In comparison to the gut-wrenching twists and turns of 2016, this year provided us with moments of healing, reflection and hope even though many events rocked the landscape for the securities industry. But, at certain points in 2017, rationality prevailed such as when on Dec. 20, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) issued a… Read More >>
ESMA Leaves Key OTC Questions Unanswered
Although the latest edict from the European Securities Market Authority (ESMA) was supposed to clarify the concept of “traded on a trading venue” (TOTV), there is still some uncertainty around the over the counter (OTC) component of securities transactions. The objective of ESMA’s opinion is to help market participants better understand under which circumstances transactions… Read More >>
ESMA Explores Blockchain’s Risks and Promise
It was only a matter of time before regulators wanted to lift the lid on blockchain and look deeper into the potential opportunities and challenges in the financial services sphere. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), an EU financial services watchdog, is throwing down the gauntlet with its recent discussion paper for public consultation… Read More >>
CME to Offer CCP Services in Europe
CME to Offer Clearing for Global Firms The Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. (CME) has gotten the approval of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to operate in the European Union as central counterparty clearinghouse (CCP). The notice came as part of an ongoing update of approved CCPs based in third countries, according to ESMA… Read More >>
FIX to Get Extensions for MiFID II Compliance
The FIX protocol is being modified to provide mappings to the ISO 20022 data standard required for trade reporting to European authorities, and a forthcoming FIX version will support Market Model Typology (MMT) 3.0, intended to facilitate MiFID II compliance, according to the FIX Trading Community standards body. MiFID II transaction reporting extends the reporting… Read More >>
ESMA Amendments Provide Relief via MiFID II
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) recently issued amendments to its draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTSs) under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) and Regulation (MiFIR) that should give firms, especially those that trade less frequently, more breathing room. “The amendments are designed to respond to the legitimate concerns of the European… Read More >>
ESMA Pries Open Derivatives Clearing
Although not all clearinghouses will be happy, the European Securities Market Authority Association (ESMA) decision to allow more choice in trading and clearing was welcomed by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and Nasdaq Stock Market, which have long championed greater competition in derivatives clearing. The so-called open access rule, set out under Markets in… Read More >>
European Regulators Clash Over Payouts for Fund Managers
The European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) final guidelines on remuneration that are part of the investment vehicle regulations known as the Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities, aka UCITs V, was supposed to provide clarity when determining a fund manager’s pay package. However, certain aspects remain unclear, especially when it comes to the… Read More >>
ESMA Fines DTCC for Trade Repository Shortcomings
Post-trade infrastructure services provider DTCC has been fined nearly $73,000 by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) for alleged failures to properly offer “direct and immediate access to derivatives trading data” for nine months in 2014. The regulator’s fine of €64,000 (equivalent to 72,907.15 given a 1 EUR = 1.13917 USD rate) is the… Read More >>
FIX Group Backs ISO OTC Identifier Effort
The FIX Trading Community is throwing its support behind a standards-creation effort that would assign identifiers to over-the-counter (OTC) derivative instruments as mandated by the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive/Regulation (MiFID II) requirements. The non-profit body behind the FIX electronic trading protocol is sponsoring a study group of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that… Read More >>