New Canadian exchange Aequitas goes live on MillenniumIT platform
New Canadian exchange Aequitas NEO has gone live for the first time, using the MillenniumIT trading platform built by the London Stock Exchange’s Sri Lanka-based subsidiary.
Canada
North American bank IT spending climbs as firms invest in external services
Banks in North America are ramping up IT spending on retail banking services and digital channels this year, with total IT spend expected to reach $64.8 billion by 2016, according to a new report by analyst firm Celent. The figures represent a 4.5% increase this year, as financial institutions increasingly turn to external software provider and specialists to bolster their abilities.
Anti-HFT Aequitas Neo Exchange prepares for launch
A new exchange is planning to begin trading in March, with a platform focused on long-term investors and issuers. Chief executive Jos Schmitt says the new venue has some unusual features which should help keep unwanted high-frequency traders at bay.
Canadian exchange pursues “fairer markets” with MillenniumIT deal
Canadian ‘challenger’ exchange Aequitas, which plans to favour long-term investors by discouraging HFT, has chosen a trading engine and several other tools from MillenniumIT, the Sri Lanka-based technology company owned by the London stock Exchange.
Cashing out: Ontario mobile payment infrastructure is on the money
Canadians are in a hurry to get rid of their cash – at least as a method of payment, nor are they content with the contactless tap-and-go cards currently in use; they are anxious to replace cards with contactless smartphone technology, writes Aaron Rosland, senior economic counsellor for the Government of Ontario, Canada.
Canadian “HFT-free” exchange prepares for 2015 launch
A new Canadian stock exchange aimed at retail and long-term investors is planning its debut next year, offering a service designed to curb high-frequency trading and support capital raising.
Jos Schmitt returns to build new Canada exchange
Former Alpha ATS chief Jos Schmitt is planning a new stock exchange for Canada, to be called Aequitas Exchange, which will take on incumbent TMX Group.
Canada’s Desjardins financial cooperative pushes NFC offering
Canada is seeing a fresh push to promote near field communication (NFC) services after Canadian cooperative financial group Desjardin signed a deal with mobile money solutions provider Monitise and a joint venture with the nation’s three largest mobile operators.
LSE/TMX to collaborate on fixed income venture
The London Stock Exchange’s FTSE Group and Canadian exchange TMX have signed an agreement to combine their fixed income index business in a new joint venture, resurrecting at least part of the cooperation originally planned under the two exchanges’ failed merger back in June 2011.
National Bank of Canada embraces Orc algos
The National Bank of Canada is to use algorithmic trading tools and market access from Nordic technology company Orc, through its subsidiary National Bank Financial.
Activ expands Canadian coverage ahead of “naked access” ban
Market data and technology company Activ Financial has expanded its risk gateway tool to cover all Canadian exchanges, ahead of new rules that will require market participants in Canada to have pre-trade risk controls in place across all asset classes from next month.
CIBC promotes NFC payments via BlackBerry
Canada’s CIBC bank has launched a novel promotion aimed at increasing uptake of NFC technology for mobile payments.
