Exegy Launches Hardware-Timestamped Market Data Capture Service

Exegy has partnered with packet capture specialist FMADIO to launch a new end-of-day PCAP service, providing hardware-timestamped raw market data through its Axiom consolidated feed infrastructure. Available across all Axiom points of presence, the service enables trading firms to access high-precision market data captures without deploying and maintaining their own packet capture infrastructure.

The offering uses FMADIO’s FPGA-enabled 40G/100G appliances to minimise packet loss and jitter during periods of peak market activity. Hardware timestamping through Arista switches provides the precision required for latency benchmarking and best-execution analysis. Exegy captures both primary and secondary market data feeds, applying quality checks to validate that files contain no gaps. Low-latency exchange connectivity is provided through Waypoint Trading Solutions.

Captured data is delivered through Amazon Web Services S3 buckets for automated end-of-day retrieval, with daily PCAP files retained for 14 days.

Plus500 Acquires Hedge to Expand US Securities Offering Ahead of Multi-Asset Platform Launch

Plus500 has conditionally agreed to acquire Hedge Capital Markets, expanding its US operations into SEC-regulated securities trading ahead of the planned launch of a unified multi-asset trading platform in Q1 2027. Hedge, founded in 2021, operates an SEC-registered, FINRA-member broker-dealer providing US retail investors with access to exchange-listed securities, including stocks and ETFs.

The acquisition complements Plus500’s existing CFTC-regulated US business, which provides clearing and execution services for futures and prediction markets. It will enable the company to combine these products with stocks, options and ETFs through a single application. Plus500 has also established a New York hub alongside its existing Chicago operations to support the expansion, incorporating Hedge’s personnel and regulatory expertise.

The transaction will be funded from existing cash resources and remains subject to regulatory approval, including FINRA clearance. Plus500 intends to extend its multi-asset platform into additional markets following its initial US launch.

LSEG and CMC Markets Sign Multi-Year Financial Data Agreement

LSEG and CMC Markets have entered into a multi-year strategic agreement expanding CMC’s access to financial data, news and analytics to support the growth of its multi-asset trading and investment businesses. Under the agreement, CMC will gain broader access to LSEG’s real-time and delayed pricing, reference data, corporate actions information, news and analytical content.

The expanded data provision is intended to improve consistency and scalability across CMC’s operations as the company develops new products, enters additional markets and strengthens its institutional and B2B partnerships. CMC will also gain access to LSEG’s AI-ready content, providing a foundation for developing AI-enabled applications and workflows across its business.

The agreement supports CMC’s broader strategy to diversify its financial services offering through technology and infrastructure investment, connecting its trading, investing and institutional capabilities while reducing the operational complexity associated with expanding into new markets and services.

CME Group Introduces Baseball Futures Based on Team Performance Indexes

CME Group has announced the launch of what it describes as the world’s first baseball futures contracts, extending its derivatives offering into professional sports. The contracts were scheduled to begin trading on 12 October, subject to regulatory review.

Developed with FutureSports, the contracts track CME FutureSports Performance Indexes (FSPI), which use official league statistics to measure the performance of professional baseball teams. The initial offering covers the four teams competing in the 2026 League Championship Series, with the broader index framework encompassing all 30 teams.

The contracts are available in standard and micro sizes, with trading supported around the clock through CME’s regulated exchange infrastructure and central clearing arrangements. The underlying indexes use rules-based methodologies that assign positive or negative points according to team performance statistics. CME says the methodologies align with IOSCO Principles for Financial Benchmarks, supported by published governance and oversight procedures.

FactSet Expands Partnership with Scotia Wealth Management

FactSet has expanded its partnership with Scotia Wealth Management, part of Scotiabank, to provide broader access to investment research, market data and portfolio analytics across the Canadian wealth management business. Under the expanded agreement, financial advisers, investment professionals and support teams will gain access to FactSet’s unified research and intelligence platform, bringing together investment research, market information, portfolio analysis, watchlists and other resources within a single environment.

The integration is intended to streamline advisers’ access to information, improve investment workflows and support more informed client engagement. The agreement builds on the existing relationship between the two companies and forms part of Scotia Wealth Management’s ongoing investment in its adviser technology infrastructure.

For FactSet, the expanded partnership strengthens its presence in the wealth management sector, where firms are increasingly seeking integrated data and analytics platforms to improve operational efficiency and support investment decision-making.

Lynx Asset Management Selects xyt for Global Equities Liquidity Analytics

Stockholm-based systematic investment manager Lynx Asset Management has selected xyt to provide independent volume and liquidity analytics across global equities markets, supporting the development of its systematic trading strategies.

The partnership will give Lynx a more granular view of intraday liquidity across trading venues, execution mechanisms and different times of day, moving beyond aggregated or end-of-day market data.

xyt’s analytics incorporate market structure classifications, including trade condition codes, deferred transactions, retail flow and addressable trading volumes across lit and dark venues, systematic internalisers and other execution mechanisms. The aim is to provide a consistent picture of where and when executable liquidity is available across markets.

Lynx, which manages systematic strategies spanning equities, fixed income, commodities and currencies, said the additional granularity is already helping refine its liquidity models. The implementation reflects growing demand among quantitative investment firms for more detailed market microstructure data to inform trading and execution decisions.

Clearstream and Brookfield Partner to Expand Private Markets Access

Clearstream has partnered with alternative asset manager Brookfield to expand access to private market investments through its global fund distribution platform, targeting private banks, wealth managers and fund distributors.

The agreement will make Brookfield’s Luxembourg-domiciled evergreen private market funds, spanning infrastructure, private credit and private equity, available through Clearstream’s existing distribution and order-routing infrastructure.

The integration is designed to simplify fund execution, settlement and operational processing, allowing distributors to access private market products through standardised workflows similar to those used for traditional mutual funds.

For Brookfield, which manages approximately $1 trillion in assets, the partnership extends distribution of its private wealth strategies across Clearstream’s international network.

Clearstream Fund Services provides access to more than 85,000 funds through its distribution platform, while its Vestima processing infrastructure supports execution, settlement and custody services for over 245,000 funds across more than 55 markets.

PhillipCapital Extends Eventus Trade Surveillance Partnership

Phillip Capital Inc. has extended its long-standing relationship with Eventus, continuing to use the vendor’s Validus platform for trade surveillance across its expanding range of markets. The US-based futures commission merchant and broker-dealer uses Validus to monitor activity across US equities, options, fixed income and global futures, as well as the rapidly developing prediction markets sector.

PhillipCapital said its combination of clearing, broker-dealer and FCM activities creates differing surveillance requirements across markets, making flexibility and the ability to configure alerting particularly important. The firm highlighted the need for detailed visibility without generating excessive volumes of alerts requiring manual investigation.

The renewed agreement extends an established relationship between the companies as PhillipCapital broadens its activities across asset classes. Eventus said the platform is designed to support evolving compliance requirements through configurable surveillance and financial risk capabilities across multiple markets.

Rothera Automates High-Volume Derivatives Reconciliations with Smartstream

Rothera has deployed Smartstream’s Air platform to automate high-volume reconciliations across its CFTC-regulated event contract exchange and clearinghouse operations.

The implementation uses Air’s Cash and Data modules to replace manual processes and support reconciliation of around 1.7 million transactions each day within an automated, fully audited environment.

The initial deployment covers two reconciliation processes, Exchange-to-Clearing Instruments and Exchange-to-Clearing Trades, with additional workflows planned as the rollout continues. Smartstream’s AI-powered platform ingests, matches and reconciles high-volume data flows with minimal manual intervention. Rothera said the implementation has reduced manual effort, accelerated the identification of exceptions and provided a complete audit trail across its operations.

The deployment comes as rising transaction volumes increase the operational demands on Rothera’s post-trade infrastructure. The exchange plans to extend automation into further reconciliation workflows as its markets grow.

Liquidnet Launches SuperBlock TI for Large Block Liquidity Discovery

Liquidnet has launched SuperBlock Targeted Invitations (TI), extending its liquidity discovery capabilities to help buy-side traders source counterparties for exceptionally large equity orders while controlling how trading interest is distributed.

The new functionality builds on Liquidnet’s existing Targeted Invitations capability, allowing traders to share SuperBlock interest with a broader group of potential counterparties while limiting information leakage. Each invitation is backed by a live client order, providing greater confidence that the liquidity opportunity is actionable.

The SuperBlock initiative, launched in 2024, has facilitated more than 1,500 trades globally. Between January 2025 and June 2026, Liquidnet says SuperBlock generated 64.5 basis points, or $55 million, in total savings for buy-side members. During 2025, Targeted Invitations helped clients access more than $3.8 billion in liquidity.