FX volumes surge, but problems lurk

Release this week of FX turnover data by a number of central banks, including the Bank of England, Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Bank of Japan, at first suggests that the market continues to boom. The data is broadly comparable to the figures released every three years by the Bank for International Settlements, although it is collected at the trading desk rather than the sales desk.

In the past, growth patterns in the data have been relatively consistent across the globe, which has allowed an easy extrapolation of the BIS numbers. This time, though, quite significant differences have emerged. For instance, the Bank of England’s Joint Standing Committee reports that turnover in London rose by an impressive 54% from a year earlier. Although the figure was slightly distorted because three more banks, Bank of Scotland, NAB and CBA, contributed data, the increase is staggering.

Thanks for your interest in Euromoney!
To unlock this article: