CCMA Evaluates Lack of Timely Access to ISINs in Canada

The issue of timely access to ISIN securities identifiers in Canada is now being evaluated by the Canadian Capital Markets Association’s (CCMA) Institutional Program Steering Committee. The CCMA has been identifying problems holding up straight through processing and has highlighted asset and counterparty identification as presenting the biggest issues. ISINs are currently issued in Canada by the Canadian Depository for Securities, but there is currently no effective means of distribution. To handle the lack of timely access, financial institutions tend to issue their own internal codes, complicating the trade processing cycle.