Trading Technology


LSE hires SunGard man as MillenniumIT chief exec

Millennium Information Technologies, the IT subsidiary of the London Stock Exchange has appointed John Mackay “Mack” Gill, as its new chief executive office, taking over from company founder Tony Weeresinghe, who will become non-executive chairman with a global business development role.

Is a waiting game a smart approach for post-trade service efficiency?

It’s often been said that the financial services industry is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and in some instances this may have proved to be a safe bet. The industry is littered with systems that have grown out of cottage industry and ‘fitting square pegs into round hole, writes Paul Taylor, director global matching, Swift. However, we […]

Italy’s SIA set to connect to New York as recovery plan bears fruit

Milan-based financial technology firm SIA is expanding its reach to New York later this year in a move that caps the latest-phase of a three-year recovery plan for the firm. The extension of SIA’s Financial Ring to New York follows that activation of a hub in Frankfurt is the third cornerstone, after Milan and London, […]

Standard Chartered targets collateral shortfall

Standard Chartered has enlisted Clearstream and Euroclear to make more efficient use of collateral, as tough new financial regulations drive investor fears of an impending collateral shortfall.

HFT is here to stay says GreySpark report

Despite its negative public perception, high-frequency trading can act as a force for good in capital markets by adding efficiencies that help investors get a better deal – but only if it is properly regulated, according to new research by technology consultancy GreySpark Partners.

Lack of market surveillance systems “significant problem” says IOSCO report

The absence of market surveillance tools in many jurisdictions and regions is “potentially one of the more significant problems facing the markets in light of technological developments, such as the rapid speed of trade execution and increase in order volume”, says the International Organization Of Securities Commissions in its final report on surveillance.

MiFID II is a “dog’s dinner” says former UK government advisor

While HFT may pose a real threat to market stability, the European Commission’s response has been woefully inadequate and shows a lack of understanding of the core issues, says professor Dave Cliff of the University of Bristol and former member of the UK government’s Foresight Project.

Angry TradeTech delegates clash over HFT

A session at Trade Tech in London fell into chaos earlier today, as furious delegates hurled accusations across the table and members of the audience sparred aggressively with panellists.

Fidessa plans ASEAN trading network

Trading technology company Fidessa has partnered with Asian brokers CIMB, DBS Vickers, Maybank Kim Eng, OCBC Securities, Philip Securities and UOB Kay Hian as part of a plan to create a one-stop trading service for all ASEAN markets.

Citi sets out segregated collateral service

As tough new rules requiring the collateralisation of OTC derivatives take hold in Europe and the US, Citi has retooled its OpenInvestor investment services to include segregated collateral custody accounts – a move the bank says will help mitigate counterparty risk and improve collateral efficiency.

Riding the OTC rollercoaster

As new rules for OTC derivatives take hold in Europe and in the US, banks and asset managers face a complex cocktail of mandatory clearing, reporting and increased collateral requirements.

Haynes leads new venture to tackle European equities

Following a period of equity market consolidation, the time is right for a new entrant to step forward and transform the exchange business, according to Alasdair Haynes, chief executive of startup trading venue Aquis Exchange.

EMCF and EuroCCP merger to target collateral efficiencies

As tough new collateral requirements bring ever greater pressure to bear on banks and financial market participants, the union of European clearing houses EMCF and EuroCCP into a new combined entity will help make clearing and settlement more efficient, according to Diana Chan, chief executive at EuroCCP.

Tbricks sets out managed trading platform

Swedish trading system specialist Tbricks has released OnDemand, a new platform that it says will remove the need for trading firms to make any investment in hardware, installation nor running costs.

The risks of runaway regulation

While laudable in intention, reforms to Europe’s OTC derivatives markets may be in danger of inadvertently adding so much cost for participants that the original purpose is undermined, according to Anthony Belchambers, chief executive officer at the Futures and Options Association.

DTCC reports five-asset swap clearing as Dodd-Frank deadline approaches

As the deadline for mandatory swaps reporting approaches for more and more asset types, US post-trade services utility the DTCC has announced that swaps dealers are now submitting OTC derivatives trade information for all five major asset classes into its US swaps data repository, DDR.

Squawker prepares algo-free equity market

Capital markets are broken because liquidity is fragmented and there is no way for the sell-side to pool its liquidity – but that will soon change, according to Christopher Gregory, co-founder and chief executive at start up trading venue Squawker.

ConvergEx rolls out multi-legged options algos

Trading technology company ConvergEx Group has released a new suite of algorithms designed to capitalise on growing interest among market participants in multi-legged options trading strategies.

ECB adopts Thomson Reuters Eikon

The European Central Bank has signed a deal together with the central banks of 18 countries to adopt Thomson Reuters’ Eikon desktop for trading and market data.

Cross asset trading to the fore for FPL delegates

While changes to the OTC derivatives world grab the headlines, trading is moving to a cross asset world, largely driven by regulation and standardisation – and after a few years of pain, firms may find that they are better off as a result.

LSE/TMX to collaborate on fixed income venture

The London Stock Exchange’s FTSE Group and Canadian exchange TMX have signed an agreement to combine their fixed income index business in a new joint venture, resurrecting at least part of the cooperation originally planned under the two exchanges’ failed merger back in June 2011.

Qatar Exchange introduces sponsored access

The Qatar Exchange has introduced sponsored access and market making for the first time, in a move intended to boost liquidity and make it easier for a wider pool of investors to access the market.

European exchanges unveil MSCI derivatives

European exchanges Eurex and NYSE Liffe are soon to list a host of new derivatives, based on MSCI indices. From March, market participants will be able to trade futures and options based on the MSCI World, MSCI Europe, MSCI All Countries Asia Pacific ex-Japan and futures on the MSCI Frontier Markets.

EBS and Thomson Reuters target FX transparency

Rival FX platforms EBS and Thomson Reuters have agreed that they will cooperate to combine the sources for their FX pricing, in a bid to increase transparency for FX market participants.

Will Dodd-Frank trade reporting prepare you for EMIR?

On February 28, most of the approximately 70 registered swap dealers will stumble across the finishing line for the remaining asset classes of the CFTC implementation of Dodd-Frank trade reporting regulations. Some may be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief.

Competitors blast lack of competition among exchanges

Senior market participants have expressed outrage that exchanges continue to charge high fees for market data, while MTFs still lack the means to compete on auctions and are not represented on international indices.

HFT: time to talk about how?

2012 seemed like the year of regulators taking a prolonged look at computer trading – defining what it might be, its potential effects, why it may be problematic. It is still far from clear that we have answers to these fundamental questions.

BME chief calls for less debt, more equity

Bank deleveraging may inadvertently spur a revival of equity markets, Antonio Zoido, chairman and chief executive at Spanish exchange group BME told delegates at the World Exchange Congress in London yesterday.

OTC derivatives reforms must be global, says DTCC

As new rules for the reporting of OTC derivatives draw closer around the globe, US post-trade services utility the DTCC is positioning itself as the provider of a global network of trade repositories – but OTC derivatives reform will only work if consistent measures are taken everywhere, says Stewart Macbeth, president and chief executive at the DTCC.