Markets Magazine
Dutch Speed-Trader Turns to Currencies After Conquering ETFs
Flow Traders wants to colonize markets with its approach to trading, but its core business is coming under attack
The bottom shelf of the fridge is laden with Heineken and Corona. The Corona is on rotation, but the Heineken is a permanent fixture: This is Amsterdam. A few strides away there’s a dark, well-stocked in-house pub.
Up one flight of stairs, the atmosphere is very different. Behind a door that can only be opened with a security pass is by far the largest trading floor for exchange-traded funds in Europe. The 110 traders here, along with 30 colleagues in offices elsewhere, traded €640 billion ($719 billion) in ETFs last year and at least that much in futures, commodities, bonds, stocks, and foreign exchange.