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Jane Street, DRW Traders Made Billions as Virus Hit Markets

Both firms saw revenues and earnings jump more than 50%
Jane Street’s results show its growing importance in markets

A nearly empty Times Square in New York on June 11, 2020. — A nearly empty Times Square in New York on June 11, 2020.
Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg

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June 18, 2021, 6:49 PM UTCUpdated onJune 18, 2021, 9:09 PM UTC

Proprietary trading shops are notoriously secretive, so when markets went topsy-turvy in 2020, it was almost impossible to know how successful many firms were. It turns out: Very.

Financial results from some of the niche’s key players are quietly making the rounds on Wall Street as the companies seek loans to fund their operations. They show extraordinary gains amid last year’s pandemic turmoil.