New York-based FX broker, FXCM Inc, has reported today a 33% drop in retail trade volume for the month of December. According to the press release, retail trading turnover came in at $235 billion, which is “33% lower than November 2016 and 27% lower than December 2015.”
FXCM also
revealed that total retail turnover for 2016 was $3.5 trillion - an 8% drop when compared against figures for 2015.
Average daily volume was also down in December: $11.2 billion, 24% lower when compared to figures from December of 2015.
Institutional metrics:Just like the downward trend in retail volumes, turnover on FXCM originating from institutional clients was also lower during the last month of 2016. Institutional volume on FXCM for December came in at $25 billion, about 31% lower than December of 2015.
Total institutional volume for all of 2016 was $527 billion - only 1% lower than total turnover for 2015. However, the average daily volume in December was much lower:
“Average institutional trading volume(2) per day of $1.2 billion in December 2016, 8% lower than November 2016 and 25% lower than December 2015.”
While FXCM did see an overall decline in institutional FX volumes in December, the average amount of institutional client trades per day for December, 2016, increased by double digits when compared to averages from December of 2015:
"An average of 34,649 institutional client trades per day in December 2016, 3% lower than November 2016 and 18% higher than December 2015."
At press time, FXCM shares are trading in a tight range around $7.34, up approximately 7.28% since the start of 2017.
