Accepts South African Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 1.50 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. BDSwiss is regulated by CySEC, BaFin, the FSC, and the FSA-Seychelles.
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Summary
Founded in 2012, BDSwiss is a responsible and well-regulated broker with a large international customer base. It offers trading on multiple instruments, including Forex, commodities, shares, indices, and over 26 cryptocurrencies, which is a much wider range than is available at other brokers.
BDSwiss’s entry-level account offers relatively poor trading conditions compared to other market makers/STPs, with average spreads as wide as 1.5 pips (EUR/USD). Trading costs improve on the VIP and Raw accounts, down to 1.1 pips and 0.3 pips (EUR/USD) respectively, but this is in exchange for extremely high minimum deposits and a round turn commission of 5 USD on the Raw Account.
With full support for both the MT4, MT5, and its own proprietary trading platforms, traders can access various trading tools, including Autochartist and built-in trend analysis tools. Additionally, its award-winning educational and analytical materials cater to traders of all experience levels, and BDSwiss allows all trading strategies, including hedging, scalping, and algorithmic trading.
With a long history of responsible behaviour and local and international regulation, we consider BDSwiss a safe broker to trade with.
BDSwiss was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Switzerland. It is well-regulated by many top-tier authorities, including the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the Mauritius Financial Securities Commission (FSC), the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) of Germany, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Seychelles, and is registered with the USA National Futures Association. See below for more details:
BDSwiss has been regulated by CySEC (license 199/13) since 2013
BDSwiss LLC is authorised and registered with the USA National Futures Association NFA (ID: 0486419)
BDS Markets is authorised and regulated as an Investment Dealer by the Mauritius FSC on 06/12/2016 (License No. C116016172)
BDSwiss GmbH (Registration No. HRB 160749B) is the BaFin-registered Tied Agent of BDSwiss Holding Ltd in Germany.
BDS Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) Seychelles under license number SD047.
South African clients will be trading under the BDS Ltd subsidiary, authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) Seychelles. The level of protection offered by the FSA is low compared to regulators of the EU and Australia, and CFD brokers registered with the FSA are not required to segregate client money from company operational capital, nor offer negative balance protection, and have no leverage restrictions.
However, at BDSwiss all client funds are placed in segregated tier one bank accounts and are offered negative balance protection. If a client falls into a negative trading balance, BDSwiss will adjust the total negative amount so that the client does not suffer any loss. Additionally, BDSwiss’ other subsidiaries are regulated by some top-tier authorities, including CySEC and BaFin, and offers its clients account statements that are regularly audited by external audit firms.
In terms of industry recognition, BDSwiss outshines many of its competitors. Recent awards include:
Best FX Education & Research Provider 2021 (World Finance Awards)
Best Mobile Trading Platform Europe 2021 (Global Banking and Finance Awards)
Best Trading Conditions 2019 and Best Trading Conditions 2020 awards (World Finance Awards) and Best FX & CFD Provider 2020 at the International Investor Awards.
Best Trade Execution 2019 (Global Forex Awards)
Best Trading App 2019 (Mobile Star Awards).
Our sister site, FXScouts, also awarded BDSwiss the award for Best Market Research Provider 2020, citing BDSwiss’s “exceptionally detailed and thoughtful market analysis for traders of all experience levels.”
Overall, because of its history of responsible behaviour, storing international regulation, strict auditing processes, and wide industry acclaim, we consider BDSwiss a trustworthy broker.
Trading Fees
BDSwiss’ trading fees are higher than other similar brokers.
BDSwiss’ fee structure is transparent, and it publishes all the spread and commission costs associated with each account.
BDSwiss’ accounts were assessed to compare the costs to those of other brokers. The costs were evaluated based on the trading fees on one lot (100 000 USD) on the EUR/USD, including the spread and commission:
Spread x Trade Size = Total Trading Cost (USD):
As you can see from the table above, spreads are wider than average at BDSwiss. The average cost for trading one lot of EUR/USD among similar brokers is about 9 USD per lot. This is only achievable on the Raw Account, which is prohibitively expensive for beginners, with a minimum deposit requirement of 5,000 USD. Additionally, traders should note that spreads are variable at BDSwiss, meaning that they will get wider or tighter depending on trade volume and market volatility.
BDSwiss charges swap fees for positions that are held overnight. Interest is paid (or received) for each night a position is held. In the case of Forex instruments, the amount charged depends on both the positions taken (i.e. long or short) and the rate differentials between the two currencies traded. BDSwiss’ swap rates are published on its website for each financial instrument. For example, BDSwiss charges swap fees of 10 USD on the EUR/USD on a long position, and traders earn 2 USD on a short position.
On the whole, compared to other similar brokers BDSwiss’ initial and ongoing costs are high. The minimum deposit on the entry-level account is around the industry average, but minimum deposits are much higher on the other two accounts. Additionally, spreads are wider than average on the Classic and VIP accounts but tighten to 0.3 pips on the EUR/USD in exchange for a reasonable commission of 5 USD (round turn) per lot traded.
BDSwiss’ Non-trading Fees
BDSwiss’ non-trading fees are high compared to other similar brokers.
In addition, a monthly inactivity fee of 10% is charged to all accounts with no trading for over 90 days, with the minimum amount charged being 25 EUR or trading account currency equivalent, and the maximum amount charged being 49,90 EUR until the account balance is 0 EUR. These charges cover the maintenance/administration expenses of inactive accounts, but these fees are much higher than those of other brokers.
Overall, BDSwiss’ non-trading fees are much higher when compared to other market maker brokers.
Opening an Account at BDSwiss
The account opening process at BDSwiss is fully digital, fast, and hassle-free compared to other brokers.
All South African traders are eligible to open an account at BDSwiss, as long as they meet the minimum deposit requirements of each account.
Creating an account is straightforward, the process is fully digital, and accounts are usually ready within one day. BDSwiss notes the online application process takes less than 49 seconds to complete. BDSwiss offers joint and individual accounts, but we will focus on opening an individual account:
How to open an account at BDSwiss:
New traders will have to click on the “Sign Up” button at the top of the page where they will be directed to register an account.
BDSwiss’ intake form requires clients to fill in their personal details (including name, country of residence, email address, birth date, and level of education).
BDSwiss needs at least two documents to accept you as an individual client:
Proof of Identification – BDSwiss accepts all government-issued identification documents such as Passport, national ID card, driving license, or other government-issued ID. The document must be valid and must contain a trader’s full name, date of birth, a clear photograph, issue date, and if it has to have an expiry date, that should be visible as well. A passport is the preferred proof of identity, as it is the document that will be the quickest for the BDSwiss Back Office team to process. If the document has two sides, then scans of the front and back sides must be uploaded.
Proof of Address – Proof of residence/address document must be issued in the name of the BDSwiss account holder within the last 3 months and must contain a trader’s full name, current residential address, issue date, and issuing authority. BDSwiss accepts any bills that are issued by a financial institution, a utility company, a government agency, or a judicial authority.
Once this step is complete, traders are asked to complete two questionnaires that will help BDSwiss assess the state of their finances and trading knowledge. While most brokers don’t include this step in the account-opening process, it is a responsible move in an industry that is often accused of an irresponsible approach to consumer protection.
After the application is approved, traders can login and fund their accounts
We advise you to read BDSwiss’ risk disclosure, customer agreement, and terms of business before you start trading.
Overall, BDSwiss account-opening process is quick, efficient, and accounts are generally ready for trading within one business day.
BDSwiss’ Account Types
BDSwiss offers three account types, which is average when compared to other STP/market maker brokers, and the account types are suitable for beginners and more experienced traders.
Although it is an STP/market maker, BDSwiss offers its clients direct liquidity, routing all client orders directly to top global banks and exchanges so that they benefit from direct market prices and the best possible trading conditions.
With three live accounts, trading is offered on multiple assets, including forex, commodities, shares, indices, and cryptocurrencies (click here for more on BDSwiss’ financial assets). BDSwiss offers maximum leverage of up to 500:1 and allows all trading strategies, including hedging, scalping, and copy trading. All account-holders can access basic education material and can make use of trading tools such as Autochartist and various trend analysis tools. Islamic Accounts are available on the Classic and VIP accounts, but not on the Raw Account.
Notably, BDSwiss publishes all its execution data, showing that 96.9% of trades are executed in less than 0.2 seconds (with an average speed of 0.01 seconds) with no requotes of rejections. These speeds are remarkable for the industry.
BDSwiss’ entry-level account is suited to beginner traders, with a reasonable minimum deposit requirement of 100 USD, but wider than average spreads, starting at 1.5 pips on the EUR/USD. While the minimum deposit requirement is reasonable, most brokers will offer an average spread of 1 pip (EUR/USD) or lower on their entry-level accounts.
In addition, BDSwiss’ other accounts request very high minimum deposits and don’t deliver the lower ongoing trading costs that more experienced traders would be looking for – the VIP account has a high minimum deposit requirement of 3,000 USD and spreads starting at 1.1 pips on the EUR/USD. Experienced traders will likely find these trading costs prohibitively high. The costs on BDSwiss’ Raw Account are slightly below average – with spreads that average at 0.3 pips on the EUR/USD in exchange for a reasonable commission of 5 USD (round turn), but again, the minimum deposit requirement of 5,000 USD will put it out of the reach of most traders.
The demo account is a USD 10,000 live market playground to practice trading and analysis. The demo account never expires, allowing traders to make a full evaluation of BDSwiss and its trading platforms.
Classic Account
The minimum deposit on the commission-free Classic Account is 100 USD, with variable spreads starting at 1.50 pips on the EUR/USD (which is wider than the industry average). Traders have access to Autochartist, the trading academy, live webinars, but limited access to built-in trends analysis tools.
VIP Account
The minimum deposit on the VIP Account is 3,000 USD, and spreads are average at best, starting at 1.1 pips on the EUR/USD. In addition to the tighter spreads, the VIP Account comes with access to several trading and educational tools, including AutoChartist, a personal account manager, and VIP access to built-in trend analysis tools.
Raw Account
The Raw Account is a professional account offering raw spreads in exchange for a higher minimum deposit of 5000 USD. Spreads are down to 0 pips on major pairs at times, though they average at 0.3 pips on the EUR/USD. A reasonable commission of 5 USD/lot round turn is charged on Forex pairs. Because of the nature of this account, an Islamic (swap-free) option is not available.
Deposit & Withdrawal fees
BDSwiss charges no deposit fees but charges high withdrawal fees for certain payment methods. It also offers a wide range of funding methods.
In line with Anti-Money Laundering policies, deposits and withdrawals at BDSwiss cannot be made to/from third-party accounts. BDSwiss does not charge for making deposits to a live trading account, and it charges fees for withdrawals under certain conditions. See below for a list of BDSwiss payment methods:
Bank Wire Transfer: Deposits are free, but BDSwiss charges a fixed fee of 10 EUR (or equivalent) for bank wire withdrawals below 100 EUR (or equivalent). Deposits and withdrawals are processed within one day, but may take four to seven days to reach the account.
Credit Cards/Debit Cards: Payments are via Visa and Mastercard. Deposits are instant and free – BDSwiss covers all receiving costs. Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours and are free.
eWallets (Skrill, Neteller, Astropay): Deposits are instant and free. Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours and are free too.
Bitcoin: Deposits are instant and free. Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours and are free.
For international bank transfers, the minimum withdrawal amount is 50 EUR (or equivalent) after the deduction of fees. For amounts that remain below the required 50 EUR, an alternative withdrawal method must be used. For all other withdrawals amounting to 20 EUR or less, BDSwiss reserves the right to charge a fixed withdrawal fee of 10 EUR (or equivalent).
Overall, BDSwiss provides a range of payment methods, and although deposits are free, BDSwiss charges high withdrawal fees for low withdrawal amounts, which is not common in the industry.
BDSwiss Base Currencies (Trading Account Currencies)
BDSwiss offers only USD, GBP, and EUR accounts, fewer than most other brokers. South African traders will also be disappointed that there is no ZAR trading account option.
At BDSwiss, traders can only choose from three base currencies: USD, GBP, and EUR. This is limited compared to most other international brokers, and is disappointing for South Africans who will likely have bank accounts denominated in ZAR and will have to pay conversion fees on all deposits and withdrawals. Conversion fees can make trading expensive, and are usually not presented on the fee report, but affect profitability.
However, it should be noted that for traders that trade in large volumes (more than 10 lots a month), it is better to open an account denominated in USD at a digital currency bank, especially for trading on assets such as the EUR/USD. This is because when trading a USD quoted currency pair with a ZAR account, there will be a small conversion fee for every trade made.
Overall, BDSwiss offers fewer trading account currencies than most other large international brokers, and doesn’t offer accounts denominated in ZAR.
BDSwiss’ Trading Platforms
With MT4, MT5, and BDSwiss’ own proprietary platforms available, BDSwiss offers support for more trading platforms than most brokers.
BDSwiss trading platform arsenal includes both MT4 and MT5 and its own BDSwiss Webtrader platform, which provides beginner traders an excellent trading experience.
The advantage of brokers offering third-party platforms such as MT4 and MT5 is that traders can take their own customised versions with them should they decide to migrate to another broker. Additionally, there are thousands of plugins and tools available for the MetaTrader platforms. However, these platforms are not as beginner-friendly as the proprietary platform offered by BDSwiss. See below for more details.
Metatrader 4
Having established itself as the industry-leading platform, Metatrader 4 (MT4) is the most reliable and popular platform in existence. Its intuitive interface and user-friendly environment provide essential tools and resources for successful online trading. It is also widely recognised for its fast execution speeds, range of charting tools, algorithmic trading, and customisability. MT4 is available in over 31 languages. Features of the MT4 include:
A built-in library of more than 50 indicators and tools to streamline the analysis process
An impressive array of analytical tools, available in nine timeframes for each financial instrument.
Algorithmic trading, which allows any trading strategy to be formalised and implemented as an Expert Advisor.
Customisable alerts
Access to MetaTrader market and MQL4 community.
Metatrader 5
The MT5 trading platform is being adopted by more Forex brokers all the time. It has a more modern interface, allows for an unlimited number of charts to be used, shows Depth of Market, and has a built-in Economic Calendar. It also has a larger number of pending order types than MT4 and features an embedded chat system. The MQL5 scripting language is more efficient than its precursor, and MT5 has more advanced charting tools than MT4. Additional features of BDSwiss’ MT5 include:
Over 80 Technical Indicators and over 40 Analytical Objects
Ability to display 100 charts simultaneously
Depth of market display and technical indicators
6 pending stop order types, including Buy Stop Limit and Sell Stop Limit
Improved strategy tester for algorithmic trading and expert advisors (EAs)
MT4 and MT5 are available on PC and MAC, in addition to Android and iOS.
BDSwiss WebTrader
The BDSwiss WebTrader does not require downloading, is available on both MAC and PC, and is fully synchronised with the downloadable versions of MT4, allowing for live price monitoring via an advanced market watch. Translated in more than 24 languages, the BDSwiss WebTrader is designed to accommodate traders’ needs from around the globe.
The BDSwiss WebTrader is a user-friendly platform that delivers an array of tools, including unique indicators, and an intuitive order window that automatically calculates position size, leverage, and required margin. However, the platform lacks many of the features available on MT4 and MT5 such as automated trading and does not cater for third-party tools.
Overall, BDSwiss offers a wider range of platforms than is available at other brokers. With support for third-party platforms such as MT4 and MT5, in addition to its own proprietary platform, this choice will keep most traders satisfied.
BDSwiss Webtrader
BDSwiss Mobile Trading Apps
BDSwiss’ mobile trading platforms are good when compared to other brokers. BDSwiss offers mobile versions of MT4 and MT5 in addition to its proprietary mobile trading app.
BDSwiss’ MT4/MT5 Mobile Trading App
BDSwiss offers support for MT4 and MT5 mobile trading apps for Android and iOS. Traders should be aware that there is some loss in functionality when compared to the desktop trading platforms, including reduced time frames and fewer charting options, but traders can close and modify existing orders, calculate profit and loss, and trade on the charts.
BDSwiss’ Proprietary Mobile App
The award-winning mobile application from BDSwiss is more user friendly than the standard MT4 mobile application. Featuring an intuitive and user-friendly trading interface, it is designed to be compatible and sync with the desktop MT4 application.
The mobile app offers basic trading, research, and account management functionality. Traders can open/close/edit positions, add stops to open positions and delete working orders. Research and analysis are available on real-time charts, and automated alerts are used to identify trading opportunities.
Overall, BDSwiss’ mobile trading experience exceeds that offered by other brokers.
Trading Tools
BDSwiss offers an average range of trading tools compared to other similar brokers.
BDSwiss’ trading tools include Autochartist and BDSwiss’ in-house Trend Analysis tool that integrates with the web trader platform. These tools are offered free of charge to all BDSwiss registered clients.
Autochartist
Autochartist is an automated analysis tool offered for free to all BDSwiss registered users. Autochartist monitors 250+ CFDs 24 hours a day and automatically alerts traders on key trading opportunities and forming trends with the highest probability of hitting the forecast price. Some of Autochartist’s key features are:
Chart pattern recognition
Fibonacci pattern recognition
Key level analysis
Pattern quality indication
Autochartist is one of the best technical analysis tools on the market, and BDSwiss does well to offer this tool to its clients.
Trend Analysis
The Trend Analysis tools are exclusively available on BDSwiss’ web trader platform.
Developed in partnership with AutoChartist exclusively for BDSwiss traders, Trend Analysis is a unique tool that enables traders to spot some of the biggest trading opportunities directly on BDSwiss’ WebTrader. Traders can view emerging and recently completed trends for hundreds of assets, in addition to pattern overlays and projected price trends applied live on a chart.
Overall, BDSwiss trading tools are slightly limited compared to what is offered by other large international brokers, but the tools it does offer are some of the best in the industry.
The mobile app offers full trading, research, and account management functionality. Traders can open/close/edit positions, add stops to open positions and delete working orders. Research and analysis are available on real-time charts, and automated alerts are used to identify trading opportunities.
BDSwiss’ Financial Instruments
The choice of financial assets offered by BDSwiss is slightly limited compared to other large international brokers, and more advanced traders looking for particular instruments may be disappointed. However, BDSwiss’ cryptocurrency offering far exceeds that of other brokers.
BDSwiss’ range of financial instruments for CFD trading (click here for more details on CFD trading), include Forex, share, metals, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and indices.
Forex: BdSwiss has over 50 currency pairs available for trading which is around the industry average. These include majors (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY), minors (NZD/CAD, EUR/JPY, and USD/ZAR), and exotics. The leverage on Forex pairs is up to 500:1.
Share CFDs: BDSwiss offers 141 share CFDs, which is slightly limited compared to other large international brokers. The selection available includes some of the major US, UK, and European Exchanges. Leverage on share CFDs is up to 5:1.
Indices: Limited compared to other brokerages, there are only 10 indices available for trading at BDSwiss. The most popular indices are those that combine the shares of some of the largest and globally acknowledged companies. Leverage is up to 1:100 on indices.
Commodities: BDSwiss only offers trading on 6 commodities, which is limited compared to other brokers. Commodities include metals such as gold and silver and energies such as oil. The leverage is up to 1:200 on commodities.
Cryptocurrencies: BDSwiss offers trading on over 26 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Ripple, which is an impressive offering compared to what is available at other brokers. Leverage is up to 5:1.
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Fx Pairs
CFD Investments
50+
Commodities
Cryptocurrencies
Forex
Indicies
Equities
ETFs
Overall, BDSwiss offers a limited range of tradable instruments, but it offers a wider range of crypto pairs than is usually available at other brokers.
BDSwiss for Beginners
BDSwiss offers excellent educational material for beginner and intermediate-experience traders, including structured training courses, daily webinars, and frequent live seminars.
Market analysis is also excellent and detailed, with market news and insightful daily analysis offered by the BDSwiss team.
Educational Material
Education is where BDSwiss has clearly invested time and effort, and they have created an outstanding selection of materials for beginners.
BDSwiss offers a comprehensive Trading Academy for those looking for structured courses. The Trading Academy is split into beginner, intermediate and advanced sections, though in truth, the advanced section is more suited to those with intermediate knowledge. Perhaps the better and more advanced educational material from BDSwiss comes in the form of weekly strategy webinars and frequent live seminars held at BDSwiss’ local offices around the world.
The Educational videos consist of five to six lessons with a quiz to summarize the content. It provides a great introduction to trading. Topics include CFD Trading, The Basics of Forex Trading, and Order Types, among others.
BDSwiss also provides a Forex Glossary in addition to a number of ebooks that are well-written and in-depth.
Webinars are free to non-clients and only require signup to participate. BDSwiss also offers Trading Talks is a 10-course recurring educational webinar that is held every two weeks. Once completed, webinars are added to the video library and combined with other educational videos about aspects of trading and market analysis.
Overall, the education provided by BDSwiss far surpasses that of most other international brokers.
BDSwiss provides an award-winning market research section that is curated by some of the best analysts in the world.
Research and analysis materials at BDSwiss are detailed and well-structured. Financial commentary is split into numerous sections: Market Preview, Market Insights, Technical Analysis, Daily Videos, Weekly Outlook, an Economic Calendar, and Special Reports. Webinars are also conducted on an almost daily basis in a range of languages.
BDSwiss’ market analysis is curated by a team of renowned markets analysts and professional traders that provide 24/5 market news coverage and actionable financial commentary. Recognised by the global industry community, its Research Team is frequently featured in world-leading publications and is viewed as a reliable, one-stop information hub of insightful market analyses.
BDSwiss’ Telegram channel, which consists of a Free basic version accessible by anyone, and the VIP version which is exclusive to premium account holders (VIP and Raw Account), provides real-time Trading Alerts, volatility alerts, and upcoming live-trading webinars.
All analytical material, including webinars and forecasting reports, is available free of charge, and most of the video content is uploaded to YouTube. The analysis quality is world-class and will be of value to both technical and fundamental traders.
Lastly, the Daily Videos give traders insight into how to approach researching marketing opportunities and trader psychology. We particularly recommend the Daily Market Preview, conducted by BDSwiss’ Head of Investment Research, Marshall Gittler.
Overall, BDSwiss provides some of the best market analysis materials available in the industry.
Customer Support
Award-winning customer support is available 24/5 via live chat, email, messenger services, and telephone – though telephone support requires calling a European number, and you will be charged accordingly.
Overall, we found the customer service responsive, polite, and able to answer all of our questions.
Evaluation Method
We value transparency and openness in the way we review the partners. To bring transparency to the forefront, we have published our review process that includes a detailed breakdown of the BDSwiss offering. Central to that process is the evaluation of the reliability of the broker, the platform offering of the broker and the trading conditions offered to clients, which are summarised in this review. Each one of these is graded, and an overall score is calculated and assigned to the broker.
BDSwiss Disclaimer
Trading Forex is risky, and each broker is required to detail how risky the trading of Forex CFDs is to clients. BDSwiss would like you to know that: Trading in Forex/ CFDs and Other Derivatives is highly speculative and carries a high level of risk. 72.5% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Overview
A well-regulated market maker/STP broker, Bswiss offers trading on multiple instruments, including Forex, commodities, indices, shares, and 26 crypto pairs, which is a wider range than most other brokers. Trading costs are higher than average on two of its three accounts, but improve significantly on the Raw Account, in exchange for a high minimum deposit requirement. BDSwiss also offers support for a wide range of trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, its own proprietary platform, and an award-winning mobile application, alongside a world-class repository of educational and market analysis materials and excellent customer service.
Accepts South African Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 1.50 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. BDSwiss is regulated by CySEC, BaFin, the FSC, and the FSA-Seychelles.
Accepts South African Clients. Average spread EUR/USD 1.50 pips on trading account with lowest minimum deposit. Max leverage 500:1. Islamic account available. MT4 & MT5 platforms supported. BDSwiss is regulated by CySEC, BaFin, the FSC, and the FSA-Seychelles.
BDSwiss
AvaTrade
FP Markets
