies received from investors, or carrying on a financial services business. The interim orders are in place until June 12, 2020, when voluntary administrator Christopher Darin, of Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants, reports on its findings.
The suspension of Gold Coast firm’s license means that the company’s authorized representatives providing financial services on its behalf must immediately cease providing financial services, the ASIC said.
Further explaining its background, the ASIC said Longhou is the holder of AFS license no. 292464, which it has held since November 2005. Prior to April 2016, Longhou was formerly known as Avestra Capital Pty Ltd from October 2008 and as AG Capital Markets Pty Ltd from March 2015.
ASIC preparing to flex its new regulatory muscles
The Australian financial watchdog has kicked off its largest swipe against the sale of risky investments to retail investors, but industry players are claiming that they already operate in compliance with most of these restrictions.
The corporate regulator has been preparing to flex its new regulatory muscles after a recent review found in 2018 alone 80 percent of binary traders and 72 percent of clients who traded CFDs, lost money. Retail traders lost nearly $490 million and $1.5 billion a year in trading binary options and CFDs, respectively, according to ASIC data.
Still, the regulatory updates, which will include leverage limits, margin closeout rules, and Negative Balance Negative Balance In its most basic form, a negative balance represents an account balance in which debits exceed credits. A negative balance indicates that the account holder owes money. A negative balance on a loan indicates that the loan has not been repaid in full, while a negative bank balance indicates that the account holder has overspent.In the retail brokerage space, this phenomenon occurs when a position’s losses in an account exceeds the available margin on hand from a given trader. When a trader places a trade that sharply goes against the chosen direction, an account can incur negative balance. Such exposure is traditionally very risky for brokers. While the foreign exchange market is the most liquid market in the world, unexpected economic, geopolitical or cataclysmic events can always cause a market disruption and consequently lack of liquidity.This has occurred during certain events, albeit limited, which have resulted in extraordinarily sharp movements over short timeframes such as the Swiss National Banking Crisis in early 2015.Negative balances are addressed in many jurisdictions globally and clients in the EU are protected from such risks. As a consequence, brokers are the ones which are exposed to the risks associated with covering the negative balance with a prime broker or a prime of prime. New Negative Balance Protections Look to Shield Market ParticipantsAs a countermeasure to the risk associated with negative balances on a wider scale, many brokers now have since adopted negative balance protections. These mechanisms are an automated adjustment of the account balance to zero in case it became negative after a stop out.Traders operating with a broker that offers negative balance protection often cannot lose more than deposited as this shields both the trader and broker from wider losses in times of crisis. In its most basic form, a negative balance represents an account balance in which debits exceed credits. A negative balance indicates that the account holder owes money. A negative balance on a loan indicates that the loan has not been repaid in full, while a negative bank balance indicates that the account holder has overspent.In the retail brokerage space, this phenomenon occurs when a position’s losses in an account exceeds the available margin on hand from a given trader. When a trader places a trade that sharply goes against the chosen direction, an account can incur negative balance. Such exposure is traditionally very risky for brokers. While the foreign exchange market is the most liquid market in the world, unexpected economic, geopolitical or cataclysmic events can always cause a market disruption and consequently lack of liquidity.This has occurred during certain events, albeit limited, which have resulted in extraordinarily sharp movements over short timeframes such as the Swiss National Banking Crisis in early 2015.Negative balances are addressed in many jurisdictions globally and clients in the EU are protected from such risks. As a consequence, brokers are the ones which are exposed to the risks associated with covering the negative balance with a prime broker or a prime of prime. New Negative Balance Protections Look to Shield Market ParticipantsAs a countermeasure to the risk associated with negative balances on a wider scale, many brokers now have since adopted negative balance protections. These mechanisms are an automated adjustment of the account balance to zero in case it became negative after a stop out.Traders operating with a broker that offers negative balance protection often cannot lose more than deposited as this shields both the trader and broker from wider losses in times of crisis. Read this Term protection, are anticipated to affect fortunes of local brokers from their Australian customers.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) today suspended the license of embattled brokerage Longhou Capital Markets, which fell into voluntary administration on February 28.
The ASIC’s order against Longhou is restraining them from dealing with monies received from investors, or carrying on a financial services business. The interim orders are in place until June 12, 2020, when voluntary administrator Christopher Darin, of Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants, reports on its findings.
The suspension of Gold Coast firm’s license means that the company’s authorized representatives providing financial services on its behalf must immediately cease providing financial services, the ASIC said.
Further explaining its background, the ASIC said Longhou is the holder of AFS license no. 292464, which it has held since November 2005. Prior to April 2016, Longhou was formerly known as Avestra Capital Pty Ltd from October 2008 and as AG Capital Markets Pty Ltd from March 2015.
ASIC preparing to flex its new regulatory muscles
The Australian financial watchdog has kicked off its largest swipe against the sale of risky investments to retail investors, but industry players are claiming that they already operate in compliance with most of these restrictions.
The corporate regulator has been preparing to flex its new regulatory muscles after a recent review found in 2018 alone 80 percent of binary traders and 72 percent of clients who traded CFDs, lost money. Retail traders lost nearly $490 million and $1.5 billion a year in trading binary options and CFDs, respectively, according to ASIC data.
Still, the regulatory updates, which will include leverage limits, margin closeout rules, and Negative Balance Negative Balance In its most basic form, a negative balance represents an account balance in which debits exceed credits. A negative balance indicates that the account holder owes money. A negative balance on a loan indicates that the loan has not been repaid in full, while a negative bank balance indicates that the account holder has overspent.In the retail brokerage space, this phenomenon occurs when a position’s losses in an account exceeds the available margin on hand from a given trader. When a trader places a trade that sharply goes against the chosen direction, an account can incur negative balance. Such exposure is traditionally very risky for brokers. While the foreign exchange market is the most liquid market in the world, unexpected economic, geopolitical or cataclysmic events can always cause a market disruption and consequently lack of liquidity.This has occurred during certain events, albeit limited, which have resulted in extraordinarily sharp movements over short timeframes such as the Swiss National Banking Crisis in early 2015.Negative balances are addressed in many jurisdictions globally and clients in the EU are protected from such risks. As a consequence, brokers are the ones which are exposed to the risks associated with covering the negative balance with a prime broker or a prime of prime. New Negative Balance Protections Look to Shield Market ParticipantsAs a countermeasure to the risk associated with negative balances on a wider scale, many brokers now have since adopted negative balance protections. These mechanisms are an automated adjustment of the account balance to zero in case it became negative after a stop out.Traders operating with a broker that offers negative balance protection often cannot lose more than deposited as this shields both the trader and broker from wider losses in times of crisis. In its most basic form, a negative balance represents an account balance in which debits exceed credits. A negative balance indicates that the account holder owes money. A negative balance on a loan indicates that the loan has not been repaid in full, while a negative bank balance indicates that the account holder has overspent.In the retail brokerage space, this phenomenon occurs when a position’s losses in an account exceeds the available margin on hand from a given trader. When a trader places a trade that sharply goes against the chosen direction, an account can incur negative balance. Such exposure is traditionally very risky for brokers. While the foreign exchange market is the most liquid market in the world, unexpected economic, geopolitical or cataclysmic events can always cause a market disruption and consequently lack of liquidity.This has occurred during certain events, albeit limited, which have resulted in extraordinarily sharp movements over short timeframes such as the Swiss National Banking Crisis in early 2015.Negative balances are addressed in many jurisdictions globally and clients in the EU are protected from such risks. As a consequence, brokers are the ones which are exposed to the risks associated with covering the negative balance with a prime broker or a prime of prime. New Negative Balance Protections Look to Shield Market ParticipantsAs a countermeasure to the risk associated with negative balances on a wider scale, many brokers now have since adopted negative balance protections. These mechanisms are an automated adjustment of the account balance to zero in case it became negative after a stop out.Traders operating with a broker that offers negative balance protection often cannot lose more than deposited as this shields both the trader and broker from wider losses in times of crisis. Read this Term protection, are anticipated to affect fortunes of local brokers from their Australian customers.