There are strong calls for the introduction of a "Tobin tax" on foreign exchange (FX) transactions. Despite its popularity, research has not yet made full use of available insights from the recent microstructure literature. The role of banks in FX trading is quite different from the assumptions...

This study examines profits and speculation in the USD/EUR trading of a bank in Germany over a four-month period. Dealing activity at the bank generates profits but speculation does not seem to contribute to this. We find that speculative positions fail to become profitable within a 30-minutes'...