FIX Protocol Includes Digital Token Identifier

The Digital Token Identifier (DTI) ISO standard has been added to the Financial Information eXchange (FIX) Protocol, the industry-standard messaging protocol for electronic communication. The addition means financial institutions will be able to use the FIX Protocol to send messages with DTIs both internally and externally.

The DTI standard is increasingly being used as it uniquely identifies digital ledgers, digital tokens and cryptocurrencies using publicly available information. It can also be used by regulators to monitor digital asset trades for anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing requirements, and for monitoring systemic risks arising from trading of global stable-coins and other digital assets. The DTI has also been recommended by ESMA as a risk management measure under the DLT Pilot regime.

ISS Finds European Corporate ESG Disclosures Soared in 2022

Environmental metrics disclosures by European companies were up 45 per cent in 2022 compared with the year before, according to a study by ISS Corporate Solutions. Social metrics disclosures were 36 per cent higher, the study found. Corporate disclosures add to the body of ESG data on which financial institutions rely to make informed sustainability and impact investments.

Meanwhile, ISS ESG, the company’s sustainable investment business, has said it will update its Environmental & Social Disclosure QualityScore scoring methodology later this year. The update will introduce 60 new scoring factors and remove 50. About 100 more will be adjusted. The reframing of the score comes changes to disclosures and materiality assessments, ISS ESG said.

Vancity Investment Management Extends Bloomberg Stack with PORT Enterprise

Vancity Investment Management, one of the first wealth management firms in Canada to focus on investments that deliver competitive returns while making a positive impact on the world, has adopted PORT Enterprise, Bloomberg’s advanced portfolio and risk analytics solution, along with Bloomberg Data License, the technology that delivers Bloomberg’s data content sets across the enterprise to further streamline its portfolio management operations.

This is the latest expansion to Vancity’s suite of Bloomberg buy-side solutions supporting the firm’s investment workflow, adding to its use of Bloomberg AIM, an order and investment management system.

Finastra Offers Clients Alternative Data from Alygne

Financial technology provider Finastra is to offer clients alternative ESG data from Alygne. London-based Finastra said the partnership with the data-scraping specialist would enable investors to manage their ESG objectives through integration with its Fusion Invest tool.

Bloomberg to Host ESG Book Data

Bloomberg is to offer ESG Book content to its customers, providing them with company-reported emissions and other climate-related data. ESG Book, which is a collaboration between data provider and asset manager Arabesque as well as a number of major banks and financial companies, covers almost 10,000 companies in its datasets.

FCA Requires IBA to Continue Publication of US Dollar LIBOR Settings Using Synthetic Methodology

Further to a November 2022 consultation, the FCA has decided to use its powers under UK Benchmarks Regulation (UK BMR) to require ICE Benchmark Administration (IBA) to continue publication of 1-, 3- and 6-month US dollar LIBOR settings using an unrepresentative synthetic methodology. The FCA will require IBA to publish these synthetic US dollar LIBOR settings for a temporary period after 30 June 2023, following the end of the US dollar LIBOR bank panel, and intends for them to cease entirely on 30 September 2024.

From 1 July 2023, all new use of synthetic US dollar LIBOR by UK supervised entities will be prohibited under the UK BMR, which the FCA notes will override the exemptions to the prohibition on the new use of US dollar LIBOR imposed by the FCA on 1 January 2022. The FCA will allow the use of the 1-, 3- and 6-month synthetic US dollar LIBOR settings by supervised entities in all legacy contracts, except for cleared derivatives.

Exchange Data International Extends Provision of Corporate Actions Data

Exchange Data International (EDI), a provider of global security corporate actions, pricing, and reference data services, has introduced UK FundsCAB Service to further extend its investment funds coverage. The service covers over 13,700 share class funds from 200 fund management companies to provide comprehensive corporate actions data. Users can access corporate actions as soon as they enter EDI’s corporate actions web-based system. EDI also publishes daily fund distributions on the UK FundsCAB service.

UK Opens Talks on Regulating ESG Ratings Providers

The UK has taken a step further along its programme of market sustainability reforms. In the Treasury’s latest update to its Green Finance Strategy, which was launched in 2019, ministers presented a consultation paper that proposes bringing ESG ratings providers under the gaze of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Further announcements indicated that nuclear power would be included in a future ESG taxonomy and that the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD) framework would be considered for inclusion in any reporting rule.

The FCA said also that it would delay until the autumn it response to a consultation into the UK’s proposed Sustainability Disclosures Requirements (SDR). The rule had been expected to come into force in June.

Snowflake Sets Up in Indonesia

Snowflake has extended its reach to Indonesia, bringing the Data Cloud to customers and partners in the country. The company expects its services to be available in the AWS Asia Pacific (Jakarta) Region in April 2023, enabling customers and partners to accelerate migration to the Data Cloud.

Linedata Opens Office in Singapore

Linedata, a global provider of credit and asset management technology, data and services, has opened a new office in Singapore, strengthening its presence in the APAC region following an increase in client need. The company already has presence in Hong Kong and India, with its expansion to Singapore a priority in its development strategy. Linedata plans to recruit new talent and skills for the Singaporean office to support existing and new clients, and says its technological solutions are well suited to the Singaporean financial market and can support local investment fund structures, such as the Variable Capital Company.