As HSBC retrenches from domestic business on the continent, BNP Paribas steps up its ambition in Europe’s biggest economy – focusing largely on the family-owned Mittelstand.

BBVA’s Latin America FX business is an integral part of BBVA’s global FX franchise, representing a large portion of its total FX revenues and FX global front office resources.

HSBC continues to develop its market-leading franchise in global non-deliverable forwards (NDF). With operations now spanning 25 key NDF jurisdictions, including Brazil, Taiwan and Korea, coupled with a sales presence in nearly 50 locations and dedicated e-FX sales teams, HSBC provides clients with market colour in local market dynamics.

NatWest Markets (NWM) treats its FX Prime Brokerage (FXPB) business as a distinct growth focus as opposed to an ancillary service, with significant investment in the business to ensure it can provide high-touch, high-service offerings. Combining the freedom of having a proprietary platform with an appetite for developing client solutions has resulted in a suite of solutions that are used for different client types. While most FXPB banks use the market standard FXPB agreement, NWM has developed six distinct FXPB models. These models can be combined to address a broad selection of client types ranging from prop traders through to agency brokers and FX platforms.

BBVA has maintained a strong presence in the Peruvian FX market, holding a leading role for the past six years.

UBS has continued to evolve the FX offering on its UBS Neo platform over the past four years, with the bank making significant strategic investments in the last 12 months that further refine the offering.

The low volatility conditions observed in FX markets over the past year have posed challenges, with market makers facing spread compression and reduced turnover. Despite these obstacles, JPMorgan has maintained a high level of performance. The firm has consistently ranked highly across multi-dealer channels. Additionally, JPMorgan continued to expand its dominance in the FX options market, further solidifying its reputation as a top player in the space.

Over the last year, Deutsche Bank has played a pivotal role in the development of financial markets in the Asia-Pacific region, assisting clients in navigating the evolution of the FX markets amidst volatility and uncertainty.

TD Securities (TDS) places client services at the heart of its FX data management strategy. The bank aims to provide a personalized, comprehensive service, transforming client data into actionable insights that enhance its FX offerings. By leveraging advanced forecasting models, trading signals and FX portfolios, it aims to empower clients with the strategies needed to navigate the complexities of the global FX market.

Leveraging its prominent position as a facilitator of trade between Germany and frontier markets, Commerzbank has established a strong network of correspondent banks and institutional clients in these regions.

With a robust historical foundation as a key bank for the German Mittelstand – firms which collectively account for the largest share of the country's economic output – and a core partner for institutional clients, Commerzbank has leveraged its deep client relationships to drive advancements in providing FX services to its established client base in Germany.

Wells Fargo has reached important milestones by expanding its global pricing distribution network and platform connectivity.

Through the breadth of its market liquidity, product scale and global footprint, UBS has built a strong reputation as the partner of choice for its institutional, retail, corporate and wealth management client base. Most recently, UBS has been evolving its FX trading platform based on four key principles: agility, resilience, scalability and comprehensiveness. The result of this sustained focus has been the development of new trading capabilities, such as market-making on firm trading venues and developing access to streaming swap liquidity. UBS has also invested heavily in pre- and post-trade analytics to deliver market insights and improve execution outcomes for clients as part of its ‘FX Engine Room’ offering of sales and analytical toolkits. As of 2024, across the bank’s various FX businesses, it daily trades over $125 billion electronically with more than 2,500 clients across the globe.

TD Securities has implemented comprehensive global and regional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies across the business, with the FX team ensuring that it also has a targeted approach.

JPMorgan has taken a multifaceted approach to enhancing its FX business in North America, with a focus on automation, client customization and technological upgrades across various business lines.

Banco Santander's Latam FX product offering has evolved over the review period, driven by strategic investment and a focus on meeting its client needs. Key developments include expanding the global volatility product to Latin America, particularly Brazil and Mexico, integrating local expertise with global pricing and risk management. This has enabled the launch of new currency options and expanded Latam crosses, offering clients tailored hedging solutions with improved pricing and risk management.

Citibanamex, with over 139 years of history in Mexico, is a leading player in the FX business. The bank offers FX services for a diverse set of currencies, including the MXN, USD and EUR. It is known for its ability to deliver complex FX solutions through an extensive product range such as FX spot, forwards, swaps and options, supported by a robust team of over 200 professionals and coverage across 1,280 branches.

Leveraging its deep knowledge of local markets in CEE, coupled with global product expertise, UniCredit dominated the regional FX market. The bank’s extensive network enables access to a broad suite of FX products, serving a diverse range of clients, including multinational corporations, financial institutions, local corporates and retail customers. This broad reach helps clients of all sizes optimize their FX strategies, whether in local markets or on the global stage.

UBS has increased its investment and development of leading FX technology builds notably over the past three years, especially since its recent acquisition of Credit Suisse, with a number of significant innovations having been brought to market this year.

UBS has built a formidable reputation as a key liquidity provider across institutional, retail, corporate and wealth management domains, leveraging its expansive market liquidity, product scale and global distribution network.

Deutsche Bank has continued to deliver solid growth in its western Europe FX business as demonstrated by the rapid adoption of its new offerings among the European client base.

JPMorgan made a meaningful enhancement to its FX analytics offering with the launch of Algo Simulator.

In 2023 and 2024, Banco Santander Chile enhanced its FX ecosystem to improve client experience from account opening to transaction completion. Key developments included launching several platforms: a new single-dealer platform with immediate settlement and robust security; an international transfer platform for easy, secure Swift transfers; and a 100% digital platform for individual transfers across Latam, the US and Europe. Additionally, the bank’s Más Lucas initiative offers basic accounts for unbanked and underbanked persons, and new digital foreign currency accounts (JPY, CNH, GBP, EUR, USD) enable retail and CIB customers to manage FX positions efficiently, supported by digital and voice services.

UBS’s acquisition of Credit Suisse boosted its capabilities in the Swiss FX market. Already a dominant player in Switzerland, the deal allowed the bank to offer a comprehensive range of FX services to a larger, more diverse client base. It also enabled it to deepen its expertise, particularly in the Swiss franc market, where client demand for specialized insights is growing.

UBS expanded its FX sales capabilities by leveraging cutting-edge tools and platforms to enhance operational efficiency and client engagement.

JPMorgan has continued to demonstrate innovation and growth in FX options by enhancing product offerings, expanding platform integrations and strengthening client engagement. The results speak for themselves – JPMorgan’s market share for FX options direct client execution rose by 7% year-on-year.

DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia, operating in 19 markets with headquarters in Singapore. The bank's dominant presence in Asia contributes to its competitive advantage in FX for client services, innovative digital solutions and as a leading data provider.

During the review period, Barclays’ focus in the FX algo space has been on enhancing its client experience by improving overall algo performance and increasing platform flexibility to facilitate targeted algo customization. This client-centric approach resulted in the further broadening and refinement of its BARX Gator algo suite. Added to this, Barclays’ established franchise, adaptability and deep infrastructure interconnectivity contribute to the current reputation and standing in the market of the algo offering. The bank’s global teams, quants, and dedicated resources ensure continuous optimization and deliver top-tier, tailored solutions to its clients.

Over the past year, Barclays has developed its offering for real-money clients, notably through enhancements to the performance of its online FX trading channel BARX, enhancing spot liquidity and boosting algo flexibility. Using client feedback and behaviour analysis, Barclays also broadened and refined its algo suite, which significantly benefits real-money customers. Barclays offers market-leading insights, especially on UK policy and politics, and maintains tight spreads around economic events. Additionally, Barclays led client discussions on T+1 settlement, reinforcing its role as a key thought partner and strengthening client relationships.

Since its launch in 2014, Bank of America’s (BofA) transactional FX business has quickly risen to become one of the top three global players. This success reflects the bank's strategic vision, innovative products and global reach, enabling it to secure a strong market position and stand out in the competitive FX industry.