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DAS Trader – which its maker claims is the fastest software for the US stockmarket – has released new trading apps for Apple’s iPhone and iPad. But as Tom Osborn discovers, it faces a crowded field of competitors.
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US legislation to force banks to spin out their swaps desks would raise costs for derivatives users and could disrupt cross-border business, according to Anthony Belchambers, chief executive of the FOA.
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Provisions in the Wall Street Reform Act which force banks to post more margin for derivatives trades and spin off some swap dealing activities will have unforeseen consequences, a lawyer has warned.
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Asking the SEC and CFTC to cooperate on new derivatives rules sounds like a great idea. But Philip McBride Johnson has a word of warning. The two see eye to eye about as much as Barack Obama and Sarah Palin.
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There was muted celebration on Wall Street on Friday as amendments backed by Blanche Lincoln and Paul Volcker to the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act were weakened by compromise clauses.
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The Warsaw Stock Exchange looks to have won its long-fought battle with Polish regulators to allow the short selling of stocks.
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Qbasis Invest, the Liechtenstein-based managed futures specialist, is expanding its London marketing operation by appointing Alistair Evans as director of sales, UK – its first salesperson in the country.
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May was a record month for the global futures and options markets – and by a huge margin. FOi’s database reports that 2.204bn contracts changed hands in the month.
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Derivatives specialists in London were today digesting the news of a radically changed UK regulatory structure, due to be introduced by 2012.
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Japan's derivatives market has not kept up with advances elsewhere. But now there are signs that the exchanges have realised the situation is desperate. They are performing long-overdue IT upgrades and launching new contracts – but is it too late? Colin Packham reports.
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The CFTC has approved Media Derivatives' application for derivatives on box office revenues. However, two CFTC commissioners, Bart Chilton and Jill Sommers, disagreed with the decision and issued dissenting opinions.
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Controls intended to prevent client money backing derivatives trades from being mixed with banks’ own funds are woefully inadequate, says Giles Nelson, deputy CTO at US-based operational software vendor Progress.
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US equity exchanges will begin today (Friday June 11) implementing new circuit breaker rules, designed to prevent a repeat of the May 6 ‘flash crash’.
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Angela Merkel, German chancellor, and Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, have written to the head of the European Commission calling for tougher controls on financial speculation.
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The conference committee that will negotiate the reconciliation of the financial reform bills passed by the US House of Representatives and Senate met for the first time yesterday (Thursday June 10).
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Why haven’t more investment firms sued Wall Street banks for selling them trashy bonds? Could it be, asks Philip McBride Johnson, because they are scared their own ineptitude will come to light?
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Justin Bgoni has been appointed chief financial officer of NZX, owner of the New Zealand Exchange. He was previously CFO of Rasai Holdings, a South African investment company.
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Despite the enormous numbers of derivatives being traded on China’s exchanges, the authorities are intent on establishing secure, non-speculative markets than on promoting volume growth. Colin Packham reports.
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Jamie Farmer has become executive director of Dow Jones Indexes, a new position. He had been senior director, global index operations and head of exchange relationships.
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Green Exchange has opened the first international office of its subsidiary, Green Exchange International. Les Male will be managing director and head of the EU/UK office. Henrik Hasselknippe is managing director, global product development.
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The two main US financial markets regulators — the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission — have created a joint advisory committee on emerging regulatory issues.
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NYSE Euronext’s chief operating officer Lawrence Leibowitz said on May 4 it had sold its 5% stake in the National Stock Exchange of India for gross proceeds of $175m after the stake failed to produce strategic benefits. The buyer is Temasek Holdings, the Singaporean government investment company.
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Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets is continuing its expansion with the hire of Diego Megia as managing director for rates trading, Europe.
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Gerald Hodgkins has been promoted to associate director of the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s division of enforcement.
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Craig Abruzzo and Valar Mihan have been elected to the Options Clearing Council’s board. Paul Brody was elected as vice-chairman, replacing Gary Yetman, who completed his term at the end of April.
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Sir Brian Bender has become chairman of the London Metal Exchange and LME Holdings, replacing Donald Brydon, who has stepped down to focus on his work with Royal Mail and the Smiths Group.
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Promoters of film futures exchanges no doubt have the best of motives. But they have not managed to make the case that box office futures are workable – or desirable.
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Faststream, a recruitment firm specialising in shipping, marine and offshore industries, has formed a new team to find freight traders for banks, commodity trading houses and energy trading houses, especially in London and Geneva. It will be led by commercial shipping consultant Alistair Tudor.
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The Hong Kong government has appointed Ronald Joseph Arculli chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing for a further two years, until the exchange’s annual general meeting in April 2012.
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Macquarie Securities, the Australian investment bank’s equity division, has appointed Todd Steinberg as global head of derivatives delta one.
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Two proposed exchanges that would allow investors to hedge the risk of the profitability of Hollywood movies have polarised the US film industry. Wyn Jenkins reports on box office futures.
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The Singapore Mercantile Exchange, the start-up derivatives market owned by Indian technology firm Financial Technologies, has said it will finally go live in August with an offering of commodity contracts.
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The Singapore Mercantile Exchange will list a cash-settled West Texas Intermediate crude oil future when it opens for business in August.
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John Connolly has joined the electronic trading software provider List as pre-sales manager in Europe. He has worked in the financial technology sector and at SunGard, UBS and Fidelity Investments.
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A preliminary report by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission into the ‘flash crash’ market turmoil of May 6 has narrowed the possible causes to six “working hypotheses” – including the influence of E-Mini S&P 500 Index Futures trading at CME Group.
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Charles Shaw has joined Derivix as managing director and head of sales. He was previously director of sales at ITG Derivatives. He has also been a partner and managing director at RedSky Financial, a direct market access provider acquired by ITG.
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Fidessa, the trading software vendor, has promoted Dan Smalley to head of enterprise business development in the US, Canada and Latin America.
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The Tokyo Commodity Exchange and the Singapore Commodity Exchange signed an agreement yesterday (Tuesday June 1) to cross-list key contracts, so as to promote “arbitrage opportunities and overall liquidity”.