2008 Société Générale trading loss a role in the market's overall decline, but characterized that impact as "minimal". 2008 Société Générale trading loss In January 2008, the bank Société Générale lost approximately €4.9 billion closing out positions over three days of trading beginning January 21, 2008, a period in which the market was experiencing a large drop in equity indices. The bank states these positions were fraudulent transactions created by Jérôme Kerviel, a trader with the company. The police stated they lacked evidence to charge him with fraud and charged him with breach of trust and illegally accessing computers. Kerviel states his actions were known
Day trader trader but both types of traders can trade in the same markets. Previously seen as a niche market, or something for institutional speculators, the foreign exchange market (forex) by 2010 had increased exponentially to an average daily volume of about $4 trillion USD worldwide, with spot retail forex trades accounting for an estimated 10% of that volume. Possible reasons for the surge in retail forex trading include the now high margin requirements in individual U.S. equities (stocks) for day traders imposed after 2001, and apparent overt manipulation of commodities markets by banks, making commodity futures markets a less desirable market