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In the Public Interest: Tech Critical as Public Investors Seek More Active Approach
A small but influential set of private equity’s limited partners, many of them quasi-public entities like pension plans and sovereign wealth funds, are considering co-investment strategies with their general partners, or even arranging deals directly…
Tech Questions Loom After Major Exchanges Tie the Knot
A period where no meaningful exchange M&A made it to the finish line has been followed by two announced megadeals that appear likely to be approved. Jake Thomases looks at what IT advantage is gained by such massive mergers, and whether these latest…
African Exchange Links Could Draw Investment, Liquidity
The alliances that stock exchanges strike between themselves often turn out to be game-changers for a region’s economy. Marina Daras looks at regional initiatives to link up exchanges in one of the fastest evolving regions of the world—Africa.
Financial Industry Faces Up to Cybersecurity Challenges
While the internet has revolutionized nearly every aspect of the financial markets, it carries with it an implicit level of risk that has only recently started to be properly examined by institutional trading firms. But when it comes to cybersecurity,…
Multi-Asset Trading Platforms: Sweating Your Assets
As buy-side firms have looked to diversify their investment strategies and include new asset classes, their incumbent trading technologies have been found wanting. But, as Linedata’s Gene Mitchell explains, help is at hand in the form of cross-asset…
Max Bowie: In With the New (But Not Out With the Old)
With traditional datasets and tools no longer adequate for price discovery and risk management in today’s trading environment—as evidenced by the credit crunch and financial crisis—Max says real innovation requires revolution, not just evolution.
Anthony Malakian: Regulators Literally Doing the Best They Can
In an environment of budgetary constraints, regulators must invest in top-tier analytical technologies. But, as Anthony explains, there is no “try” when it comes to preventing another 2008.
Michael Shashoua: Confounding Interests
Following the twists and turns of the legal entity identifier story, Michael finds clashing regulatory authorities, political maneuvering, and attempts by outside interests to sort through the wreckage.
James Rundle: Prizing Open Markets
The introduction of competition, according to capitalist doctrine, is a pre-requisite for establishing an efficient and growing economy. But for the capital markets, James says, plans to open trading landscapes to new venues come with their own…
MacKay Shields Weathers Storms with Vigilante's Tech Vision
MacKay Shields has weathered some of the worst storms in recent memory, thanks to a forward-thinking approach to technology, which has been driven in part by its long-serving head of IT. By James Rundle, with photos by Amy Fletcher
US Regulators' Technology Burden
The passage of the Dodd–Frank Act in the US, while necessary, has not just stressed many Wall Street firms’ IT budgets—it has also required a substantial investment on the parts of the US regulators. Anthony Malakian charts the progress that has been…
Futures Trading Algorithms Find Traction
Equities and futures microstructures have always functioned differently—and in terms of algorithmic application, the latter has always benefited from the adventures of the former. From order placement optimization to a revived debate on pricing…
Financial Transaction Tax: Doomed to Fail?
The financial transaction tax, Tobin tax or even the Robin Hood tax—call it what you want—is here to stay. Or maybe not. By Marina Daras
Lone Wolves: Disparate Regulations, Customs Make Asia-Pacific a Tech Puzzle
With a wide array range of local conventions, regulations and customs, Asia-Pacific can be a tough nut to crack when it comes to regional expansion. Where technology is concerned, the idiosyncratic nature of its constituent nations can prove challenging,…
Poland's Central Clarity: CEO Iwona Sroka, KDPW Group
Dr. Iwona Sroka designed the strategy for Warsaw’s KDPW Group to reflect an operational efficiency and a future for capital markets in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) that is increasingly bright. Strength in technology is the key. By Tim Bourgaize…
Max Bowie: Will the Early Heads-Up Get the Thumbs-Down?
Innovation inevitably comes at a price, and premium services come with a premium price tag. So, Max asks, what’s wrong with paying a premium to get an advantage—so long as that advantage is used in the appropriate place?
Michael Shashoua: Valuing Data and Making Data a Value
Costs and resources for data management take precedence in reference data. Michael says firms must develop a palette of strategies in addition to centralization, sourcing, and prioritization to make the most of what they have.
Anthony Malakian: No Reconciling Dependency on Excel
According to some reports, 70 to 80 percent of reconciliations at major financial institutions still take place through the use of manually intensive, spreadsheet-based platforms. Anthony says that in today’s environment, this is simply unacceptable.
James Rundle: Cross-Country Marathons
Operating across regulatory jurisdictions is never easy, but in some areas, it’s practically impossible to do so efficiently. Even when regulators prove accommodating there are challenges, James says.
Waters Rankings 2103: Best Sell-Side Clearing Provider — Goldman Sachs
In 2012, Goldman Sachs finished second to JPMorgan in this category, less than one percentage point away from dethroning the five-time champ. This year, Goldman has gone one better, narrowly edging out JPMorgan in a category that was again keenly…
Waters Rankings 2013: Best Agency Brokerage — ITG
In times of constrained liquidity and fragmentation—and the risk and cost that comes with those conditions—firms are pushing harder than ever for cutting-edge algorithms and top-tier crossing capabilities. It’s this combination that has lead Waters’…
Waters Rankings 2013: Best Exceptions and Reconciliation Management Provider — Omgeo
Establishing something of a dynasty, for the fourth straight year, Omgeo has been named the best exceptions and reconciliation management provider by Waters’ readers. As firms look to automate their reconciliation processes in order to better mitigate…
Waters Rankings 2013: Best Sell-Side OMS Provider — Bloomberg
The extent to which a company dominates the market in which it operates can be seen in the way its name becomes a proxy for all offerings in that particular segment. Hoover, Coke, Tannoy, and iPod are all examples of this phenomenon. So too is Bloomberg,…