Futures commission merchant (FCM)

A firm or person engaged in soliciting or accepting and handling orders for the purchase or sale of futures contracts, subject to the rules of a futures exchange and, who, in connection with such solicitation or acceptance of orders, accepts any money or securities to provide margin for any resulting trades or contracts. The FCM must be licensed by the CFTC. Related: Commission house, omnibus account.

Futures Commission Merchant

A broker or brokerage on a futures exchange. A futures commission merchant receives and executes orders on behalf of clients and extends credit for margin transactions. It is also called a commodity broker.

futures commission merchant (FCM)

A firm that carries out futures transactions for another party. Essentially, futures commission merchants are to futures trading what ordinary brokerage firms are to stock and bond trading. Some futures commission merchants are full-line brokerage firms in which futures trades make up only a small part of their business. Also called commodity brokerage firm, futures commission firm.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms for Today's Investor by David L. Scott. Copyright © 2003 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.

Futures Commission Merchant (FCM).

A futures commission merchant (FCM) is a person or a firm that acts as an agent to execute buy or sell orders for futures contracts or commodity options.

You may open an account directly with an FCM or place your orders through an introducing broker or commodity trading adviser.