1. I doubt most banks will study smaller trader activities as they lack the time to. Of course it can happen, does it? Rarely. 2. Ummm, you miss the point. Of course, the bank takes the other side, and then decides if they want to trade out of it, or another customer buys it or etc etc. You want a credit-worthy trading counterparty on the other side of your trade. 3. What exactly do you want a bank to do? I think you may find ti helpful to read some of what the Fed has published about FX trading and banks in the last 10 years. 4. As to the sleeping juggernauts of FX bucket shops, lets think about them this way. We know what the top 10 banks make from FX trading (its in their financial reports). Where do the bukets shake out in volume and profitability? The majors publish their numbers, let the customers see what the buckets do. Simple request.
i was on holidays the day it happened mate... so i'm told... but, feel free to believe ok, nobody here wants to burst yr bubble... not me at least. plus in a way i feel humbled, i kinda knew that there was this parallel universe where things are as they shld be, now thanks to you i am finally seeing the light... now seriously mate, thanks for the laugh but here's what happens on MY planet: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nye/pr/2005aug15.htm http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nye/pr/2005sep12.htm and there r as many of those as you can possibly read and the forex is worse, simply, when i last cared to look and thats a while back because i don't care so much, front-running was not even illegal in law on the forex (whereas it was already in equities etc) can ya give us a hand pls?
also, why do you think we hire guys with specifically those job descriptions in my world? http://www.net-temps.com/job/7s9o/2748/compliance_officer.html honestly just food for thought
While I haven't worked in a Tier 1 bank in a while (actually traded for 4 of them over the span of my career) front running an order was never illegal. If you have a client who left you a limit order to buy say 200 mio EUR at 10 and you didn't bid 11 for at least 50 for your own pocket, you would be 1. chastised unmercifully and 2. subject to losing your seat to someone with a little more balls. Its a simple trade and nothing illegal about it, unlike the equities world. However you have to do right by the customer. If it trades at 10, you eat the loss and move on. If it bounces, you say "I didn't get any at 10 but I got you 25 at 11" and you 1. look like a hero to the customer and 2. make money on the other 25 on a very low risk trade.