Dukascopy Raises Margin Requirements for UK Index FTSE 100

As the clock starts ticking faster for Theresa May and the incoming Brexit vote in the UK Parliament, brokers are starting to manage FTSE 100 risks ahead of the event. GBP pairs and the UK stock market are particularly vulnerable to the upcoming vote.

Swiss brokerage Dukascopy Bank announced on its website that it would be increasing leverage requirements for GBP pairs. The practice has become customary in the aftermath of the SNB Black Swan Black Swan A Black Swan event is most commonly associated with an unforeseen calamity or event. In its most basic form, this event results in disastrous consequences for multiple parties, markets, or individuals and are characterized as extraordinarily rare in frequency, yet are seemingly predictable in retrospect. In the foreign exchange space, the most noteworthy of these events in recent memory was the Swiss National Bank (SNB) crisis which roiled currency markets back on January 15, 2015.During this in A Black Swan event is most commonly associated with an unforeseen calamity or event. In its most basic form, this event results in disastrous consequences for multiple parties, markets, or individuals and are characterized as extraordinarily rare in frequency, yet are seemingly predictable in retrospect. In the foreign exchange space, the most noteworthy of these events in recent memory was the Swiss National Bank (SNB) crisis which roiled currency markets back on January 15, 2015.During this in Read this Term which caught markets unprepared in January 2015.

Dukascopy is reducing leverage to 30:1 for the UK stock index, quoted by the company is GBR.IDX/GBP. The company is also adding restrictions to both crude oil pairs it is offering BRENT.CMD/USD and LIGHT.CMD/USD.

The changes are going to be applied starting from 18:00 GMT today (Friday, December 7, 2018).

Managing Volatility Risks

The company has not added increased leverage requirements for GBP pairs. IF the Brexit referendum is any guide, history shows that moves can be very abrupt and spreads can rise as much as 50 pips.

The present high probability for a massive spike in volatility around the UK Parliament vote is leaving few options for brokers. Firms need to manage risks adequately, and implied volatility in the British pound has been rapidly surging in recent months.

The vote is scheduled for Tuesday, the 11th of December 2018. Dukascopy Bank expects the immediate turmoil to be over by Wednesday when it plans to restore margin requirements.

Dukascopy reserves the right to keep the leverage restrictions in place until the brokerage decides that market volatility has returned to acceptable levels.

GBP Pairs

Dukascopy is making no mention of GBP pairs, but if history is any guide, other brokers could adopt similar measures for the FX market. The massive 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 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 Read this Term squeeze which we saw in June 2016, could repeat itself.

Brokers are expected to revert margin requirements back to normal within hours of the initial turmoil. But then, nobody knows how bad can it all be, so traders should plan accordingly.