Advantage Futures is a futures trading firm that serves individual, professional, and institutional traders. Its main service is settling financial transactions between parties, protecting investors against trading risks such as holdups, technological glitches, and dishonesty. The company deals with such risks on the traders’ behalf, helping them avoid delays and unnecessary costs.
It has one of the highest clearing volumes in the world, having cleared more than two billion contracts since it was founded under Joseph Guinan, who remains its chairman and CEO today. It is also one of the fastest-growing companies of its kind: from a boutique firm with only 28 employees in 2003, it now employs close to 100 and has opened two offices in Chicago. Its client funds have also grown from $374 million in August 2009 to $524 million in April 2011, a 40% increase.
The company’s main services include execution, clearing, risk management, server hosting, and technological support. A direct-to-floor sales team specializes in value-adding strategies and high-volume trade, with brokers boasting over 20 years of experience and working at premier floor locations. Its 24-hour global execution desk allows clients to access market information and get in touch with brokers any time from any time zone.
Advantage Futures is best known for its clearing service, which boasts one of the most competitive rates and highest efficiencies in the market. The large volume of contracts allows the company to drive down costs per client and invest in personnel and infrastructure to provide faster service. It currently serves four of the largest investment banks and six of the largest commercial banks in the U.S., as well as several leading money managers in pension funds worldwide.
The company also takes pride in its data integrity. A state-of-the-art disaster recovery center protects client data and provides numerous safeguards against losses. All trade information is backed up in real time, and tight control processes ensure unparalleled security. This is made possible by the firm’s large investments in networking and security technology; indeed, they have expanded their services to server hosting and optional disaster recovery packages.
Although fairly young, Advantage Futures has made its mark as one of the best futures trading firms in the industry. Its tech-savvy approach has certainly helped it keep up with the times and weather the recession in its early years. In any case, it looks set to take over the futures market and become an industry leader in no time.