Stratos Group Launches Multi-Asset Trading Platform Tradu

Stratos Group International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jefferies Financial Group, has launched Tradu, a multi-asset trading platform aimed at retail traders and investors. The new platform offers trading in listed equities, cryptocurrency markets and CFD trading, with the ability to apply leverage on stocks, indices, commodities, forex and cryptocurrencies. In addition to multi-asset trading, Tradu’s eWallet provides clients with a virtual and physical debit card as well as seamless transfers between trading and eWallet accounts.

Stratos also operates FXCM, an FX and CFD platform founded in 2001.  Stratos will continue to offer FXCM services alongside the new Tradu multi-asset platform.

Novata Expands, Streamlines SFDR Reporting Platform

Novata, an ESG data provider to private markets and investors, has enriched and simplified its Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) compliance tools.

The New York-based company said it has made it easier for clients to integrate their SFDR-aligned data with its platform and has created in-platform tools for reporting on the regulation’s Principle Adverse Indicator tests. The service also offers expert guidance and educational resources to clients.

Novata, which was formed in April 2022, said it now has more than 5,300 clients using its data and reporting platform.

ISS ESG to Provide Sustainability Data to Southern German State

ISS ESG will provide sustainability data that will help drive investment decision making by Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg state government.

The sustainability arm of ISS STOXX said the contract will see the financial research and technology company support the state’s mandate to invest its public funds in sustainable assets. That will include supplying data and metrics on carbon and climate, energy and resources, EU Taxonomy alignment and other investment themes.

The southern state of Baden-Württemberg, which is centred on Stuttgart, has a total of around €17 billion of assets. Its parliament passed a law earlier this year that added sustainability to a list of asset characteristics that must shape its investment decisions, alongside profitability, liquidity and security.

Yotascale Brings Yota AI Assist Cloud Cost Management Solution to Market

Palo Alto, California based Yotascale, a specialist in cloud cost management in digital organisations, has brought Yota AI Assist to market with the claim that it is the first FinOps copilot powered by Generative AI. Yota AI Assist continuously analyses AWS, Azure, GCP, Snowflake, Datadog, Databricks and other infrastructure costs providing insights and optimisation recommendations for each manager based on their objectives and role, keeping it high level if you are the CFO and making it detailed if you are an engineer.

The solution is based on Yotascale’s extensive industry domain knowledge in cloud cost management and total platform engineering cost management. Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, says: “Our goal was to supercharge FinOps and platform engineering teams with cloud spend intelligence, so they never again experience the anxiety of feeling like costs are out of control, with no path to bring them down.” Or as one user put it: “This is really good because you don’t need to click click click, just ask a question.”

Informatica Extends Access to Intelligent Data Management Platform in Canada

Informatica, an enterprise cloud data management provider, has established a Microsoft Azure pod in Canada for its Canadian customers. For Informatica customers that use the Azure ecosystem – particularly those in highly-regulated sectors such as financial services – the pod provides access to the company’s Intelligent Data Management Platform (IDMC) to manage complex and fragmented data estates, better comply with strict data residency requirements and support complex cloud modernisation projects.

It also gives Canadian Azure customers access to the latest Informatica-Microsoft integrations, including IDMC as an Azure Native Service and its integration with Microsoft Fabric.

With the availability of the Azure pod, Canadian customers can purchase IDMC as an Azure SaaS solution through the Azure Marketplace.

Singapore Launches Platform to Host Reported ESG Data

Financial institutions in Singapore will soon have access to AI-powered digital tools that will help them “collect, access and act upon” ESG data.

Grnprnt, which is pronounced Greenprint, has been created by the city’s Monetary Authority (MAS) to help corporates automate the reporting of sustainability data that financial companies can then incorporate into their own workflows.

The platform, part of MAS’ Project Greenprint to foster sustainable markets in the Southeast Asian city, will be open to companies large and small and eventually encompass overseas businesses. MAS said grnprnt will also be constructed so that it can be integrated with institution’s data platforms.

“Gprnt provides a key data bridge that can generate the trusted and high quality ESG data needed by the financial sector to more efficiently allocate capital towards green and transition initiatives,” said MAS managing director Ravi Menon. “By harnessing generative AI and data APIs at scale, Gprnt will greatly simplify sustainability reporting for SMEs, and in doing so unlock the data needed by the public and private sectors to support SMEs’ sustainability journeys.”

The platform will be operational in the first quarter of 2024.

Sustainability Reporting Rises Among Russell 1000, S&P 500 Companies

A survey has found a surge in sustainability reporting by large-cap S&P 500 firms and mid-cap Russell 1000 companies.

The survey carried out for corporate sustainability researcher Governance & Accountability Institute (G&A) found that 98 per cent of firms on the S&P 500 – which represent the largest companies on the Russell 1000 – published a sustainability report in 2022 from 96 per cent the year before.

The 2023 Sustainability Reporting in Focus research also found that 90 per cent of mid-caps, which occupy the lower-half of the Russell 1000, had issued such reports, compared with 81 per cent the year before.

Among other findings, alignment with the reporting recommendations of the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) climbed to half of all companies on the Russell 1000 and SASB remained the most-widely used sustainability standard among Russell 1000 companies.

Grupo Financiero Banorte Integrates Murex MX.3 Platform to Enhance FX Derivatives Trading

Mexican bank Grupo Financiero Banorte has upgraded its FX derivatives trading services for corporate clients by integrating Murex’s MX.3 platform, as part of its digitalisation strategy. This enhancement allows clients to execute FX derivatives transactions through the bank’s internal portal, Cambios Banorte en Línea (CBL), with the support of MX.3’s self-service functionality.

The implementation of MX.3 aims to streamline Banorte’s trading operations by reducing manual interventions and has led to a 38 percent reduction in person-hours for related tasks. The collaboration between Banorte and Murex, spanning over a decade, has involved continual expansion and optimization of the MX.3 platform’s use in the bank’s operations, recently including the creation of a new XVA desk and updated risk management systems.

CQG Announces Senior Executives’ Buyout; Continues Growth Under New Leadership

CQG, the financial markets technology solutions provider, has announced a significant ownership change with its senior executives set to acquire the company. The buyout marks a new chapter for CQG, which has been owned by founder Tim Mather since its inception in 1980. The details of the transaction, expected to finalise this month, have not been publicly disclosed. This transition occurs under the leadership of CEO Ryan Moroney, who took the helm in 2021 after serving as President since 2017.

CQG has experienced substantial growth in recent years, bolstered by new strategic partnerships, expansion of product offerings, and increased market connectivity. Established in 1980, the company has evolved from offering front-end trading software in the U.S. to a global presence, expanding to Europe in 1988 and Asia in 1998.

Genesis Global Unveils Genesis Platform Version 7, Accelerating Software Development

Genesis Global has launched Genesis Platform version 7 (G7), a significant update to its low-code application development platform for the financial markets sector, introducing multiple enhancements aimed at streamlining the development process. G7 focuses on enabling quicker and more efficient building, testing, and deployment of robust full-stack applications, particularly beneficial for developers in banking, asset management, and other financial firms.

The key improvements – designed to facilitate high-performance transaction processing, event-driven workflows, real-time data integration, and customized user experiences – include accelerated development of full-stack applications, enhanced user interface design capabilities, better integration within enterprise technology ecosystems, and improved access to training tools and support.