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Predators in the Pool: How Dark Pools Tackle HFT

Judgments about whether a dark pool is safe from predatory trading behavior will determine how often that pool is visited. Jake Thomases discovers that, although it is easy for operators to monitor their pool, it’s the philosophies behind filtration that…

James Rundle: Survival of the Fittest

Austerity is the key word in business and society at large. The ways in which the sell-side industry is streamlining its operations are being enabled by cutting-edge technology, though, and James believes the evolution on display is a key area of…

Michael Shashoua: The Shape of Things to Come

Global industry messaging standards organization ISITC has put itself front and center in discussions that will influence the industry’s actions on operational innovation and regulatory compliance for years to come. Michael sheds light on the details of…

Max Bowie: Don’t Be the Fool Parted from Your Money

Widespread adoption of algorithmic trading has led to belief in the infallibility of computers. But as technology once restricted to institutional trading desks filters down to retail traders, Max asks whether the sophistication of the tools available…

OMS and EMS: Peace Through Marriage

Order management systems and execution management systems are the Hatfields and the McCoys of trading software. Long have they quarreled over their relative merits. Jake Thomases examines how a push toward unification within a single architecture has…

Radio Silence: Are Exchanges Trying to Curb HFT?

As several exchanges in Europe and the US prepare to implement efficiency programs for order messaging-to-trade ratios, some in the industry are seeing this as a self-regulatory move to curb high-frequency trading ahead of statutory rulings. But is this…

OTFs' Next Move

With G20 commitments obliging regulators to regiment the trading of over-the-counter derivatives, Mifid II proposes the integration of organized trading facilities, but what impact will this have? By Steve Dew-Jones

TCA Comes to Futures and FX

Transaction-cost analysis started in equities and, for the most part, hasn’t left—until recently. For various reasons, demand among FX and futures traders for a way to measure their execution costs is growing, and vendors are responding. By Jake Thomases

Dark Forces: Off-Exchange Trading on the Rise

A growing percentage of trade volumes is moving off-exchange every year, whether it’s through broker dark pools, internalized on a firm’s own desks, or elsewhere. Along with declining liquidity in equities markets and higher trading costs, the increasing…

SEFs Through the Looking Glass

While the rules trickle in for swap execution facilities, firms are investing in connectivity and platform design in anticipation of a deeper, more liquid market. As Tim Bourgaize Murray discovers, when it comes to the nascent SEF ecosystem, the future…

Scratching the Surface of Mobile Technology

Mobile technology, while still in its nascence in the capital markets, has enjoyed significant uptake over the past 18 months as growing numbers of firms have started to roll out apps designed specifically for tablets and smartphones. But as Victor…

Funds of Hedge Funds' Last Stand?

The fund of hedge funds market has long been a manually intensive one. New regulations and strategies—and a general desire to survive—have led to a push for automation throughout the industry. By Anthony Malakian

Anthony Malakian: Undue Diligence

As scandals­ at large firms like AIJ Investment Advisors, or small firms such as Market Neutral Trading, persist, the need for operational due diligence has taken on greater importance. Technology can help, Anthony says.

Real-Time Surveillance: Mission Impossible?

European regulator ESMA wants trading venues to perform market surveillance and abuse monitoring in as close to real time as possible. But is the technology and operational capacity in place to make this initiative work? By Steve Dew-Jones