EDI Releases Point in Time Security Reference Feed

Exchange Data International (EDI), a provider of global security corporate actions, pricing and reference data services, has released a security reference file feed called PIT (Point In Time). The feed allows clients to track, at a listing level, changes to securities coding and other key security reference data points at any point in time. The point in time’s start and end dates use public domain effective date from the event that triggered the change. This means historical reference data returned by query will represent the actual values that markets would have recorded on the specified search date.

R3 Expands Blockchain Software Engineering Team

R3, provider of Corda blockchain software and a player in capital markets, plans to double the size of its London Wall hub to accommodate its growing engineering team. The extra space will also support a hiring plan to increase the company’s global headcount from 215 to nearly 300 by the end of the year. Of this, over half of the new hires will be in the London office, with more than 40 new recruits being made in the capital. The firm’s roster of new hires will consist largely of software engineers.

NIBC Bank Migrates to Torstone Post-trade Platform

Netherlands-based NIBC Bank has completed migration to Torstone Technology’s Inferno post-trade processing platform. Inferno was selected to replace NIBC’s legacy systems as the bank rationalises its operations to drive efficiencies across the wider business. Consolidating processes on Torstone’s SaaS platform will also enable NIBC to benefit from Torstone’s service model, resulting in reduced total cost of ownership. The implementation project began in January 2019, with the bank’s equities and fixed income processes migrating to Torstone’s platform in six months.

SIX Releases Marijuana Related Data Service

SIX has introduced a service covering over 30,000 securities connected with Marijuana Related Businesses (MRBs). The service reflects the changing legal landscape around marijuana. In the US, marijuana has been legalised in some states, but is criminal at federal level. As a result, in some states MRBs can raise money via capital markets, enabling investors to access MRB linked securities. Some countries in Europe consider investing in MRBs as money laundering. MRB Securities service, built on the same model as the SIX Sanctioned Securities Monitoring Service, identifies and lists securities that are directly or indirectly issued by listed MRB entities.

ISDA Selects Bloomberg for Fallback Adjustments

The International Swaps and Derivatives Association has selected Bloomberg Index Services to calculate and publish adjustments related to fallbacks that ISDA intends to implement for certain interest rate benchmarks in its 2006 ISDA Definitions. The adjustments reflect the fact that interbank offered rates (IBORs) are available in multiple tenors, while risk-free rates (RFRs) identified as fallbacks are overnight rates. The IBORs also incorporate a bank credit risk premium, while RFRs do not. The adjustments will be published after methodologies based on industry consultation are finalised. ISDA expects the fallbacks to take effect in early 2020.

Moody’s Acquires Climate Data Specialist

Moody’s Corporation has acquired a majority stake in Berkeley, CA-based Four Twenty Seven, a provider of provider of data, intelligence, and analysis related to physical climate risks, as part of its wider strategy to develop transparent and consistent standards for evaluating ESG risk. The new acquisition will operate under its existing brand as an affiliate of Moody’s Investors Service. The deal follows Moody’s recent acquisition of Vigeo Eiris, a provider of ESG research, data, and assessments.

Law Society Endorses Accuity AML Solutions

Accuity, a global provider of financial crime screening, payments and know your customer (KYC) solutions, has been endorsed by theLaw Society of England and Walesfor the provision of anti-money laundering (AML) solutions for the legal sector.Accuity was awarded the three-year endorsement and partnership contract for a fourth consecutive term, having worked with the Law Society to raise the standard of financial crime compliance across the legal sector since 2009. The Law Society is the professional body for 9,452 law firms and 140,000 practising solicitors in England and Wales.

Axioma Launches New Linked Models in Risk Model Machine

Enterprise risk management and regulatory reporting specialist Axioma has launched Linked Models, a new feature of its Risk Model Machine solution, offering the investment industry astreamlined view of risk across regions or sectors, with the objective of creating consistency in the risk/return profile as viewed from the front and middle offices. The solution enables managers to create a custom risk model that captures exposures from all regions or sectors, avoiding inconsistencies or skewed reporting.

Moody’s Acquires RiskFirst

Moody’s Corporation has acquired RiskFirst, a provider of risk analytic solutions for the assetmanagement and pension fund communities. The acquisition positions Moody’s Analytics to extend its range of risk solutions to the institutional buy-side.

RiskFirst’s PFaroe platform provides a risk solution for US and UK defined benefit pension markets, covering over 3,000 plans and more than $1.4 trillion in assets. RiskFirst also offers solutions for the institutional investment market, including endowments, foundations and asset managers.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. RiskFirst generated £16.5 million of revenue in 2018.

Trax to Begin SFTR Industry Testing

Trax, a subsidiary of MarketAxess, is expected to start testing a new platform in August with the ability to generate unique transaction identifiers (UTIs), required under the upcoming SFTR regulation coming into force in April 2020.