Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Understanding Foreign
Exchange Quotes
Where is this Financial Center?
La Defense in Paris: The View the
Other Way
How FX market operates 24/7?
The Role of Big Banks in the FX Market
◼ Large global banks (e.g., Deutsche Bank and UBS) are
involved in the interbank (i.e., wholesale) FX markets
through:
❑ (1) Their “external” clients” (Other large banks,
exporters, importers, multinational firms, central
banks, large non-bank financial institutions)
◼ Acting in a broker capacity at the request of these clients.
❑ (2) Their own banks (trading to generate profits).
◼ Acting in a “dealer” (i.e., trading) capacity
◼ Taking positions (long and short) in currencies to make a profit.
❑ In dealing with external clients, these large banks are
performing a “market maker” function:
◼ Quoting prices upon demand to other parties in the
interbank market, and
◼ Buying and selling currencies at their quoted prices.
“Making the Market” in FX
◼ The market maker function involves two primary
foreign exchange activities:
◼ (1) A willingness of the market maker to provide the
market with “on-going” (i.e., continuous) two way
quotes upon request:
❑ (1) Provide a price at which they will buy a currency
❑ (2) Provide a price at which they will sell a currency
◼ This function provides the market with transparency