Transparency
In 2025, keep reference data weird
The SEC, ESMA, CFTC and other acronyms provided the drama in reference data this year, including in crypto.
American Bankers Assoc. asks SEC: Do you know what you’re doing?
The industry group disagrees severely with regulators’ interpretation of the Financial Data Transparency Act, hinting at possible legal action in a recently published comment letter.
New working group to create open framework for managing rising market data costs
Substantive Research is putting together a working group of market data-consuming firms with the aim of crafting quantitative metrics for market data cost avoidance.
‘Feature, not a bug’: Bloomberg makes the case for Figi
Bloomberg created the Figi identifier, but ceded all its rights to the Object Management Group 10 years ago. Here, Bloomberg’s Richard Robinson and Steve Meizanis write to dispel what they believe to be misconceptions about Figi and the FDTA.
Regulators recommend Figi over Cusip, Isin for reporting in FDTA proposal
Another contentious battle in the world of identifiers pits the Figi against Cusip and the Isin, with regulators including the Fed, the SEC, and the CFTC so far backing the Figi.
Size matters: US equity market players wrangle over new tick size regime
The industry expects the SEC to finalize the Reg NMS shake-up as soon as late summer. While there is broad agreement about the need for change, the extent of the reduction in access fees and tick sizes will have a big impact on markets.
Cutting through the hype surrounding the FDTA rulemaking process
A bill requiring US regulators and institutions to adopt a machine-readable data framework for reporting purposes applies to entity identifiers, but not security identifiers, in a crucial difference, writes Scott Preiss, SVP and global head of Cusip…
Northern Trust offers internal fund accounting, data tools to clients
Regulations and a mandate to enhance quality and transparency in a bid to improve the investor experience are pushing buy-side firms to have more oversight of their third-party providers.
Finra clears hurdle with CAT launch, but several others remain
Two major components of the consolidated audit trail are now in place. But wrangling over the CAT’s future continues.
Bank-led consortium takes aim at position reporting
Five banks, including Barclays, BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs and HSBC, have joined forces to mitigate interpretation and implementation errors in position reporting disclosures.
Prepare now for the inevitable: T+1 isn’t just a US challenge
The DTCC’s Val Wotton believes that firms around the globe should view North America’s move to T+1 as an opportunity—because it’s inevitable.
Waters Wavelength Podcast: Tim Baker on Cusip lawsuit, data copyrights, and innovation in market data
Expero’s Tim Baker joins the podcast to talk about the ongoing Cusip suit and regulatory intervention in the market data space.
Blood, sweat, and tiers: how the SEC’s exchange rebates proposal could reshape US equities markets
The proposal to overhaul volume-based rebates for agency brokers may create significant shifts in liquidity, order routing, and competition. And industry practitioners are split on whether it’s for better or for worse.
Politics, public opinion collide in EC identifier consultation
The European Commission has said neither the Isin nor the UPI is ‘suitable’ for price transparency, and proposed modified alternatives in an industry consultation.
Waters Wavelength Podcast: BMO on market structure
This week, Joe Wald from BMO joins the podcast to discuss the SEC’s market structure proposals.
The move to T+1: This time is different
This whitepaper, created by Broadridge, focuses on leveraging robotic process automation and AI to ensure a smooth transition from T+2 to T+1 settlement.
This Week: SimCorp/Deutsche Boerse, Moody's, SS&C, and more
A summary of the latest financial technology news.
Shining a light on fixed income
Traditionally, fixed income as an asset class has presented market participants with several challenges due to the over-the-counter (OTC) model by which the bulk of securities are traded. Observable market data, especially for infrequently or thinly…
The Cusip lawsuit: A love story
With possibly three years before the semblance of a verdict is reached in the ongoing class action lawsuit against Cusip Global Services and its affiliates, Reb wonders what exactly is so captivating about the ordeal.
The power of data and analytics in driving sustainability initiatives
The challenges with current data approaches are data availability, reliability and transparency. It is, therefore, crucial to use data platforms and data mesh to enhance the process of obtaining accurate information, both for sustainability reporting and…
The loan market has a new identifier, but the path to adoption isn’t clear
The CEI aims to bring interoperability to loan trading, but it’s entering a market dominated by a long-standing incumbent.