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MATIF

Technique

Hand grabs lapel of trading jacket.

Origin

N.I.P is short for "Negociateur Independant Parquet" which translates to "Independent Floor Trader."

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Brokerage - N.I.P aka Local

Participants MATIF Brokerage - N.I.P aka Local
1 of 32
Participants MATIF Brokerage - N.I.P aka Local
Hand grabs lapel of trading jacket.
N.I.P is short for "Negociateur Independant Parquet" which translates to "Independent Floor Trader."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Merill Lynch
Hand is held to forehead with index and pinky fingers pointed upward.
Horns of Merrill Lynch's bull logo.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Goldman Sachs
Hands mimic holding saxophone.
Sachs sounds like "sax."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Goldman Sachs version 2
Hands mimics playing guitar.
Jean-Jacques Goldman, France's second-highest-grossing pop singer, played guitar.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Societe General
Hand held to forehead with fingers extended.
Saluting a general.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - JP Morgan
Fingers are held to mouth. Trader mimics biting.
Morgan sounds similar to "mords gant" which translates to "biting glove."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Morgan Stanley
Trader mimics biting index finger.
Morgan sounds similar to "mords gant" which translates to "biting glove."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Deutsche Bank
Index and middle fingers are extended upward and held below nose.
Hitler's mustache.
Participants MATIF - Hand is extended to mimic placing key in lock.
Hand is extended to mimic placing key in lock.
Firm logo contains keys.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - BNP Paribas
Hands are held with fingers extended and brought together at 45-degree angle.
Firm logo contained a roof.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Ste. Vendome
Index and middle fingers extended to form the letter "V."
"V" for Vendome.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Ste. Vendome version 2
Thumb and index finger are extended to form the letter "V."
"V" for Vendome
Participants MATIF Brokerage - ODDO
Hand touches upper back.
ODDO sounds similar to "au dos" which translates as "back."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Ste. Faialt Future Security
Hand mimics buckling seat belt.
Seat belt represents "security."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Indosuez
Index finger is extended and pulls back corner of eye.
Firm founded in French Indochine; stereotype of Asian slanted eyes.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Carr Futures
Hands mimics holding a steering wheel.
Carr sounds similar to "car."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Credit Agricole
Hand mimics lifting cup to mouth.
Farmers are known for drinking a lot.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Societe Meeschaert
Hands mimic dealing cards.
Meeschaert sounds similar to "mes cartes" which translates to "my cards."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Tullet & Tokyo
Thumb and index finger are extended to mimic gun held to side of head.
Tullet sounds similar to "tuer" which translates as "to kill."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Tullet & Tokyo version 2
Index finger is extended and pulls back corner of eye.
Reference to the Tokyo in part of the firm's name.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Cholet
Hand mimics lifting cup to mouth.
Cholet sounds similar to "chaud laid" which translates as "hot milk."
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Barclays BZW
Index and middle fingers pinch nose.
BZW sounds similar enough to P.U. to indicate a foul smell.
Participants MATIF Brokerage - Credit Lyonnais
Fingers are curled to form claw.
Lyon sounds similar to "lion."

Participants

The ability to recognize all market participants was what made open outcry trading transparent and from this, signals were developed for the larger brokerages and for some large local traders. In cases where a more universal signal was never developed, their hand signal in the pit would simply be their three digit firm number.

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