EBS volumes up 5% in March to $157.3 Billion

March was a fantastic month for most Forex Forex Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Read this Term brokers who reported a significant increase in trading volumes. Unfortunately this happened amid the Japanese crisis and the Middle Eastern unrest, and hence for the wrong reasons... Markets were indeed hectic all around the globe and Volatility Volatility In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, or stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument’s fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Trad In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, or stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument’s fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Trad Read this Term is known to drive higher trading forex volumes.

London, 6th April 2011 – ICAP, the world’s premier interdealer broker, announced today that total electronic broking volumes for the month of March on the BrokerTec and EBS platforms reached US$ 851.5billion, an increase of 19% year on year.

Total average daily volumes in fixed income products on the BrokerTec platform were $689.4bn, an increase of 22% on the previous year. Overall repo volumes reached $518.8bn, up 17% year on year. US Treasury electronic broking volumes increased 41% year on year to $170.6bn. Total average daily volumes on the EBS platform were $157.3bn, up 5% year on year.

David Rutter, CEO ICAP Electronic Broking commented:

“New issuance and continued interest rate volatility again contributed to greater activity on the BrokerTec fixed income platform. In FX, higher year on year volumes were a function of a combination of uncommon highs and lows in market volatility, driven by the tragic events in Japan, the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East as well as US and EU economic announcements."