In investment terms, a dealing desk (also known as a trading desk) is a financial intermediary which acts as counterparty to trades ordered by investors.
Dealing desks state prices at which they are willing to buy securities and sell securities which they hold. This allows investors to sell or buy securities even when no other investors are buying or selling.
Dealing desks are widely used in forex trading, but the dealing desk model is also employed by brokers of other types of securities (contracts for difference, for example).
See also: No dealing desk model
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