March 7, 2011 Issue Abstract

Regulation in the Making: Some Fear Adverse Impact of MiFID II Proposals if Equities Rules Are Extended to Other Asset Classes. “We are already seeing interesting trends among execution venues in anticipation of the changes,” says the head of electronic markets at one London firm.

Industry Alert: SEC Gives Green Light to “One-Pot” Margining Model. The approval boosts New York Portfolio Clearing, a joint venture of NYSE Euronext and Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), in helping align cash markets trades and any offsetting fixed-income or futures markets positions.

Editor’s Comment: Air Above and Fear Below. Information may be the lifeblood of business leaders, but there is a knowledge vacuum at the top.

On the Exchanges: LSE Group to Launch Turquoise Derivatives Platform. The venue will utilize SOLA, TMX Group’s market-leading derivatives technology.

Spotlight: Canada’s Omega ATS Seeks to Reap Gains by Plugging Market Gaps With Innovative Securities Trading. Michael Bignell, President and Chief Compliance Officer of Omega, talks about why the trading venue is on a growth trajectory and shares insights on the Canadian market.

Investment Accounting Systems: Linedata’s Icon System Readies Cavendish for Growth. Upgrading the technology platform will enable London’s Cavendish Administration to expand its range of services and be well positioned to meet emerging needs of customers.

FX Trading: Retail Investors See Automated Trading as the Future of FX. A poll conducted by LMAX, operator of a trading venue for FX and contracts for difference (CFDs), finds that only one in four retail traders is capable of trading on par with institutions.

The News Network: Northern Trust to Acquire Bank of Ireland Securities Services; NYSE Euronext, APX Complete Deal to Form NYSE Blue; FIX Protocol Limited Launches FIX Wiki.