SIMEX
Technique
Hand is held above head with index finger extended downward, then rotated in circles.
Origin
Most traders in the pit are locals.
Local Traders
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Hand is held above head with index finger extended downward, then rotated in circles.
Most traders in the pit are locals.
Thumb and index finger are held to form the letter "L."
Letter "L" in locals.
Hand is held with palm upward with fingers wiggling.
Barings sounds like "bearings."
Hands are held out and curled to mimic revving a motorcycle.
Revving a motorcycle.
Index and middle fingers are opened and closed while moving across body.
Cutting shears.
Thumb and index finger are extended to mimic gun.
JP Morgan reportedly used the sales of defective rifles to launch his banking empire.
With palm faced outward, thumb, index and pinky fingers are extended.
First letter of company name.
Hand is extended to mimic placing key in lock.
Company logo is a key.
Index finger is extended and moved to outline a large letter "O."
First letter of company name.
Thumb and index finger stroke chin.
Rip Van Winkle's beard after he "roused."
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.
The hand is cupped with the thumb pointed toward the palm.
First letter of company name.
Index finger is held to ear while hand is wriggled at wrist.
"Digging for gold" is slang for removing wax from ear.
Thumb is extended across palm to touch ring finger.
Wedding ring.
Middle, ring and pinky fingers are bent at knuckles.
Firm's clearing number was 350; signal corresponds to "three half."
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.
Index and middle fingers are pointed downward while hand moves horizontally across body.
Fingers chasing.
Fist is moved downward.
Tullet sounds like toliet and signal is to mimic pulling a toliet chain.
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.
Hand mimics lifting cup to mouth.
Supposedly because company name sounds similar to the Japanese word "nomu" to drink.
One hand scratches opposite forearm.
Yamaichi sounds like "itchy."
Index finger is pressed to nose.
Unknown.
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.
Index and pinky fingers are extended from fist.
Horns of Merrill Lynch bull logo.
Fist bangs chest.
"Bang" sounds similar to "Bank."
Both hands are cupped against chest.
Firm was abbreviated BT, which traders called "big tits."
Hand holds throat between thumb and index finger.
Abbreviation BOA sounds like "bow tie."
Arm is held diagonally across chest with fingers extended.
Trader nicknamed the General; hand represents military sash.
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.