Exchanges
Spotlight on: Max Smith, Newedge
In a world where market participants are seeking to reduce risk in trading and ensure efficient clearing, Newedge's global head of FX, Max Smith, believes the firm is uniquely positioned
Options clearing pushed to 2014 as solution search begins
As the search for a viable clearing mechanism for FX options begins, market participants suggest clearing won't begin before 2014
MarkitServ partners with Misys to boost FX clearing
Users of the Misys Confirmation Matching Service will be able to use MarkitServ's clearing connectivity to route FX derivatives to clearing houses
Exchanges poised for further volume growth in FX
Both exchanges and ECNs have reported an uptick in FX trading volumes in January, but some suggest exchanges might be the biggest winners as activity rises in forex futures and options
LCH approved for client clearing on ForexClear
The clearing house expects to begin client clearing for FX NDFs during the first quarter, and has now surpassed $500 billion in cleared volume for interbank NDFs
FX options clearing analysis in final stages
The GFMA's global FX division is understood to be close to completion of its analysis of five years of options trading data - a project that is intended to lead to a solution for options clearing
LMAX management team buys majority stake from Betfair
Management buyout will give LMAX Exchange the necessary flexibility to evolve into a leading FX venue within three to five years, says chief executive David Mercer
Spotlight on: Mark Spanbroek, European Principal Traders Association
The EPTA’s vice-chairman and secretary-general talks to Robert Mackenzie Smith about the association’s mission to represent the interests of high-frequency traders to regulators, legislators and the market in general
Questions remain on clearing and collateral
While confirmation of the US Treasury exemption came as a welcome development last month, further issues must be resolved in the coming months on the clearing of FX options and margin for uncleared trades
Confirmation of US Treasury FX exemption brings relief to dealers
After two years of consideration, the US Treasury confirmed its decision to exempt FX swaps and forwards from mandatory clearing and exchange trading on Friday evening
No need to panic about collateral supply, says Bank of England
Isda estimates that mandatory clearing and margin could require the posting of up to $30 trillion of initial margin have been inflated, not least because of a likely exemption for FX swaps and forwards, according to a senior BoE official
Buy side weighs risk mitigation against clearing costs
Buy-side firms look certain to bear some of the costs that result from mandatory central clearing, with some suggesting they might look to clear non-mandated products, were it not for the prohibitive costs
Banks face up to fragmented clearing landscape in Asia
In preparing for mandatory clearing, the priority is to ensure all CCPs across Asia adhere to the same set of standards, says Deutsche's David Lynne
LCH.Clearnet approved for five new currencies on ForexClear
LCH's new FX clearing service now offers clearing in 11 currencies, accounting for 95% of the global NDF market
CME’s new swap future uses Goldman Sachs patent
Licensing agreement could be worth up to 20% of revenues from patented contract, and is seen as an attempt by Goldman Sachs to hedge its bets as new rules threaten OTC market profits
FX futures and options volumes soar on CME
While volumes are down year-on-year, September has seen a number of record days on CME Group, particularly in currencies such as the Canadian and Australian dollars and the Mexican peso
ABN Amro hires Duff to build FX clearing business
Dutch bank hires industry veteran to launch clearing business in North America
CME ready to fight for market share in Europe, says Sammann
CME Group's European exchange, set to begin trading FX futures next year, will offer a competitive alternative to other exchanges, says the group's head of FX and rates
Interdealer brokers pick MarkitServ for FX processing
BGC Partners, GFI Group, Tradition and Tullett Prebon have all chosen middleware provider MarkitServ to facilitate connectivity to CCPs and trade repositories, and voice affirmations
LCH readies launch of new NDF pairs and client clearing
Five months after launch, ForexClear is ready to start offering client clearing and to add five new currencies to the service, pending the approval of the FSA and the CFTC
Pressure mounts on Esma over clearing exemption
Responses to Esma's draft technical standard on Emir call for the agency to clarify its position on FX clearing - with some suggestion NDFs could be exempt
Central banks working on liquidity support for CCPs, says BoE’s Tucker
International regulators and central banks trying to avoid "nightmare" of fragmented clearing system
Decline in spot volume driven by low volatility and HFT controls
The fall in FX spot volumes revealed in this week’s semi-annual survey data has been driven by low volatility and new controls on HFT behaviour, according to members of the FX JSC
FX market a challenge for CCPs, says New York Fed official
Central counterparties might struggle to implement clearing solutions for the FX market, says Jeanmarie Davis