IMC Financial Markets
Electronic trading platform
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
IMC Financial Markets, often referred to as IMC Trading, is a proprietary trading firm and market maker headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands.[3] Founded in 1989 as International Marketmaker's Combination,[4] the company employs over 1,600 people across offices in Chicago, Amsterdam, Sydney, Mumbai, Zug, Seoul, London, New York, and Hong Kong.[2]
 | |
| IMC Trading | |
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Financial services |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Robert Defares (CEO and chairman)[1] |
| Products | High-frequency trading, Market making |
 $686 million[2] (2024) | |
| Total equity | $1.866 billion[2] (2024) |
Number of employees | 1,600[2] (2024) |
| Website | imc |
History
IMC was founded in 1989 by Robert Defares and René Schelvis,[5] two traders working on the floor of the Amsterdam Equity Options Exchange.[6]
In 2008, Wiet Pot joined as co-CEO alongside Defares.[7] Pot left the board in September 2017, leaving Defares as sole CEO.[8]
Trading
IMC operates as a proprietary trading firm and market maker across multiple asset classes, including equities, bonds, commodities, and currencies, on over 90 exchanges worldwide.[2][9] A 2024 FT article highlighted IMC as particularly active in options and ETFs.[10] The firm provides liquidity for more than 200,000 securities and maintains a significant market presence on major U.S. exchanges including NYSE Arca, NASDAQ, CBOE, BATS, and CME Group.[11] IMC's trading strategies include market making, algorithmic arbitrage, and statistical arbitrage.[11]
In 2014, the firm acquired Goldman Sachs' Designated Market Maker (DMM) trading rights on the New York Stock Exchange, becoming the DMM for more than 630 securities and approximately 400 operating companies.[12] IMC is a top-three liquidity provider by volume in listed options globally and serves as a lead market maker for more than 150 exchange-traded funds in the United States.[13]