Duco Updates Financial Firms’ Reconciliation Maturity Model

Financial data automation specialist Duco has updated its Reconciliation Maturity Model, which guides institutions through the process of streamlining their reconciliation functions.

The model helps firms establish their level of maturity in moving from manual to automated operations and then shows them how they can get to the next level. Duco said that an organisation with 1,000 controls can potentially save as much as US$38 million annually by following its best-practice guide.

Even institutions at the most advanced stage of maturity can obtain benefits to the tune of $6,000 savings in audit costs by following the guide, Duco said.

Apex to Accelerate Ascend on Google Cloud

Apex Group, a global financial services provider, has signed a deal with Google Cloud to fast-track the development of its Ascend trading, clearing and custody tool.

The New York-based company said it would use Google Cloud’s tools to build an integrated artificial intelligence stack, infrastructure and other tools for data, security and communication.

Apex Ascend was launched last year to provide “a suite of modern capabilities that enable fintech, wealth management and institutional clients to go from idea to launch seamlessly and confidently”, the company said.

The tie-up will see Apex use Google Cloud’s AlloyDB database service, its Big Query artificial intelligence-ready data platform, the Looker intelligence platform and Looker Studio self-service tools as well as Vertex AI, an AI development platform.

Snowflake Hosts JPX’s J-Quants Pro Market Data

JPX Market Innovation & Research’s J-Quants Pro market data sets are now available on Snowflake, giving clients access to Japanese financial market data and analytics.

The new access channel for J-Quants Pro data will complement its API and SFTP connectivity provisions.

24 Exchange Launches Live FX Swaps Trading with CobaltFX’s Dynamic Credit Technology

24 Exchange has launched live FX swaps trading, supported by CobaltFX’s Dynamic Credit process, which optimises real-time credit allocation and provides enhanced liquidity access. The move is aimed at improving credit intermediation, reducing operational risk, and enabling more flexible trade execution.

As part of United Fintech, CobaltFX provides infrastructure that allows trading counterparties to pre-set credit limits and adjust them dynamically during market activity. This enables participants on 24 Exchange’s platform to maximise credit usage, minimise pre-funding requirements, and lower settlement risk. The adoption of this technology is expected to drive broader market efficiency in FX Swaps and support continued growth in automated and capital-efficient trading practices.

Amundi Technology and Murex Partner to Enhance OTC Derivatives Management for Investment Managers

Amundi Technology and Murex have entered a strategic partnership aimed at delivering an integrated solution for investment managers. This new offering combines the multi-asset capabilities of ALTO Investment, Amundi Technology’s platform, with Murex’s MX.3 system, recognised for its front-to-back OTC derivatives management. The integration enables asset managers, insurers, pension funds, and family offices to access Murex’s robust functionalities directly through ALTO Investment.

The collaboration aims to enhance operational efficiency and support informed decision-making by providing advanced portfolio management tools, comprehensive market data, and broad instrument coverage. Murex’s contribution includes sophisticated features for OTC derivatives, such as payoff modelling, lifecycle event management, and risk analytics. This partnership builds on a longstanding relationship, as Amundi has utilised MX.3 for managing its OTC derivatives portfolios since 2007.

Bloomberg Unveils AI-Powered Document Search Tool

Bloomberg has added a generative artificial intelligence module to its research functions, enabling users to query company documents using conversational language.

AI-Powered Document Insights has been built out from the data Behemoth’s AI-Powered Earnings Call Summaries and works alongside its AI-Powered News Summaries. The latest model enables the search and summarisation of documents from a library of more than 200 million company documents and from the Bloomberg News trove of articles, which is updated with 5,000 new pieces of writing each day.

The models behind AI-Powered Document Insights have been trained to understand the nuanced language of finance and created with the help of analysts in the Bloomberg Intelligence research business.

ULTUMUS and FlexTrade Partner to Streamline ETF Data Delivery via FlexOMS

ULTUMUS, the ETF and index data provider, has partnered with FlexTrade Systems to enhance ETF data integration within FlexTrade’s sell-side Order Management System, FlexOMS. The collaboration addresses increasing demand for seamless ETF trading processes, particularly the complex creation and redemption workflows that require access to multi-asset, intra-day updated data.

By combining their open-architecture technologies and flexible APIs, the two firms will allow mutual clients to integrate ULTUMUS’ ETF data – including Start of Day, full, and delta files – directly into FlexOMS. This integration simplifies ETF workflow management by providing dynamically updated data throughout the trading day, enabling efficient trading, and reducing manual processes in ETF component handling and basket transactions.

Mauritius Commercial Bank Upgrades eFX Platform with Integral’s Technology

Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) has implemented technology from Integral, the currency technology provider, to enhance its eFX platform, MCB Wave. The integration allows MCB to offer a modern, client-focused platform that is fully branded and user-friendly, aimed at both domestic and international corporate and institutional clients, and aligns with MCB’s strategy to support regional growth across Africa.

By automating pricing distribution and leveraging Integral’s scalable, white-label solutions, MCB can now act as a liquidity provider with access to reliable and competitive FX pricing across a wide range of currency pairs. The upgrade aims to facilitate improved pricing, better liquidity, and seamless system integration.

Tradeweb Launches Electronic Portfolio Trading for European Government Bonds

Tradeweb Markets Inc. has announced the introduction of electronic portfolio trading for European government bonds, including UK Gilts, EUR, and single currency notes. This expansion builds on Tradeweb’s 2019 launch of portfolio trading for corporate bonds.

The service enables institutional traders to package multiple bonds into a single portfolio, negotiate pricing with one or more liquidity providers, and execute the trade in a single transaction. This approach aims to deliver improved risk management, lower market slippage, and streamlined execution. The first such transaction in European government bonds was executed between Legal & General and Citi. The solution supports both standard benchmarks and customised strategies, with features that help reduce operational risk and enhance execution transparency.

MEAG Adopts SimCorp and TS Imagine Integration for Multi-Asset Trading

MEAG, the asset management arm of Munich Re with €362 billion in assets under management, will draw upon the recently expanded partnership between SimCorp and TS Imagine to meet the multi-asset class trading needs of its centralised execution desk. This marks MEAG as the first mutual client to implement TS Imagine’s fixed income trading capabilities through the SimCorp One platform.

The partnership, originally established in 2017, now provides enhanced integration between SimCorp’s OMS and TS Imagine’s EMS, complementing existing tools for cash equities and exchange-traded derivatives, allowing SimCorp One users to seamlessly access TS Imagine’s fixed income execution tools, data, analytics, and liquidity network. The move also aligns with industry trends noted in the 2025 Global InvestOps Report, where 40% of buy-side executives prioritised enhanced support for multi-asset strategies.