Smart Trade’s Transaction Platform (STTP) Selected by the Caisse Nationale des Caisses d’Epargne for Money Market Instruments

Smart Order Routing News

July 8th, 2008 - STTP Delivers Electronic Trading Service that Sources Liquidity from CNCE’s Internal Pricing Engines and Distributes Liquidity to 17 Caisses d’Epargne read more

Sanford C. Bernstein algorithmic suite now integrated into Fidessa LatentZero EMS Workstation

Algorithmic Trading News

July 8th, 2008 - Fidessa LatentZero announces that it has incorporated direct access to Sanford C. Bernstein’s algorithms into its standalone EMS Workstation read more

OnePipe™ Optimal Liquidity Management System Launches Enhanced Anti-Gaming Logic

Algorithmic Trading News

July 8th, 2008 - Weeden & Co. and Pragma Financial Systems, LLC, announce the release of OnePipe Lifeguard™ read more

SGAM selects QuantFACTORY, to develop, backtest and execute trading models

Quant News

July 7th, 2008 - SGAM Alternative Investments selects QuantFACTORY, the QUANTHOUSE trading strategies development framework to develop, backtest and execute trading models read more

Chi-X Europe Issues Q2 2008 Trading Statistics

Smart Order Routing News

July 4th, 2008 - Chi-X® Europe Limited, has published its trading statistics for the second quarter of 2008. read more

BATS Trading Adds Knight Link As Dark Scan Destination

Dark Pools News

July 4th, 2008 - BATS Trading Inc. announces that Knight Link has been added as a destination for BATS’ Dark Scan. read more

New Co-Location Hosting Service For ASX Participants

Exchange News

July 4th, 2008 - The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has announced a new co-location hosting service for its market participants and their customers that will facilitate direct market access (DMA) and algorithmic trading strategies, as well as minimise overall latency. read more

Orbitz Unveils New Open Source Software for High Speed Event Processing, Application Monitoring, Analytics and Graphing

Event Processing News

July 3rd, 2008 - Orbitz Worldwide announces the release of two new open source projects read more

Landsbanki Kepler brings substantial price improvements to its clients with GL TRADE Smart Order Routing

Smart Order Routing News

July 2nd, 2008: Landsbanki Kepler, a European investment bank operating in seven countries, has been working closely with GL TRADE, global provider of multi-asset trading software solutions for international financial institutions, to implement the bank’s strategy for trading in the post-MiFID European equity market environment. read more

Pipeline rolls out FIX and FAST with Onix Solutions

Smart Order Routing News

July 2nd, 2008 - Onix Solutions has announced that Pipeline Trading Systems has commenced the roll out of both FIX trading and FAST marketdata suppost in conjunction with Onix Solutions read more

FPGA Acceleration of European Options Pricing

Today, Monte Carlo (MC) methods are widely used in finance to price derivative securities. In this approach, the value of the option is expressed in terms of an integral of very high dimensionality. Monte Carlo methods are used to estimate the value of this integral by brute force. These calculations consume a significant portion of the run-time and energy of financial data centers. Therefore, we present a hardware accelerator that computes the price of a European call option via MC. In our approach, after some initial setup, the entire MC simulation is performed by the FPGA. We demonstrate performance in excess of 250× that of a modern 3 GHz multi-core processor. By Nathan Woods, XtremeData, Inc. read more

Hard and Fast?

This is an extended version of the Tech Forum that appeared in the Q1 2008 edition of Automated Trader. It includes an additional interviewee and expanded answers from all interviewees on the latest techniques for hardware and networking infrastructures. read more

Structural Models

Statistical Arbitrage: Algorithmic Trading Insights and Techniques Chapter 3 Structural Models read more

Statistical Arbitrage

Statistical Arbitrage: Algorithmic Trading Insights and Techniques Chapter 2 Statistical Arbitrage read more

Monte Carlo or Bust

Statistical Arbitrage: Algorithmic Trading Insights and Techniques Chapter 1 Monte Carlo or Bust read more

Data-Mining Bias: The Fool’s Gold of Objective TA

The following excerpt is from Chapter 6 of David Aronson's recently published book "Evidence-Based Technical Analysis". Together with Chapters 4 and 5 of the book it addresses aspects of statistics that are particularly relevant to evidence-based (as opposed to subjective) technical analysis. read more

Evidence-Based Technical Analysis: Hypothesis Tests and Confidence Intervals

The following excerpt is from Chapter 5 of David Aronson's recently published book "Evidence-Based Technical Analysis". Together with Chapters 4 and 6 of the book it addresses aspects of statistics that are particularly relevant to evidence-based (as opposed to subjective) technical analysis. read more

Evidence-Based Technical Analysis: Statistical Analysis

The following excerpt is from Chapter 4 of David Aronson's recently published book "Evidence-Based Technical Analysis". Together with Chapters 5 and 6 of the book (which will be available as excerpts later) it addresses aspects of statistics that are particularly relevant to evidence-based (as opposed to subjective) technical analysis. read more

Naked Option by Joe Kolman

Dave Ackerman, the narrator of Naked Option, is a brilliant trader but one day, recklessly trying to one-up his firm's superstar, he goes naked on an option trade and loses $112 million in two hours. His career is over. Then he hears about an auditing job at an investment bank. He knows within minutes that something is very wrong, but he's so desperate, he takes the job. read more

Financial Data Mining with Genetic Programming: a Survey and Look Forward

Genetic Programming (GP) is an appealing machine-learning technique for tackling financial engineering problems: it belongs to the family of evolutionary algorithms that have proven to be remarkably successful at handling complex optimization problems, and possesses the unique feature of producing solutions under a symbolic form that can be understood and analyzed by humans. Over the last decade, GP has been applied to generate financial trading strategies, forecast stocks and options prices, or grasp some insight into the dynamics of the markets and the behavior of the agents. In this paper, we first provide a brief survey of the existing studies, then highlight fields of investigations that, we believe, should lead to enhance the applicability and efficiency of GP in the financial domain. By Nicolas NAVET and Shu-Heng CHEN read more

Entropy Rate and Profitability of Technical Analysis: Experiments on the NYSE US 100 Stocks

The entropy rate of a dynamic process measures the uncertainty that remains in the next information produced by the process given complete knowledge of the past. It is thus a natural measure of the difficulty to predict the evolution of the process. The first question investigated here is whether stock price time series exhibit temporal dependencies that can be measured through entropy estimates. Then we study the extent to which the return of financial trading rules is correlated with the entropy rates of the price time series. Experiments are conducted on EOD data of the stocks composing the NYSE US 100 index during period 2000-2006, with the use of genetic programming to induce the trading rules. By Nicolas NAVET and Shu-Heng CHEN read more

Assessing the Risk and Return of Financial Trading Systems - a Large Deviation Approach

We apply large deviation theory to assess the probability that a trading system performs below or above a certain threshold. Our technique does not require that the distribution of the performance criterion obeys a closed-form equation, and can accept as input empirical distributions given under the form of frequency histograms obtained by backtesting or from prior use of the trading system. A nice property of the technique is that it can be easily automated and integrated into a trading platform. Furthermore, the approach is not limited to a single trading system but can be applied on portfolio of trading systems. By Nicolas NAVET and René SCHOTT read more

Transaction Cost Research

An excerpt from Kendall Kim's forthcoming book "Electronic and Algorithmic Trading Technology: The Complete Guide" Chapter 10: Transaction Cost Research read more

Pretests for genetic-programming evolved trading programs: “zero-intelligence” strategies and lottery trading - Part 2

Part 2 of Pretests for genetic-programming evolved trading programs: “zero-intelligence” strategies and lottery trading bootstrap paper. By Shu-Heng Chen and Nicolas Navet read more

Pretests for genetic-programming evolved trading programs: “zero-intelligence” strategies and lottery trading - Part 1

In this paper, we discuss a series of pretests, based on several variants of random search, aiming at giving more clearcut answers as to whether a GP scheme, or any other machine-learning technique, can be effective with the training data at hand. Precisely, pretesting allows us to distinguish between a failure due to the market being efficient of due to GP being inefficient. The analysis is illustrated with GP-evolved strategies for three stock exchanges exhibiting different trends. read more

Just a lot of hot air?

Why, in the era of webinars, wikipedia and www.automatedtrader.net, do people still go to conferences? read more

Morgan’s Mission

As one of the world’s largest fund managers, JPMorgan Asset Management’s trading operations increasingly resemble those of an agency broker. Daemon Bear, Head of Equity Trading, and Kristian West, Head of Trading Strategy, who recently joined from Barclays Capital, explain the tools and processes employed by the firm in pursuit of best execution. read more

Ready for Take-off?

Are today’s order and execution management systems capable of guiding buy-side dealers through an increasingly complex trading environment or will new hybrid solutions emerge? AT asks leading providers to share their views. read more

The Multi-Venue FX Algo

Ian Smith, Director, and Cameron Mouat, Head of AES FX Trading, Credit Suisse, provide an example of how execution algorithms capture liquidity across multiple trading venues in the foreign exchange market.read more

Picking up the Pace

The idiosyncrasies of the fixed income market have made it a laggard in the adoption of automated and algorithmic trading, but the soul searching that followed the sub-prime crisis may accelerate uptake, reports Chris Hall. read more

This Issue's Round-up of AT's Proprietary Alphability Metrics

Automated Trader's proprietary tradability metrics are environmental statistics intended to assist those building trading models/systems in determining which markets and timeframes are most favourably responsive to which generic types of model.read more

MiFID Descends across Europe

Six months after its launch, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) has begun to stimulate greater competition between trade execution venues, but the fragmentation of liquidity and trade reporting has also caused confusion among buy-side institutions. Chris Hall reports.read more

Mr Immediate

Steve Radez, CEO of Essex Radez, has a strong claim to be the world’s first automated trader. Together with Essex Radez’s CTO, John Muelhausen, he explains how technology and automation have been constant themes in a three-decade trading career. read more

Small Cap, Big Challenge

Small and mid cap trade execution is a tough nut to crack. Long ‘dry’ periods, with occasional unexpected patches of liquidity, call for a very different execution style from large caps. Don White, Head of US Equity Product Development at Bloomberg Tradebook, explains how flexible high touch tools can be combined with conventional algos to provide a ‘mid touch’ solution that may produce enhanced small/mid cap execution performance.read more

Optimising Market Data for Buy-Side Automated Trading

The next generation of buy-side trading models is driving new requirements for market data. Buy-side firms use market data in a variety of different ways and for different purposes, but how – asks Valerie Bannert-Thurner, Managing Director of Skyler Technology Europe – can they make the most of the market data available to drive their automated trading decisions?read more

Data Distribution Challenges for Next Generation Applications

Angelo Corsaro, Product Marketing Manager, PrismTech Corp., outlines the advantages of a new middleware – data distribution service (DDS) – over messaging technologies currently deployed to support automated and algorithmic trading.read more

Machine Learning + Regime Switching = Profitability?

The concept of regimes – such as bull and bear markets – is elemental to financial markets. The desire to predict regime switches, commonly known as turning points, is similarly elemental. Ernest Chan, CEO of E. P. Chan & Associates, examines a possible technique for this most demanding of tasks.read more

Transition Management: Best Execution through Algorithmic Trading

The ability to restructure investment portfolios with minimal cost, risk or information leakage is a critical skill in today’s competitive fund management industry. Joseph Sidibe, Vice President, Execution Sales Desk, EMEA, Merrill Lynch, explains how use of algorithmic trading techniques can help ensure best execution in transaction management. read more

Do Black Swans Swim in Dark Pools?

The continued rise of dark liquidity and the development of more sophisticated execution algorithms could increase regulatory obligations on brokers and/or exchanges, according to Mary Lou Von Kaenel, Managing Director, Management Consulting, Jordan & Jordan, and Greg Malatestinic, Senior Software Engineer, Jordan & Jordan. read more

Proximity Hosting: Plug’n’Trade or Pay’n’Wait?

Proximity and trading application hosting have been some of the fastest growing areas in the evolution of automated and algorithmic trading. Mark Thornberry, Managing Director at RTS Realtime Systems, London, discusses some of the main considerations for traders evaluating its various flavours.read more

Finding the Correct Path Through Market Turbulence

Recent months have seen financial markets experience more turbulence than perhaps ever before. Market corrections, war in the Middle East, sub-prime crisis, bulls and bears not sure which they are, and more recently the return of the 'big style' rogue trader have caused more volatility, I would suggest, than most have ever experienced.read more

The Blame Game

When things go wrong, the reflex reaction is to apportion blame. When things go wrong in the financial markets, who will the regulators be pointing their fingers at?read more

Cream Rising

BlackCat Trading Technologies’ Matthew Breakwell and John Reeve explain their distinctive approach to building a quantitative trading platform and outline their plans for exploiting it.read more

A Singular Vision

Its recent merger with the CBOT saw CME Group expand further the range of asset classes available on its Globex platform. Deputy CIO Kevin Kometer looks at the diverse challenges ahead.read more

Hard and Fast?

Hardware and networking infrastructures should be the building blocks of any market participant’s algorithmic and automated trading capabilities. AT asks leading providers to share their views on the latest techniques and technologies.read more

Rising to the Cross-Asset Challenge

How are automated traders exploiting cross- and multi-asset trading opportunities and how are suppliers supporting increased demand? These topics and more were discussed by our panel at the FIA’s Expo 2007, Chicago.read more

This Issue's Round-up of AT's Proprietary Alphability Metrics

Trend and Reversal Alphability data for stock index and bond futures and top/bottom five Dow stocks. read more

Buy Side Flocks to FX

Auto and algo trading techniques are being deployed by a wide range of buy-side firms in the increasingly crowded, but not always transparent, waters of the FX market. Chris Hall reports. read more

The Liquidity Seeker

Chris McConville, Executive Director, Equities at UBS Investment Bank, narrates the typical use of a liquidity-seeking algorithm to trade a fictitious investment trust.read more

All the News that’s Fit to Trade

News has been moving financial markets since before Julius Reuter released his first pigeon. Chris Hall asks whether machine-readable news will give traders an edge.read more

Do Your Testing Methods Deliver?

Much of the underperformance of messaging systems can be attributed to inadequate measuring tools and testing conditions, according to Barry Thompson, Founder and CTO, and Dave Lauer, Senior Systems Engineer, Tervela.read more

New Horizons for Complex Event Processing

Daniel Chait, Managing Director, Lab49, asserts that CEP has a wide range of applications beyond algo/auto trading.read more

Adapting Algorithms to Realities of Asian Markets

If execution algorithms are to be adopted widely in the Asian markets, both providers and users must be aware of the unique characteristics of trading in the region, says Dr Usman Malik of P. E. Lynch LLP.read more

The Role of Advanced Models in Performance Boosting

In the second part of a two-part article, David Aronson, President of Hood River Research, examines the modelling techniques used in arriving at a valuable predictor set for boosting ‘raw’ trading model performance.read more

The Middle East: A Region Rich in Opportunity

Gary King, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Mercantile Exchange, explains why trading firms should look beyond Asia for new investment opportunities to a region whose financial markets are primed for an expansion in algorithmic and automated trading.read more

What's in Focus for 2007 Beyond MiFID and the Exchanges

MiFID has been a key focus for many months now,given both the tactical and strategic impact it will have on the buy and sell-side,and market microstructure in particular. There is no doubt the MiFID themes play largely in our plans,but they are not the only things in focus for Goldman Sachs in 2007.read more

Every trader needs an algorithm

New breeds of aggressive algos are being designed for active DMA traders, whilst changes in market structure are making algos essential.read more

Building and maintaining an algorithmic trading tool

As the use of algorithmic trading tools has become more widespread, clients’ expectations have similarly increased. Owain Self of UBS highlights the important considerations when developing and supporting a credible algorithmic trading tool and what it takes to maintain that credibility in a constantly changing market.read more

Quantitative Approach with a Human Touch

As electronic trading continues to gain ground, one of the casualties has been the reduction of personal contact. While things like data, quantitative calculations, speed to market, etc, have become essential parts of this new trading frontier, the demand for the exchange of ideas and better understanding of the market place has never been greater. What are the tools available? How do they work? How can you get the best out of them? read more

Algo transitions

Portfolio transitions are very different from conventional asset management, but the judicious use of algorithms can still be hugely beneficial. Chris Jackson, Director, Execution Sales, Merrill Lynch International explains the nuances of using algorithms as part of transition management.read more

Survival of the Fastest

In historical terms,the speed and movement of sensitive data can clearly be seen to have delivered execution advantages. Looking back nearly 200 years, Nathan Rothschild proved the benefit of having the quickest communications system in Europe in 1815 by knowing prior to the British government the outcome of the Battle of Waterloo.The communication and anticipation of market momentum continued to develop from the first stock ticker launched on the NYSE in 1867,through Louis Bachelier’s thesis on market movement predictability at the turn of the 20th Century to the dawn of the electronic era and the development of Instinet’s DOT system. The current environment,with its proliferation of order management systems and execution management systems supported by numerous instantaneous execution choices, underlines the success of market entry strategies based on timing.read more

Algorithms Where do we (and you) go from here?

A whole industry has developed around algorithmic trading. Connferences, exhibitions, publications carrying articles (not dissimilar to this one) and advertising are but a few of the activities that are providing employment and profits for many. On top of this,one must consider the costs to sell-side providers of employing project and programme managers,developers, programmers, connectivity specialists,integrators,systems, trading and support teams.Not forgetting,of course,sales people and marketing budgets needed to make the potential client base aware that the broker or bank in question is in the 'game'. read more

Keeping up with the pace of change

Today’s buyside dealers are making more complex decisions about execution than ever before – and they are expected to justify their choices to their firms and their clients.With the introduction of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) approaching,the options available to the buyside are set to expand further – along with a trader’s need to demonstrate that he or she is exercising their discretion appropriately. read more

The Need for Speed

How have we arrived in a world where every millisecond counts? The following comment may provide some insight: "The trading world is not a generous one. The first person to the market and execute doesn’t leave behind opportunities. Because speed determines the winners and losers……" (The TABB group LLC, Trading at the Speed of Light).read more

In MiFID we Trust

This issue of AT coincides with another attempt by Europe to become a little bit more like America. No, not Tony Blair’s hopes of being elected President of Europe just in time to see Bill and Hillary move back into the White House. Rather, that slightly less foolhardy European Union initiative, MiFID (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive), which aims – as one of the pillars of a single European investment market – to allow Europeans to shop around between rival trading venues to get the best price for their favourite stocks and shares.read more

Plimsoll Takes the Plunge

To offer greater diversification to investors, US-based Plimsoll Capital introduced Armada, a portfolio of automated strategies. Tom Parry, Director of Algorithmic Trading, tells AT how the FX-focused asset manager built the platform on which Armada now sails. read more

First-mover Advantage?

Already offering cheaper, quicker pricing on French, German, Dutch and UK equities, Chi-X is the first tangible evidence of the challenge to Europe’s stock exchanges unleashed by MiFID. Director Peter Randall talks to AT about the forces driving liquidity fragmentation and the implications for algorithmic trading. read more

Speed to Market

How is the latest technology accelerating the development and implementation of algorithms and automated trading systems? AT asks leading solutions providers to share their views.read more

αlphability

Automated Trader’s new tradability metrics were launched in the Q3 edition of the magazine and have triggered an exceptional response from readers. Andy Webb addresses some of the requests, observations and suggestions that have been made. read more

Taming the Tiger

Michael Donahue, managing director of TransMarket Group’s Singapore operations, tells AT how the firm is meeting the challenges of automated trading in the diverse and fast-changing Asian financial markets. read more

Baptism by Fire

Extreme volatility in the equity markets made August a testing month for both users of execution algorithms and automated trading strategies. Leading players explain the lessons for the future to Chris Hall.read more

The Smart Money

As MiFID opens the door to competition between equity trading venues in Europe, Chris Hall looks at how algorithmic trading will adapt to the new era of fragmented liquidity.read more

Get a Grid!

In the Q3 issue’s Technology Forum, our panel of experts agreed that grid computing had not yet been fully harnessed to support automated trading. So Automated Trader asked Mike Stoltz, VP, Architecture and Strategy, Financial Services at Gemstone Systems, Inc, to explain how grid computing might support a theoretical automated trading strategy.read more

Open Platform

When a US options prop shop built a new fast-track strategy development platform, its business model changed overnight. Tom Heffernan, Director, Global Marketing, Last Atlantis Capital Management, explains why the alternative asset manager encourages emerging trading firms to leverage its technology to perfect their own models. read more

Using Trading Dynamics to Boost Strategy Performance

In the first part of a two-part article, David Aronson, President of Hood River Research, introduces the concept of performance boosting strategies and explains the selection process for their predictor inputs.read more

Fast Forward for Algorithmic Trading

Algorithmic trading is on the brink of a new era of standardisation that will accelerate time to market, according to John Goeller, Chair, FPL Algorithmic Trading Working Group and Director of Portfolio and Automated Trading, Merrill Lynch. read more

Northern Exposure

The rising level of algorithmic and automated trading is one of the key drivers behind a major technology and service overhaul at OMX’s Nordic Exchange. Jukka Ruuska, President, Nordic Marketplaces, OMX, provides a snapshot of the exchange’s plans for handling further growth.read more

Application Latency

As growing competition places ever greater emphasis on the fine-tuning of automated and algorithmic trading programmes, AT asks leading solutions providers for their views on the tweaks that can minimise application latency and maximise performance. With: - Ary Khatchikian, president and chief technology officer, Portware - Amir Prescher, vice president, business development, Voltaire - Matt Meinel, global director, business development, 29West - Gena Ioffe, CEO, EGAR Technology - Ali Pichvai, managing director, Quod Financial - Jonas Lindqvist, head of system development, NeoNet - Yuriy Shterk, vice president, product development, CQG - Nimrod Gindi, business development manager, Mellanox Technologiesread more

A Global Round Trip

Exchanges around the world are investing in new technology and services to attract a greater share of algorithmic and automated trading volumes. Chris Hall takes a whirlwind tour of the exchanges that are pulling out the stops to bring much-needed sources of liquidity to local markets.read more

Pennies from Heaven?

As the SEC’s six-month penny pilot scheme draws to a close in the US options market, Chris Hall reports on the initial impact on different market segments and asks whether decimalisation will open up the market for higher levels of automated and algorithmic trading.read more

Catch Me if You Can

Automated traders whose strategies depend on speed are turning to ‘true’ direct market access to avoid the latency burden of futures clearers’ pre-trade risk management tools. Chris Hall looks at clearers’ efforts to monitor trading risks without imposing unnecessary restraints on high-frequency clients.read more

The L Word

It is widely considered as critical to the performance of an algorithm, but what do we actually mean by latency? Dr Usman Malik, of algorithmic trading specialists P.E. Lynch LLP, explains the main sources of latency and suggests some practical steps for minimising its impact.read more

Backtesting: Best practice principles for beating the market

In an increasingly crowded market, traders need comprehensive, integrated backtesting capabilities to ensure their algorithms stay ahead of the competition. Jorin Daleanes, Sales and Account Manager, RTD Tango and Backtester, and Steffen Gemuenden, Co CEO, RTS Realtime Systems Group, lay out the key principles.read more

Using Order Book Data to Improve Automated Model Performance

Automated traders now have access to unprecedented levels of market data. Thom Hartle, Director of Marketing, CQG, conducts a theoretical comparison between two trading systems to explore how order book data can be leveraged for optimal trade performance.read more

Algorithmic Traders & Their Impact on the Derivatives World

Having revolutionised the equity markets, algorithmic trading is already reshaping the derivatives sector. Neal Brady, Director of Products and Services Technology, CME, looks at the technology and infrastructure changes that are fast attracting algorithmic traders to the futures and options markets.read more

Communicating Ltd: The Trader Stripped Bare

Communicating Ltd’s path to becoming one of London’s most profitable trading operations started with a revolutionary matching engine that fitted on a floppy disk. Vladan Jovanovic, Managing Director, tells AT how a stripped-down approach to trading and technology has been a consistent factor behind Communicating’s success.read more

αlphability

This issue of Automated Trader marks the launch of a new set of tradability statistics called Alphability. Andy Webb outlines some examples of their construction and their application as tools to expedite the development of automated and algorithmic trading models.read more

Less Smoke; More Mirrors

Let’s start with a quick multiple-choice quiz. What are Cobra, Ambush, Arid, Nocturnal and Covert? A) The line-up for a heavy rock weekender? B) A new range of toiletries for adolescent boys? or C) A new five-part Iraq War saga by Andy McNab? The answer of course is D) all of the above. Oh, and they’re also the names of algorithms, too. Add in a few references to dark books and deep pools of liquidity and you begin to understand how staff at certain marketing departments (mis)spent their youth.read more

Liquidity sensing and smart order routing

Regulation in both the US and Europe is having a significant impact on smart order routing in relation to best execution and venue selection. An important part of the routing process revolves around the sensing of hidden liquidity. read more

Latency: The Hands-on Approach

Obviously here at AT we get a lot of press releases along the lines of “XXX announces the launch of latency busting YYY data feed/network/event processing engine that can process 10 billion messages/data points per nanosecond”. read more

Empirical execution: Aspect Capital

Aspect Capital has a long pedigree as a systematic money manager. As such, it has been well placed to make a logical progression to automated and algorithmic trading. AT talks to Rob Wakefield, Aspect’s chief operating officer, about the firm’s recent activities in these areas and its empirical approach to order execution and algorithms.read more

Market data connectivity

With: - David Hann, general manager for EMEA at Interactive Data Real-Time Services - Gregory Smith, CEO at Cicada Corporation - Mark Akass, CTO at BT Radianz - Alasdair Moore, global head of sales at Fixnetix - Guy Tagliavia, president and CEO at Infodyne Corporation read more

ICAP + EBS = Joined up data

The explosion in automated and algorithmic trading has been accompanied by a huge thirst for data - market participants want data, lots of data. And they want a broader range of it - the days of providing just traded prices are long gone. Today’s market wants volume, historical order book depth, and order message traffic – the works. AT takes a look at how EBS and ICAP’s latest historical data packages measure up.read more

Algorithmic trading: fact or fiction?

The rise in the popularity of algorithmic trading has been accompanied by a commensurate increase in the amount of marketing material that relates to algorithmic trading. Unfortunately a significant proportion of this material has a tendency to confuse rather than inform. Dr Usman Malik, of algorithmic trading specialists P.E. Lynch LLP, debunks nine popular algomyths.read more

Autotrading CTAs

Given the number of CTAs with systematic rather than discretionary trading styles, CTAs as a breed would seem naturals for automated trading. But as Kim Hunter finds out, while they have been keen adopters of the technology, there are still plenty of leopards out there with the same old spots.read more

High frequency data analysis

As the requirements for storing, manipulating and deriving intelligence from ever larger data sets continue to expand, techniques and technology have to keep pace. Brian Sentance, CEO of Xenomorph, outlines some of the prerequisites. read more

Distributed automation

While automated trading is now relatively commonplace, Rickey Cheung has been one of a few to take the process a step further. In addition to his own proprietary trading, he also redistributes trading signals to automated trading clients around the world. AT talks to Cheung about his methods and technology. read more

Event processing in the world of electronic and algorithmic trading

Event processing is a set of concepts and accompanying technologies that have been building momentum in the world of finance over the past few years. These ideas and technologies are rapidly changing the way in which automated trading systems and related parts of electronic trading systems are built and run. As with any new concept or technology, a glut of confusing “market speak” often arises from vendors promising to save the world. Chris Donnan, who works in equity derivatives trading technology at a top Wall Street firm, provides a translation.read more

MiFID: A catalyst for changing the trading landscape

Jon Carp, Head of Alternative Execution Sales Europe at C A Cheuvreux looks at the specific implications of MiFID for the buyside and sellside in terms of smart order routing and algorithms. read more

Hedge Fund Back Offices - Sinking or Swimming in the Algo Flood?

Hedge funds have been a major factor in the growth of algorithmic trading, but how are they and their prime brokers responding to the impact that algorithmic and automated trading have had on the back office?read more

The Boys from Balchug

Dmitry Bourtov runs the US-based hedge fund Solaris, as well as heading a group at the Moscow offices of data vendor CQG that combines the activities of a quant shop and a specialist financial software developer. Bourtov talks to AT about the process by which he and his team design and manage a fleet of automated trading models across hundreds of markets around the globe.read more

FPGA's - Parallel Perfection?

FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) may not be new technology, but as the data crunching race in automated/algorithmic trading continues to intensify, could they be an idea whose time has finally come? AT talks to Alistair MacArthur, Senior Research Engineer at Celoxica, who discusses current FPGA technology and outlines its potential for tasks such as parsing algorithmic news feeds.read more

Hedge Funds and Multi Asset Algorithmic Trading - Perfect Partners?

The exponential growth of the hedge fund sector has been a major feature of capital markets over the past few years. Another more recent hot topic has been algorithmic trading across multiple asset classes. Matt Simon, Analyst at the TABB Group considers whether a union between the two could be a marriage made in heaven.read more

My Machine: The AT Interview - Algo Reality

Investment management firm T. Rowe Price, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, has more than USD300bn under management. The company has a global presence and in common with other major asset managers uses execution algorithms in its various locations. AT talks to Clive Williams, head of European Equity Trading at T. Rowe Price’s London office about his desk’s experience with and expectations of algorithmic trading.read more

Strategies: Waiting for the Iceberg

Algorithmic trading has radically changed trading patterns in capital markets. Transaction volumes have increased and in the equities markets in particular, individual transaction sizes have plummeted. Debbie Williams, Group Vice President of the Capital Markets and Risk Management Practices at Financial Insights examines the implications of this for risk management and how market participants are (or aren’t) responding to the challenge.read more

AT Round Table: Pre-trade analytics - expectations and reality

Pre-trade analytics have become an integral part of the workflow for algorithmic traders. We asked four major sellside banks for their views on some of the current and emerging themes in analytics. With: - Chris Biscoe, Head of US Ecommerce, Barclays Capital - Mike Duff, executive director, UBS - Andrew Freyre-Sanders, Head of Algorithmic Trading for EMEA and Asia, JP Morgan - Timothy Reilly, Co-Head of Alternative Execution at Citibank, Citigroup Global Equities read more

Technology Workshop: Java - Your High-Frequency Friend

An article in the April issue of AT (“You’re using what?!”) questioned the suitability of Java for high frequency automated trading. Matt Schruben, Principal Consultant, Random Walk Computing and Jim Levey, Director of Marketing, Random Walk Computing provide a different perspective. read more

Exchange Views: ISE - Automation Inspiration

In April of this year, the International Securities Exchange announced that it would be entering the equities market through the launch of the ISE Stock Exchange. AT talks to David Krell, President and Chief Executive Officer of the ISE about this initiative and how it will fit with the exchange’s existing automated trading activity in stock options.read more

Case Study: ABP - à la carte algo

With an invested capital of 190bn euros, Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP - the pension fund for employees in the service of the Dutch government and educational sector - is the second largest pension fund in the world. The fund has been scaling up its equity exposure in recent years, from 14% of assets in 1995, to more than 30% today. AT talks to Juan-Carlos Rhodes, senior trader at ABP, about how the organisation is making use of algorithmic and DMA technology in its equity trading. read more

Strategies: Building a Better Bear Trap

One of the most critical elements in algorithmic trading lies in accurately modelling trading costs, yet this still remains a rather inexact science. While certain cost elements are relatively stable and/or easy to predict, others are not. As a result, models for estimating trading costs have tended to be reasonably predictive when viewed across a very large sample of trades, but decidedly indifferent performers on individual ones. This has in turn made the task of minimising these costs through the selection, tuning and scheduling of appropriate execution algorithms difficult. Dan diBartolomeo, president of Northfield Information Services, discusses the current limitations and suggests some additional elements that can be used to improve forecasting of trading costs and trade scheduling.read more

Leader: The buyside trader - empowered or extinct?

The introduction of Reg NMS next year will further compound other changes, such as decimalisation, that have transformed the equity market in recent years. Joe Wald, CEO of EdgeTrade Inc., explains how traders need to evolve and respond to meet this challenge if they are to remain relevant in the new environment. read more

Peek Ahead: DIY Disaster

How one fund house's attempt to build its own algos proved a rocky road to reality.read more

Feature: Algo in Asia - Slow Burn or Damp Squib?

While adoption of algorithmic trading in Asia is not as advanced as in Europe or the US, there are some indications of intent already emerging. For instance, several major broker dealers have started relocating experienced advanced order execution personnel to the region with the intention of building their algorithmic client base. Will they soon be basking by a bonfire of activity or struggling with soggy matches? Heather Mclean finds out.read more

Tech Forum: Data - The Exploding Supernova

With: - Mark Palmer, general manager and vice president of Apama Products, a division of Progress Software - Dr John Bates, founder and vice president of Apama Products, a division of Progress Software - John Coulter, vice president of marketing and business development, Vhayu Technologies - Kirsti Suutari, global business manager for algorithmic trading in the enterprise business division at Reuters - Paul Geraghty, director of customer propositions for the Reuters Tick Capture Engine - Ary Khatchikian, president and CTO of Portware read more

Feature: Jack Schwager - Making the grade

The number of hedge funds using automated and algorithmic trading has risen exponentially in recent years. That has made it hard for such funds to stand out from each other when pitching to allocators. One such allocator is Jack Schwager, who in addition to an illustrious career on Wall Street and the authorship of numerous investment classics, is also the principal investment manager of the Market Wizards Funds, the flagship fund of hedge funds series of the Fortune Group. AT talked to Mr Schwager about his views on automated trading and some of the criteria he uses when selecting managers.read more

Spotlight: RTD Tango - Cutting to the Chase

Tools for trade automation have been around for several years. One of the later arrivals at the automation party is RTS Realtime Systems Group, which launched its RTD Tango automated/algorithmic modelling and trade execution platform last year. As AT discovers, there is evidently truth in the adage about learning from other’s mistakes to avoid making your own.read more

AT Round Table: Algorithmic Trading - Creating real value for the buyside

As algorithmic trading continues to mature, the buyside is becoming more demanding. Providers are now being judged on a more holistic basis than in the past, with an emphasis on their overall ability to add value. AT talks to five prominent sellside banks about some of the possible solutions to these new demands. With: - François Banneville, deputy head of global program trading, Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking - Peter Sheridan, Head of European Algorithmic Trading, Goldman Sachs - Kevin Bourne, Global Head of Execution Services, HSBC - Matt Celebuski, senior managing director in E.A.S.T. division, Bear Stearns - Dave Conner, Head of US electronic Client Solutions Sales, JP Morganread more

Feature: Colocation - A Game Worth the Candle?

Exchanges, networks and service providers are turning to the laws of physics in the race to reduce latency and win customers. But do colocation and proximity trading really offer substantial benefits worthy of the investment, or is it mainly a triumph of marketing over common sense?read more

Exchange Views: ASX - Ramping Up For Algo

In common with other exchanges around the globe, the ASX has seen algorithmic and automated trading fundamentally change the nature of its order flows. AT talks to David Stocken, Senior Product Manager, Equity Products at the ASX about how the exchange is responding to this fluid environment.read more

Case Study: Algo Pairs at Investec

Investec Securities (UK) is a UK institutional equity house offering institutional services across research, sales, sales trading and risk trading. In September 2006, it announced that it had gone live with royalblue’s Fidessa Pairs and VWAP algorithmic trading modules. AT talks to Trevor Gatfield, head of IT for Investec Securities (UK) about the group’s use of the Fidessa Pairs module in its pairs trading activities.read more

Strategies: Optimisation Algorithms for Automated Trading

Automation opens up the possibility of trading multiple models or the same/similar model with multiple parameter sets. However, that raises the question of how best to optimise those parameter sets. Chris Donnan, who works in equity derivatives trading technology at a top Wall Street firm, answers it.read more

Leader: The Price of Principal

Certainty comes at a premium in financial markets and especially where a capital commitment is required. But just how big should that premium be for principal quotes and what are the alternatives? Dr Paul Lynch managing partner of algorithmic trading specialists PE Lynch LLP explores the options.read more

Feature: Is Fixed Income Ready to Hit Algo Street?

Fixed income has been long regarded as the Cinderella of algorithmic trading – while equities and then FX would enjoy the ball, fixed income would be left behind. However, while we may still be a long way from a glass slipper scenario, there are now glimmerings of real activity and serious intent from both the buy and sellside. read more

Peek Ahead: A Misleading Glimpse of the Future

“AT pays a visit to a seriously secretive organisation and sees a human free vision of the automated trading future. Or possibly not…”read more

My Machine: The AT Interview - Amplitude Capital: Precision Automation

Automation, both in terms of trading and back office processes, is an intrinsic part of Amplitude Capital’s day to day operation. AT talks to two of Amplitude’s principals, CEO Karsten Schroeder and CFO John Harrison about the firm’s technology, methods and ambitions.read more

Tech Forum: The OMS - Moving On, Moving Up

One type of trading technology that has been much affected by the growth in algorithmic trading is the OMS. AT talks to five leading OMS vendors to find out how changes in the market are affecting their businesses and how they are dealing with those changes. With: - Eric Bernstein, head of sales for North America at Linedata - Richard Hooke, global product director at Latent Zero - Michael Roberts, director of European operations at ITG Solutions Network - Stephen Engdahl, Director of Product Management at Charles River Development - David Csiki, managing director at INDATAread more

Spotlight: Patsystems IQ-Trader

Patsystems were one of the first ISVs to launch an electronic dealing platform when futures markets began migrating from open outcry in the 1990s. AT takes a look at the automated trading functionality within the latest incarnation of its mid-tier IQ-Trader platform.read more

Technology Workshop: Algo Integration – Can FIX Fix It?

The FIX Protocol’s provision of a broad set of commonly accepted standards has radically simplified and reduced the cost of financial