Wednesday, January 25, 2012

News 120120: NYSE DB sunk, Japan PTS 5%, Purematch, RBS, Penson Aust....Costa Concordia, Otago Rail Trail trail!





This week-end it’s back into the lovely, lovely ocean.
WooHoo...

36th Warriewood to Mona Vale Ocean Swim


Mind you, those sharkies appear to be getting a bit nippy...
...But fatal attacks are rare in Australia, with just 27 people killed in the past 22 years.

I spent most of last week doing a father and son bike ride which had kindly been organised by my son’s school.
Son number 1 was one of only 3 boys in his year to undertake and complete the challenge.
We did some extra rides off the trail too, that were also quite challenging.
It was great to see the overall improvement in riding skills, amongst so many other things, during the shared ride.
I can only recommend NZ. Great countryside, great people and for a small country, some of their infrastructure has been planned and executed on a heroic scale. Respect.

The Otago Rail Trail...
Canal Ride:
River Ride:
Rail Trail, Clyde to Alexandra:
Rail Trail, Alexandra to Lauder:
Rail Trail, Lauder to Ranfurly:
Rail Trail, Ranfurly to Middlemarch:
Coast Road:

The other thing I’ve done this week is some blog house keeping.
That said, if I don’t have an up to date email address for you please let me know.
I do (eventually!) post all emails at http://clearingandsettlement.blogspot.com  ... the whole point is having somewhere to search these stories!

...I feel a one sided ocean cruise ship theme coming on....

NYSE Euronext / Deutsche Bourse deal to get scuppered in EU.
Canada’s Alpha lists a bit.
Japan could open the flood gates for PTSs
The CXA story interested me...as much for the comment that ASX Purematch has yet to take on any water (liquidity).
SIX Swiss exchange have problems on the bridge.
Pipeline...sunk in favour of Aritas

Rant 1: I think it’s pretty irresponsible (or ignorant) of the financial media to report on middle eastern web site attacks. Who cares? Surely this just throws fuel onto an irrelevant fire? Trading platform outages, yes, that’s got the potential to be material...a web site down for a bit? Please. This is useless reporting. Grrr

Rant 2: On clearing I should be ranting about the new interoperability regime.
I did start reading some of the trade comments but yet again there is a failure of complete disclosure.
For example, Andrew Bowley fails to disclose he is a NED at EuroCCP....so it would be hard for him to advocate clearing anywhere else. I still feel competitive clearing in Europe is still vested interests and not about competition.

The good news is, the World Bank appears to have picked the bottom of the market (a la Costa Concordia!)
RBS scuttles equity business line.
BNY re-floats Penson

In Manchester, it looks like crime does pay, but they need to do more cost benefit analysis.
I like the Plastic Jungle exchange concept.

Well, enough from me.

As a modeller in my boyhood this one appealed to me:
A boy goes into his local toy shop and asks if they stock any Italian Cruise Liner models.
“Yes” says the shop keeper.
“Would you like me to put it on one side?”

Have a great week-end all.

S



Platforms

EU ANTI-CHIEFS PREPARE TO TORPEDO DEUTSCHE BÖRSE/NYSE MERGER
Anti-trust officials in the EU are prepared to block the proposed mega-merger between Deutsche Börse and the New York Stock Exchange over fears that the deal would stifle competition in the derivatives markets.

BLOOMBERG: TMX Group Gains Share of Canada Trading as Alpha Declines
TMX Group Inc. (X) extended its control of the Canadian market for equities trading in December after taking market share from bank-owned Alpha Group and other alternative trading platforms.
TMX, the Toronto Stock Exchange owner that’s facing a C$3.73 billion ($3.66 billion) takeover bid from a group of Canadian banks and pension funds, had 71 percent of the market across its three venues last month, up from 65 percent in November, according to monthly statistics from the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

BLOOMBERG: Japanese Regulator May Lower Barriers to Alternative Trading
“The FSA are rightly thinking about liquidity from the perspective of the end-investor,” said Jessica Morrison, head of Asia Pacific market structure for Deutsche Bank in Hong Kong. “Making liquidity on alternate venues sufficiently accessible to all market participants, in order to provide best execution, is an important and worthwhile priority to pursue.”
Regulatory impediments are hampering growth on Japan’s newer venues, Morrison said. For example, investors are required to make a takeover bid if they acquire more than 5 percent of a company through off-exchange transactions with more than 10 shareholders, she said. No such rule exists for shares bought on the main bourses.
“If you wanted to put PTS on equal footing with the exchanges, you’d have to get rid of the 5 percent rule,” Sadakazu Osaki, head of research at Nomura Research Institute Ltd

Chi-X determined to make inroads
Attempting to head off the new competition, the ASX in November unveiled a similar low-cost trading platform, PureMatch. It has had little success so far, attracting no volume since it launched. An ASX spokeswoman said volume was not expected until later in the year, after its new data centre was operating and it had more time to better target brokers.

VEGA-CHI SETS 7 FEBRUARY LAUNCH DATE FOR BOND TRADING MTF

NZX COMPLETES SALE OF CARBON REGISTRY TO MARKIT

 

ASX technology chief steps down

The ASX said today group executive for technology Jeff Olsson “has decided to leave” the company, with his departure date set for July.
"Unfortunately, you don't always make the right decisions over the course of time, so you can get burdened with some bad decisions or technology that was good at the time but has now aged," Mr Fowler said.
"That's not a reflection upon the current CTO -- it's just a question of scale and age. I have some sympathy for them."

SIX SWISS EXCHANGE GLITCH DELAYS TRADING SIX Swiss Exchange has been forced to delay the start of trading by three hours because of a "technical problem".

HKEx and CFFEX (China Financial Futures Exchange) sign MOU

Market Statistics 2011

ISRAELI HACKERS TARGET ARAB STOCK EXCHANGE SITES AS CYBERWAR ESCALATES
Israeli hackers have targeted the Web sites of stock exchanges in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in retaliation for an attack earlier this week on the Tel Aviv bourse.

CABLE&WIRELESS AND EQUINIX TEAM ON CLOUD-BASED SERVICES

ERIS EXCHANGE TO DISTRIBUTE MARKET DATA THROUGH CME

FOLLOWING SCANDAL, PIPELINE TRADING SYSTEMS CHANGES NAME TO ARITAS SECURITIES http://www.finextra.com/news/announcement.aspx?pressreleaseid=42720


CLEARING

ISDA SETS OUT GOALS FOR INDUSTRY CLEARING COMMITTEE

FSB ESTABLISHES LEI AND CCP WORKING GROUPS The BIS-backed Financial Stability Board has set up a working group to deliver concrete recommendations on governance issues relating to the management of new Legal Entity Identifiers (LEI) in the global securities markets.

Interoperable MTFs primed for market share growth

OTC clearing - margin methodologies

two articles that may be useful in understanding the technical aspects of clearing CDS and IRS. One-time registration required for access.
CDS clearing at ICE
http://www.futuresindustry-digital.com/futuresindustry/201111#pg33
IRS clearing at LCH.Clearnet
http://www.futuresindustry-digital.com/futuresindustry/201111#pg36
*** Thanks to Will Acworth on LinkedIn

CLS APPOINTS FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS



POLICY

NYSE EURONEXT LAUNCHES EU REGULATORY POLICY WEB SITE

I think this is the web site...that’s not mentioned in the press release???


REGULATORS DEMAND ACTION ON LEGAL ENTITY IDENTIFIERS
International regulatory authorities have called for the urgent creation of a universal Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) in their final report on the OTC derivatives data that should be collected, stored and disseminated by trade repositories (TRs).

World Bank Global Economic Prospects
Developing countries should prepare for further downside risks, as Euro Area debt problems and weakening growth in several big emerging economies are dimming global growth prospects, says the World Bank in the newly-released Global Economic Prospects (GEP)


PARTICIPANTS

Royal Bank Of Scotland Reorganisation - Full Statement

We are considering sale or closure options for our cash equities, corporate broking, equity capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions businesses which had income of c£220 million in the nine months to September 2011 and are currently unprofitable. We are in discussions with a number of potential buyers though there is no assurance of a sale concluding. We took this decision because we want to prioritise our resources on those businesses where we are best with customers and can operate most profitably for shareholders.


J.P. Morgan WSS posts $971 million revenue in Q4 2011
J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services (WSS) net revenue was $971 million, an increase of 1 per cent compared with the year previous

BNY Mellon to snap up Penson's Australian ops
Penson Worldwide has announced the sale of its Australian subsidiary to BNY Mellon for some $32 million

LIME BROKERAGE BOASTS NANOSECOND LATENCY FOR PRE-TRADE RISK MANAGEMENT


Stuff

THIEVES DIG 100FT TUNNEL TO STEAL ATM CASH Thieves in Manchester spent six months digging a 100-foot tunnel to reach a cash machine but made off with a paltry £6000 for their troubles.

CITI INVESTS IN GIFT CARD EXCHANGE PLASTIC JUNGLE Banking giant Citi has used its investment arm to take a strategic stake in Plastic Jungle, an online exchange for gift cards. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.


We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them."
--Seneca, Roman philosopher, statesman and playwright
Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams."
--Og Mandino, American author

Monday, January 23, 2012

News: Demographics, Interoperability, Margining, G-SIFIs....and off to the shakey Isles.




Demographics and share prices
This chart shows the price earnings earnings ratio of shares and the ratio of middle aged to old aged people – old people sell shares, middle aged people buy them. As the number of old people rises, the valuation of shares fall – and that’s what lies ahead of us.


HNY everyone!

Time to dash to NZ and Ch. Ch.
We’re (father and son) off for a bike ride, the Otago rail trail.
This site shows 126 quakes in the past week.

A lot of people have gone for forecasts for 2012:

What will the world be like in 2012?


I think we’ll see further industry consolidation, but I also think we’ll see the industry groaning and creaking with the winds of change. Primarily though regulatory reform with some less enduring reforms being those simply inspired by political grandstanding or some flash in the pan shareholder activism (once healthy dividends resume, all sins of excess will be forgotten).

I also think we’ll see a sideways year for equities and commodities (caveat China). Residential real estate will also trend sideways but there will be opportunities for those getting set in commercial real estate for the recovery. The great deleveraging will continue....and inflation is coming.

Ohh, and the Euro will be OK. There will be no break up and the ECB will issue some Euro bonds.
That said, I thought the Jean-Claude Trichet piece outlining his call for a federalised Europe was particularly poor. It reads more like a call to arms than a reasoned basis for policy and financial integration.

I think the wind is out of the sails of the NYSE / DB deal.
EMCF publish new rules relating to interoperability.
Meanwhile in Aust we move closer to margining equities in 2012.
I think the SEC has taken the side of inertia and indifference with the Lehman / Barclays position.
A link to the G-SIFIs and an interesting unintended consequence....the too big to fail brand means the tax payer guarantee is implied anyway.

Marsal takes 500myn in fees to manage bankruptcy. Bleurrrgh. Tell that to the face of a creditor.

Have a happy, healthy and fun new year.

S



Trading

AMSTERDAM -(Dow Jones)- The Dutch government is threatening to block a possible sale of the derivative business in Amsterdam, The Dutch government is concerned that a sale of the business could hurt the position of the Netherlands as a financial hub,

In a regulatory filing, Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext said they have decided to push back the deadline for completing their merger until March 31.

NYSE shareholders lose enthusiasm for Deutsche Boerse deal
Prospects for the proposed merger of Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext continue to dim as regulatory negotiations continue. Some NYSE Euronext shareholders are losing interest or becoming increasingly pessimistic that the deal won't be approved. "The smoke signals are reasonably obvious at this point that this deal will not happen," said Brian Barish, president and chief investment officer of Cambiar Investors, the 10th-biggest shareholder of NYSE Euronext.

BATS Global Markets has set April 30 as the date when Chi-X Europe will begin operating live on BATS technology. Separate order books though will be kept for Chi-X Europe and BATS Europe.

Direct Edge Adds a Pricing Tier, Lowers 2 Rebates
Direct Edge said it plans to start a new tier of pricing, while maintaining the top rate on a tier that rewards active market participants. The operator of two national exchanges also plans to lower rebates on two tiers.
LSE might start trade-data service for OTC derivatives
The London Stock Exchange is considering expanding its trade-data service to include over-the-counter derivatives. "We are in very early discussions with UK regulators about the possibility of using the UnaVista TRS as a registered trade repository for OTC derivatives," said Mark Husler, head of business development in the exchange's data division. Reuters (15 Dec.)


Clearing

EMCF Interoperability Rule Changes
EMCF updated Clearing Rulebook (interoperability)
EMCF Interoperability Fund

LCH.Clearnet Interoperability FAQ

ASX Equities Margining: Q2, ’12 Margin reports, Q4, ’12 EoD margin calls, Q1, ’13 Intraday margining.
Derivatives Notices: ATTACHMENT A TO CLM139/11: CASH MARKET MARGINING PROJECT - DECEMBER 2011 MARKET COMMUNICATION
CHESS Bulletins: BATCH SETTLEMENT - PARTIAL WAIVER OF ASX SETTLEMENT OPERATING RULE 10.4.5


Policy

Jean-Claude Trichet, the former ECB President, has just published an op-ed outlining his call for a federalised Europe
A centralized Europe is a globalized Europe

NYSE Euronext sub-penny proposal proves controversial
NYSE Euronext has proposed allowing its members to quote in sub-pennies. Some industry insiders want NYSE to slow the plan. SIFMA told the Securities and Exchange Commission that it raised "significant market structure implications that require additional time to be considered."

Specifically, the NYSE will be providing selective access via a RLI, a flag that indicates that a better price exists on the exchange, which will be distributed through proprietary market data feeds and not through the Consolidated Quote Stream.  Market participants that do not pay for this proprietary data feed, which often may be smaller firms, will not have access to this liquidity information.  Also, even if market participants can access the proprietary data feeds, they will be unable to access the quote unless they can
attest that the request is to fill an order for a retail customer.  This requirement thus precludes institutional investors from accessing that quote.  SIFMA believes that this Program therefore raises selective access concerns and appears to run contrary to the mandate in Regulation NMS for open, non-discriminatory access to quotes.

SEC sides with Lehman in dispute with Barclays
Lehman Brothers Holdings won support from the Securities and Exchange Commission in its asset dispute with Barclays. The agency said Lehman doesn't have enough money to repay customers, and that Barclays has a conditional claim on money held in reserve. "The commission wishes to ensure that assets held in the special reserve bank account for the exclusive benefit of customers, as well as other assets required to be held for the benefit of customers, are properly administered in the event a broker-dealer is liquidated," the SEC said.

Financial Stability Board: Policy Measures to Address Systemically Important Financial Institutions
G-SIFIs list
...And Capital surcharge requirements...

Commentary: G-SIFI designation might be backfiring
Global regulators are implementing rules to battle the concept that some financial institutions have become too big to fail, but those rules appear poised to backfire, CNBC.com Senior Editor John Carney writes. From "what I'm hearing from people at smaller Wall Street firms, [systemically important financial institution] is already becoming a code word for 'ultra-safe counterparty' against whom minimal collateral requirements may be charged", Carney writes. CNBC/NetNet blog (21 Dec.)

SIFMA seeks to broaden discussion of high-frequency trading
SIFMA today will release a white paper that calls for more discussion about high-frequency trading and how it affects the broader market structure and other investing. The paper also notes that high-frequency trading has yet to be accurately defined. "It's a characterization that's undefined," said Randy Snook, executive vice president at SIFMA. "We think there are a range of computer-based trading strategies and our objective with this paper is to focus on behaviors that are disruptive, and not necessarily focus on the speed of trading." SIFMA SmartBrief readers can get their first look at SIFMA's statement and white paper.


Participants

Lehman Pays Marsal Firm Almost $500 Million to Manage Bankruptcy
BusinessWeek
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. has paid almost half a billion dollars in fees to restructuring firm Alvarez & Marsal LLC during its bankruptcy, according to a court filing.
Lehman, which has spent more than $1.5 billion on fees since filing the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history in September 2008
Marsal, who bills Lehman hourly, has said he will start distributing some cash to the defunct firm’s creditors by next year, more than three years after the bankruptcy filing. He has court approval for a $65 billion liquidation plan that would pay the average Lehman creditor less than 18 cents on the dollar in the next few years, according to court papers
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-27/lehman-pays-marsal-firm-almost-500-million-to-manage-bankruptcy.html


JPMorgan leads ranking of global investment banks
JPMorgan Chase collected 8.1% of the $68 billion in total revenue of investment banks around the world this year, according to Dealogic. Bank of America Merrill Lynch's share was 7.4% and Goldman Sachs Group had 5.8%. Meanwhile, Freeman & Co., a New York-based research firm, said that as of Dec. 19, the global, year-to-date investment banking fee pool was $78.6 billion. Bloomberg (12/20)

The mysterious millionaires factory

Macquarie is a global financial services company with over 15,000 employers, just over half of whom are based outside Australia.  It acts primarily as an intermediary for institutional, corporate and retail clients around the world, with a particularly strong presence in the Asia-Pacific region.  Macquarie services include (but are not limited to)


Stuff

How Australia (or Western Australia at least) digs itself out of a GFC.

Create & Collaborate

"If you're unhappy, nine times out of ten it's because you're clinging onto something.
Nine times out of ten, happiness and letting go are synonymous."

Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world."
--George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too.”
― W.H. Murray in The Scottish Himalaya Expedition, 1951

Act boldly and unseen forces will come to your aid."
--Dorothea Brande, American writer and editor

It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour."
--Charles Dickens, British author

I think making mistakes and discovering them for yourself is of great value, but to have someone else to point out your mistakes is a shortcut of the process."
--Shelby Foote, American historian and novelist

Ability will never catch up with the demand for it."
--Confucius, Chinese philosopher