Trading & Execution

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has released details on how its depository subsidiary, The Depository Trust Company (DTC), will introduce Settlement Matching, bringing enhancements to the settlement process and further reducing settlement risk. »

The number of exchange-traded derivatives (ETD) worldwide decreased in 2012 for the first time since 2004, falling by 15 per cent to 21 billion, according to statistics compiled by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE). »

NYSE Euronext has announced global derivatives average daily volume (ADV) of 8.8 million contracts in February 2013, an increase of 24.7 per cent compared to February 2012, but a decrease of 7.6 per cent month-over-month. »

Eurex Clearing has expanded its suite of segregation services by offering a UK CASS-compliant Omnibus Clearing Model as an additional alternative. »

The Morningstar MSCI Composite Hedge Fund Index, an asset-weighted composite of nearly 1,000 hedge funds in the Morningstar Hedge Fund database, rose 1.9 per cent in January and advanced 6.3 per cent for the trailing 12 months. »

The Dow Jones Credit Suisse Core Hedge Fund Index closed down 0.28 per cent in February as five of the seven index component strategies reported negative results for the month. »

The Credit Suisse Liquid Alternative Beta (LAB) Index was down 0.16 per cent in February, according to Dr Jordan Drachman, head of alternative beta strategies at Credit Suisse. »

MarketAxess, the operator of an electronic trading platform for US and European corporate bonds, emerging markets bonds and other types of fixed income securities, has completed its acquisition of Xtrakter a provider of regulatory transaction reporting, financial market data and trade matching services to the European securities markets.  »

Interview with Rob Lane – “Our proposition revolves around market data and trading infrastructure. We can supply market data via consolidated or direct feed. How firms actually receive the content depends on the trading infrastructure,” explains Rob Lane (pictured), European Business Manager, Trading Solutions, at Interactive Data. »

By James Williams – Last year witnessed an anticipated record high in quantitative (algorithmic) fund launches. As reported by the Financial Times recently, citing data provider Preqin, some 187 “quant” funds launched in 2011. Through the first six months of 2012, that number had already reached 95; the final figure is not yet known as its data normally has a six-month lag but Preqin’s Head of Hedge Funds, Amy Bensted was quoted as saying “We expect 2012 numbers to exceed those of 2011”. »