While the world was watching and waiting for the Fed to cut interest rates, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a rare, quiet, bipartisan, and unanimous decision adopted “amendments to certain rules under Regulation NMS [National Market System]” that will allow U.S. stock exchanges to have transactions via increments of half a penny —… Read More >>
SS&C Acquires Battea Class Action Services for $670M
SS&C Technologies is acquiring Battea-Class Action Services, a securities class action claims management and settlement recovery services provider for $670 million, subject to certain adjustments, officials say. “Battea helps more than 900 banks, asset managers hedge funds and proprietary trading firms receive the maximum distribution of entitled settlements. The acquisition is expected to close this… Read More >>
T+1 Hit Home Harder Than Expected
A new survey from Citi Securities Services is lifting the lid on the widespread ramifications of North America’s recent shift to T+1 settlement, with effects rippling across the entire trade lifecycle. While the DTCC, brokers, and custodians have remained relatively quiet since the May transition, Citi’s Securities Services Evolution 2024 survey shows that 44 percent… Read More >>
Indus Valley Partners Expands Reach via IntegriDATA Acquisition
With backing from private equity firm PPC Enterprises (PPC), managed services provider Indus Valley Partners (IVP) has acquired IntegriDATA, an alternative investment software solutions provider, and combined their respective cloud platforms, officials say. A specialist middle-market PE firm, PPC is a minority investor in IVP, and the acquisition is intended to position the IVP Group… Read More >>
ABN AMRO Clearing Bank to Open a Romanian Hub
ABN AMRO Clearing Bank (AACB) and Levi9 Technology Services are collaborating to open an IT hub in Romania to better serve AACB clients via “global, high-end, and fast solutions,” officials say. The hub, based in Iași, Romania, will bring together Levi9 and AACB staff who will focus on “multiple IT applications and infrastructure,” officials say…. Read More >>
Is the Price Tag for T+1 Edging Upward?
Earlier this year, Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) estimated that the U.S. transition to T+1 settlement could cost the securities industry more than $31 billion a year, with the move reflecting “profound implications” for both the U.S. and global markets. For now, though, the full impact is still emerging, says Gerard Walsh, who leads Northern Trust‘s global… Read More >>
Get Ready for More Form N-PORT Reporting!
An overhaul is coming for Form N-PORT via amendments recently passed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “Form N-PORT reports provide important information about a fund’s portfolio holdings and related information to help assess a fund’s risks,” the SEC explains. “The Form N-PORT amendments will require … generally registered open-end funds, registered closed-end funds,… Read More >>
SmartStream Adds Faster APIs to TLM Collateral Management
Officials at post-trade technology provider SmartStream say that their Transaction Lifecycle Management (TLM) Collateral Management solution, version 7.0, bolsters straight through processing via new workflow automation support for margin, interest, and substitution calls. The changes are intended to help financial services firms that face rising costs, regulatory pressures, increased risk profiles, and that need “better… Read More >>
India’s T+1 Journey Has Lessons for North America
Nearly a year-and-a-half before the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, and Jamaica transitioned to a shorter settlement cycle for equities, corporate bonds, and municipal securities, India quietly implemented its T+1 settlement cycle intending to enhance liquidity and operational efficiency for India’s growing domestic markets. India also appears to have made a cost-effective transition — which may… Read More >>
State Street & Taurus to Build Digital Custody Services
State Street Corp. is bolstering its digital asset solutions business via an agreement with Taurus SA, a digital asset infrastructure provider, in response to institutional interest in digital assets that’s “at an all-time high,” according to the Boston-based custodian bank. The collaboration will add tokenization and digital custody services support to the custodian’s currently available… Read More >>