Waters
China Opens Up Capital Markets with Hong Kong Connection
With the impending launch of the Shanghai–Hong Kong Stock Connect program, China has begun allowing foreign investment into its capital markets to an unprecedented degree. But what does this mean for institutional investment firms, and are there still…
Sibos 2014: SmartStream CEO on Data and Transaction Management
Philippe Chamabdal, CEO of SmartStream, speaks about the company's data and transaction lifecycle management offerings at Sibos 2014 in Boston
Guggenheim's Joseph Lodato Pulls Tech, Compliance Together
Anthony Malakian sits down with Joseph Lodato, chief compliance officer at Guggenheim Securities, to discuss the need for compliance and technology to work together in the current regulatory environment. Photos by Timothy Fadek
James Rundle: Off the Record
The willingness of the financial services industry to publicly discuss topics that were once taboo is encouraging, James says, but more needs to be done to guard against severe risks.
Tim Bourgaize Murray: Where You’re Going; Where You’ve Come From
After a summer’s worth of speaking with boutique fund executives, Tim reflects on what must be the most diverse financial services market segment, having learned that small doesn’t always mean simple.
Michael Shashoua: Simplicity and Security
As efforts to simplify and coordinate golden copy data continue, and data security directives take effect, the interdependence of data operations and data governance becomes clear. Michael looks at how changes to one aspect of data management may affect…
Max Bowie: Wherefore Art Thou, Transparency?
In the wake of the financial crisis, regulators and market participants have focused on making illiquid assets and imperfect market structures more transparent. But the market for data to support that transparency is somewhat less transparent. So if data…
October 2014: The Brutal ‘Logic’ of Consumer Behavior
What does it take for a financial technology vendor to win a contract? Victor says that sometimes it's a simple as showing up on time and meeting deadlines.
Slow Burn: SEFs Make Small Gains as US Market Adjusts to Electronic Trading
In February, it became mandatory to execute certain swap contracts on electronic platforms, introducing what should have been wholesale change to the way that trading operates in the derivatives market. Half a year on, though, evidence of a revolution in…
Unique Boutiques: Smaller Hedge Funds Demand Bespoke Tech
Boutique hedge funds are prime targets for third-party technology providers, but they have also become more complicated to win and to service, in part because their back-stories—and clients’ demands—are more diverse than ever. Tim Bourgaize Murray speaks…
T+2: Catalyst for Change
The move to a shortened settlement period from three days to two, commonly referred to as T+2, is set to shake up the European buy-side community when it comes into force on October 6. Marina Daras looks at the impact T+2 could have on transaction…
Slow Budget Growth Prompts New Spending Strategies
Anemic technology budget growth—a large portion of which is tied up in compliance—means firms are looking to make the most of the money they do have to spend on IT. Strategies for stretching the available dollars include restructuring budgets and…
Market Surveillance Special Report
August 2014 ─ sponsored by Nasdaq OMX and Nice Actimize.
What Fintech’s Women Want
Tim reflects on an important but somehow still under-scrutinized problem discussed by this month’s Waters profile subject Dayna Corlito. When it comes to women in financial technology leadership, how can the industry change one reality, while facing up…
Corlito's Way: BTG Pactual COO Dayna Corlito
Thousands of miles from Copacabana Beach, BTG Pactual is doing things a once-small banking partnership from an emerging market shouldn’t be able to—managing a diverse group of admired hedge funds. Yes, the firm’s successful foray into asset management…
Michael Shashoua: Figures, Guts and Glory
Diving deep into fantasy football yields insights on the need to balance strict adherence to quantitative data with room for interpretation and inclusion of qualitative information. Michael shares some examples from the football world and how they apply…
Max Bowie: Are You Getting the Message?
Instant messaging conversations to share information and negotiate trades are a staple of the modern trader’s workflow. But with recent events leaving market participants wary of messaging platforms, Max wonders whether firms examining new initiatives,…
James Rundle: Reporting for Duty
While Europe is forging ahead with its new reporting requirements, James says that problems with the basic elements are rendering it unfit for purpose.
September 2014: Change Is the Only Constant
Machine learning and artificial intelligences are reshaping algorithms into adaptive programs that can adjust on the fly, which Victor says could end up all but eradicating losses.
Dark Pools in the Firing Line
As the New York attorney general, the SEC and Finra set their sights on dark pool trading, larger market structure issues are coming to the fore that will force institutional traders to reexamine how they seek out liquidity. By Anthony Malakian
Firms Eye Disaster Recovery Amid Increasingly Interconnected Markets
After the recent cyber-attack against the European Central Bank, the financial industry is taking another look at business continuity and resilience. As the marketplace grows in complexity and participants become increasingly interconnected, disaster…
Ghost in the Shell: AI Expands Beyond Algos
As market movements become faster and more complex, it is impossible for humans to react quickly enough to those changes, requiring machines to step in. Now, artificial intelligence is extending its reach beyond algorithms, permeating other aspects of…
Performance Measurement: The Devil’s in the Data
Performance measurement has always been one of the most crucial business processes that all buy-side firms need to manage, irrespective of their investment strategies and the complexity of their operating models. Victor Anderson recently caught up with…
James Rundle: Rise of the Machines
While it’s popular to think of artificial intelligence as the harbinger of doom for humanity, James says AI has definite, critical applications for modern financial technology.