Brokers

There are four types of market participants;

Banks, Brokers, Customers, Central banks.

* Banks and other financial institutions are the biggest participants. They earn profits by buying and selling currencies from and to each other. Roughly two-thirds of all FX transactions involve banks dealing directly with each other.
* Brokers act as intermediaries between banks. Dealers call them to find out where they can get the best price for currencies. Such arrangements are beneficial since they afford anonymity to the buyer/seller. Brokers earn profit by charging a commission on the transactions they arrange.
* Customers, mainly large companies, require foreign currency in the course of doing business or making investments. Some even have their own trading desks if their requirements are large. Other types of customers are individuals who buy foreign exchange to travel abroad or make purchases in foreign countries.
* Central banks, which act on behalf of their governments, sometimes participate in the FX market to influence the value of their currencies.

With more than $1.2 trillion changing hands every day, the activity of these participants affects the value of every dollar, pound, yen or euro.

The participants in the FX market trade for a variety of reasons:

* To earn short-term profits from fluctuations in exchange rates,
* To protect themselves from loss due to changes in exchange rates, and
* To acquire the foreign currency necessary to buy goods and services from other countries.