What is Swiss Markets？

Swiss Markets, a subsidiary of BDS Swiss Markets Global Services Ltd, is an online forex and CFD broker that has been operational since 2016. It provides investors with various trading assets, including Forex, Metals, Energy, Commodities, and Indices. The company is registered in Mauritius and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC).

Despite being a regulated entity, Swiss Markets has been identified on a list of blocked websites issued by the Ministry of Trade, Indonesia, on February 2, 2022, citing unauthorized commodity futures trading. This is a significant red flag for potential investors considering using their platform.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• It is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC), ensuring it adheres to strict regulatory standards.

• It offers appealing spreads and commissions, which can help traders keep their trading costs low.

• It supports the popular MT4 trading platform, which provides advanced charting tools, automated trading through Expert Advisors (EAs), and a secure trading environment.

• It provides various methods for deposits and withdrawals, offering flexibility and convenience to clients.

Cons:

• It has been marked out on the WikiFx warning list, which can raise concerns about its credibility and reliability. It's always important for traders to do their due diligence when choosing a broker.

Is Swiss Markets safe or scam？

Swiss Markets is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC), which generally offers a degree of reassurance that they adhere to specific regulatory standards for fair trading and client transparency. However, despite regulation status, Swiss Markets have been flagged up due to their presence on a warning list issued by WikiFX, a platform providing broker service information and more.

Swiss Markets is part of a list of brokers that have been flagged as potentially dangerous by a regulatory authority. On February 2, 2022, these brokers had an adverse disclosure issued by the Ministry of Trade in Indonesia. This listing blocks several websites due to their participation in illegal commodity futures trading and gambling under the pretense of trading.

The exposures concerning Swiss Markets generally focus on issues related to withdrawals and deceptive practices. Users commonly reported experiencing troubles when trying to withdraw their funds - unexpected fees were sometimes introduced and withdrawals would either take an excessively long time or not be processed correctly, often leading to additional costs. Furthermore, some users also pointed out concerns relating to the handling of deposits and unexpected trade anomalies after depositing significant amounts. The issues were not satisfactorily resolved, even after multiple complaints, casting doubts about the platform's reliability and trustworthiness.

Market Instruments

• Forex: This involves trading in the global currency market, offering a range of currency pairs for trading.

• Metals: This category allows users to trade in precious metals such as gold and silver.

• Energies: Swiss Market clients have the opportunity to trade in energy commodities, including crude oil and natural gas.

• Indices: This platform provides global indices allowing traders to gain exposure to various sectors of different economies.

• Equities: Clients can also opt to trade in equities, providing an opportunity to invest and trade in various company shares.

Account Types

Swiss Markets offers two primary account types, the STP Classic and the STP Raw, both with a minimum deposit of $200. The STP model is a mechanism in the financial market that allows direct trades between buyers and sellers without going through an intermediate exchange or any other form of processing. This implies a non-dealing desk environment where trade orders are automatically processed by the system, eliminating the need for a manual dealing desk.

Leverage

Swiss Markets offers different levels of leverage depending on the account type and the market instrument being traded. For Forex trading, the leverage is quite high - it can go up to 1:500 for the STP Classic account and up to 1:200 for the STP Raw account. For other trading categories, such as Metals, Energies, Indices, and Equities, the leverage is set at 1%, or equivalently a ratio of 1:100. This applies uniformly on both STP Classic and STP Raw account types.

It's important to note that while higher leverage can magnify profits, it can also increase potential losses. Therefore, it should be used judiciously and traders should have a well-thought risk management strategy in place.

Spread & Commission

Swiss Markets operates with two different account types, STP Classic and STP Raw, each with its unique spread and commission structure. They have designed these structures to cater to a diverse range of trading needs.

For the STP Classic account, spreads are set low and no commissions are charged across Forex, Precious Metals, and Energies trading. However, there is a minimal fixed commission for Stock Indices.

Conversely, in the STP Raw account, they offer extremely low or even zero spreads in Forex trading. This tighter spread is also evident in Precious Metals and Energies trading. This lower spread does come with a commission fee. In the case of Stock Indices, like with the STP Classic, spreads are fixed with a small commission charge.

Trading Platforms

Swiss Markets offers the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) trading platform, a comprehensive platform that offers a variety of features to aid traders in executing their strategies, one of the most popular and widely used trading platforms in the world. It's available across multiple devices including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, offering flexibility and convenience to its users.

Deposit & Withdrawal

Swiss Markets offers a diverse range of deposit and withdrawal methods, including Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Postepay, Giro Pay, Swift, Sofort, EPS, iDeal, Przelewy24, Skrill, and Neteller. Most methods support various currencies and process deposits immediately. Swift,however, can take 1-4 working days for deposits to process.

When it comes to withdrawals, Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Skrill, Neteller, and Swift manage this within 24 hours. Postepay, Giro Pay, Sofort, EPS, iDeal, and Przelewy24 do not support withdrawals.

For a detailed breakdown of the deposit and withdrawal methods, supported currencies and timeframes, clients can refer to the table provided.

Conclusion

Swiss Markets is a broker that is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission. They offer broad accessibility with a user-friendly interface, multidimensional trading analysis tools via the MT4 platform, and diverse methods for deposits and withdrawals. They prioritize client fund safety, with a minimum deposit of $200, and ensure swift processing of transactions. However, being flagged on the WikiFx warning list signals the need for users to conduct their own due diligence.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How much money do I need to put in to open an account？

A: The minimum deposit for starting a new account is $200.

Q: Is Swiss Markets regulated？

A: Yes, the broker is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC) however recently was flagged by the Ministry of Trade in Indonesia for unauthorized activity.

Q: What trading platform does Swiss Markets use？

A: Swiss Markets uses the MetaTrader 4 platform, under a white-label license.

Q: Why is Swiss Markets on a warning list？

A: The Ministry of Trade in Indonesia listed Swiss Markets on a warning list for illegal commodity futures trading.

Q: How can I contact Swiss Markets？

A: Swiss Markets can be contacted via phone: +44 (20) 36709704; +49 3021446981; +34 (91) 0756974; +357 25262934; Email: support@swissmarkets.com. And online messaging on the website is also available.

Risk Warning

Online trading involves significant risk, and you may lose all of your invested capital. It is not suitable for all traders or investors. Please ensure that you understand the risks involved and note that the information provided in this review may be subject to change due to the constant updating of the company's services and policies.

In addition, the date on which this review was generated may also be an important factor to consider, as information may have changed since then. Therefore, readers are advised to always verify updated information directly with the company before making any decision or taking any action. Responsibility for the use of the information provided in this review rests solely with the reader.

General Information& Regulation

BP Prime was founded in 2013 as Black Pearl Securities Limited with the aim to transform online trading, BP Prime is headquartered in London, with an operational office in China, having a client base across Europe, Asia and South America, offering its services for both retail and institutional clients. Black Pearl Securities Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Financial Services Register Number 688456.

Market Instruments

The range of trading instruments on BP Prime platform includes online trading services for Forex, Cryptocurrencies, CFDs andCommodities, also more than 10 index CFDs also available via FIX API.

BP Prime Minimum Deposit

The account types at BP prime are divided only by the clients type, while the trading conditions will be discussed and tailored according to the needs and necessary requirements. The minimum deposit of $/€/￡5,000 is way too high for regular traders. Traders can open a free demo account with any of the account options at BP Prime. Accounts are loaded with 10,000 in virtual money and are available for 30 days.

BP Prime Leverage

Regulatory restrictions in the UK and Europe lower use of leverage for retail traders only to a maximum of 1:30 for Major Currency pairs. However, professional traders may apply for higher leverage up to 1:100 for Forex instruments.

Spreads & Commissions

The BP Prime spread varies according to the account type, while typical spread for EUR/USD pair is from 0.3 pips in the Pro account and from 0.1 pips in the Prime account. The Pro account requires zero commission, and commissions on the Prime account depends on trading volumes.

Trading Platform

BP Prime supplies clients with the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform that was developed by MetaQuotes Software Corp and is used by millions of traders around the globe. MT4 is known for its easy to use intuitive interface and vast array of built in trading tools. This makes it a popular platform for beginner and experienced traders alike.

Deposit & Withdrawal

Traders can deposit and withdraw funds using credit cards, bank wire transfer, local bank transfer, and e-wallets including Neteller and Skrill. Deposits are available in any currency, which will be automatically converted into their accounts base currency. Average processing times for deposits are immediate and there are no fees (though credit card providers or banks may charge intermediary fees). The minimum accepted deposit is $5,000. Withdrawals via standard bank wire take up to 3 working days but may take up to 5 working days for some countries. For UK account holders, there are no withdrawal fees. For EU accounts, withdrawals are free once a month and then around 25 EUR thereafter.

Trading Hours

Trading hours for currency pairs are Sunday at 21:00 to Friday at 21:00 UK time. Trading sessions for indices and other assets are provided on the brokers website or within the trading platform.

BP Prime Customer Support

Customer support is available 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. Trader can either call the UK support desk at +44 (0) 20 3745 7101, email englishdesk@bpprime.com or speak to the support team on the live chat.

Accepted Countries

BP Prime accepts traders from Australia, Thailand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Qatar and most other countries. Traders cannot use BP Prime from United States, Canada, France, Afghanistan, Belgium, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iceland, Libya, Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen.