The Year in Review
/On the last day of the year we take a look back at some of the notable things that made 2015.
Brokerdealer.nl taking off
Our site went live this year after a lot of coffees deliberating what value we could add to this industry. The feedback so far has been positive and we are looking forward to launching a bunch of new initiatives in 2016. On-line we'll continue to follow industry relevant news. We're aiming to add more opinions from respected industry professionals and we're working on a concept to intermediate in the consulting area as well. Off-line we will organize our first knowledge event in 2016 and we'll be hosting social events as well. Our mission will stay the same; expand the knowledge and network of industry professionals.
Trading is still like F1
in the summer an opinion raised at brokerdealer was Maarten Kalff's view on comparing HFT to Formula 1. The comparison was not about fierce competition or Max verstappen, it observed that both F1 and trading are extremely hard to regulate and therefor require simple, short, and easy to enforce rule books. Similar views, on F1 have recently been voiced by Ferrari's F1 chief Sergio Marchionne.
Flow went public
And so far, so good. The opening price in July was at 34 and on Monday the 28th the stock was at 45,10, a rise more than 25% and an interim dividend of 50 cents. JP Morgan reported a 3% stake in December and overall, analysts seem positive. Compare this to an AEX index and 'peer' Virtu that lost roughly 8% in that same period and you can say 'job well done' to the Flow management for 2015.
Express went live
In September the new faster Hibernia Express went live. The link provides the lowest latency between Europe and the US. This was the completion of a long and complicated project. The project looks to be a commercial success for Hibernia, however it has not proven to relevant to everyone in the business.
Bitcoin stayed in the spotlight
2015 was not the year of Bitcoin, but again it was the year of people talking about Bitcoin. To understand what all the fuss is about, one first should understand the underlying technology. While much can be said for and against Bitcoin, it is an interesting experiment which could pave the way for others. Some people are joining in, the local New York regulator introduced a digital currency framework and NYSE Announced a Bitcoin index. Although the technology and concept is both interesting and promising a mature and generally accepted digital currency still looks some way out.
Mifid II
Mifid has perhaps been the most discussed item in the financial industry. Enough has been said about it and of course this year there was enough opportunity to be educated. Late in the year doubt has been cast on the timelines of some of the aspects of Mifid II. Whatever happens, this wil remain a hot topic for years to come.
The rise of fixed income trading venues
During 2015 fixed income trading venues seemed to pop up around the world. jan de Bolle took a look at what is going on and found a number of reasons why this is happening.
HFT public perception and social relevance
Our articles about social relevance attracted a lot of readers. Looking at the different opinions about HFT and the trading industry as whole, the debate around what trading means socially and what its place is in society is not yet closed. Just check twiitter for Remco Lenterman and Eric Scott Hunsader.
The year of Cloud Exchange launches
During 2015 two exchanges for Cloud Computing have been launched using quite different concepts. Deutsche Boerse's Cloud Exchange is a supermarket like marketplace that includes a deployment framework. UCX assisted by CME introduces an exchange which centers around a metering concept. Cloud Exchanges are an interesting trend introducing a new commodity. Brokerdealer wil keep following this new trend.
2016 is looking to be at least as exciting as 2015, we hope to see you next year!
