I’m trying to understand something that’s been nagging me about trading HFM during major news releases. I know spreads widen during volatile market moves, and that’s normal for any broker, but I want to know if HFM’s spread behavior during these events is predictable enough to plan around or if it’s a real problem.
I’ve read some community posts about different brokers’ execution quality during news events, and it seems like the spreads can shift significantly. What I’m wondering is whether the rebates from GlobeGain actually make a difference in these situations. Like, if I’m getting rebated anyway, does the temporary spread spike still hurt as much, or is the rebate applied after the fact and doesn’t actually protect you during the trade?
Also curious how other traders here compare HFM’s news event behavior to other brokers they use. Is there a clear winner, or does it really depend on which pairs you’re trading and what your strategy is? Looking for honest takes based on actual experience.
Spreads spike everywhere during news. HFM not worse than others.
Rebates apply after. They don’t protect during spike moments.
HFM’s spreads during news are typical for a dealing desk model. They widen 2-4 pips on major pairs during high impact events. The rebate applies to your total volume, not individual trades, so it doesn’t offset the spike in real time. Your best defense is position sizing and avoiding the first 30 seconds after data release. ECN brokers like FxPro handle news better because rebates don’t matter—tighter spreads are built in. For HFM, use the rebate as a monthly cost recovery tool, not protection during volatility.
I’ve stopped trading HFM during major news events. The spreads get ridiculous for a few minutes, and honestly, the rebate doesn’t make up for it.
I wait for things to calm down first. It costs me some opportunities, but it saves me from worse slippage. That’s been my approach and it works better than trying to catch moves right at the release.
Everyone’s spreads widen on news. Not unique to HFM. Just avoid trading then.
Tested HFM during several FOMC releases and some major economic data. The spreads widen fast, especially on EUR/USD and GBP/USD. I noticed HFM closes spread windows faster than some competitors once volatility settles, which is fine for my medium-term trades.
The GlobeGain rebates help with my overall monthly costs, but like someone mentioned earlier, they don’t protect you during the spike itself. I use that as a reason to avoid the first minute or two after big news drops. The rebate is nice compensation for my total volume, but it’s not a hedge against news volatility.