What GF Futures does

GF Futures Co., Ltd. (广发期货有限公司) is a Chinese futures brokerage established in 2011 and headquartered in Guangzhou. It operates as the dedicated derivatives and commodities brokerage arm of GF Securities (广发证券, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange) within the broader Guangfa financial group, which spans securities, fund management (GF Fund, EFunds), private equity (GF Xinde Investment), and Hong Kong holdings (GF Holdings Hong Kong). GF Futures holds full Chinese futures business licenses under the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and the China Futures Association, and is connected to all major Chinese derivatives exchanges — Shanghai, Dalian, Zhengzhou, China Financial Futures Exchange, Shanghai International Energy Exchange, and the newer Guangzhou Futures Exchange.

The company's core technology stack comprises a PC trading platform and a mobile app (iOS/Android) offering five-level real-time market quotes with 0.3-second auto-refresh, 24-hour account opening, and integrated news and analytics; this same stack is mirrored in a WeChat mini program (广发期货微服务) and official WeChat public account, giving clients super-app native access. Distribution is also supported by a national branch network (营业部) and a phone-based customer service channel (9510-5826).

GF Futures generates revenue primarily from futures brokerage commissions on client trades executed across Chinese exchanges, with secondary revenue from risk management professional services — including warehouse receipt services, basis trading, OTC derivatives, and market making — provided through its wholly-owned subsidiary GF Commerce Trade (广发商贸). The Hong Kong (GF Futures Hong Kong) and UK (GF Financial Trading UK) subsidiaries extend the franchise internationally. Customer segments are split between individual retail investors and institutional clients, marketed under a horizontal segmentation model emphasizing full licenses, top-tier brand reputation, and seven consecutive years of customer recognition.

Name

GF Futures

Legal name

广发期货有限公司

Website

https://gfqh.com.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GF Futures is a Chinese futures brokerage established in 2011 and headquartered in Guangzhou, serving retail and institutional investors with cross-exchange futures trading, real-time market data, and risk management services as part of the GF Securities group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Futures Brokerage

NAICS

Commodity Contracts Intermediation (52316), Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231)

SIC

Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Derivatives & Futures Brokerage (FSAEACAL)

Keywords

• Futures brokerage
• Derivatives trading
• Commodity trading
• Risk management services
• Mobile trading platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Guangzhou

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Futures brokerage commissions: GF Futures earns revenue through commissions on futures trading executed for clients across various exchanges and derivatives products. The company holds full business licenses covering global markets and multiple investment products.
2. Risk management services: Provides risk management services to financial institutions and real enterprises through subsidiaries like 广发商贸, offering warehouse receipt services, basis trading, OTC derivatives, and market making.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

GF Futures is a Chinese futures brokerage that provides trading services for futures and derivatives across domestic and international exchanges. It operates a proprietary mobile app and PC trading platform offering real-time five-level market quotes with 0.3-second refresh rates, 24/7 account opening, and professional investment advisory services. Through its subsidiary GF Commerce, it additionally provides risk management services including warehouse receipt services, basis trading, OTC derivatives, and market making to financial institutions and real enterprises.

Product overview

GF Futures operates a unified futures brokerage platform with multiple service channels including PC trading software and mobile APP. The company offers real-time five-level market quotes (0.3-second auto-refresh), 24/7 financial news, and rapid account opening through its digital platforms. The core trading infrastructure is supported by pilot business services including warehouse receipt services, basis trading, OTC derivatives, and market making. The company maintains a multi-subsidiary structure with international operations in Hong Kong (GF Futures Hong Kong) and UK (GF Financial Trading UK), plus a commerce division (GF Commerce) for commodity trading services. All services are backed by full business licenses and seven consecutive years of positive customer recognition, with professional investment advisory support for investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GF Futures Mobile App (广发期货APP) Mobile trading application for iOS and Android enabling 7x24-hour account opening, real-time market quotes with five-level bid/ask depth, financial news access, and trade execution for retail and institutional futures clients.
• PC Trading Software Desktop trading platform providing five-level market quotes, 0.3-second auto-refresh market data, and professional trading tools for futures markets, downloadable from the company website.
• Warehouse Receipt Services (仓单服务) Pilot business service for warehouse receipt management and settlement in commodity futures trading, offered through subsidiary GF Commerce to financial institutions and real enterprises.
• Basis Trading (基差贸易) OTC derivatives and basis trading services enabling risk management between spot and futures prices, offered through subsidiary GF Commerce.
• OTC Derivatives Business (场外衍生品业务) Over-the-counter derivatives services for institutional and enterprise clients seeking customized risk management solutions, offered through subsidiary GF Commerce.
• Market Making Services (做市业务) Market maker services providing liquidity and price discovery for exchange-traded futures contracts, offered through subsidiary GF Commerce.
• GF Futures Hong Kong (广发期货（香港）) Hong Kong-based subsidiary expanding GF Futures' international presence and providing cross-border futures and derivatives trading services to clients.
• GF Financial Trading UK (广发金融交易（英国）) UK-based subsidiary providing financial derivatives trading services in European markets.
• GF Commerce (广发商贸) Subsidiary providing commodity trading, warehouse receipt services, basis trading, OTC derivatives, and physical delivery settlement for financial institutions and real enterprises.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 广发证券 (Guangfa Securities)coreOthersParent company in the Guangfa financial group. GF Futures operates as part of the Guangfa ecosystem alongside securities, fund management, and other financial services.
• 广发基金 (Guangfa Fund)minorOthersAffiliate company within the Guangfa financial group providing fund management services.
• 广发控股（香港）(Guangfa Holdings Hong Kong)coreOthersHolding company for Guangfa group's Hong Kong operations. GF Futures Hong Kong subsidiary operates under this entity.
• 广发信德投资 (Guangfa Xinde Investment)minorOthersPrivate equity and venture capital arm of Guangfa group.
• 广发期货（香港）(GF Futures Hong Kong)coreOthersWholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong providing international futures and derivatives trading services.
• 广发金融交易（英国）(GF Financial Trading UK)coreOthersSubsidiary in the UK providing financial trading services internationally.
• 广发商贸 (GF Commerce Trade)coreOthersSubsidiary providing warehouse receipt services, basis trading, OTC derivatives, and market making services to financial institutions and real enterprises.
• China Securities Regulatory Commission (中国证监会)coreOthersPrimary regulatory authority overseeing GF Futures operations in China.
• China Futures Association (中国期货业协会)coreOthersIndustry self-regulatory organization for futures industry in China.
• Shanghai Futures Exchange (上海期货交易所)coreOthersMajor exchange for futures trading where GF Futures executes client orders.
• Dalian Commodity Exchange (大连商品交易所)coreOthersKey commodity futures exchange in China for agricultural and industrial futures products.
• Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (郑州商品交易所)coreOthersMajor futures exchange in China for agricultural and chemical futures.
• China Financial Futures Exchange (中国金融期货交易所)coreOthersExchange for financial futures including stock index futures.
• Guangzhou Futures Exchange (广州期货交易所)coreOthersNewly established futures exchange in Guangzhou for commodity and financial derivatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• IG Group: Online derivatives and CFD broker with global retail focus. Comparable as a digital-first leveraged products platform, useful as a benchmark for the retail online futures experience GF Futures is building.

Direct peers

• CITIC Futures: CITIC Group's licensed futures brokerage in China, offering brokerage, risk management, and OTC derivatives across all major Chinese exchanges. Direct competitor in the top tier of the Chinese futures industry with comparable full-license scope.
• Haitong Futures: Futures subsidiary of Haitong Securities, a major Chinese broker. Competes head-to-head with GF Futures in brokerage market share, technology platforms, and risk management subsidiary businesses.
• China Galaxy Futures: Futures arm of China Galaxy Securities, offering full-service futures brokerage. A direct top-tier competitor in the Chinese retail and institutional futures market.
• Huatai Futures: Futures arm of Huatai Securities, providing brokerage and risk management services across Chinese exchanges. A direct top-tier peer with comparable product breadth and institutional client focus.
• Shenwan Hongyuan Futures: Futures arm of Shenwan Hongyuan Securities, providing licensed futures brokerage and risk management. Directly comparable in scale, license scope, and parent-group affiliation model.
• Guotai Junan Futures: Futures arm of Guotai Junan Securities, one of China's largest brokers. Offers a similar full-service futures brokerage and risk management platform, making it a direct competitor for retail and institutional clients.
• Nanhua Futures: Independent Chinese futures broker with strong commodity derivatives franchise and risk management subsidiary. Listed and one of the most transparent Chinese futures brokers, providing a clean comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Interactive Brokers: Global electronic broker offering multi-asset trading including futures and derivatives. Comparable as a technology-led, multi-jurisdiction derivatives broker, although much larger and globally diversified.
• GF Securities: Parent of GF Futures and a major Chinese securities broker listed on SZSE. Overlaps with GF Futures in serving retail and institutional investors with trading, wealth, and investment banking services, though its primary franchise is securities rather than futures.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GF Futures