Alpari has today announced its combined trading volume metrics for August 2014, with last month having brought the company in excess of $165 billion across the entirety of its operations, representing a 7% decrease in activity when compared with July this year’s combined volume of $177 billion.
Trading activity in July at Alpari increased 9% over that of June this year, however the firm’s necessity to concentrate efforts on continual acquisition of new clients is evident, as it continues its $250 cashback promotion.
Alpari has confirmed that trading in oil and gold has seen a significant upturn over the previous quarter. Geopolitical events have driven the bulk of trading in gold, as traders flocked to the perceived safety of the yellow metal in the light of heightened regional tensions. In the UK, Alpari saw individual gold trades rise a by 92%, with volumes up over 40% between 1 May to 31 August.
A matter of interest with regard to Alpari’s success with commodity trading volumes is that that during this year’s period of low FX activity, retail firms have sought to add certain commodities to their available asset classes, an example of which being Pepperstone’s addition of Brent Crude (XBR) and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil as firms seek to branch into more buoyant categories.
Hannah Hill, Global Head of Marketing commented: “We’re seeing a renewed interest in gold as traders react to global news stories. Our latest advertising campaign reflects this – focusing on what’s currently happening in gold and oil markets and asking what’s next. This stands out in the financial press by challenging traders to consider the future of these major markets.”
For the full announcement by Alpari, click here.