SmartTrade Releases LiquidityFX Next-Generation Platform

Four months after its acquisition of TickTrade Systems, electronic trading platform provider smartTrade Technologies is now releasing a combined LiquidityFX next-generation (LFX-NG) platform, which aims to combine the best of both pre-existing solutions. LFX-NG offers a range of modules, from AI-driven analytics to cryptocurrencies trading through customisable workflows for all client segments. The solution covers spot, forward, NDFs, options, cryptocurrencies and payment routing, and can be deployed either as a full stack or as individual modules.

Higo Bank Selects Tora EMS for Equities Trading

Tora, the order and execution management system vendor recently acquired by London Stock Exchange Group, has been selected by Higo Bank to upgrade their electronic equity trading operations. Higo cited Tora’s Japanese GUI, trade management and position monitoring tools, and a compliance engine set up for Japanese market regulations as key selection criteria. Higo was also keen to invest in a hosted environment platform to reduce their initial IT cost overhead, according to the company.

Colt Offers 10 Gbps Connectivity for AWS Clients in APAC

Colt Technology Services has launched its Colt On Demand cloud connectivity to AWS Direct Connect Hosted services, with speeds of up to 10 Gbps, for customers in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Until now, 10 Gbps connectivity was only available on AWS Direct Connect Dedicated services. This enhancement allows customers can now connect directly to AWS Direct Connect Hosted services without having to use cross-connects, reducing cost and increasing speed of delivery. Customers can also make use of different AWS virtual interfaces (private, public, transit).

FactSet’s Portware Becomes Latest EMS to Integrate with Appital’s Bookbuilding Platform

Appital, the equity capital marketplace, has added FactSet’s Portware EMS to its growing list of integrations, following FlexTrade and Instinet. The integration of Appital’s bookbuilding platform in Portware automates what has traditionally been a highly manual process, while at the same time giving buyside traders the ability to place very large orders or participate in unique liquidity opportunities, according to the company.

Appital is now onboarding asset managers onto its platform in preparation for launch later this year, and has established a working group to help mutual clients define how they want to interact with hard-to-find liquidity, and proactively build books of demand.

Sagard NewGen Enters into Exclusive Negotiations to Acquire Majority Stake in Horizon Software

Electronic trading solutions and algorithmic technology provider Horizon has announced that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with investment company Sagard NewGen, to acquire the majority stake of private equity firm Capza in the company.

Currently serving 70 clients in 26 countries, the Horizon trading platform targets the full needs of a trading floor including market making, agency trading and algorithmic trading. The change in funding aims to bring new capital streams, helping to finance Horizon’s growth strategy on a global scale and to support the adoption of new digital assets classes.

FNZ Partners with Clearstream to Launch Business Intelligence Solution for Asset Managers

FNZ, the global wealth management platform, has entered into a strategic partnership with Clearstream, Deutsche Börse Group’s post-trade services provider, aiming to significantly increase transparency for the UK & European asset management industry through the launch of a new business intelligence solution.

The new solution enabled by FNZ and Clearstream via its Fund Centre capabilities aims to provide asset managers with global and regional intelligence for analysing market trends, understanding behaviour, and improving decision making around fund distribution.

KeyBanc Adopts Bloomberg’s B-PIPE for Fixed Income Electronic Trading

KeyBanc Capital Markets (KBCM) has adopted Bloomberg’s real-time market data feed, B-PIPE, enabling greater automation and accuracy in bond pricing and accelerating automation of bond pricing workflows. B-PIPE will deliver access to comprehensive and consolidated market data content, enabling KBCM to execute real-time analytics and responses within its Investment Grade Credit Algorithm.

With B-PIPE available on-premise or via various public cloud environments, KBCM will take advantage of B-PIPE’s zero-footprint delivery option, eliminating the need to host or manage software.

SIX Launches Clearing Platform Based on Nasdaq Technology for the Nordic Markets

Swiss market infrastructure company SIX has launched a new clearing platform, underpinned by technology from Nasdaq, for the Nordic markets. The platform, which has been integrated into the SIX Post Trade Architecture (PTA), will enable the clearing of 10 million trade legs per day, with SIX expecting an increase in the number of cleared trades in the future.

The upgrade aims to provide continued enhancement of the IT infrastructure, higher reliability, and increased functionality and processing capabilities. As the next step of its evolution, SIX intends to extend the markets and trading venue coverage for Swiss clearing onto this new platform.

Cowen Execution Services Selects big xyt to Identify Liquidity Opportunities in European Equities

Data and execution analytics solutions vendor big xyt has been selected by independent agency broker Cowen Execution Services, to provide improved market structure visibility and supports clients’ access to unique liquidity opportunities.

By providing granular metrics alongside bespoke dashboards, big xyt aims to give CESL an edge in navigating Europe’s complex equities markets by providing normalised data that leverages the company’s domain experience in setting up, running, and maintaining data and analytics environments.

Raiffeissen Bank Deploys Chronicle FIX Solution Across Global ETD Trading Business

Low-latency technology solutions provider Chronicle Software has expanded its footprint at Austrian bank Raiffeisen Bank International. The bank has rolled out Chronicle’s Java-based FIX engine across its complete global ETD workflow, following initial implementation within one of its regional trading centres.

For the rollout, Chronicle has given Raffeissen access to the source code, enables a tailored solution to be built for the bank’s ETD business.