FXTM and Alpari staff changes and a new shareholder

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The founder of Alpari and FXTM companies and one of the main figures in the FX industry, Andrey Dashin, has revealed the changes that will refer to the both brands. He announced that the CEO of the FXTM, Olga Rybalkina, will become a minority shareholder of both Alpari and FXTM companies.

Ms. Rybalkina has an extensive experience in the FX industry and started her career in 1998. Before becoming a CEO to FXTM, she was a leading executive of Alpari. She will be leaving her current position as a CEO due to the restructuring of the staff. Alpari company will also have some changes in its head office. A former advisor of Andrey Dashin, Vladimir Verbitskiy, will be succeeding the CEO role in Alpari company.

These personnel changes will help to solidify the long-term venues and support the development of both Alpari and FXTM. Ms. Rybalkina together with Mr. Dashin will be maintaining the strategies and future plans of these global brands.

In his comments about these current changes, Mr. Dashin stated that both brands and very promising and strong. During 2017 they added new licenses and brought new products to the investors, showing good metrics in general throughout the year. Also Alpari reported about the record trading turnover of around 1.3 trillion USD.

Mr. Dashin also noted that in comparison to the previous year the client base of FXTM has increased by 77% and the client balance has grown twice. Also the trading turnover of the company grew by 38%. He added that these changes were implemented to strengthen the brands and bring them to new horizons.

Exinity Group receives CMA license from Kenya

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Exinity Group has announced that it has obtained a license from Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) to operate as a regulated non-dealing forex broker. The Group joins just three other brokers who are regulated to offer trading services including forex to retail clients in Kenya.

This new license is the latest addition to Exinity Group’s regulatory portfolio in the Africa region, joining licenses from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority of South Africa and the Financial Services Commission of the Republic of Mauritius.

Commenting on receiving the CMA license, Olga Rybalkina, CEO of Exinity Group said: “Kenya is one of the most exciting emerging markets in Africa, where enthusiasm for trading and investing is at an all-time high. It is renowned for being one of the fastest-growing economies with an innovative regulator such as the CMA. Acquiring the coveted license fills us with confidence and great anticipation for our future in this dynamic region”.  

“In the coming months we will be launching innovative risk-based trading and investing solutions designed to help ambitious individuals capture opportunity in the financial markets”.

Newly-appointed Country Manager of Exinity Capital East Africa, Duncan Kinuthia, added: “Exinity’s services will combine low cost access to global financial markets with insight and coaching from market experts and personal support, all accessible through an innovative mobile app designed for those new to trading or investing”. 

“More experienced and demanding traders will be served by an unrivalled offering on the MetaTrader platform with spreads from zero and commissions of just $0.20 per lot”.

“We are in the process of setting up our new East Africa hub in Nairobi and look forward to welcoming new clients in 2021”.

About Duncan Kinuthia

With over 17 years of experience in the financial services industry after working with some of the largest commercial banks in Kenya, Duncan has an avid interest in the fast-moving financial market after having traded for commercial banks as well as raising equity for SMEs in Kenya. Duncan is a firm believer of "Change is the only constant in life", he enjoys taking up new challenges in the financial market space and help businesses reach their full potential.

About Exinity Group

Exinity Group is a new global wealth engine backed by over 20 years of experience in trading and investment. The Group is home to its various retail businesses including Alpari International, ForexTime (FXTM) and new retail offering under the same name, Exinity. Our story goes back to the first days of online Forex trading with the founding of the Alpari Group in 1998. A pioneer of the MetaTrader platform, Alpari expanded rapidly in the world’s emerging markets and was joined in 2011 by our sister brand, FXTM. Together, both brands have established a strong global presence in online trading, serving over two million clients in 180 countries from regulated centres across three continents. Exinity, our new wealth engine solution sits alongside our established forex trading brands and AcruPay, our new money transfer and payments service.

FBS Announces New Trading Instruments in FBS Trader app

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FBS introduces new trading instruments for European clients. The company understands the needs of its clients and enlarges the range of trading instruments in an all-in-one trading platform app to make trading more convenient and relaxed. 

From now on, European traders can enjoy updated lists of indices and energies, in case they have Real or Demo accounts. The following instruments are now available in FBS Trader - Reliable Forex Trading Platform app:

  • Indices: DAX30, NASDAQ, S&P500, YM, 
  • Energies: WTI, BRN

These instruments are popular among traders because of their high volatility. Oil especially shows an impressive presence in the market. This sector demonstrated the highest standard deviation. As for DAX30, NASDAQ, S&P500, YM, this group includes all major stock indices from leading global economies. It tends to be a good indicator of the overall market performance. 

European clients may evaluate new opportunities for trading with the powerful and easy-to-use trading platform – FBS Trader. This brokerage app allows trading on the go from mobile devices using handy Forex tools from anywhere, any time. Moreover, it helps traders to track real-time statistics using price charts and never miss the right moment to open or close a trade. Now with the updated list of trading instruments, FBS Trader becomes even better. 

FBS is an acknowledged, CySEC licensed international online Forex broker and the official trading partner of FC Barcelona. FBS is a broker with an international outlook that serves clients in Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the MENA. Its primary focus lies in offering financial products for currency, metals, and indexes trading for clients with different goals and backgrounds. The company features a low barrier to entry and top-ranking apps. Over 11 years in the field, the broker won 50 international awards, including Best International Forex Broker, Best Forex Brand, and Most Progressive Forex Broker Europe.

BDSwiss received the Best Mobile Trading Platform Europe 2021 Award

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The leading Forex and CFD investment services institution BDSwiss has recently received the prestigious Global Banking & Finance Awards® Best Mobile Trading Platform Europe 2021 award. The company was awarded for its in-house developed mobile trading app which offers easy access to more than 250 instruments from 6 asset classes to online traders. 

BDSwiss is well-known for its world-leading platforms, competitive services, and swift market order execution and award-winning conditions since the very start 9 years ago. The broker provides access to the market through MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, the BDSwiss WebTrader and the BDSwiss Mobile Trading app.

Global Banking & Finance Awards® found the interface of the BDSwiss Mobile Trading app to be incredibly user-friendly.  They also praised how intuitive the app is, with the buy/sell functionality being straightforward for clients to use on the go, while offering access to the same tools available on the BDSwiss desktop client, fully in sync with MetaTrader platforms. 

“2021 has been a banner year for BDSwiss thanks to the company’s incredible services,” Wanda Rich, Editor of Global Banking & Finance, said. “BDSwiss offers a wealth of mobile trading tools on its platform making it the go-to financial app in Europe. There is a lot to love about the mobile trading app and BDSwiss’s large client-base is proof of just how good the platform is.”

Christos Alatzidis, Group CIO & CTO (Chief Information and Technology Officer) at BDSwiss, commented on the announcement of the award, saying “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award as recognition of our ongoing efforts in creating a trading app with today’s traders’ needs in mind. From the beginning, we wanted to create a streamlined, hassle-free mobile user experience. This is why we focused on a highly intuitive design that allows traders to trade ‘on-the-go’ with many useful features and additional tools available to facilitate mobile trading. We take pride in our in-house iOS/Android development team and we remain committed to always keeping our mobile trading app updated with the latest financial technology innovations.”

BDSwiss is a leading financial group of companies, offering Forex and CFD investment services to more than 1.5 million clients worldwide. Since its inception back in 2012, BDSwiss has been providing top-class products, a wide range of platforms, competitive pricing and fast execution on more than 1000 underlying CFD instruments. BDSwiss Group complies with a strict regulatory framework and operates its services on a global scale under different entities. With over 250 personnel, BDSwiss Group maintains operating offices in Europe and Asia.

The Global Banking and Finance Awards® were established to recognize businesses of all sizes that succeed at high levels in specific areas of the financial industry. The website and magazine’s prestigious awards are well-known throughout the global banking and financial sectors. The awards reflect innovation, achievement, strategy, progressive, and inspirational changes that take place within the sectors. The awards have evolved over the years and grown to include businesses in a variety of areas.

For more information on BDSwiss, please visit the company’s official website. To download the BDSwiss mobile app, please visit the app’s official page.

Pepperstone acquires CySEC license

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Pepperstone review

Award-winning online CFD broker Pepperstone goes from strength to strength with its official launch of commercial operations in Cyprus under its CySec license, securing certainty for European clients ahead of Brexit.

Pepperstone is built on an uncompromising level of service for all its clients, underpinned by some of the best prices and execution speeds in the industry.

Find out more about Pepperstone’s competitive pricing across indices, forex, gold, share CFDs and more at https://pepperstone.com/en-eu/

Victor Zachariades, Head of Cyprus at Pepperstone, confirmed that the broker has now officially been granted its Cypriot licence, a move to not only secure the company’s Brexit planning, but to also drive the company’s planned expansion in Europe.

“We’re now pleased to be officially operational under our Cypriot license.” said Victor Zachariades. “Our European operations ensure we’re well-placed to deliver our global commitment to our clients while providing products and services people can trust.”

Tamas Szabo, Group CEO of Pepperstone, added “This year marks the 10th anniversary of Pepperstone and we are excited to celebrate it with the achievement of our new Cyprus license.”

As one of the largest MetaTrader brokers in the world and one of the most awarded for its exceptional personal attention to clients globally, Pepperstone is uniquely positioned for its growth targets in major financial hubs around the world.

Pepperstone was first established in 2010 in Australia, where it has received multiple awards from the notable Investment Trends for customer service, spreads and support. In 2019, Pepperstone was rated number one for overall client satisfaction and platform features, including ease of withdrawal, ease of platform use and more.

Disruptive and agile, the financial technology company has more than doubled in size over the past two years. The broker shows no signs of slowing, with a laser focus on continuing to deliver the best quality pricing, speed and service to experienced traders.

“It’s been a huge year for the business. We’ve launched a number of offices in multiple jurisdictions. This growth is testament to our agility, ambition and dedication to delivering what our clients need and want.” said Tamas Szabo, Group CEO of Pepperstone.

About Pepperstone

Pepperstone is an award-winning online CFD broker regulated in multiple jurisdictions around the world and trusted by thousands. Trade CFDs on forex, indices, commodities and more with great prices, execution speeds and exceptional client support . Pepperstone is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySec), The Capital Markets Authority of Kenya (CMA) and the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB).

Are Stocks Headed For a Correction?

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The last two weeks were highly positive for US equities and other global indices as the SP500 index rallied 10% and erased nearly all of this year's losses. 

However, judging from the soaring yields and hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations, the rally might be over soon. 

Morgan Stanley Remains Bearish

Morgan Stanley has recently warned that recent gains in equities won't last, and investors should be more defensive with their portfolios. 

Chief US Equity Strategist Michael Wilson said "the bear market rally is over," and the bank suggests putting money into bonds instead of stocks in the near term. He indicated growth would be the main focus heading into the following months, and that's why Morgan Stanley is "doubling down" on a defensive bias. 

Wilson thinks the US economy is on track for a significant slowdown. He pointed to a drop in demand with the end of fiscal stimulus money, high prices caused by the conflict in Ukraine, and the post-pandemic inventory buildup. He further explained that all that would create a "less-forgiving" macroeconomic environment, which will squeeze corporate profits. 

Rally Wilson added the gains for stocks in the second half of March, which produced a winning month for the markets, was predictable from a technical standpoint, and doesn't have staying power. Morgan Stanley has been the most bearish big bank, predicting the SP500 index will be at 4,400 USD by the end of the year. However, compared with Monday's price of 4,570 USD, that would be only a 3.5% decline. 

However, the market now trades above its 200-day moving average, currently near 4,500 USD. So as long as the index stays above it, the outlook seems bullish. 

The Fed is Hawkish 

Investors now anticipate the Fed will increase fed funds by 50 bps at its next meeting this month. Another 50 bps increase could come in June as inflation shows no signs of easing. Inflation is at levels that have preceded recessions throughout the last 50 years.

Additionally, the yield curve had inverted. That could be the single most accurate predictor of a recession. It has accurately predicted every recession since the early 70s, including the 2020 recession. And it's now forecasting a recession soon.

The Fed has started raising rates into this mess. It all points to a sharper correction in equities as valuations are still stretched, and the market ignores all the negative factors. Therefore, investors might consider reducing their exposure to riskier sectors, such as tech or cyclicals, and start buying some defensives, such as utilities or groceries.

3 Reasons Why Copy Trading Is So Popular

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It was strictly against the rules in school. But copying from someone more knowledgeable than you when you’re trading online isn’t only allowed, it’s encouraged.  

With a flurry of available copy trading apps, and more traders joining, it’s easy to see that copy trading has become more and more popular over the past few years. 

But how? For those who are unfamiliar with copy trading, here are a few reasons why copy trading is catching on. 

Practice smarter, not harder

First-time skydivers connect to a more experienced pro when they jump out of an aeroplane for the first time. New traders choose to copy trade for a very similar reason. It takes a lot of the risk out of the experience. It’s also an easy way to learn the ropes. All you have to do is follow a more experienced trader and copy their moves. By doing that you can potentially profit from their strategies, while also avoiding costly amateur blunders.

Learn quickly and more easily

To become a profitable trader you need to understand the markets, and how they move. That can take time, and not every trader can devote several hours every day to learning. By copy trading, traders who have more experience make trading decisions for you, until you’re able to develop your own strategies. The technology is smart, slick and user-friendly, making copy trading a practical way of quickly learning how to trade. 

Diversify your portfolio and grow your returns

Traders use copy trading to venture out into new markets by following and copying from traders with more experience in those markets. By broadening their trading horizons even more experienced traders can learn by copy trading. It’s a great way to diversify a trading portfolio without taking on a lot of risk. And as traders become more seasoned, they benefit through copy trading by sharing their trading successful strategies and growing their network.  

How to Start Copy Trading 

To start copy trading, you need to create an account with your chosen broker and download their copy trading app. 

Once you’re logged in to the app, you can browse through the trader’s performance data and strategies, and choose one who has a good track record of consistent profits 

Once you’ve chosen your trader, you can set the amount you’re willing to invest. It's always a better idea to start with a small portion of your income and increase it as you become a more savvy trader.

Lastly, observe! Analyze what other traders are buying and selling. Both novice and seasoned traders can benefit by watching what other traders are doing. 

USDJPY at 6-year Highs AS BOJ Governor Comments on Consumer Inflation

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The USD continues to rally against the yen, jumping above the psychological level of 120 for the first time since February 2016.

The BOJ is Dovish

In other news, Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda commented on consumer inflation in his appearance on Tuesday.

He thinks that inflation will likely rise, weighing on the economy long term. However, it’s still premature to speak about an exit from the BOJ's easy policy, including what to do with its ETF buying. The BOJ will continue buying ETFs as needed as part of its monetary easing program. The JPY fell sharply after his comments.

The Fed is Hawkish

On the other hand, the Federal Reserve (Fed) will likely hike interest rates 6 to 7 times this year, and Quantitative Easing (QE) is about to end. Hawkish expectations are pushing US yields sharply higher – bringing the 2-year yields to 2.2% and the 10-year yields to new cycle highs at 2.35%. The USDJPY is usually tightly correlated to US yields, so in reaction the pair rose to fresh six-year highs above 120.

In his Monday's speech, Fed Chair Jerome Powell sounded the alarm on inflation, saying it's 'much too high' and opening the door to more aggressive rate hikes. "We will take the necessary steps to ensure a return to price stability," he said. "In particular, if we conclude that it is appropriate to move more aggressively by raising the federal funds rate by more than 25 basis points at a meeting or meetings, we will do so. And if we determine that we need to tighten beyond common measures of neutral and into a more restrictive stance, we will do that as well."

Big Banks Remain Bullish

Additionally, Economists at Bank of America Global Research have revised USD/JPY forecasts up. They expect the pair to reach 123 in the third quarter amid an excessive supply of yen into the summer.

"We raise our above-consensus USD/JPY forecast – 123 by 3Q22 and 120 at year-end (vs. 118 previous, 116 consensus). We except excess supply of JPY into summer: (1) energy imports, (2) university funds' investment, (3) policy divergence," they said this week.

According to the ING report, the Fed's tough love on inflation could send the pair to 125.

"A sharply deteriorating trade position on the back of fossil fuel prices and a still dovish central bank leaves the door wide open for USD/JPY to trade up to 125 over coming weeks."

The next target for bulls could be at 121.50, February 2016 highs, followed by the 123.40 resistance. As long as the USD trades above 120, the immediate outlook seems bullish.

Oil Hits 125 USD, What’s Next?

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On Monday, the West Texas Intermediary (WTI) benchmark rose to 125 USD, the highest level since 2008. At the same time, the EU benchmark Brent, jumped toward 140 USD.

Oil prices spiked sharply following news that the US was talking with European allies about a potential ban on imports from Russia.

Sanctioning Russian oil would be the most significant escalation in the West's response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and it poses serious negative consequences for the global economy. While Russia's economy will be hurt the most, Europe will likely fall into a severe recession, and US economic growth will also be hit, with consumers getting the most of it. Moreover, the magnitude of the downturn could be even worse than in 2008, as inflation will likely rise toward 20%. 

In 2008, demand destruction occurred when prices approached 140 USD. Adjusting for inflation, prices need to go above 200 USD to have a similar effect on consumption. However, the current spike in prices is not a demand-driven shock but a supply-driven one, and there's no ceiling in sight.

Russia currently exports approximately 4.5 million barrels of crude oil. If exports were cut in half, prices would likely sky rocket in the short to medium-term, even if the US and other nations release oil from their strategic reserves. However, if the crisis gets worse and Europe imposes sanctions on Russian oil with no response from OPEC members, we can see prices jumping toward 200 USD.

Fortunately, so far, Germany has said no to these sanctions. On the other hand, the overall situation might be improving in Ukraine as the Russian Federation and Ukraine foreign ministers had agreed to meet in Turkey, with Sergey Lavrov and Dmitro Kuleba set to meet later in the week on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. 

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter that he hoped the step would lead to "peace and stability." The meeting would mark the highest-level contact between the two sides since 24 February, when Moscow started the special military operation in Ukraine.

Any real de-escalation could cause some profit-taking from the current rally. However, as long as oil remains above 100 USD, the bullish outlook seems intact, targeting the 150 USD psychological level.

Since the military conflict started, oil has gone vertical and is up 35% in more than a week. If this trend continues, the world will face inflation it has never seen before.