Buy-Side Technology/Feature
The buy side's emerging beacon - the Middle East is fast becoming one of the most prominent emerging markets for the investment management industry
While Wall Street and the City compete as the world's top financial centres, the Middle East has seen massive growth in recent years, and is becoming increasingly important to the investment management industry and the technology community that supports…
Of myths and Mifid - BST explores the myths precipitated by the European Commission’s directive
Like it or not, Mifid is coming and it is coming soon. Most people in the industry have plenty to say about the directive and no-one talks a better talk than the technology vendors touting their wares. But do not be fooled into thinking about Mifid only…
Targeting transparency - the impact Reg NMS will have on US-based buy side firms
Relying on counterparties for your own regulatory needs is not a great idea. Yet as the US financial services industry prepares for the SEC's rollout of its Regulation National Market System (Reg NMS) this year, it appears as though many buy-side firms…
No Paper Tiger - Far East markets bare their teeth
A number of US and European hedge fund managers have been burned by Asia's tiger markets, where their expectations of success based on western markets principles and technologies have simply not materialised. David Walker, consistent with experts'…
Alpha abroad – the buy-side looks to emerging markets
Buy-side firms' interest in exotic instruments has risen in recent years as their domestic equity and bond markets returns remain in the doldrums. But for some managers 'exotic' extends beyond OTC derivatives and structured products – these firms bet on…
Execution management systems – Flying under the radar
Execution management systems (EMS) are not new on the buy side by any means – first generation EMSs started appearing on the market some 18 months ago, although simple execution management applications have been available for the past decade. But this…
2007 PREVIEW: Great expectations
This year is set to be a definitive year for buy-side organisations on both sides of the Atlantic; MiFID awareness is clearly on the up as November 2007 draws inexorably closer, while the OTC credit and commodities markets still retain their lustre for…
Briefing: The data fabric weave
When it comes to designing, developing and deploying a secure and responsive enterprise data fabric, the most practical route for financial services firms to pursue is that of a low-latency infrastructure. As usual, the sell side has been the early…
An unenviable task at the best of times
For buy-side organisations, buying and implementing technologies to support their current and future business processes is a tough challenge. Not only is the buy side constantly evolving in terms of new products, regulations and investment trends, but…
Valuations Vagaries And Valuations
As increasingly complex financial instruments are brought to market, the challenges of pricing these products accurately simply isn't going away. But buy-side players, assisted by their counterparties and service providers, are making headway in over-the…
The Darwinian approach to software development
The likelihood of Charles Darwin's name ever appearing in the same sentence as sophisticated CDO software is, to say the least, remote. But that hasn't stopped a small Brighton-based firm from drawing on the ground-breaking theories of the 19th century…
There's No Place Like Home
That technology and infrastructure outsourcing has staked permanent ground on the buy side is no longer disputable. Depending on particular managers' circumstances, the business model proves either essential to keep operations viable or the best option…
Briefing: Getting to the heart of the matter
Since Q4 last year – when the well-publicised backlog in the processing of credit derivatives reached critical levels – a number of industry organisations and buy- and sell-side firms have made significant strides in addressing this issue. In a recent…
In search of greener pastures
Volatility retains an irresistible allure for hedge fund managers pursuing alpha. In recent years, energy and commodities markets have proven a dramatic case in point; recurrent factors such as geopolitical instability, disrupted or depleted supply lines…
Hot markets for energy trading and risk applications
The move by hedge funds and traditional asset managers into the energy markets is, if anything, accelerating due to continued high and volatile energy prices. This trend has forced buy-side firms to deploy the types of applications developed specifically…
One-stop trading shops: still a pipe dream?
The buzz surrounding multi-asset trading and risk platforms for buy-side firms has grown steadily louder in recent months, a seemingly natural occurrence given the eagerness of managers to diversify holdings and expand into more exotic instruments…