‘Flash Boys’ Improve $7.5 Trillion Currency Trading, Watchdog Says

High-frequency traders are often singled out as the culprits behind a lack of prices when markets get jumpy.

But the activities of these controversial companies have gained a stamp of approval from the UK’s regulator, at least in currency markets. According to a new study published by the Financial Conduct Authority in January, computer-driven trading firms are better at handling a pick-up in volatility than banks and contribute the “dominant” share of new information into exchange rates.