Spot trading is also known as negotiated or dealer market trading is the sale of securities directly between two parties, rather than through an intermediary such as an exchange or broker. Spot trading allows buyers and sellers to negotiate a price and transact directly with each other without the intervention of intermediaries.
This article explains what spot trading is, how it differs from other forms of equity trading, the benefits of spot trading, the types of firms that engage in spot trading, and how you can trade on the spot market.
Spot trading is the sale of securities directly between two parties, rather than through an intermediary such as an exchange or broker. The two parties involved in a spot trade find each other, negotiate a price and transact directly with each other without the intervention of intermediaries. The date and time at which the transaction is agreed to take place are known as the “spot date.” Spot trading is commonly done over the phone between institutional investors such as mutual funds, hedge funds, and pension funds on one side and broker-dealers such as Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley on the other side.
A spot trade is a transaction that is settled immediately. This means that the seller delivers the securities to the buyer on the same day as the transaction. This differs from other types of equity trading, such as futures or derivatives, which are settled at a future date. This is because the buyers and sellers of such contracts don’t exchange cash for the securities at the same time.
Instead, they agree to buy and sell securities at a future date at an agreed-upon price. In futures trading, both parties put up an initial amount of cash as collateral. If a trader wants to close out the contract before it expires, they have to make an additional payment to fulfill the contract.
Spot trading provides several benefits to investors including - Greater Control: Investors who engage in spot trading have greater control over the timing and size of their trade compared to investors who trade through an intermediary.
Thus, they can make a trade on the date and time that best fits their needs and can trade more shares than they would otherwise be able to with a broker. - No Mark-ups: Investors who engage in spot trading don’t have to pay a commission, which can help reduce trading costs. As a result, trading on the spot market is less expensive than trading through a broker, where investors typically have to pay a commission. - Immediate Settlement: Investors who engage in spot trading have their transaction settled immediately.
This can result in greater liquidity for investors compared to other forms of trading, such as futures, that are settled at a future date. - Speed: Spot trading allows investors to execute their trade more quickly than if they were to trade through a broker. This is because investors don’t have to wait for their order to be executed and confirmed.
Instead, they simply make a trade with another investor on the spot market. - Greater Flexibility: Investors who engage in spot trading have greater flexibility in the type of security they can trade. This is because they don’t have to trade through a specific broker that may not have the security they want.
Institutional investors such as mutual funds, hedge funds, and pension funds engage in spot trading. These investors typically find each other, negotiate a price and transact directly with each other without the intervention of intermediaries such as a broker-dealer.
Mutual funds are open-ended investment companies that pool money from many investors to invest in a variety of assets. Mutual funds can be actively managed or passively managed, and mutual funds can be either equity or bond funds.
Hedge funds are investment companies that are privately managed and charge very high management fees. Hedge funds typically invest in securities and use a wide array of investment strategies, including long and short positions.
Pension funds are government-sponsored or privately managed investment funds that invest in stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets.
If you want to trade on the spot market, you can either reach out to someone directly who is trading on the spot market (“spots”) or try to find someone who is willing to make a market in a specific security.
The latter approach can be done through a trading system known as “make/take,” which is a more modern system that has been adopted by some firms. To make/take, a trader makes a market in security (i.e. they are willing to buy or sell the security) and at the same time, looks for another trader who is willing to take the offer. Essentially, you are making an offer to buy or sell a certain number of shares of a security at a specific price and someone else is taking that offer.
There are several advantages of trading on the spot market over trading on dealer markets. These include:
Investors on the spot market have greater liquidity since they can execute their trade more quickly.
Additionally, investors on the spot market have greater liquidity compared to traders on dealer markets because they can trade shares of securities that are less liquid.
Investors on the spot market don’t have to pay a commission, which can help reduce trading costs. This is different from dealer markets, where buyers and sellers typically have to pay a commission. - Immediate Settlement: Investors on the spot market have their transactions settled immediately.
This can result in greater liquidity for investors compared to other forms of trading, such as futures, that are settled at a future date. - Speed: Spot trading allows investors to execute their trade more quickly than if they were to trade through a dealer. This is because investors don’t have to wait for their order to be executed and confirmed. Instead, they simply make a trade with another investor on the spot market.
Spot trading is a form of trading securities directly between two parties, rather than through an intermediary such as an exchange or broker. Spot trading provides several benefits to investors including greater control, no mark-ups, greater liquidity, immediate settlement, and greater flexibility. Institutional investors such as mutual funds, hedge funds, and pension funds engage in spot trading. Traders on the spot market have greater liquidity, no mark-ups, and immediate settlement compared to traders on dealer markets.
NOTE: This article is not investment advice for anyone because online trading could be a high risk for all who have a lack of knowledge & experience. 86% of traders lose money in financial markets. we are not your financial advisors who guarantee your profit at all.
