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Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

Alt Data: A Work in Progress

Banks and investment firms have increased their consumption of alternative data sets, but there are still challenges around selecting the most relevant data for trading purposes, according to panelists at a recent industry fintech conference. In particular, the quality of time stamping and backtesting from third-party alternative data platforms is ...

Capital Markets Technology

Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

CAT is out of the Bag

Despite a one-year delay and other missed deadlines, the order-tracking system known as the Consolidated Audit Trail is back on track as exchanges were due to begin reporting required equities and options data into the CAT on Nov. 15. That message was conveyed by panelists at a recent industry conference. Executives speaking at Tabb Group's FinTech...

/regulation Capital Markets Technology

Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

Big Data: Getting Granular with ESG Factors

With the growth in sustainable investing, there’s been a surge in data on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors over the past few years. Demand for ESG data is rising as asset managers look to incorporate ESG factors such as low-carbon emissions or gender diversity on boards into their investment analysis and decision-making processes....

/ai Hedge Fund Technology

Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

A.I. on the Fast Track

When the stock market plunged 1300 points in two days on Oct. 10th and 11th, many analysts scrambled to reconcile the market turmoil with U.S. companies reporting strong corporate earnings. While U.S. stocks roared back in subsequent sessions on healthy earnings from banks and tech stocks, the surge in volatility adds to uncertainty about the U.S

/ai /startups Fintech innovation and startups

Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

Data Science Platforms Help the Buy Side Integrate Alternative Data

Asset managers are looking for ways to mine alternative data sets for investment ideas, recognizing that stock pickers cannot rely on traditional research. An explosion in alternative data, ranging from satellite images to mobile geolocation data and unstructured text, has created an arms race among hedge funds and quantitative funds. Many firms ha...

/ai Fintech

Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

MiFID II Reaches Across the Pond: Is This the Calm Before the Storm?

Despite the view that MiFID II is a European regulation, US investment managers are experiencing disruption as they align their research payment and execution practices with the influential standard. While MiFID II went into force on Jan. 3, 2018, US money managers of all types and sizes anticipate that MiFID II will influence their businesses, not...

/regulation MiFID

Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

Treasury Trading Evolves with Bilateral Streaming

Electronic trading in the US Treasury secondary market is evolving and shifting, as non-bank liquidity providers and dealers participate on venues that offer bilateral streaming on a disclosed basis. Non-bank liquidity providers and some dealers are actively participating in venues that support bilateral streaming, according to a Greenwich Associat...

Capital Markets Technology

Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

Buy Side Juggles Efficiency and Workflow in Search for Bond Liquidity

Corporate bond investors are seeking operational efficiencies on their fixed income trading desks to lower costs. As the search for bond liquidity across a fragmented credit trading marketplace remains a priority,-side firms are grappling with two distinct workflows – voice-based and electronic – in the $8 trillion corporate bond market. A new re...

/regulation Capital Markets Technology

Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

Global FX Code Gains Adoption but Last Look is a Thorny Issue

Over 200 market participants have signed the FX Global Code of Conduct, a voluntary set of principles published a year ago to restore trust and curb bad behavior in the wholesale foreign exchange market. Citing a rapid increase in the number of signatories from every corner of the foreign exchange markets, the Foreign Exchange Professionals Associa...

/regulation Financial Services Regulation

Ivy Schmerken

Ivy Schmerken Editorial Director at FlexTrade Systems

Equity Market Innovation Leads to Venue Proliferation

Several startups are planning to launch either new venues or order types, and even listing standards, to solve problems in US equity trading. At last month’s SIFMA Equity Market Structure conference, executives with the following three startups and one established exchange discussed their particular market innovations and how each one fits into th...

/ai Innovation in Financial Services

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