As expected, SEC Chair Gary Gensler is taking the regulatory agency in a different direction than the most recent chairman Jay Clayton. Recent actions are pointing to a more activist environment and a new era of rulemaking. For starters, Gensler recently announced his policy team, which will be led by Heather Slavkin Corzo, policy director…. Read More >>
BAE Systems & Kharon Target Sanctions Screening
BAE Clients Get Access to Kharon’s Analytics Anti-money laundering (AML) solutions provider BAE Systems Applied Intelligence is partnering with Kharon, a research and data analytics vendor to offer BAE customers Kharon’s data and analytics to improve sanctions screening and bolster investigations, officials say. The partnership will enable BAE Systems compliance solution NetReveal to access Kharon… Read More >>
Buy-Side Firms Want Data Science: Survey
Portfolio managers have no reason to fear data science as it cannot really replace what they do. But harnessing data in new ways could give them an unprecedented advantage, according to a survey of 300 asset management firms sponsored by custodian Northern Trust. “The business case for digital automation and the use of investment data… Read More >>
EC Blesses IHS Markit-CME Joint Venture
Proposed J.V. Seen as Complementary CME Group, an operator of derivatives trading venues, and IHS Markit, an information and analytics vendor, have gotten the blessings of the European Commission for their joint venture of post-trade services. “The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint control over a newly created… Read More >>
Middle Office Problems Spur Settlement Woes: Survey
Problems in middle-office operations are being blamed for back-office settlement failures, according to the results of a joint survey done by Torstone Technology, a vendor of cloud-based, post-trade services, and GreySpark Partners, a capital markets consultancy. In fact, the survey finds that “60 percent of institutions believe that settlement failures attributed to inadequacies of the… Read More >>
UBS Settles Volatility-Related ETP Case for $8M
UBS Financial Services Inc. has reached an $8 million settlement with the SEC over allegations that the firm had compliance failures via the sales of exchange-traded products (ETPs) tied to market volatility. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a broker-dealer and investment adviser that has had dual registration with the SEC since 1971, according to the… Read More >>
CFTC Divisions Push SEFs to Dump LIBOR
CFTC Says Firms Need to Embrace SOFR Soon The CFTC wants participants in derivatives markets and the swap execution facilities (SEFs) to remember that they could face “financial, conduct, litigation, operational, and reputational risks” if they fail to adequately prepare for “a smooth and timely” London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (Libor) transition to the Secured Overnight… Read More >>
BlackRock Raises Base Salaries & Expectations
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, appears to be growing even bigger according to its second quarter results. In the wake of this enviable growth, the firm has done the rarely thinkable — announced plans to raise base salaries by 8 percent “for all active employees up to and including the director level” by September… Read More >>
SmartStream & Acadia Target Collateral Interest Payments
SmartStream System to Use Acadia’s Margin Manager Post-trade solutions vendor SmartStream Technologies is partnering with Acadia, the former AcadiaSoft, which changed its name and mission from a collateral management automation provider to an integrated risk management services vendor for derivatives transactions, officials say. The SmartStream TLM Collateral Management solution “will work alongside Acadia’s interest statements… Read More >>
Merrill Lynch Pays $11M+ to Settle UIT Case
FINRA, the self-regulatory authority for broker-dealers, has fined Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. $3.25 million for “failing to reasonably supervise” early unit investment trust rollovers. In addition to the fine, the firm will be paying $8.4 million in restitution to “harmed” customers. In the usual formulation, Merrill Lynch neither confirms nor denies the… Read More >>
