Big screens and little screensMost high frequency traders probably don't know the name Scott Rudin, but perhaps they should. In Hollywood, Rudin is a very big deal. According to a flurry of press reports, Rudin and Sony Pictures have been looking to acquire the rights to 'Flash Boys' by Michael Lewis.
A Question of Speed - The race to zero still attracts many entrantsRegulatory fear, fierce competition, rising costs - a host of arguments have been made for why the race to zero is a race not worth entering. Yet, technology vendors are still reporting demand for anything shaving off a microsecond here or there. Anna Reitman talks to the competitors staying in this race about keeping ahead of the curve.
High Frequency Trading, Done QuicklyThe Agora trading software libraries, by Energeia Associates Ltd, promise to bridge the gaps across low-level data, brokerage APIs and high-level modelling tools. If successful, this would spare higher-frequency traders the labour of dealing with data processing, order management and logging, freeing them up to focus on strategy and model performance instead. Andy Webb, Automated Trader's Founder, and the Wrecking Crew took a look at an alpha version of Agora to check if it does what it says on the tin.
Post-Trade Prosperity - One buy-side firm's experience FIXing its trade confirmation processWhen many people think of Kansas, they tend to picture flat, rural landscapes and farmers -- in other words, hardly the sort of place you'd expect to find financial pioneers who are looking to change the nature of international trading processes. Scott Atwell, who looks after trading and connectivity for American Century Investments in Kansas City, tells Automated Trader's Adam Cox about the work he and other buy-side firms have been doing on post-trade processes and the benefits automation can bring.
A Question of Control - Pre Trade RiskIn striking a balance between speed and safety, firms that have direct market access must confront a daunting set of challenges. In the aftermath of the Knight Capital trading disaster, there is also increasing talk of regulators deciding for those firms what's appropriate. Adam Cox reports on how the industry is re-evaluating pre-trade risk controls.- Anchors Away! How Johannesburg switched to the fast lane and what it meansSophie Lewisohn talks to the local exchange, market participants and other industry players to find out what a new co-location centre means for the South African market. Will it herald an influx of low-latency traders, new strategies and more liquidity? Is this market set to leap ahead in springbok-like fashion?
The Paper Chase - Implications of a tough approach to trade transparencyThe US had paved the way with the start of swaps market reporting as called for under Dodd-Frank. Yet even with the benefit of that experience, the introduction of OTC derivatives reporting in Europe is proving to be a formidable test for trading firms and for the regulators themselves. Rochelle Toplensky reports.
Former CFTC commissioner O'Malia appointed CEO of ISDA Scott O'Malia joins International Swaps and Derivatives Association as Chief Executive Officer.
Colocation scrutiny targets fair access Regulators are concerned about colocation services associated with high frequency trading amid allegations of unfair competitive practices.