BST Awards 2020: Best buy-side EMS—FactSet

Speed and efficiency are always crucial attributes of an execution management system (EMS), and for FactSet, that means offering highly customizable workflows in an EMS that provides access to electronic liquidity in a single system for multiple asset classes. The vendor’s Portware solution wins this year’s award for best buy-side EMS, taking the title from 2019 winner, SS&C Eze.

FactSet acquired Portware in 2015. “When we first evaluated the company, we realized it addresses unique trading needs in very large and complex firms, and one thing we pride ourselves on is the ability to deploy Portware in a way that is highly configurable to actual trading desks’ needs,” explains Stan Kwasniewski, senior director of front-office strategy at FactSet. Portware can be configured to each client’s unique workflow requirements to meet the demands of complex workflows for tier-one institutional clients. Its open architecture can connect to one or multiple order management systems. “So, whether it’s a very large asset owner trading in very robust volumes, in very complex ways, or a large buy-side desk, a key benefit of Portware is its configurability. We are trying to bring a configurable application to the trading environment that allows for our clients to address their complex trading needs in a streamlined manner,” Kwasniewski says.

According to Kwasniewski, FactSet is highly focused on providing multi-asset class coverage, which is why it has expanded Portware to execute trading strategies for equities, futures, options, fixed income and foreign exchange. “We are seeing the push into multi-asset-class trading in one environment, which can be equities or fixed income or FX. As the market shifts and investment shifts, they need trading platforms to cover all the assets they want to add to their investment portfolios,” he adds.