Many Online Trading firms look at the UK as the golden standard, wishing to display to both their clients and competitors a London office address and British phone numbers, even if most of the operation is done abroad.
London has the largest GDP of any city in Europe and currently rivals New York as the world’s leading financial center. Its major financial district, City of London is the epicenter, hosting the headquarters of major global banks and the London Stock Exchange (LSE), one of the oldest and most trusted financial institutions in the world.
One of the major reasons that the UK is an important hub for the financial industry is because the LSE lists some of the most influential retail trading companies in the world. Forex , binary options and CFD broker IG Group’s stock is traded on the LSE and it is even a member of the FTSE 250 index.
Plus500’s Initial public offering (IPO) on the LSE’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in 2014 caused many international brokers to start thinking if they too could raise capital (and their brand) by listing on the venue. This year, TechFinancials became the first binary options firm ever to be listed on a public exchange when the technology provider launched on AIM.
Nick Beecroft, Chairman and Senior Market Analyst at Saxo Capital Markets UK Limited (SCML), told Finance Magnates that UK has the ideal ingredients allowing for a retail trading hub. “SCML has flourished because of the same advantages that have arguably made the City of London the world’s premier financial center; the UK’s financial market heritage, our stable political system, the certainty of the rule of law, our regulatory environment and, not insignificantly, our time zone, which enables us to act as the bridge between Asian and North and South American trading,” explained Beecroft.
In our latest Quarterly Trading Industry Report (QIR) we take a look at what makes the UK such a desired destination while examining the underlying realities of the market. The research covers the national economic situation, the tax structure, regulation regimes and other crucial aspects to consider if a firm wishes to establish a presence in the country.
Additionally, a spotlight is focused on the online gaming industry that has many parallels to financial trading in the UK, where forex is sometimes referred to as Spread Betting and binary options regulation has not yet switched from gambling to financial.
Got you curious? Hurry up and order your copy of the QIR! Contact: janetp@financemagnates.com
