Euro Pacific Bank

Changes to CZK Margin and Exposure Limit

EFFECTIVE: WED APR 19th at 13:00 GMT

In response to the Czech Central Bank’s decision to remove the peg on the Czech Koruna, we are now able to move the Czech Koruna to a free-floating currency margin schedule. The below table will represent the new schedule for the Czech Koruna tier rates based on your margin profile.

CCY USD 0-1mm USD 1-3mm USD 3-5mm USD 5-10mm USD 10-25mm USD 25-50mm USD 50+mm
CZK 4% 4% 8% 8% 15% 20% 100%

Flat rates for the Czech Koruna will be set at 4% for a maximum currency limit of USD 3mm

These new tier and flat rates will be effective as of Wednesday, 19 April 2017, at 13:00 GMT.

April 2017 New Products & Platform Updates

US corporate and LATAM bonds now available

We are pleased to announce the most recent addition of US corporate and LATAM bonds:

  • US corporate bonds include Investment Grade bonds and more high-yield bonds.
  • LATAM bonds include the most actively-traded USD corporate and government bonds from Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and other Latin American countries.

Bond commissions

As an introductory offer, bond trading was available on very low commissions of 0.08%. From 1 April 2017, commissions have increased to 0.2% for both online and offline-traded.

Futures position management changes

GTS is moving to FIFO netting on futures positions from:

  • 6 April on the GTS Pro platform
  • 8 April on the GTS-web platform

This means that futures trades must be closed in the order they were opened; platform features which allow you to close trades in a different order will be removed:

  • Individual trades in a position cannot be closed directly
  • You cannot place related stop and limit order to close specific trades.
  • Closing positions

    To close or reduce a position, you can place a trade using either the Close button on the position or by placing a trade using the Trade Ticket

    Related orders

    Stop loss and take profit orders cannot be related directly to individual trades. Independent stop and limit orders can be placed instead and managed separately to the position ñ if you manually close a position, you must also manually cancel any orders.

    Changes to Allocation Summary

    In connection with the futures position management changes in the beginning of April, the Allocation Summary will be changed:

    • For futures contracts, the Close Allocated Positions Ticket will be changed to allocate futures orders/trades which are not related to opening trades.
    • The Close Position buttons on the trade level in the Allocation Summary will be removed for all products.

March 2017 New Products & Platform Updates

DJX.I Index Subscription

Real-time data on the Dow Jones cash index (DJX.I), used as underlying instrument for DJX stock index options, will only be available through a subscription to OPRA from 1 April 2017. Delayed data is available without subscription.

  Private Professional
OPRA Data $7 USD/Month $37 USD/Month

Right-Click Context Menus Now Available in GTS

Right-click menus are now available on all major components in the GTS-web platform, giving quick convenient access for trading instruments, opening charts, module settings and options.

Some of the functions available from the right-click menus include:

  • Trading an instrument
  • Closing a position
  • Cancelling, editing and changing orders to market orders
  • Remove an instrument from the Watchlist
  • Add a price alert for an instrument
  • Add Take Profit and Stop loss orders to a position
  • Access to position and order details
  • Access to Equity Research (where available for stocks and stock CFDs)
  • Chart configuration

We will continue to enhance right-click with additional functionality over the coming months.

Monetary Policy Impact on Interest Rates

EFFECTIVE DATE: MARCH 1 2017

Due to the introduction or ongoing levy of negative interest rates on account credit balances by some central banks and deposit banks, Global Trading will be applying a negative interest charge to unutilized cash in the relevant reference currencies (subject to the minimum thresholds below). As Global Trading places our clients cash very conservatively, we are sharing this burden and not completely recovering our costs for the benefit of our clients.

The charge will apply to all client accounts net free equity balances above the threshold currently indicated in the table below. We will endeavor to contact all clients that will be affected by this policy and provide them with some suggested alternatives to avoid these charges. These rates do not apply to bank account balances with Euro Pacific Bank, only unused cash held directly in Global Trading brokerage accounts.

The negative interest will be calculated daily on the net free equity exceeding the threshold and debited to the account at the end of each month for the interest period of the previous month (value date is the last day of the previous month).

The thresholds and negative interest rates are currently at:

Currency Threshold Negative Interest Rate (p.a.)
EUR >25,000 -0.40%
CHF >25,000 -0.75%
DKK >250,000 -0.65%
SEK >250,000 -0.50%

The negative interest rates indicated above will be charged as of 1 March 2017 and apply until further notice. The rates charged are subject to change. The information is also provided on the trading platforms and on Global Tradings Trading Conditions page.

The reference interest rates applied by the central banks are continuously monitored by Global Trading. If the negative interest rate environment was to change, Global Trading aims at adjusting the negative interest rates.

Thank you for your understanding. Please contact us if you have any questions.

February 2017 New Products & Platform Updates

Product Updates

Margin rate changes for Turkish Lira (TRY) crosses

Please be advised margin requirements for TRY pairs has increased to 8% due to continued volatility.

GTS Browser Support

The list of browsers supported by GTS has been updated to:

  • Internet Explorer 10+
  • Microsoft Edge 12+
  • Google Chrome 30+
  • Mozilla Firefox 25+

We recommend that traders upgrade to a supported browser as soon as possible to get the best experience. It will not be possible to access the GTS-web platform through other browsers from March 2017.

Platform Enhancements

New Combination Order Ticket now available

A new multi-legged order is now available in GTS, allowing traders to define and place Contract Option strategies on listed stock, ETF and index Options.

Features of the new Combination Order Ticket include:

  • Multi-legged ticket allows for trading complex options strategies such as horizontal spreads, straddles, strangles, iron condors and many more
  • Multi-legged orders to simultaneously Buy/Sell different Options
  • Multiple legs are delivered and executed as a single order
  • Up to four legs
  • Margin reduction over trading options individually
  • Spread trading to limit market risk
  • Ratio of strategies is retained between different legs (1:1, 2:1 and 3:1)
  • Price defaults to reference price within the spread, i.e. close to the mid-price of the spread itself
  • Quick reversal of a strategy from Buy to Sell, and vice versa
  • Dynamic display of Greeks, Volatility and Margin allows users to quickly analyse any spread set up before execution
  • Access to the Combination Order Ticket

    Combination Orders are available under Option Trading as shown below:

    Please note that you will only be able to utilise this functionality if you have Contract Options enabled. If you don’t have this product suite and would like to have it enabled, please contact your Sales representative.

Change to the P/L in the Close Position dialogue in GTS

From early February 2017, the Close Position dialogue (when closing individual positions) will show the profit/loss in the account currency rather than the instrument currency:

The Square Net Position dialogue will also show the profit/loss in the account currency:

Reintroduction of ASX Data Feed

DATE: 01/26/2017

We are proud to announce the reintroduction of the Australian Stock Exchange in our offerings in GTS. You may be familiar that this data feed was lost last year due to increases in pricing associated with offering trading on this exchange.

You will now have access to delayed price feeds, and live pricing through subscriptions.  Additionally, any visibility that was initially lost through the removal of the price feed is now available once again.

We intend to maintain this partnership as we hope to expand our offerings in the future.

If you have any further questions, please contact your private banker, or [email protected]

January 2017 New Products & Platform Updates

Product Updates

Fully Digitized Bonds Coming Soon

We are proud to announce the launch of online bond trading coming soon to GTS. With this revolutionary shift in bond trading, clients will gain access to transparent, cheaper, and more efficient trading of fixed income products. Whereas most bond trading is only available over a slow, inefficient manual “request-for-quote” basis, this will allow clients to utilize the full range of prices and liquidity available in the market to execute most orders within seconds. More information will follow later this month.

Greeks Now Available on CME Globex Futures

Greeks and implied volatility are now available on Futures Options traded on the CME Globex exchanges in the Option Chain and Trade Tickets in GTS and GTS Pro.

Single Stock CFDs with a US Equity as Underlying Asset.

IRS Section 871(m) is a new piece of regulation from the US tax authority (the IRS) and the US Treasury Department. Its aim is to impose tax on dividend-equivalent payments for derivative instruments with a US-based underlying equity. The regulation will come into effect on January 1st 2017. Positions entered into on or after this date will be subject to tax on any dividend payment. Listed options with a US equity as an underlying asset will also be covered by similar legislation from January 1st 2018. For more information, please see: here

Platform Enhancements

Option Positions Itemised Separately in Account Overview

To improve breakdown of the Account Value across cash, margin and Option positions, the value of Options positions will be itemised separately in Account Overview.
Currently, in the Account details in GTS and GTS Pro:

  • The value of FX Options is currently included under P/L, Margin Positions
  • The value of Exchange Traded Options is currently included under Market value, Cash Positions
  • A new dedicated Value of options field will be added in January 2017 and the values of FX and Exchange Traded Options will be moved to this new field.

Removal of the Price Feed from FTSE stock and CFD indices

EFFECTIVE: JAN 1ST, 2017

Please be advised that we are no longer going to be supporting price quotes for the FTSE Russell stock indices or CFDs on these indices due to substantial increases in pricing associated with offering price quotes for these instruments.

The affected instruments include:

Stock indices CFD indices
FTSE 100 Index UK100
FTSE 250 Index UK250
FTSE MIB Index ITALY40
FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index ZA40
FTSE ACT 350 Index N/A

Clients should exit positions on instruments for which they will not have a price feed after 1 January, 2017. Keeping a position will result in no price display of positions.

If you have any doubts, please contact [email protected] or your personal banker

December 2016 New Products & Platform Updates

Product Updates

Holiday Trading Schedule

During the Christmas and New Years period, markets and exchanges around the world will be operating under modified schedules. Please bear in mind that exchanges may be closed and thus unavailable for trading. More information will follow.

Removal of Market Orders for ETOs

Market orders on Exchange-Traded Options (ETOs) have now been removed in the trading platforms.

Generally, market orders are subject to immediate execution, but can sometimes be delayed due to high-volume, fast markets or very low liquidity. When a market order is entered on Options, traders cannot control the price at which this order is executed. One way to minimize the risk of trades being executed at a price significantly different from the last trade/quote is to enter a limit order.

GTS-Web support of IE 10 discontinued by the end of 2016

GTS will no longer be supported through the Internet Explorer 10 browser from January 2017. Internet Explorer 11 will continue to be supported for the foreseeable future.

Platform Enhancements

Trade Button Colors in GTS Pro

Trade button colors for Stocks, Stock CFDs, Futures and ETOs

In GTS Pro, the trade buttons for Stocks, Stock CFDs, Futures and ETOs have been modified to indicate market status:

  • Yellow – live prices and market is open
  • Purple – delayed prices or market is closed

Trade buttons for these instruments are now aligned with the new Order Driven Execution FX/CFD color conventions and the GTS platform as follows:

  • Red/Blue – live prices and market is open
  • Grey – delayed prices or market is closed

A more neutral blue trade button color is also available as an alternative to the bright red/blue colors in GTS Pro. The trade buttons colors will be red/blue by default, but you can switch to the alternative colors from Options -> Colors.

New Chart Features

Logarithmic Charts

Logarithmic charts are now available in GTS, on both Live and Simulation.

Normal charts use a linear price scale where prices are plotted equally on the y-axis. Logarithmic charts, on the other hand, plot prices so that there is an equal % change between two prices levels.

For example: on a linear chart, a $5 price distance from $20 to $25 is the same distance as from $30 to $35. When plotted on a logarithmic chart, however, the distance will be shorter, as a change from 20 to 25 represents a 25% increase, whereas from 30 to 35 is an increase of only 16.67%.

Logarithmic charts can be useful when analyzing price movements with large ranges, where the data is skewed towards the large values.

In this chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Index since 1984, the blue chart is plotted on a linear axis, and the white chart is plotted on a logarithmic price axis.

Notice that the 40% market drop in 1987 looks smaller on the linear chart, and much larger on the log chart. Similarly, the market crash during the financial crisis in October 2009 doesn’t look as impressive on the log chart compared to the 1987 crash. Also, some of the major market movements in the 1970s are barely recognizable on the linear chart but stand out on the log chart.

To switch to a log chart

To switch to a logarithmic price scale, click the log chart icon in the chart toolbar.

FX chart Mid-price option

A new Mid-price option is now available on FX charts in GTS.

By default, the FX charts use the Bid Price but traders could also use the Ask price under the chart settings. Now, the Mid-price between the Bid and Ask is also available from the chart settings.

To use the Mid-price for an FX chart:
  1. Go to the chart configuration menu.
  2. Select Mid from the Default price dropdown menu.

New PDF Portfolio Reports in GTS

Our new PDF Portfolio Reports allow traders to download a consolidated report of a portfolio’s performance for a specific period.

To generate a PDF Portfolio Report

The PDF Portfolio Report can be generated under Accounts > Reports in the GTS web-based platform.

To generate a report:

  1. Select an account (or all accounts).
  2. Specify a date range.
  3. When the report has been generated, click the download button to download the PDF.

Market Conduct Rules

Market Conduct Information

Global financial regulatory bodies are increasingly focused on market conduct rules across the financial markets and products. Consequently new financial regulation comes into force on an ongoing basis, and most recently through the introduction of Market Abuse Regulation.

Full compliance with the rules and regulations is required by all customers. Below, you will find an overall description of the rules. You will also find a non-exhaustive list describing situations which you need to avoid as these constitute violations of market rules.

Market Conduct Rules

Regulation of the financial markets and market conduct rules are aimed at ensuring trust and integrity and thus promoting integrated, efficient and transparent markets. Specific rules set forth unacceptable market conduct by prohibiting the abuse of insider information and various forms of market manipulation. The exchanges/trading venues may have specific rules about market disruption so at the end of this document you will find links to the relevant sites. One example of such rules is that some exchanges have specific limits for the size of positions in various derivatives.

Market conduct rules and regulation applies to all individuals and all legal entities. Therefore all market participants are obliged to familiarise themselves with the relevant rules and regulations.

Trading activity is being monitored and any suspicious activity will be investigated by the relevant markets and authorities.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of examples of conduct that violate market conduct rules:

  • Taking advantage of price sensitive non-published information concerning a company in order to make a profit or avoid incurring losses by buying or selling stocks and/derivatives or to attempt to take advantage of the said information in any other way (insider trading).
  • Passing on insider information.
  • Disseminating false or misleading information on circumstances of substantial importance for the valuation of a security (e.g. a company’s earnings, orders or product pipeline or a general supply shortage).
  • Disseminating false or misleading information, rumors or messages that may influence the price of a security with the intent to exploit the resulting price movement.
  • Entering low-volume purchase orders with successively higher prices in order to
    Simulate an increased demand amid rising prices (painting the tape).
  • Simultaneously buying and selling the same securities for the account of one and the same beneficial owner in order to create false or misleading signals regarding the supply of, demand for, or market price of securities (wash trades).
  • To distort liquidity or prices by entering equal but opposite buy and sell orders in the same security by prior mutual agreement between a number of parties (matched orders or daisy chains coordinated among a number of parties).
  • Constricting the market by building up large positions (cornering) or depositing securities with third parties (parking) in order to distort securities prices (creating a squeeze).
  • Buying or selling securities shortly before the exchange closes with the intent to influence closing prices (marking the close).
  • Buying or selling securities in order to move prices (ramping) or keep them at a specific level (e.g. capping, pegging).
  • Influencing commodity prices in order to give out false or misleading signals regarding the supply of, or demand for, securities.
  • Placing orders but with no intention to execute (spoofing).
  • Similar to spoofing, market participants “layer” or “bait” other market participants to react and trade with bona fide order on the other side of the market without intention to trade (layering).
  • Attempting to push down the price of a stock by heavy selling or short selling (bear raiding).

For further information regarding market regulations and practices for various exchanges, please see below.

Market Conduct Rules by Exchange

Exchange name Symbol Rules and regulation
North America & Canada
NASDAQ NASDAQ & NSC Read more
New York Stock Exchange NYSE & ARCA Read more
NYSE MKT AMEX Read more
OTC Bulletin Board/Pink Sheets OOTC & OTCBB Read more
Toronto Stock Exchange TSE Read more
TSX Venture Exchange TSX Read more
Europe / Middle East / Africa
Athens Exchange AT Read more
BME Spanish Exchanges SIBE Read more
Deutsche Börse (XETRA) FSE Read more
Irish Stock Exchange ISE Read more
London Stock Exchange (IOB) LSE_INTL Read more
London Stock Exchange LSE_SETS Read more
Milan Stock Exchange MIL Read more
NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen CSE Read more
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki HSE Read more
NASDAQ OMX Stockholm SSE Read more
NYSE Euronext Amsterdam (AEX) AMS Read more
NYSE Euronext Brussels BRU Read more
NYSE Euronext Lisbon LISB Read more
NYSE Euronext Paris PAR Read more
Oslo Stock Exchange OSE Read more
Prague Stock Exchange PRA Read more
SIX Swiss Exchange SWX & VX Read more
Vienna Stock Exchange VIE Read more
Warsaw Stock Exchange WSE Read more
Johannesburg Stock Exchange JSE Read more
Asia / Pacific
Australian Securities Exchange ASX Read more
Hong Kong Exchanges HKEX Read more
Singapore Exchange SGX-ST Read more
Tokyo Stock Exchange TYO Read more
Futures Exchanges
Chicago Mercantile Exchange CME Read more
Chicago Board of Trade CBOT Read more
Chicago Board Options Exchange CBOE Read more
Commodity Exchange COMEX Read more
New York Mercantile Exchange NYMEX Read more
Euronext Equity and Index Derivatives AMS Read more
European Energy Exchange EEX Read more
Euronext Equity and Index Derivatives PAR Read more
Euronext Commodities Derivatives PAR Read more
Hong Kong Exchanges HKEX Read more
ICE Futures Europe ICE Read more
ICE Futures Europe-Financials ICE-LIF Read more
ICE Futures U.S. NYBOT Read more
ICE Futures Europe- Soft Commodities ICE-SOFT Read more
Borsa Italiana SpA IDEM Read more
Spanish Official Exchange MEFF Read more
Bourse de Montreal MON Read more
Osaka Exchange OSA Read more
Sydney Futures Exchange SFE Read more
Singapore Exchange SGX Read more
NASDAQ OMX Stockholm SSE Read more
EUREX Eurex Read more
Options Exchanges
Australian Securities Exchange ASX Read more
Euronext Equity and Index Derivatives AMS Read more
Euronext Equity and Index Derivatives PAR Read more
EUREX Eurex Read more
Hong Kong Exchanges HKEX Read more
ICE Futures Europe-Financials ICE-LIF Read more
Borsa Italiana SpA IDEM Read more
NYSE NYSE Read more
NYSE Arca ARCA Read more
BATS BATS Read more
Boston Options Exchange BOX Read more
Chicago Board Options Exchange CBOE Read more
C2 C2 Read more
International Securities Exchange ISE Read more
MIAX MIAX Read more
NASDAQ NASDAQ Read more
Euronext Commodities Derivatives PAR Read more
Hong Kong Exchanges HKEX Read more
ICE Futures Europe ICE Read more
ICE Futures Europe-Financials ICE-LIF Read more
ICE Futures U.S. NYBOT Read more
ICE Futures Europe- Soft Commodities ICE-SOFT Read more
Borsa Italiana SpA IDEM Read more
Spanish Official Exchange MEFF Read more
Bourse de Montreal MON Read more
Osaka Exchange OSA Read more
Singapore Exchange SGX Read more
Chicago Mercantile Exchange CME Read more
Chicago Board of Trade CBOT Read more
Commodity Exchange COMEX Read more
New York Mercantile Exchange NYMEX Read more
NASDAQ OMX Stockholm SSE Read more
Oslo Bors OSE Read more

OTC Markets (Forex and other Derivatives)

In case Global Trading Limited reasonably suspects that the client performed a Prohibited Action, Global Trading Limited, at any time and at its discretion, without giving any notice or explanation to the Client to restrict the clientís trading activity, to cancel orders, to decline or refuse to transmit or execute any order of the client and the client has no right to claim any damages, specific performance or compensation whatsoever from Global Trading Limited. Global Trading Limited may as well, at its absolute discretion, at any time and without prior written notice, cancel or reverse any profits gained through any Prohibited Actions.

Prohibited Actions

It is absolutely prohibited for the Client to take any of the following actions in relation to Global Trading Limitedís systems and/or Platform(s) and/or Client Account:

  1. Use, without the prior and written consent of Global Trading Limited, of any software, which applies artificial intelligence analysis to Global Trading Limitedís systems and/or Platform(s) and/or Client Account.
  2. Intercept, monitor, damage or modify any communication which is not intended for him.
  3. Use any type of spider, virus, worm, Trojan-horse, time bomb or any other codes or instructions that are designed to distort, delete, damage or disassemble the Platform(s) or the communication system or any system of Global Trading Limited.
  4. Send any unsolicited commercial communication not permitted under applicable law or Applicable Regulations.
  5. Do anything that will or may violate the integrity of Global Trading Limited computer system or Platform(s) or cause such system(s) to malfunction or stop their operation.
  6. Unlawfully access or attempt to gain access, reverse engineer or otherwise circumvent any security measures that Global Trading Limited has applied to the Platform(s).
  7. any action that could potentially allow the irregular or unauthorized access or use of The Platform(s).
  8. send massive requests on the server which may cause delays in the execution time.
  9. Global Trading Limited reasonably suspects that the Client performed a prohibited action
  10. Global Trading Limited reasonably suspects that the Client performed Abusive Trading. Abusive Trading shall include any of the following actions such as, but not limited to, Snipping, Scalping, Pip-hunting, Hedging, placing ìbuy stopî or ìsell stopî Orders prior to the release of financial data, arbitrage, manipulations, a combination of faster/slower feeds, abuse of the cancelation of trades feature available on the Platform or use (without the prior and written consent of Global Trading Limited) of any software, which applies artificial intelligence analysis to Global Trading Limitedís systems and/or platform(s) and/or client account.