Foreign exchange spot

A foreign exchange spot transaction, also known as FX spot, is an agreement between two parties to buy one currency against selling another currency at an agreed price for settlement on the spot date. The exchange rate at which the transaction is done is called the spot exchange rate. As of 2010, the average daily turnover of global FX spot transactions reached nearly US$1.5 trillion, counting 37.4% of all foreign exchange transactions. ^[1] FX spot transactions increased by 38% to US$2.0 trillion from April 2010 to April 2013. ^[2]

Settlement date

The standard settlement timeframe for foreign exchange spot transactions is T+2; i.e., two business days from the trade date. Notable exceptions are USD/CAD, USD/TRY, USD/PHP, USD/RUB, and offshore USD/KZT and offshore USD/PKR currency pairs, which settle at T+1. USD/COP settles T+0. ^[3] The majority of SME FX payments are made through Spot FX, partially because businesses aren't aware of alternatives. ^[4]

Execution methods

Common methods of executing a spot foreign exchange transaction include the following: ^[1]

• Direct – Executed between two parties directly and not intermediated by a third party. For example, a transaction executed via direct telephone communication or direct electronic dealing systems such as Reuters Conversational Dealing
• Electronic broking systems – Executed via automated order matching system for foreign exchange dealers. Examples of such systems are EBS and Reuters Matching 2000/2
• Electronic trading systems – Executed via a single-bank proprietary platform or a multibank dealing system. These systems are generally geared towards customers. Examples of multibank systems include Fortex Technologies, Inc., 360TGTX, FXSpotStream LLC, Integral, FXall, HotSpotFX, Currenex, LMAX Exchange, FX Connect, Prime Trade, Globalink, Seamless FX, and eSpeed
• Voice broker – Executed via telephone with a foreign exchange voice broker

See also

• Foreign exchange market
• Foreign exchange option
• Foreign exchange derivative
• Financial instruments
• Foreign exchange aggregator

References

1. "Triennial Central Bank Survey of Foreign Exchange and Derivatives Market Activity in 2010" (PDF). Bank for International Settlements. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
2. "Triennial Central Bank Survey Global foreign exchange market turnover in 2013" (PDF). Bank for International Settlements. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
3. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2018-07-10.
4. "Spot FX transactions for Payments or Hedged Transaction?" . Retrieved 14 December 2019.