It’s been a while since I wrote about the ambitious and controversial big data, U.S. securities transaction monitoring project known as the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), which has been helping regulators FINRA and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) monitor U.S. equity and options markets, exchanges, participants, transactions, and more. CAT issues have receded as… Read More >>
A Roundup of Predictions for 2025
I’m a little late to the predictions party but please indulge me. This is a completely unscientific, random, and unusual set of predictions for this year and maybe a little beyond. I have scanned the usual suspects and unorthodox places and presented a variety of points of view while adding a few of my own…. Read More >>
Departing CFTC Chairman Urges Guardrails for Digital Assets
The incoming Trump administration will have clean slates as far as regulating U.S. securities and commodities markets as Rostin Behnam, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), announced on January 7 that he will be stepping down from his position on January 20 with his final day being Friday, February 7. Behnam was… Read More >>
Our Most Unusual Stories from 2024
Last year was a rollercoaster ride that will serve as a prelude for the adventures to come in 2025. But before the next ride, let’s step back for a moment and look at some of the downright unusual stories we covered in 2024. They deserve a second look because they ran the gamut from shocking… Read More >>
Pico & BMLL Combine Offerings to Streamline Trading
Pico, a solutions provider for low-latency trading, is partnering with BMLL, a provider of harmonized Level 3, 2, and 1 historical data and analytics, to provide access to real-time and historical data sets simultaneously, officials say. The combination of products and services will provide “a full-suite solution of historical data, backtesting, and live trading environments”… Read More >>
SS&C Launches SaaS Updates for Geneva, Eclipse & OEMS
With alternative investment firms in mind, officials say SS&C Technologies is offering a variety of new features and functions via updated software-as-a-service (Saas) releases of the Geneva, Eclipse, and OEMS products and services platforms. “We tailor our releases to the global marketplace. The recent advancements in our alternatives solutions illustrate our commitment to them to… Read More >>
Geopolitical Woes Are Top Systemic Risk Concerns: Survey
A little more than half of survey respondents — 55 percent — say that they “believe there is high or very high chance” that there will be “a high-impact systemic event” in 2025, and 84 percent express concern that a geopolitical event could impact financial services during the coming year. These findings are from the… Read More >>
Financial Information Inc. Unveils North American IPO Service
Financial Information Inc. (FII), a provider of corporate action data and historical reference services, has unveiled its North American Exchange Initial Public Offering (IPO) Service. Aimed at investment firms, financial institutions, and consultancies operating in U.S. markets, the service is intended to streamline IPO processes on North American exchanges by collating comprehensive data and insights… Read More >>
Are Transfer Agents Worthy of New Respect?
Is the funds industry on the verge of giving transfer agents new respect especially as these entities adjust to digital transformation and digital assets, which serve as gateways to global expansion? This is one of the arguments in a new white paper “Thinking Local, Winning Global: Transfer Agency as a Strategic Advantage,” from SS&C Technologies,… Read More >>
Trump’s SEC May Be Less Aggressive On Fines
(The Trump team is moving fast to get its cabinet nominees in order and Paul Atkins, a former SEC commissioner under President George W. Bush, has been tapped to head the SEC. If Atkins wins the approval of the U.S. Senate, he will succeed Gary Gensler who steps down on Inauguration Day. FTF News asked… Read More >>
