Sizing Up Global Foreign Exchange Markets

The latest BIS Triennial Survey shows that global foreign exchange trading increased to more than $6 trillion per day. Trading bounced back strongly following a dip in 2016, buoyed by increased trading with financial clients such as lower-tier banks, hedge funds and principal trading firms. Prime brokerage volumes recovered in tandem. These developments were driven in large part by the greater use of FX swaps for managing funding and greater electronification of customer trading. They led to further concentration of trading in a few financial hubs