By Kevin McPartland
Kevin McPartland, Senior Analyst, TABB group explains the metamorphosis of the Exchange today and how the very definition of an “Exchange” is being transformed.
High frequency traders are not the only ones trying to get faster. The last few years have seen exchanges enter an arms race for speed that rivals the most sophisticated trading shops in the world. The focus on reducing latency and increasing bandwidth is so extreme that we are watching the definition of“Exchange” transform right before our eyes. Not because physical trading floors in city centers have been replaced with massive data centers in out–of-the-way industrial areas, but because the exchange business model has fundamentally changed from one that is transaction-based to one that is technology-driven. The reasons why are quite simple. Execution fees have been driven down by competition largely brought on by field-leveling regulations (read Reg NMS and MiFID) enabling competition and in turn making technology, the real differentiator. The exchanges are desperate to both retain and attract more liquidity, but with execution fees often below zero and market monopolies consigned to history, only a serious investment in technology will ensure life throughout the next decade and certainly investments in technology are being made.
The most serious technology investments have been made by the world’s largest equity exchanges. NYSE Euronext purchased Wombat and NYFIX among others to create the newly branded NYSE Technologies, NASDAQ merged with OMX to create an exchange technology provider with global reach, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) recently purchased MillenniumIT to rebuild its matching engine and be its technology arm, and the Deutsche Boerse has long been a technology provider in its own right. Chi-X, the largest multi-lateral trading facility (MTF), has a separate technology arm in the form of Chi-Tech. Most recently, the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) launched its long awaited Arrowhead platform with hopes of entering the low latency trading world. CME Group, BATS, and numerous others have also invested heavily in ensuring they have the latest and greatest technology. Some are working to maintain their dominant market position and the others are continuing their quest to take liquidity from the incumbents.
The New Exchange
