Trading
Esma foresees a rush to report
Implementing the European Union’s trade reporting rules will be no mean feat for the European Securities and Markets Authority (Esma), with many in the industry way behind on their preparations to meet the February 12 deadline. Michael Watt talks to Esma…
February 12 trade reporting deadline – Failure warning
With the European Union’s February 12 trade reporting deadline fast approaching, few give the market any chance of being fully ready. Participants point to the significant challenge posed by complex reporting rules, and the shortened timeline to…
FX Focus - Editor's Letter
Ready to report?
BlackRock threatens to go own way on UTI generation, says industry source
Asset manager takes unusual step of generating unique trade identifiers itself as banks react slowly to challenge
Digital currency platforms emerge as Bitcoin gathers momentum
Recent developments in digital currencies are presenting opportunities for new platform providers
LMAX chief executive predicts FX volumes to double by 2020
LMAX has added offshore renminbi and the Russian ruble to its growing list of currencies as it hopes emerging markets will spark dramatic growth in FX volumes
RMB convertibility will be catalyst to offshore trading, say bankers
Buy-side firms will remain reticent in using renminbi until it becomes a fully convertible currency, despite the progress that has been made in recent months
Bonuses will disappoint but job prospects encouraging, recruiters say
Headhunters say banks will look to replenish FX teams but bonuses will likely disappoint this year
Gain GTX gathers momentum as it awaits Sef licence
Gain Capital's institutional platform reached average daily volume of $20.4 billion in November, a year on from the appointment of Joseph Wald to run the platform
Chat room bans could drive traders back to the phone
Several banks have banned the use of chat facilities in response to the FX fix investigations, but some believe the ban may only make communication less transparent
Perspectives on 2014: Simon Wilson-Taylor, Molten Markets
Algorithmic execution might have seemed implausible in the FX market a few years ago, but this will be the year when the market structure shifts further in a direction that favours algos, says Molten Markets chief executive Simon Wilson-Taylor
Perspectives on 2014: Simon Jones, Mako FX
This will be a year when banks face up to the reality of regulation, constraining their ability to innovate and provide consistent liquidity, but there is an opportunity for regional banks to gain an edge, says Simon Jones, managing partner at Mako FX
Perspectives on 2014: Roger Rutherford, ParFX
With 12 banks now trading on ParFX as members, the platform will open up to the buy side in the coming months, which will test the strength of its business model and trading rules
Offshore RMB market booming in London, report finds
A study by the City of London Corporation reveals the City's efforts to become a global hub for renminbi business are paying off, with daily spot value reaching $4.8 billion last year
Extent of Sef-driven fragmentation revealed in Isda survey
Almost 80% of respondents indicate that Footnote 88, which required all platforms to register as Sefs by October 2, has resulted in fragmentation of liquidity in FX options and NDFs
Caplin launches hosted single-dealer platform service
Caplin Direct managed service is designed to provide an out-of-the-box platform for banks looking to distribute FX liquidity
Sberbank looks to FX growth as ruble accelerates
As Russia's central bank looks to a free-floating currency regime by 2015 and CLS pushes the addition of the ruble, Sberbank's new FX trading head Steven Weller sees significant growth opportunities
FX Week Europe: 'Patchy' liquidity in FX a concern for the future
Concentration in the number of liquidity providers and the reliability of HFT market-making raises concerns for senior industry officials
FX Week Europe: Fed is in ‘La La Land’ on monetary policy
SG CIB's chief currency strategist hits out at Federal Reserve's failure to appreciate the implications of its QE and interest rate policies
Industry in discussions to change FX benchmark calculation, says ECB official
Senior market participants have suggested widening the time window in which benchmark exchange rates are set in FX, following allegations of manipulation
Mifid rules could force FX swaps onto OTFs
Trialogue negotiations on Mifid II are expected to conclude by February, but traders fear they could include a mandate for FX swaps to be traded on organised trading facilities
FX market participants express concern and confusion over Sef trading
Trading on swap execution facilities in the US was introduced in a cloud of confusion and uncertainty. The market seems to have recovered from the initial shock, but there are concerns that Europe’s take on Sef trading will do longer-lasting damage. By…
Lynn Challenger talks to FX Invest
Michael Watt asks Lynn Challenger, managing director of global trading at Mellon Capital Management, about the ups and downs of 2013, the merits and demerits of FX trading styles, and his outlook for 2014
Systematic FX traders search for solutions after tough year
Some say systematic trading’s reliance on macro events and its slaveish dependence upon automation produces inconsistency, but is discretionary trading any better? Maybe a combination of both could be the answer. Michael Watt reports