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By Mary Beth Hamilton – The new year is upon us so time for predictions, watch lists and resolutions. Here’s our take on some technology trends we see within our client base as well as buzzing across the industry.
Cloud Transformations: Hybrid Grows & Connections Matter
In 2017 hybrid cloud gained traction as companies embraced its ability to combine the benefits of dedicated private environments with on-demand public cloud resources and application sets. In 2018 we expect broader mainstream hybrid adoption for everything from application and infrastructure services to disaster recovery.
With hybrid cloud use increasing, the importance of
Beam Capital Management has launched the Blockchain Leaders SMA, a separately managed account strategy focused on investing in the publicly traded securities of companies utilising, developing, facilitating or investing in Blockchain technology.
Mohannad Aama, CFP, FRM, Beam Capital Management’s Chief Investment Officer will serve as portfolio manager.
“We are delighted to introduce this pioneering strategy to the separately managed account market. Blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt several industries. We expect the universe of publicly traded Blockchain stocks to significantly increase in 2018 and beyond,” says Mohannad Aama (pictured). “We believe that a professionally managed separately managed account offers
The European Energy Exchange (EEX) achieved a total volume of 234.5 TWh on its power derivatives markets in December (December 2016: 287.4 TWh). The December volume comprised 160.8 TWh traded at EEX via Trade Registration with subsequent clearing.
Clearing and settlement of all exchange transactions was executed by European Commodity Clearing (ECC).
On the German power derivatives market, trading volumes in Phelix-DE Futures (72.9 TWh) exceeded Phelix-DE/AT Futures (66.0 TWh) for the first time. On the markets for Italy (50.0 TWh) and Spain (7.4 TWh), EEX recorded the highest monthly volume of the year 2017. Compared to the previous year,
Market access technology provider Vela has added Virtu Financial, an electronic market making firm, to the growing list of electronic liquidity providers delivering market data through its new Systematic Internaliser (SI) Data Hub, which is part of its comprehensive MiFID II solution suite.
Based upon Vela’s core feed handler technology, the SI Data Hub provides a low latency, high performance normalised market data solution. The functionality aggregates SI data and allows clients to receive their own bespoke SI price feeds through a single connection and unified API. The SI Data Hub also provides clients with their own configurable Best Bid
Euronext has closed a share swap of its 2.3 per cent stake in LCH Group for an 11.1 per cent stake in LCH SA, becoming minority shareholder in the business in the process.
Following the swap, Euronext will maintain representation at the Board of Directors of LCH SA and will have certain minority protection rights connected with its new shareholding in the company, including a pre-emption right in circumstances where LCH Group decides to sell more than 50 per cent of the shares of LCH SA. The pre-emption right involves a right of first offer and subject to certain conditions, a matching
Investors added an estimated USD10.79 billion into hedge funds in November, according to the latest eVestment Hedge Fund Industry Asset Flow Report. Net flows into the industry for the year are now USD40.10 billion.
Continued performance gains along with new allocations lifted total industry AUM to yet another new all-time high of an estimated USD3,265.85 billion.
Managed futures gained assets for a second consecutive month as strong performers were rewarded. Macro fund outflows meanwhile, continued into a third consecutive month, losing their lead in 2017 inflows.
Long/short equity (including quantitative directional strategies) have overtaken macro funds as the most popular
Business information provider IHS Markit’s thinkFolio investment management platform is now connected to TRADEcho’s Approved Publication Arrangement (APA), providing clients with a trade reporting solution for MiFID II.
MiFID II rules will shift the responsibility for trade reporting to the buy side for certain products. Firms using thinkFolio as their order management and portfolio modelling system can now form an agreement with TRADEcho to enable real time trade reporting to the TRADEcho APA and use of the TRADEcho Smart Report Router to report to other APAs.
In addition, IHS Markit has introduced a new layer within thinkFolio that enables interfaces
First Eagle Investment Management (First Eagle) has completed its previously announced acquisition of NewStar Financial Inc, a lender and investment manager specialising in direct lending to middle-market companies and management of broadly syndicated loans.
NewStar’s credit platform and investment teams now form the alternative credit group of First Eagle.
“We are very pleased to add NewStar, a high-quality alternative credit manager that will broaden our investment lineup for both institutional and retail investors,” says Mehdi Mahmud, president and chief executive officer of First Eagle Investment Management. “NewStar has a track record of prudent lending that dates back to before the
The State Street Global Investor Confidence Index decreased to 94.8 in December, down 1.5 points from November’s revised reading of 96.3.
The fall in sentiment was driven by a 6.2 point drop in the North American ICI to 94.9 and a 2.8 point fall in the Asian ICI to 94.8. However, the European ICI rose 16 points to 96.9.
The Investor Confidence Index was developed by Kenneth Froot (pictured) and Paul O’Connell at State Street Associates, State Street Global Exchange’s research and advisory services business. It measures investor confidence or risk appetite quantitatively by analysing the actual buying and selling
Crédit Agricole has finalised its acquisition of Natixis’ 15 per cent stake in CACEIS. As a result, it now controls 100 per cent of the share capital of the business.
With approximately EUR2.6 trillion in assets under custody, EUR1.7 trillion euros in assets under administration and a presence in nine European countries, CACEIS is one of the industry’s leading players in Europe.
Crédit Agricole believes CACEIS will benefit from integration with its Large Customers business line and that the anticipated gradual normalisation of the interest rate environment should support the subsidiary’s activity in the coming years.
In parallel with this
