Multi-issuer platform (MIP) Stropro has integrated with Sharesight an online investment portfolio tracker used by over 300,000 DIY investors and finance professionals to boost alternative and structured investments in Australia.
The partnership comes on the back of client demand to enhance the platform’s portfolio tracking and reporting capabilities.
‘Existing clients with alternative exposure, like structured investments, are currently adding these positions manually,’ said Douglas Morris CEO of Sharesight. “This will now happen automatically for anyone trading through Stropro. This new partnership also enriches the experience for advisers accessing alternatives for their clients.’
The integration of the two platforms will provide self-directed investors and advisers with a hub to access ‘best of breed global alternatives’ via Stropro and consolidate investment holdings via Sharesight’s wealth reporting tools, according to Ben Streater (pictured), chief product officer at Stropro.
‘Sophisticated investors often use a range of platforms and providers to access best in class offerings,’ he said.
New leveraged oil & gas ETNs launched
As the global gas crisis has reignited demand for oil BMO and REX Shares have partnered to bring two new leverage/inverse MicroSectors Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) to the market tracking oil and gas exploration and extraction companies.
The MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production 3x Leveraged ETN (OILU) and MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production -3x Inverse Leveraged ETN (OILD) started trading on NYSE Arca on 9 November.
The new ETNs use the Solactive MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Index as their underlying index with three times (300%) long and inverse the daily performance of the underlying index, respectively.
The Solactive MicroSectors Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Index tracks the performance of US-listed companies actively involved in the exploration and production of oil and gas. There are minimum market capitalisation and minimum average daily value traded requirements on new and current index components. The index is published in US dollars (USD) and is rebalanced quarterly with monthly reweighting.
‘We believe there are advantages to including both large and small energy companies – not one or the other,’ said Scott Acheychek, president of REX.
ICE Plans to launch four MSCI CPA index futures
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is set to launch four new index futures contracts based on the MSCI Climate Paris Aligned Indices. Subject to regulatory approval, the contracts are expected to launch in January 2022 on ICE Futures US.
The new US dollar-denominated futures contracts are designed to help investors align with a net-zero world by using a variety of proprietary, key climate metrics and models, including climate value-at-risk, low carbon transition score and companies’ carbon emission reduction targets.
The indices covered will be the MSCI World Climate Paris Aligned Index, MSCI USA Climate Paris Aligned Index, MSCI Europe Climate Paris Aligned Index and MSCI Emerging Market Climate Paris Aligned Index.
‘Through these contracts, investors will be able to leverage MSCI’s leading index methodology and ICE’s established index futures ecosystem to hedge their climate related risks,’ said Caterina Caramaschi, global head of equity derivatives at ICE.
Virtu’s RFQ-hub launches electronic workflow for swaptions on CDS
Virtu Financial has launches an electronic workflow tool for swaptions on CDS in its RFQ-hub, the firm’s bilateral multi-asset and multi-dealer request for quote platform.
Union’s and Virtu’s RFQ-hub team collaborated to automate the traditional voice and manual dominated swaptions on CDS workflow, a project which required the onboarding of sell side counterparties and technology integration with Union’s system architecture.
Using the RFQ-hub platform, swaptions traders can now leverage electronic request for quote workflows to put multiple liquidity providers in competition for efficient and transparent price discovery, automated audit trail and integration with risk management and other post-trade systems or processing.
German-based Union Investment, a European asset manager with €425 billion AUM, negotiated the first-fully electronic swaptions on CDS RFQ via Virtu’s RFQ-hub in H1 2021, which subsequently resulted in an OTC trade executed in that instrument.
Nasdaq adds new options to European ESG derivatives offering
Nasdaq has expanded its ESG derivatives offering with the launch of new options contracts on the OMX Stockholm 30 ESG index - the new contracts will be offered alongside the futures contracts based on the index
The new product has been developed in close collaboration with several Nasdaq clients, including Swedbank Robur, and is aligned with Nasdaq’s objective to respond to the growing demand for more sustainable investment solutions, according to Alessandro Romani, head of European derivatives at Nasdaq.
The new options contracts will open up opportunities for investors with a sustainable focus to optimise their risk and return profile, said Magnus Linder, equity derivatives trading & portfolio optimisation at Swedbank Robur. ‘To be successful, you need to use the entire financial toolbox,’ he said.
Nasdaq launched an ESG version of the OMX Stockholm Benchmark Index, designed to track the performance of the securities whose issuers meet specific ESG criteria. The OMXS30 ESG Options contracts are available for trading on Nasdaq Stockholm.