As FX Investigations Continue, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank Ban Multi-Dealer Chat Rooms
- JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank have become the latest banks to initiate bans on multi-dealer chat rooms. The news comes after UBS banned the practice last month as investigations to FX price manipulation continue.
According to a report by Reuters which claimed unnamed sources, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank have become the latest banks to initiate bans on multi-dealer chat rooms. The news comes after UBS banned the practice last month.
The chat room bans occur as major FX dealing banks, of which Deutsche Bank is the largest by volumes traded, have been the target of global regulatory investigation in regards to interbank price manipulations. The investigations are based on allegations that dealers may have colluded to affect prices during London’s daily FX fix, and come after similar accusations of Libor Libor Libor stands for London Inter-bank offered rate. It is an industry-specific term which most of us would never have heard of until the "Libor scandal" became popularized in 2012. Libor is considered to be one of the most important interest rates in finance, upon which trillions of financial contracts rest. The Libor rate effects over $800,000,000,000,000 in financial deals. Banks simply cannot lend money to one another whenever they like as there is a system in place. Every day a group of leading banks submits the interest rates at which they are willing to lend to other finance houses. They suggest rates in 10 currencies covering 15 different lengths of loan, ranging from overnight to 12 months. The most important rate is the three-month dollar Libor. The rates submitted are what the banks estimate they would pay other banks to borrow dollars for three months if they borrowed money on the day the rate is being set. Then an average is calculated. Long-Term Consequences of Libor ScandalThe Libor scandal showed arrogant disregard for the rules and that traders colluded for years to rig Libor, the banks' lending rate. Libor is set by a self-selected, self-policing committee of the world's largest banks. Starting in 2012, an international investigation into Libor, revealed an overall plot by multiple banks – notably Deutsche Bank, Barclays, UBS, Rabobank, and the Royal Bank of Scotland – to manipulate these interest rates for profit starting as far back as 2003. Investigations continue to implicate major institutions, exposing them to lawsuits and shaking trust in the global financial system. Regulators in the United States, the UK, and the European Union have fined banks more than $9 billion for rigging Libor, which underpins over $300 trillion worth of loans worldwide. Since 2015, authorities in both the UK and the United States have brought criminal charges against individual traders and brokers for their role in manipulating rates. The scandal has sparked calls for deeper reform of the entire LIBOR rate-setting system, as well as harsher penalties for offending individuals and institutions, but so far change remains piecemeal. Libor stands for London Inter-bank offered rate. It is an industry-specific term which most of us would never have heard of until the "Libor scandal" became popularized in 2012. Libor is considered to be one of the most important interest rates in finance, upon which trillions of financial contracts rest. The Libor rate effects over $800,000,000,000,000 in financial deals. Banks simply cannot lend money to one another whenever they like as there is a system in place. Every day a group of leading banks submits the interest rates at which they are willing to lend to other finance houses. They suggest rates in 10 currencies covering 15 different lengths of loan, ranging from overnight to 12 months. The most important rate is the three-month dollar Libor. The rates submitted are what the banks estimate they would pay other banks to borrow dollars for three months if they borrowed money on the day the rate is being set. Then an average is calculated. Long-Term Consequences of Libor ScandalThe Libor scandal showed arrogant disregard for the rules and that traders colluded for years to rig Libor, the banks' lending rate. Libor is set by a self-selected, self-policing committee of the world's largest banks. Starting in 2012, an international investigation into Libor, revealed an overall plot by multiple banks – notably Deutsche Bank, Barclays, UBS, Rabobank, and the Royal Bank of Scotland – to manipulate these interest rates for profit starting as far back as 2003. Investigations continue to implicate major institutions, exposing them to lawsuits and shaking trust in the global financial system. Regulators in the United States, the UK, and the European Union have fined banks more than $9 billion for rigging Libor, which underpins over $300 trillion worth of loans worldwide. Since 2015, authorities in both the UK and the United States have brought criminal charges against individual traders and brokers for their role in manipulating rates. The scandal has sparked calls for deeper reform of the entire LIBOR rate-setting system, as well as harsher penalties for offending individuals and institutions, but so far change remains piecemeal. Read this Term rate fixing having taken place.
Occurring at 4PM London time, with foreign currencies traded 24 hours a day, the fix has become a de facto period of daily settlement and marking of prices. As a result, the period before the fix is subject to abnormal volumes as asset managers adjust their currency exposure before the end of the reporting day. At issue is whether traders at FX dealing banks shared customer data and were involved with front running orders expected to take place near the fix time, as well as reducing Market Depth Market Depth Market Depth is a characteristic of a given market and its ability to handle large order sizes without materially affecting the price of the underlying asset or currency pair. Broad-based definitions of market depth characterize it as a function of liquidity and trading volume.In its most simplistic sense, market depth reflects a real-time list displaying the quantity to be sold versus unit price. This in turn is organized by price level and is reflective of real-time market activity. In theory, market depth is the size of an order needed to move the market price by a given amount. In practice market depth depends on the amount of open orders in a given market, which provide liquidity for order execution. What Determines Market Depth?While some brokers may be quoting better prices at first glance, the depth of book metric determines how frequently clients can hit the levels that are quoted. As a result, the real execution price may differ, provided that the clips traded are in significant size.Several factors influence market depth. This includes variables such as tick size, or the minimum price at which trades made be executed. In addition, trading restrictions or active limits, permissible leverage constraints, and price movement barriers are also determining factors of market depth.One of the most important elements of market depth is the level of transparency associated with a given market. For example, the latest bid and asking prices are typically public knowledge and made available to most participants.However, additional information regarding the size of these offers and pending bids or offers that are not the best can be hidden for a number of reasons. Any absence of available information can also affect the overall willingness of participants to add market depth as well. Market Depth is a characteristic of a given market and its ability to handle large order sizes without materially affecting the price of the underlying asset or currency pair. Broad-based definitions of market depth characterize it as a function of liquidity and trading volume.In its most simplistic sense, market depth reflects a real-time list displaying the quantity to be sold versus unit price. This in turn is organized by price level and is reflective of real-time market activity. In theory, market depth is the size of an order needed to move the market price by a given amount. In practice market depth depends on the amount of open orders in a given market, which provide liquidity for order execution. What Determines Market Depth?While some brokers may be quoting better prices at first glance, the depth of book metric determines how frequently clients can hit the levels that are quoted. As a result, the real execution price may differ, provided that the clips traded are in significant size.Several factors influence market depth. This includes variables such as tick size, or the minimum price at which trades made be executed. In addition, trading restrictions or active limits, permissible leverage constraints, and price movement barriers are also determining factors of market depth.One of the most important elements of market depth is the level of transparency associated with a given market. For example, the latest bid and asking prices are typically public knowledge and made available to most participants.However, additional information regarding the size of these offers and pending bids or offers that are not the best can be hidden for a number of reasons. Any absence of available information can also affect the overall willingness of participants to add market depth as well. Read this Term to allow prices to move more easily in their favor.
Due to the investigations surrounding interbank collusion of traders, multi-dealer chat rooms have come under scrutiny as they provide an effective method to share information in real-time among trading groups. Therefore, some firms have become proactive in banning employees from using the product with the aim to create communication barriers between them and other banks.
Will Terminals Be Affected?
As an effect of the chat room bans, it could lead firms to reanalyze their existing subscriptions of premium financial products, such as the Bloomberg Terminal and Thomson Reuters Eikon/Xtra platforms, which include multi-dealer communication features. While auxiliary features of the greater platform’s financial analysis and trading tools, the importance of chat as a means of gathering information both with colleagues as well as with outside contacts has led many companies to install terminals for the bulk of their trading and analytic related staff. However, with the removal of inter-firm chat, it could lead to firms swapping costly Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters terminals for lower cost equivalents.
According to a report by Reuters which claimed unnamed sources, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank have become the latest banks to initiate bans on multi-dealer chat rooms. The news comes after UBS banned the practice last month.
The chat room bans occur as major FX dealing banks, of which Deutsche Bank is the largest by volumes traded, have been the target of global regulatory investigation in regards to interbank price manipulations. The investigations are based on allegations that dealers may have colluded to affect prices during London’s daily FX fix, and come after similar accusations of Libor Libor Libor stands for London Inter-bank offered rate. It is an industry-specific term which most of us would never have heard of until the "Libor scandal" became popularized in 2012. Libor is considered to be one of the most important interest rates in finance, upon which trillions of financial contracts rest. The Libor rate effects over $800,000,000,000,000 in financial deals. Banks simply cannot lend money to one another whenever they like as there is a system in place. Every day a group of leading banks submits the interest rates at which they are willing to lend to other finance houses. They suggest rates in 10 currencies covering 15 different lengths of loan, ranging from overnight to 12 months. The most important rate is the three-month dollar Libor. The rates submitted are what the banks estimate they would pay other banks to borrow dollars for three months if they borrowed money on the day the rate is being set. Then an average is calculated. Long-Term Consequences of Libor ScandalThe Libor scandal showed arrogant disregard for the rules and that traders colluded for years to rig Libor, the banks' lending rate. Libor is set by a self-selected, self-policing committee of the world's largest banks. Starting in 2012, an international investigation into Libor, revealed an overall plot by multiple banks – notably Deutsche Bank, Barclays, UBS, Rabobank, and the Royal Bank of Scotland – to manipulate these interest rates for profit starting as far back as 2003. Investigations continue to implicate major institutions, exposing them to lawsuits and shaking trust in the global financial system. Regulators in the United States, the UK, and the European Union have fined banks more than $9 billion for rigging Libor, which underpins over $300 trillion worth of loans worldwide. Since 2015, authorities in both the UK and the United States have brought criminal charges against individual traders and brokers for their role in manipulating rates. The scandal has sparked calls for deeper reform of the entire LIBOR rate-setting system, as well as harsher penalties for offending individuals and institutions, but so far change remains piecemeal. Libor stands for London Inter-bank offered rate. It is an industry-specific term which most of us would never have heard of until the "Libor scandal" became popularized in 2012. Libor is considered to be one of the most important interest rates in finance, upon which trillions of financial contracts rest. The Libor rate effects over $800,000,000,000,000 in financial deals. Banks simply cannot lend money to one another whenever they like as there is a system in place. Every day a group of leading banks submits the interest rates at which they are willing to lend to other finance houses. They suggest rates in 10 currencies covering 15 different lengths of loan, ranging from overnight to 12 months. The most important rate is the three-month dollar Libor. The rates submitted are what the banks estimate they would pay other banks to borrow dollars for three months if they borrowed money on the day the rate is being set. Then an average is calculated. Long-Term Consequences of Libor ScandalThe Libor scandal showed arrogant disregard for the rules and that traders colluded for years to rig Libor, the banks' lending rate. Libor is set by a self-selected, self-policing committee of the world's largest banks. Starting in 2012, an international investigation into Libor, revealed an overall plot by multiple banks – notably Deutsche Bank, Barclays, UBS, Rabobank, and the Royal Bank of Scotland – to manipulate these interest rates for profit starting as far back as 2003. Investigations continue to implicate major institutions, exposing them to lawsuits and shaking trust in the global financial system. Regulators in the United States, the UK, and the European Union have fined banks more than $9 billion for rigging Libor, which underpins over $300 trillion worth of loans worldwide. Since 2015, authorities in both the UK and the United States have brought criminal charges against individual traders and brokers for their role in manipulating rates. The scandal has sparked calls for deeper reform of the entire LIBOR rate-setting system, as well as harsher penalties for offending individuals and institutions, but so far change remains piecemeal. Read this Term rate fixing having taken place.
Occurring at 4PM London time, with foreign currencies traded 24 hours a day, the fix has become a de facto period of daily settlement and marking of prices. As a result, the period before the fix is subject to abnormal volumes as asset managers adjust their currency exposure before the end of the reporting day. At issue is whether traders at FX dealing banks shared customer data and were involved with front running orders expected to take place near the fix time, as well as reducing Market Depth Market Depth Market Depth is a characteristic of a given market and its ability to handle large order sizes without materially affecting the price of the underlying asset or currency pair. Broad-based definitions of market depth characterize it as a function of liquidity and trading volume.In its most simplistic sense, market depth reflects a real-time list displaying the quantity to be sold versus unit price. This in turn is organized by price level and is reflective of real-time market activity. In theory, market depth is the size of an order needed to move the market price by a given amount. In practice market depth depends on the amount of open orders in a given market, which provide liquidity for order execution. What Determines Market Depth?While some brokers may be quoting better prices at first glance, the depth of book metric determines how frequently clients can hit the levels that are quoted. As a result, the real execution price may differ, provided that the clips traded are in significant size.Several factors influence market depth. This includes variables such as tick size, or the minimum price at which trades made be executed. In addition, trading restrictions or active limits, permissible leverage constraints, and price movement barriers are also determining factors of market depth.One of the most important elements of market depth is the level of transparency associated with a given market. For example, the latest bid and asking prices are typically public knowledge and made available to most participants.However, additional information regarding the size of these offers and pending bids or offers that are not the best can be hidden for a number of reasons. Any absence of available information can also affect the overall willingness of participants to add market depth as well. Market Depth is a characteristic of a given market and its ability to handle large order sizes without materially affecting the price of the underlying asset or currency pair. Broad-based definitions of market depth characterize it as a function of liquidity and trading volume.In its most simplistic sense, market depth reflects a real-time list displaying the quantity to be sold versus unit price. This in turn is organized by price level and is reflective of real-time market activity. In theory, market depth is the size of an order needed to move the market price by a given amount. In practice market depth depends on the amount of open orders in a given market, which provide liquidity for order execution. What Determines Market Depth?While some brokers may be quoting better prices at first glance, the depth of book metric determines how frequently clients can hit the levels that are quoted. As a result, the real execution price may differ, provided that the clips traded are in significant size.Several factors influence market depth. This includes variables such as tick size, or the minimum price at which trades made be executed. In addition, trading restrictions or active limits, permissible leverage constraints, and price movement barriers are also determining factors of market depth.One of the most important elements of market depth is the level of transparency associated with a given market. For example, the latest bid and asking prices are typically public knowledge and made available to most participants.However, additional information regarding the size of these offers and pending bids or offers that are not the best can be hidden for a number of reasons. Any absence of available information can also affect the overall willingness of participants to add market depth as well. Read this Term to allow prices to move more easily in their favor.
Due to the investigations surrounding interbank collusion of traders, multi-dealer chat rooms have come under scrutiny as they provide an effective method to share information in real-time among trading groups. Therefore, some firms have become proactive in banning employees from using the product with the aim to create communication barriers between them and other banks.
Will Terminals Be Affected?
As an effect of the chat room bans, it could lead firms to reanalyze their existing subscriptions of premium financial products, such as the Bloomberg Terminal and Thomson Reuters Eikon/Xtra platforms, which include multi-dealer communication features. While auxiliary features of the greater platform’s financial analysis and trading tools, the importance of chat as a means of gathering information both with colleagues as well as with outside contacts has led many companies to install terminals for the bulk of their trading and analytic related staff. However, with the removal of inter-firm chat, it could lead to firms swapping costly Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters terminals for lower cost equivalents.