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.
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.
Quote from achilles28:
But don't you think banks, if given the chance, may very well take a profitable strategy for themselves?
You raise a good point - banks that trade with clients are less motivated to take what isnt theirs.
But when trading interbank, how can a trader be sure their gatekeeper isnt taking the other side?
And if the bank is indeed getting a 'free ride' with the client, the banks additional volume may begin to change the underlying market dynamic the strategy was originally intended to exploit.