Distributed ledger technology (DLT), a.k.a. blockchains, integrated with securities operations appears to be hitting its stride as global investment banks have revealed in a new survey that they want “effective integration” of DLT as a top operations and IT priority over the next three years. The new finding is part of the 2023 annual Future… Read More >>
DTCC APIs Offer Direct Access to SSIs & Other News
DTCC ALERT Also Has an SSI Milestone Post-trade market infrastructure provider DTCC has launched a suite of application programming interfaces (APIs) and hit a milestone with its ALERT online global database for standing settlement instructions (SSIs), officials say. The ALERT API suite offers “an alternate way to request and receive SSI and market availability… Read More >>
Securities Tainted via Sanctions Up by 262% & Other News
Sanctioned Securities Creating New Woes for ETFs Data vendor SIX reports that the “number of securities tainted by sanctions has increased by 262 percent since the Ukraine war began in February 2022,” which creates a new set of operational problems for buy and sell-side firms especially those working in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The discovery stems… Read More >>
Firms Can Consolidate Ops Silos: Q&A
(In early March, financial information provider SIX announced that its global pricing, market, and reference data can be delivered to investment accounting platform FundGuard’s investment book of record (IBOR), accounting book of record (ABOR), and net asset value (NAV) solutions. The partnership means that FundGuard has access to SIX’s end-of-day market prices, core security master… Read More >>
RJO Relaunches & Fills President’s Post
RJO Promotes Staniford to President Chicago-based R.J. O’Brien & Associates (RJO), which is generally regarded as the oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States, reports that Daniel Staniford has been named president. Staniford will “act on behalf of RJO and all of its global affiliates and related entities, including… Read More >>
Speed of Regulation Causes Tax Data Management Anxiety
Financial services firms engaged in securities transactions are falling behind in meeting tax burdens because the speed and complexity of regulatory change is causing tax data management anxieties, according to a new report from SIX Financial Information. This data disconnect is moving faster than firms can pull systems together to span the chasm, and faster… Read More >>
Firms Need Multi-Disciplinary & Complex IT Responses to Sanctions
World events are hitting home for financial services firms as the Obama and Trump administrations have been steadily issuing a growing list of complex economic sanctions against countries that have been hotspots across the globe, including Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, and Syria. These sanctions are compelling firms to formulate multi-disciplinary responses and… Read More >>
Mizuho Americas Embraces Program & Electronic Trading
Mizhuo Americas Expands Equities Platform Mizuho Americas, part of Mizuho Financial Group, reports that it will be adding to the equity offerings of its securities division via the establishment of program trading and electronic trading. In fact, Mizuho officials have appointed George Nikitiadis as the managing director, head of program trading, and Lindsey Burik as… Read More >>
SIX’s New Hub Helps Firms Re-Use Regs Data
With wealth managers, assets managers, banks and other market participants in mind, SIX Financial Information, a data and services vendor, is launching a platform that facilitates the re-use of regulatory data and documentation thus easing some regulatory burdens, according to officials at SIX. The new hub is intended to structure and exchange product data, information… Read More >>
Broadridge Applies Blockchain/DLT to Proxy Process
JPMorgan, Northern Trust & Banco Santander Aid Broadridge Pilot This is the season for blockchain/distributed ledger technology pilots as Broadridge Financial Solutions, JPMorgan, Northern Trust and Banco Santander have announced that they been working on a pilot test project that uses blockchain technology to improve “global proxy vote transparency and analytics,” officials say. The… Read More >>