Theo Normanton
Theo is a reporter for WatersTechnology, based in our London newsroom. He was previously a Moscow correspondent for business newspaper bne IntelliNews, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Russian with French from the University of Cambridge. His email is theo.normanton@infopro-digital.com.
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Articles by Theo Normanton
Blood, sweat, and tiers: how the SEC’s exchange rebates proposal could reshape US equities markets
The proposal to overhaul volume-based rebates for agency brokers may create significant shifts in liquidity, order routing, and competition. And industry practitioners are split on whether it’s for better or for worse.
MarketAxess sees returns from new trading tools
Recently added portfolio trading, automation, and algo offerings drove the vendor’s revenue growth in Q4 2023.
‘When, not if’: EU plots course for T+1 transition
Not everyone saw eye to eye at a European Commission roundtable discussing how to shorten settlement cycles, but most participants recognized the need to make the transition to T+1.
Domain-specific AI: the hot topic of 2024?
Generative AI is increasingly being applied to specific domains within finance. But experts are divided on whether targeted models will take over from their general-purpose cousins.
Politics, public opinion collide in EC identifier consultation
The European Commission has said neither the Isin nor the UPI is ‘suitable’ for price transparency, and proposed modified alternatives in an industry consultation.
BlackRock developing AI copilots for Aladdin
The world's largest asset manager hints at new AI assistants for investment management clients.
Bloomberg’s Figi extends crypto inroads
In partnership with data provider Kaiko, Bloomberg has rolled out identifiers for almost 8,000 crypto assets as institutions increasingly look for structure and uniformity in a maturing sector.
One step forward, two steps back—European regulation grapples with the same old problems
Stop me if you've heard this one before...
UK pushes financial firms to adopt privacy-enhancing technologies
Lawmakers and vendors are set to usher in an era of mutualized data insights. Are banks ready?
Waters Wavelength Podcast: Episode 276 (Dos and don’ts for PR People, Part Four)
The team in London, plus Shen, gives an update on the rules all media relations teams should follow.
ECB’s Lagarde sets out vision for integrated European capital market
The president of the European Central Bank argues for a more ambitious, top-down approach to the capital markets union.
Settlement ‘instructions’: Firms look to US for guidance as Europe braces for T+1
Operations professionals in Europe look across the pond for lessons in managing shorter settlement cycles.
Isda doubles down on digital push with new tech team
The new division is tasked with identifying new areas for standardization.
Traders, vendors seek to modernize chronically underinvested FX tech
The average FX professional uses eight applications at any one time. But integrating the FX workflow is a daunting task.
New crypto Isins seen as ‘really important’ step for TradFi adoption
Execs at TP Icap and Societe Generale say the identifier removes a major barrier for crypto acceptance.
Tradeweb turns attention to automating larger trades in credit
CEO: “In 2023, as we’re entering 2024, there are still clients that pick up the phone and do trades like it’s 1994.”
BlackRock forecasts return to fixed income amid efforts to electronify market
The world's largest asset manager expects bond markets to make headway once rates settle.
Waters Wavelength Podcast: Navigating the buy vs. build debate
Adaptive Financial Consulting’s Matt Barrett joins the podcast to discuss how firms decide to build or buy.
Europe’s AI Act is taking shape. How will the UK respond?
As the EU pushes through a historic AI Act, its neighbor is left wondering how to keep up.
The consolidated tapes are taking shape—but what shape exactly?
With political appetite established on both sides of the Channel, attention is turning to the technical details.
Integration looms large for buy-side firms deciding on whether to buy or build
As high-speed trading systems become par for the course, asset managers turn their focus to integration capabilities, according to a new study.
Locking down the lifecycle: Trading Technologies turns to analytics and TCA in latest acquisition
The tech provider gains TCA, analytics, and algo optimization tools as established vendors vie to build more comprehensive platforms.
Can FIX fix patchy exchange outage communications?
A FIX working group is hoping to standardize the way that venues communicate with the sell side when markets fail.
Terminal velocity: MarketAxess bets on algo trading as electronification of fixed income gathers speed
MarketAxess hopes to bring fresh ideas from other asset classes with acquisition of multi-asset algorithm provider Pragma.