The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has banned FXCM Inc from its primary US market. Moreover, its CEO Drew Niv got permanent registration ban.
The CFTC announced it was settling charges against Forex Capital Markets, LLC (FXCM), its parent company, FXCM Holdings, LLC (FXCM Holdings), and the two founding partners, Dror (“Drew”) Niv, and William Ahdout, who were, respectively, Chief Executive Officer of FXCM and Managing Director of FXCM, (collectively, Respondents).
The CFTC Order finds that, between September 4, 2009 though at least 2014 (the Relevant Period), FXCM engaged in false and misleading solicitations of FXCM’s retail foreign exchange (forex) customers by concealing its relationship with its most important market maker and by misrepresenting that its “No Dealing Desk” platform had no conflicts of interest with its customers. The Order finds FXCM, FXCM Holdings, and Niv responsible for FXCM making false statements to the National Futures Association (NFA) about its relationship with the market maker.
The Order requires Respondents jointly and severally to pay a $7 million civil monetary penalty and to cease and desist from further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC Regulations, as charged. FXCM, Niv, and Ahdout agree to withdraw from CFTC registration; never to seek to register with the CFTC; and never to act in any capacity requiring registration or exemption from registration, or act as a principal, agent, officer, or employee of any person that is registered, required to be registered, or exempted from registration with the CFTC.
“Full and truthful disclosure to customers and honest discourse with self-regulatory organizations such as NFA are vital to the integrity and oversight of our markets,” said Gretchen L. Lowe, Principal Deputy Director and Chief Counsel of the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement. “Today’s action’s demonstrates that the CFTC is committed to protecting customers from harm in the markets it regulates.”
FXCM is registered with the CFTC as a Futures Commission Merchant and Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer.
The company under Niv’s and Ahdout’s direction and control, misrepresented to its retail forex customers that when they traded forex on its No Dealing Desk platform, company would have no conflict of interest, the Order finds. In addition, according to FXCM’s marketing campaign, retail customers’ profits or losses would have no impact on company’s bottom line, because its role in the customers’ trades was merely that of a credit intermediary, the Order finds. FXCM further represented that the risk would be borne by banks and other independent “market makers” that provided liquidity to the platform, according to the Order.
Contrary to these representations, the Order finds, the broker had an undisclosed interest in the market maker that consistently “won” the largest share of broker’s trading volume – and thus was taking positions opposite FXCM’s retail customers. The broker, the Order finds, formulated a plan in 2009 to create an algorithmic trading system, using a computer program that could make markets to FXCM’s customers, and thereby either replace or compete with the independent market makers on company’s “No Dealing Desk” platform. Although the broker eventually spun off the algorithmic trading system as a new company, in actuality the company remained closely aligned with FXCM, according to the Order. This market maker received special trading privileges, benefitted from a no-interest loan provided by the company, worked out of FXCM’s offices, and used by its employees to conduct its business, the Order further finds.
The Order finds that FXCM and the market maker agreed that the market maker would rebate to the broker approximately 70 percent of its revenue from trading on company’s retail forex platform. In total, through monthly payments from 2010 through 2014, the company rebated to FXCM approximately $77 million of the revenue it achieved.
The Order also finds that the company willfully made false statements to NFA in order to conceal FXCM’s role in the creation of its principal market maker as well as the fact that the market maker’s owner had been an employee and managing director. The Order finds that during a meeting between NFA compliance staff and broker executives, Niv omitted to mention to NFA the details of company’s relationship with the market maker.
The Order holds Niv and Ahdout liable for FXCM’s fraud violations as “controlling persons” who were responsible, directly or indirectly, for FXCM’s violations. Niv is also held liable for FXCM’s false statements to NFA as a controlling person who was responsible directly or indirectly for those violations. FXCM Holdings is held liable for FXCM’s fraud and false statement violations as principal of FXCM, the Order also finds.
The CFTC’s full statement on the matter can be seen here.
