With the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England setting out their policy responses (last night’s Mansion House speeches here and here) to the continuing tightness of credit in the UK and anticipated liquidity problems following the Greek elections, and the ECB also hinting that it will make additional liquidity available to Eurozone banks, the retail forex trading OANDA is suspending its service on Sunday:
“The decision to halt trading is very much tied to the uncertainty in Europe and in particular, the Greek election. Given these events, there is the potential for extreme exchange rate volatility at a time when global currency markets are closed. OANDA’s concern is that exchange rates could undergo significant fluctuations as the exit polls are made public. If these fluctuations are wide enough, accounts that under normal conditions would be considered well-capitalized, could become subject to a margin call.
By halting trading and holding the closing prices steady during this period, we aim to shelter traders from the potential for price spikes.”
See also: Brokerage exits Greek stock market, credit insurer reviews [now pulls] cover for exports to Greece
A Eurozone exit: forex traders and retailers prepare
A Eurozone exit: Legal implications for companies and businesses
Company and Financial Law 