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SIMEX

Technique

Hand is held above head with index finger extended downward, then rotated in circles.

Origin

Most traders in the pit are locals.

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Local Traders

Participants SIMEX Local Traders
1 of 32
Participants SIMEX Local Traders
Hand is held above head with index finger extended downward, then rotated in circles.
Most traders in the pit are locals.
Participants SIMEX Locals version 2
Thumb and index finger are held to form the letter "L."
Letter "L" in locals.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Barings Bank
Hand is held with palm upward with fingers wiggling.
Barings sounds like "bearings."
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - REFCO
Hands are held out and curled to mimic revving a motorcycle.
Revving a motorcycle.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Shearson Lehman
Index and middle fingers are opened and closed while moving across body.
Cutting shears.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - JP Morgan
Thumb and index finger are extended to mimic gun.
JP Morgan reportedly used the sales of defective rifles to launch his banking empire.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - FIMAT
With palm faced outward, thumb, index and pinky fingers are extended.
First letter of company name.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Fulton
Hand is extended to mimic placing key in lock.
Company logo is a key.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - ONG First Chicago
Index finger is extended and moved to outline a large letter "O."
First letter of company name.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Credit Lyonnais Rouse
Thumb and index finger stroke chin.
Rip Van Winkle's beard after he "roused."
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Wardley James Capel
Thumb, index and middle fingers are extended.
Firm's clearing number was 007, so it's the James Bond pose as the fingers are supposed to mimic a gun.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Phillip GNI
The hand is cupped with the thumb pointed toward the palm.
First letter of company name.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Goldman Sachs
Index finger is held to ear while hand is wriggled at wrist.
"Digging for gold" is slang for removing wax from ear.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Goldman Sachs version 2
Thumb is extended across palm to touch ring finger.
Wedding ring.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Goldman Sachs version 3
Middle, ring and pinky fingers are bent at knuckles.
Firm's clearing number was 350; signal corresponds to "three half."
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Cargill
Fingers are cupped to form the letter "C."
C is first letter of the company's name. Also this was formerly used for Citigroup before they left and previously to that Credit Suisse.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Chase
Index and middle fingers are pointed downward while hand moves horizontally across body.
Fingers chasing.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Tullet & Tokyo
Fist is moved downward.
Tullet sounds like toliet and signal is to mimic pulling a toliet chain.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Daiwa
Index finger is extended upward and moves up and down.
In Singapore, this signal is used to indicate died or dying and that sounds similar to company name.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Normura
Hand mimics lifting cup to mouth.
Supposedly because company name sounds similar to the Japanese word "nomu" to drink.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Yamaichi
One hand scratches opposite forearm.
Yamaichi sounds like "itchy."
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Nikko
Index finger is pressed to nose.
Unknown.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Citibank
Fingers are cupped to form the letter "C."
C is first letter of company's name. Also this was next used for Cargill and previously to that Credit Suisse.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Merrill Lynch
Index and pinky fingers are extended from fist.
Horns of Merrill Lynch bull logo.
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Bankers Trust
Fist bangs chest.
"Bang" sounds similar to "Bank."
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Bankers Trust (Sydney)
Both hands are cupped against chest.
Firm was abbreviated BT, which traders called "big tits."
Participants SIMEX Brokerage - Bank of America
Hand holds throat between thumb and index finger.
Abbreviation BOA sounds like "bow tie."
Participants SIMEX Trader - GEN
Arm is held diagonally across chest with fingers extended.
Trader nicknamed the General; hand represents military sash.
Participants SIMEX Trader - TTH
Index finger is extended to side of head and moving in circle.
Hokkien word for "crazy/ mad."

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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