LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Average daily foreign exchange
trading volumes rose 10% in December from a year earlier to
$1.76 trillion, CLS said on Wednesday, driven by higher turnover
in the euro/dollar and sterling/dollar exchange rates.
CLS, a major settler of trades in the FX market, said in a
statement that the average daily traded volume of currencies
submitted to it rose after increased trading in spot, swap and
forward markets. Volumes in December were down 1.3% on November
numbers, however.
Spot euro/dollar volumes surged 30% year-on-year and
sterling/dollar by 10%, CLS added.
FX volumes soared in 2020 on the back of increased
volatility as the COVID-19 pandemic and then news of a vaccine
rollout sparked more trading. A Brexit trade deal in December
also fueled greater trading in the British pound.