Goldman’s Blankfein Praises Mark to Market Accounting as Early Warning Signal
Despite the market’s apparent aversion to mark to market accounting, Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, this week spoke about the benefits of the rules, which he said could have provided an “early warning” of the financial crisis. Speaking at the annual International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) conference in Tel Aviv, Blankfein said the...
Numerix Opens Middle East and Africa Office in Dubai, Orchard to Head
Numerix has opened a new regional office in Dubai as a satellite of the EMEA group, which is based in London. The office will be managed by Neil Orchard, vice president, who is responsible for the region. The opening of the office in Dubai is to provide permanent local support for the vendor’s clientele. “While...
Numerix Launches New Version of Cross Asset Analytics Libraries and Excel Add-ins
Numerix has launched a new version of its cross asset analytics libraries and Excel add-ins, which includes a new commodities module. Numerix 7.5’s new commodities module allows for the pricing, valuation and risk analysis of commodity futures, swaps, and options, both single-name and basket trades, says the valuations solution vendor. Steven O’Hanlon, president and COO...
DTCC Calls for Single Trade Repository for OTC Derivatives Contracts
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has called for maintaining a single trade repository for OTC derivatives contracts during testimony before a subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee. Larry Thompson, DTCC general counsel, said: “We are concerned that some in the OTC derivatives market may assume once a trade guarantee is provided through...
LaBranche Structured Products Opts for GFI’s Fenics FX Pricing and Analysis
New York’s LaBranche Structured Products has licensed Fenics FX Pricing and Analysis from GFI Group for use on its FX option desk. Andrew Dexter, head of FX Options at LaBranche, says: “We evaluated multiple systems for FX Options pricing, risk management, and transaction processing and believe that Fenics is the best system available for us....
Pricing Partners, Lunalogic and Prime Source to Host Valuations Conference in Paris
Valuations vendors Pricing Partners and Prime Source and consultancy firm Lunalogic are organising a conference on valuation and transparency in financial markets in Paris on 18 June. The conference will include roundtables and take place between 6pm and 8.15pm at the NYSE Euronext auditorium. After an introductory speech by Marc Litzler, former head of Calyon,...
Interactive Data’s Marsh Promotes Vendor Contribution to Entity Identification
Swift may be keen for a utility approach towards business entity identification (BEI), but the vendor community is not out of the picture just yet. Reference Data Review speaks to Darren Marsh, business manager of risk management and compliance services for Interactive Data in Europe, about his own firm’s endeavours in this area and the...
Entity Identification Should be Remit of Utility Rather Than Vendors, Says Swift’s Vandenreydt
Despite Swift’s confirmation last year that it would not be extending its remit in the business entity identification (BEI) space beyond the firms (both financial and non-financial) on its network in the short term, the idea is not off the cards completely for the future. Fabian Vandenreydt, head of broker-dealers, buy side and pre-settlement programmes,...
Pricing Partners Opts for Thomson Reuters DataScope to Feed its Valuation Platform
Valuations vendor Pricing Partners has selected Thomson Reuters’ DataScope to provide it with market data to calculate independent valuations using its proprietary pricing model, Price-it. Eric Benhamou, CEO of Pricing Partners, explains that it selected the Thomson Reuters offering because of its asset coverage and reliability. “As our customers expand into new markets and geographies...
Bravura Joins Fincad Alliance Programme to Embed Analytics into Garradin
Wealth management solution vendor Bravura Solutions has signed up to the Fincad Alliance Programme in order to allow it to embed Fincad’s analytics library into its Garradin investment management system. The vendor hopes that this will provide additional pricing and risk analysis capability, especially with regards to meeting buy side clients’ transparency requirements. “Garradin clients...