“Brokers move the market.” It’s a common suspicion among retail traders, especially after experiencing stop-outs or sharp intraday moves. But the truth is, most brokers do not and cannot move the global market. While certain practices may affect order execution or spreads, especially with low-quality brokers, the idea that brokers control market price is largely a myth — especially in well-regulated environments. Let’s break down what brokers actually do, and why they’re not the force behind price movement — but your choice of broker still matters.

What brokers actually do

There are two main types of brokers:

• Dealing desk (market maker) brokers: They internalise client orders and may take the opposite side
• No dealing desk (STP/ECN) brokers: They pass client orders directly to the liquidity pool or interbank market

In both models, brokers do not set global prices — they either reflect interbank pricing or mirror institutional quotes with small variances.

Global market prices are driven by bigger forces

Price movement in forex, indices, and commodities is driven by:

• Institutional order flow (banks, funds, corporates)
• Macroeconomic data and central bank policy
• Geopolitical developments
• Algorithmic trading and high-frequency activity
• Supply and demand imbalances across liquidity venues

Your broker is not creating this movement — they’re just your access point to it.

Why some traders think brokers move the market

This belief is often triggered by:

• Being stopped out just before a reversal
• Seeing slippage during news events
• Experiencing spread widening during low-liquidity periods
• Comparing price feeds between brokers

But these are not manipulations — they are natural outcomes of market volatility, liquidity gaps, or broker execution model differences.

Shady brokers can cause localised issues

Poor or unregulated brokers may:

• Widen spreads abnormally
• Delay order execution
• Slip orders systematically
• Run a B-book model where they benefit from client losses (with conflict of interest)

In these cases, the problem isn’t market movement — it’s your broker’s integrity.

Professional traders choose brokers wisely

Serious traders:

• Use well-regulated brokers (e.g. FCA, ASIC, CySEC)
• Compare spreads, execution speed, and platform stability
• Know how to handle volatility with stop placement and risk limits
• Focus on trading the market — not blaming the access point

A good broker is invisible when trading is done right.

Conclusion: Do brokers move the market?

No — brokers do not move the global market. They may impact execution quality, but they don’t drive price direction. The market moves on institutional flow and macro events — not your stop loss. Choose the right broker, focus on your edge, and trade with accountability.

Learn how to build a disciplined, execution-focused trading approach in our practical Trading Courses, designed to help you succeed — regardless of who your broker is.