Not really. There are only a few financial instruments worldwide where very low latency matters, and there you'd be competing against people who have invested millions in custom transceivers, so it's unlikely FPGA work on a readymade board is really going to make much of a difference.
But like all industries, there are many factors that contribute to success. FPGA work might help improve things a bit even if you're not the best.
But like all industries, there are many factors that contribute to success. FPGA work might help improve things a bit even if you're not the best.