Feature
OTFs' Next Move
With G20 commitments obliging regulators to regiment the trading of over-the-counter derivatives, Mifid II proposes the integration of organized trading facilities, but what impact will this have? By Steve Dew-Jones
TCA Comes to Futures and FX
Transaction-cost analysis started in equities and, for the most part, hasn’t left—until recently. For various reasons, demand among FX and futures traders for a way to measure their execution costs is growing, and vendors are responding. By Jake Thomases
Dark Forces: Off-Exchange Trading on the Rise
A growing percentage of trade volumes is moving off-exchange every year, whether it’s through broker dark pools, internalized on a firm’s own desks, or elsewhere. Along with declining liquidity in equities markets and higher trading costs, the increasing…
Framing a Client Onboarding Policy
Nicholas Hamilton discovers how global financial institutions manage different client onboarding requirements across jurisdictions and how effective management of the onboarding process can expand business
SEFs Through the Looking Glass
While the rules trickle in for swap execution facilities, firms are investing in connectivity and platform design in anticipation of a deeper, more liquid market. As Tim Bourgaize Murray discovers, when it comes to the nascent SEF ecosystem, the future…
Beyond the Easy Win: Sands Capital CTO Ryan Bateman
Ryan Bateman had never been a CTO and Sands Capital had never had a CTO—it was a curious pairing. But Bateman has come in and established his credibility, and now he has to keep that winning streak going. By Anthony Malakian
Scratching the Surface of Mobile Technology
Mobile technology, while still in its nascence in the capital markets, has enjoyed significant uptake over the past 18 months as growing numbers of firms have started to roll out apps designed specifically for tablets and smartphones. But as Victor…
ISITC Reaches Out
Industry messaging standards organization ISITC plans greater collaboration on market practice processes and to exert influence on LEI and global regulatory discussions. By Michael Shashoua
Ready To Report For Solvency II?
Reporting requirements for Solvency II present major challenges for third-party administrators, who must provide new data elements and keep an eye on the data costs their insurance clients may have to pay, writes Nicholas Hamilton
Gaining Clarity on Data Search Parameters
Strapline: Regulation & Standards
The Essentials of Centralization
As firms migrate to the cloud to centralize data, breaking down silos and creating links to facilitate data analysis gains importance. Michael Shashoua hears from providers and practitioners about the preferred central data models and methods
Funds of Hedge Funds' Last Stand?
The fund of hedge funds market has long been a manually intensive one. New regulations and strategies—and a general desire to survive—have led to a push for automation throughout the industry. By Anthony Malakian
London Stock Exchange CIO Antoine Shagoury: Man of the People
When Antoine Shagoury took on the role of CIO at the London Stock Exchange, he embarked on an ambitious program of reform at the venerable, but embattled, institution. Several years on, he reveals how technology is driving the growth of the entire…
Real-Time Surveillance: Mission Impossible?
European regulator ESMA wants trading venues to perform market surveillance and abuse monitoring in as close to real time as possible. But is the technology and operational capacity in place to make this initiative work? By Steve Dew-Jones
It's All Semantics: Top-Tier Banks Investigate Semantic Technology for Data Management
Semantic technology, while still for the most part in the conceptual phase in the capital markets, is a term that is becoming more than just a whisper inside financial institutions. By Anthony Malakian
Whither Volcker? Firms Brace for Deadline as Delays Anticipated
The Volcker Rule’s deadline for public comment has passed, with a sea of responses from organizations all over the world. Implementation dates are currently debatable, but compliance with the regulation will require structural and technological change…
The Return of Green IT
While it hasn’t gotten the attention it did during the green wave of the mid-2000s, environmentally friendly technology is in place at many of the world’s major financial institutions. Jake Thomases looks at the latest initiatives designed to save the…
Up For Discussion
Strapline: Regulation & Standards
Data’s Seat at Risk’s Table
Strapline: Data Management
Over-the-Counter, Under the Radar
ISINs may not be be appropriate for identifying every over-the-counter derivative, creating a challenge for instrument identification. Nicholas Hamilton reports on efforts to find a fitting standards format in the asset class
Big Data Is Big Stuff
The phenomenon of Big Data, now a proper noun in its own right, reflects the inexorable growth of data volumes, and the velocity and variety of those volumes, across the financial services industry, presenting market participants with a host of…
Special FX: The Evolution of e-FX Trading
Foreign-exchange trading has changed considerably over the past 10 years. Daily turnover has doubled, spreads have tightened dramatically, and the market has opened up to new entrants as never before. At the heart of this is a shift to electronic trading…
Direct Edge CEO William O'Brien Plans to Go Global
William O’Brien, who once rejected his exchange roots, took over a tiny ECN and grew it into one of the biggest equity exchanges in the world. Now he’s looking at new markets for Direct Edge. By Jake Thomases
Numbers Game: Gauging the Impact of Big Data Part II
In the February issue of Waters, the first part of this feature defined Big Data in terms of volume, variety and velocity. But what does this actually mean for the financial services industry and the technology considerations necessary for dealing with…