Quantexa Completes Acquisition of Aylien

Quantexa, a player in the decision intelligence market, has completed the acquisition of Aylien, an AI, NLP and ML company based in Dublin. Founded in 2012, Aylien applies advanced AI to unstructured data to create a rich, real-time, and reliable stream of actionable insights. The combination of Aylien’s AI and NLP, and Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence platform, will provide a step towards Quantexa’s vision of offering users of its platform full context of their business operations by unifying the structured and unstructured world.

Rimes Offers Clients ESG Book Data and Scores

Clients of data management solutions provider Rimes can now access ESG Book’s sustainability data. ESG Book, which was created by asset manager and data provide Arabesque along with an alliance of financial institution, will offer its ESG data via Rimes could-based platform. The datasets cover more than 50,000 companies, including scores.

EFAMA Says Green Labelling Plan is Flawed

Industry body, the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA), has taken aim at one of the European Union’s regulators over proposed labelling laws for green funds. EFAMA said the European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) recommendation for a numerical threshold system for grading funds’ sustainability characteristics would not eliminate greenwashing. Its offered alternative calls for an evidence-based assessment of funds’ objectives and strategies.

Morningstar Unveils New SDG-Aligned Benchmarks

A new set of indexes created by Morningstar will enable investors to put their money into companies that are aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDFs). The research giant will include in the Morningstar Global Sustainable Activities Involvement Indexes (SAI) only companies that also committing a substantial proportion of their revenue to one or more impact themes.

Tradefeedr Launches Algo Forecasting Suite for Selecting FX Execution Algos

Tradefeedr, the independent FX Data Analytics Platform, has launched the Algo Forecasting Suite, a collection of pre- and post-trade tools for analysing and selecting the most appropriate FX execution algos. The new service provides decision support in terms of whether to use an FX algo, expected algo behaviour, and the most suitable algo given market conditions, risk appetite, time, or audit constraints. It also provides post-trade analytics versus Tradefeedr forecasts, as well as metrics around opportunity costs.

The Algo Forecasting Suite is available via API and Excel, and will shortly be added to the Tradefeedr dashboard of services.

European Exchanges Agree on Joint Initiative for Equities Consolidate Tape

Fourteen European exchange groups are collaborating for the provision of a consolidated tape (CT) for equities in the European Union. The participating exchanges have signed a term sheet to establish a joint venture that will evaluate and prepare an application as a CT provider in a future selection process.

The project will focus on providing a comprehensive, standardised and consistent source of market data through the CT, and will seek to collaborate with regulators to develop the optimal solution for investors.

ISSB Nails Down Technicalities of Standards for June Release

The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has completed the technical drafting of global reporting standards it plans to make effective for signatories in January. The technical details of the framework have been partly based on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). They are due to be announced in June and the first disclosures by companies reporting under them will be due in 2025.

SEC’s Gensler Says Regulator is Considering Climate Proposals

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the US is mulling the alteration of some of its climate-reporting proposals, which were announced last year. Chair of the regulator Gary Gensler said about 15,000 comments had been sent from market participants after the proposals were put out for consultation. Gensler said the adjustments were being considered to bring “consistency and comparability to disclosures”.

Fitch Mulls Inclusion of Climate Risks in Credit Scores

Fitch is seeking views on the inclusion of climate-risk factors in the calculation of the broad credit worthiness scores it provides for thousands of companies. The ratings company said its Climate Vulnerability Scores, which it provides separate to regular credits ratings, could provide an additional screen in the assessment of firms’ credit worthiness.

French Regulator Wants Tougher Guarantees in SFDR

The French financial regulator, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), has urged a rethink of part of the European Union’s wide-ranging ESG reporting rules. The AMF wants to see minimal environmental impact standards for ESG-linked funds, arguing that without them, the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) would inadvertently encourage greenwashing.