ICE Adds Weather Forecast Data to Connect Platform

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has extended provision of ESG data with the release of weather forecast data on its ICE Connect platform. ICE Connect users can connect streaming weather data to streaming tick information, making it easier to see how changing weather forecasts influence live market prices. All weather forecasts are archived and weather observations extend back 40 years for all forecast variables across locations. The factors include temperature, precipitation, visibility, wind and solar radiation, all of which have potential to influence the price of energy, agriculture and other weather-sensitive instruments.

SimCorp Adds Qontigo Portfolio Optimisation to Open Platform

SimCorp has partnered Qontigo, a provider of analytics and indices and part of the Deutsche Börse Group, to offer its clients a fully managed portfolio optimisation, risk management and modelling service within SimCorp Dimension. The partnership is one of many SimCorp is making to complement its own front office suite with a choice of tools for alpha generation and decision making. It is also part of SimCorp’s Open Platform that hosts numerous solutions and offers managed integration and connectivity services.

SIX Digital Exchange Receives FINMA Regulatory Approval

Swiss exchange operator’s new SIX Digital Exchange (SDX), billed as the world’s first regulated digital market infrastructure, has received formal approval from FINMA, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, to operate a stock exchange and a central securities depository for digital assets in Switzerland. The FINMA authorisation will allow SDX to go live with a fully regulated, integrated trading, settlement, and custody infrastructure for digital securities, based on distributed ledger technology. This regulatory approval is the latest milestone in SDX’s plans to create a global liquidity network for digital assets for banks, issuers, insurance firms, institutional investors and other global and financial players.

Overbond Launches AI-Driven Fixed Income Model for Rich-Cheap Analysis

Fixed-income solutions vendor Overbond has launched an AI-driven rich-cheap model to its suite of fixed income analytics, designed to provide buy-side fixed income desks with a quantitative method for extracting alpha, by screening for mispriced fixed income securities. Combining both static and dynamic analysis of multiple factors with AI, Overbond’s rich-cheap model utilises mean-reversion valuation, designed to pre-identify bonds as rich ‘sell’ and cheap ‘purchase’ candidates, based on proprietary Overbond valuation metrics and AI non-linear optimization. The rich-cheap model is offered as an add-on to Overbond’s COBI-Pricing LIVE, which covers fixed income prices, liquidity scores and trading recommendations.

Fluent Trade Strengthens NAB’s Global FX Trading Capabilities

National Australia Bank has expanded its use of Fluent Trade Technologies’ multi-asset trading platform, strengthening and broadening its end-to-end global FX trading capabilities to deliver an ultra-low latency trading platform to its customers worldwide. The project has helped the bank to extend its market access, improve response times and increase fill ratios significantly. Fluent Trade says this means the bank can now price a wider range of clients more accurately, while also connecting to more venues, and extending its range of trading services.

TP ICAP’s Parameta Launches FX Evaluated Pricing Solution

Parameta Solutions, interdealer broker TP ICAP’s data and analytics business unit, has launched a new evaluated pricing solution that aims to deliver transparent and observable prices for foreign exchange derivatives securities globally, using a proprietary data model to give frequent and transparent indications. The FX Evaluated Pricing (FEP) service, which provides coverage for G10 and emerging market currency pairs and includes FX Forward instruments as well as FX volatility surfaces, aims to enable price discovery, valuation of portfolios and the meeting of regulatory reporting requirements. The launch follows the launch of TP ICAP’s Bond Evaluated Pricing in June 2020.

Etrading and ITSA Create Task Force to Discuss Digital Token Identifier Issuance Process

Etrading Software, acting as exclusive registration authority for ISO standard 24165 digital token identifiers (DTIs), and the International Token Standardization Association (ITSA), a non-profit organisation aiming at setting market standards for the global token economy, have created a joint task force to identify synergies in the issuance processes of both the DTI and the International Token Identification Number (ITIN), the technical identifier issued by ITSA for both fungible and non-fungible DLT-based cryptographic tokens. The task force was established in May and is due to run for the next six to twelve months.

A key deliverable of the task force will be to produce a set of recommendations for collaboration to the Digital Token Identifier Foundation (DTIF) and ITSA boards, including an outline implementation plan. These might include aligning DTIs and ITINs, automatic notifications between issuing authorities or white-label access and/or a federated model. In order to facilitate transparency, the task force charter, meeting agenda and minutes will be available to the public on the DTIF website.

TBC Capital Selects Sweden’s Bricknode to Power Investment Suite

Georgian investment bank TBC Capital has chosen Bricknode’s SaaS-based brokerage software to power its suite of investment capabilities. By providing scalable operational infrastructure that integrates with the customer journey and existing processes, and by using automation and flexible APIs, Bricknode will enable TBC Capital to expand its brokerage capabilities while reducing operational costs, according to the company.

SmartSearch Adds Documentation Verification Solution for AML and KYC

SmartSearch, provider of a digital verification solution for anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, has added SmartDoc, a complementary document verification system that combines facial recognition technology and expert analysis at a level similar to that of border security officials. The solution supports fraud prevention and regulatory compliance in capital markets, and also offers firms document verification as part of customer due diligence.

TriOptima Connects to Tri-Parties Through Swift

Post-trade infrastructure and risk management specialist TriOptima has integrated its triResolve portfolio reconciliation and collateral management product with the four main tri-party agents; BNY Mellon, Clearstream, Euroclear and  J.P. Morgan, providing clients with direct connectivity via Swift for sending instructions as well as receiving status messages and end-of-day reports.

With phase five of the uncleared margin rules (UMR) coming into effect in September, firms in scope will need to ensure they have the right infrastructure in place to exchange initial margin (IM) efficiently. Using the company’s Swift automation will provide triResolve clients with direct connectivity without having to build and maintain their own integration to the tri-party agents.