The German buy side is advocating for the earlier adoption of shorter T+1 settlement, amid growing calls for harmonization with the U.K. and Switzerland. The German Investment Funds Association (BVI), which represents 115 fund companies and asset managers with €4 trillion ($4.4 trillion) in assets under management (AUM), is pushing for the European Union to… Read More >>
Vistra Bolsters Fund Admin Services via Acquisition
Professional services provider Vistra has completed its acquisition of the fund administration and transfer agency business of Phoenix American Financial Services, Inc., officials say. The acquisition did not include Phoenix American’s aviation services business. “This transaction will expand Vistra’s presence and capabilities in the business-critical U.S. market, allowing it to provide deeper and broader end-to-end… Read More >>
Johnson Associates Projects Bonuses Up for Most Sectors
Recent market swings, jitters, and recession fears aside, bonuses may wind up higher for most Wall Street sectors after two years of steady declines, says Johnson Associates, Inc., a strategic compensation solutions provider based in New York City. The company is projecting “year-end incentives to be higher across almost all sectors” in its “Financial Services… Read More >>
Rathbones Group Deploys Xplan from Iress
The London-based Rathbones Group is live on the Xplan advice software from financial technology provider Iress to support Rathbones’ financial planning business, officials say. Financial services firm Rathbones provides individual wealth management, asset management and related services to private clients, charities, trustees and professional partners, officials say. “Xplan will also be the financial planning platform… Read More >>
SEC Kicks Off a T+1 Compliance Sweep
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has begun detailed examinations of industry participants to ensure compliance with its new T+1 trade settlement and recordkeeping requirements. Both investment advisors and broker-dealers are being audited to provide information on their policies, procedures, and records related to trade allocation, confirmation, and affirmation processes to the SEC’s Division… Read More >>
Cantor Fitzgerald Dives Into Bitcoin Financing
Inter-dealer broker Cantor Fitzgerald has plans to launch a Bitcoin financing business in an effort to help investors leverage their Bitcoin. “The firm will launch with $2 billion in initial financing and will continue to substantially grow the operation,” according to the initial announcement. “To launch the effort, Cantor Fitzgerald will partner with select Bitcoin… Read More >>
FINRA Explores Remote Inspections via Pilot Program
Nearly one-quarter or 22 percent of FINRA member firms have volunteered to participate in a pilot program that would allow them to complete their inspection obligations “without an on-site visit” from a FINRA official, according to the self-regulatory organization (SRO) for U.S. broker-dealers. FINRA notes that 741 firms are participating in the initial pilot, and… Read More >>
Gresham CEO Provides an Update on the Merger
(Gresham Technologies has merged with Alveo, a market data integration and analytics solutions provider, via a transaction led by Alveo’s majority owner private equity firm STG Partners. Before the merger, STG Partners and Alliance Bidco took Gresham Technologies plc private in April via a transaction that valued Gresham at approximately £146.7 million ($190.7 million). The… Read More >>
FIA Updates Best Practices for Credit Risk Mitigation
Post-trade controls, monitoring, and data collection are essential to mitigate the risk involved in the automation of exchange-traded futures, options, and centrally cleared derivatives. With the help of updated best practices, these controls can work well in conjunction with pre-trade controls to prevent credit events or unintended transactions. So says the Futures Industry Association (FIA)… Read More >>
Franklin Templeton to Deploy BlackRock’s Aladdin
Asset manager Franklin Templeton will be deploying the Aladdin platform from BlackRock to unify its investment management IT infrastructures across public market asset classes, officials say. The Aladdin portfolio management software offers investment firms “a way to view and manage daily investments,” according to BlackRock. “Aladdin is a comprehensive technology solution that supports the entire… Read More >>