TS Imagine, a global, cross-asset provider of trading, portfolio, and risk management solutions, has released a margin calculator offering intended to improve the way securities firms meet the minimum requirements of central counterparty clearinghouses (CCPs). The RiskSmart X’s CCP Margin Calculator is an extension of the RiskSmart X offering that launched last year, which helps… Read More >>
ACA Group Acquires Encore Compliance
ACA Group (ACA), a provider of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) solutions to the financial services industry, has acquired Encore Compliance (Encore), an A.I. compliance software solutions vendor, officials say. “This acquisition enhances ACA’s Managed Services suite of people, processes, and technology, adding A.I.-enabled surveillance for expert network chaperoning and research calls to help asset… Read More >>
SEC Kicks Off a T+1 Compliance Sweep
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has begun detailed examinations of industry participants to ensure compliance with its new T+1 trade settlement and recordkeeping requirements. Both investment advisors and broker-dealers are being audited to provide information on their policies, procedures, and records related to trade allocation, confirmation, and affirmation processes to the SEC’s Division… Read More >>
Cantor Fitzgerald Dives Into Bitcoin Financing
Inter-dealer broker Cantor Fitzgerald has plans to launch a Bitcoin financing business in an effort to help investors leverage their Bitcoin. “The firm will launch with $2 billion in initial financing and will continue to substantially grow the operation,” according to the initial announcement. “To launch the effort, Cantor Fitzgerald will partner with select Bitcoin… Read More >>
FINRA Explores Remote Inspections via Pilot Program
Nearly one-quarter or 22 percent of FINRA member firms have volunteered to participate in a pilot program that would allow them to complete their inspection obligations “without an on-site visit” from a FINRA official, according to the self-regulatory organization (SRO) for U.S. broker-dealers. FINRA notes that 741 firms are participating in the initial pilot, and… Read More >>
Gresham CEO Provides an Update on the Merger
(Gresham Technologies has merged with Alveo, a market data integration and analytics solutions provider, via a transaction led by Alveo’s majority owner private equity firm STG Partners. Before the merger, STG Partners and Alliance Bidco took Gresham Technologies plc private in April via a transaction that valued Gresham at approximately £146.7 million ($190.7 million). The… Read More >>
FIA Updates Best Practices for Credit Risk Mitigation
Post-trade controls, monitoring, and data collection are essential to mitigate the risk involved in the automation of exchange-traded futures, options, and centrally cleared derivatives. With the help of updated best practices, these controls can work well in conjunction with pre-trade controls to prevent credit events or unintended transactions. So says the Futures Industry Association (FIA)… Read More >>
Franklin Templeton to Deploy BlackRock’s Aladdin
Asset manager Franklin Templeton will be deploying the Aladdin platform from BlackRock to unify its investment management IT infrastructures across public market asset classes, officials say. The Aladdin portfolio management software offers investment firms “a way to view and manage daily investments,” according to BlackRock. “Aladdin is a comprehensive technology solution that supports the entire… Read More >>
FINRA Warns of Post-CrowdStrike Secondary Attacks
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) officials have issued a warning that the global disruption caused by the CrowdStrike Outage could be followed by secondary attacks. “In connection to the widespread disruption, member firms should be aware they may experience secondary attacks from cyber criminals seeking to leverage this incident to carry out social engineering and… Read More >>
SEC Launches Interagency Effort to Bolster Enforcement
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement has launched the Interagency Securities Council (ISC) to better coordinate enforcement among federal, state, and local agencies, SEC officials say. The ISC will involve representatives from “more than 100 departments and agencies, including federal agencies, state offices of attorneys general and state police, and local police departments… Read More >>
