Tag Archive for: stock exchange

The strength of the EUR or the weakness of the USD

| 07-02-2018 | treasuryXL |

There has been a significant rise in the value of the EUR in the last year compared to the USD. From a low of USD 1.05 around the end of February 2017, the EUR has climbed up to USD 1.25 – representing an increase of around 20 per cent. Analysts are talking about the price rising above USD 1.30 later this year. All very good from the EUR side, but what is causing the EUR to appear so strong and the USD so weak?

It is fairly well known that the Fed could be looking to increase interest rates in 2018 – consensus is for 3 small rises throughout 2018. As EUR interest rates are negative, initially one would expect a large movement out of EUR and into USD. But it looks as if the economies are aligned in the same way and any rise in USD rates could later be followed by a rise in EUR rates.

A lot will depend on the announcements by the ECB to taper off its QE programme. Long term EUR yields are rising in possible anticipation, but are still far behind USD yields. There is a 2 per cent yield pickup in 10 year USD treasuries over Germany who act as the benchmark for the EUR.

The posturing of the US administration and the words of President Trump appear to be having a negative impact on the value of the USD. Statements from Washington about a weaker USD being good for the US trade have impacted on the market. Trump has been very critical about trade relationships with other countries. The words being uttered by the administration are certainly having a reaction on the markets.

The Dow Jones saw a sell off on Friday – it lost more than 650 points. The job report that was published showed that the US had added 200,000 jobs in January but, despite this good news, fear is growing that this will put upward pressure on inflation, leading to further rises in treasury bond yields.

However, there are potential hazards in the future for the EUR. General elections in Italy are due to take place on the 4th March 2018. Current sentiment within Italy shows a growing negative appreciation of the EU. The trials and tribulations concerning Brexit could also seriously undermine the strength of the EUR.

Whilst it appears that the USD is weak at present, any adverse news from with the EU could lead to a swift reversal in fortunes. The underlying sentiment would imply a weaker dollar, but fundamental changes in economic policy on both sides of the Atlantic could lead to rapid changes in sentiment.

 

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Stock exchanges and blockchain: open positions

| 18-7-2017 | Carlo de Meijer |

Just like banks, a growing number of exchanges worldwide have already taken a serious look at the way they can leverage blockchain technology. This in order to ‘get rid of’ the existing time consuming, cost inefficient and risky operations. Ranging from Abu Dhabi to Toronto they are experimenting with various use cases ranging from settlement, over-the-counter trading to proxy voting. Others have just started and have or are having hosted blockchain events such as the Jamaica Stock Exchange (Blockchain Masterclass) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (Hackathon) not wanted to be left behind. In this blog I will make a ‘tour de table’ (in alphabetic order) around the various blockchain-related activities of stock exchanges worldwide.

Exchanges: Tour de Table

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has started implementing blockchain technology, enabling shareholders to participate ‘with further transparency’ while using e-voting techniques. The technology was used recently (end March 2017) at the annual general meetings (AGM) for six listed companies, including two private joint stock companies and four public joint stock companies, on the ADX.

“I encourage companies to use blockchain technology. I am confident that more training and practice of this technology will widen positive outcomes and bring more companies to use this technology. This will go in line with Abu Dhabi 2030 Economic Vision that seeks to strengthen digital transformation in the UAE.”Rashed Al Blooshi, ADX chief executive

Australian Stock Exchange (ASX)

One of the forerunners in the blockchain race is the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). The ASX already announced early 2016 that it had teamed up with blockchain startup Digital Asset Holdings to develop a new distributed ledger solution for investors, listed companies, and intermediaries, for clearing and settling trades. This to replace the existing Clearing House Electronic Subregister System (CHESS).

The exchange has now completed the initial phase of its DLT testing, and their blockchain prototype has ‘met performance, security and scalability thresholds’. The company’s shareholders report, released in February, stated that the ASX is on track for a decision in late 2017 on whether distributed ledger technology (DLT) represents a suitable replacement for the ASX’s CHESS system. The final decision on the company’s post-trade infrastructure will be made in 2018. Only then will a blockchain solution progress into full production

The ASX recently built a dedicated blockchain showcase space, called ‘acceler8’, in their Sydney headquarters. The set-up of a ‘purpose built demonstration suite’ is aimed to ‘bring to life’ the possibilities of distributed ledger technology, to help stakeholders understand what is possible.

“It is one thing to talk about blockchain, but in order to really understand its capabilities, you need to see it in action.” Peter Hiom, ASX deputy CEO

Deutsche Börse Group

Deutsche Börse Group has been making substantial investments in the development and introduction of ‘state-of-the-art’ blockchain services. The German exchange is working on several prototypes related to blockchain technology and DLT.

Recent developments include a solution for cross-border securities transfer in cooperation with the Liquidity Alliance and a functioning prototype for the settlement of securities transactions in cooperation with Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank.

Deutsche Börse and Deutsche Bundesbank presented their first functional prototype for the blockchain technology based settlement of securities transactions against instant and delayed payments in November 2016. This concept is based on a blockchain from the Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger project, and will allow for functionality for the settlement of securities in a delivery-versus-payment mode for centrally-issued digital coins (as collateral).

“Along with the Deutsche Bundesbank we are innovatively and creatively addressing potentially radical technological opportunities for the financial sector. We will continue to do our utmost to leverage blockchain’s efficiency potential and to better understand and minimize the associated risks of this technology.” Carsten Kengeter, CEO of Deutsche Börse

The system will also be capable of settling basic corporate actions such as coupon payments on securities and the redemption of maturing securities. Next to that the prototype will enable the maintenance of confidentiality and access rights, which will be done in a blockchain-based concept on the basis of a flexible and adaptable rights framework.

The Deutsche Bundesbank and Deutsche Börse stated that they plan to further develop the prototypes during 2017. They said that the developed products will be used to “analyse the technical performance and the scalability of this kind of blockchain applications”.

Euronext and others develop blockchain infrastructure for SME post trade

Euronext (Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels) and a number of financial institutions including names like BNP Paribas Securities Services, Caisse des Dépôts, Euroclear, S2iEM and Société Générale, in collaboration with Paris EURPLACE, last year June signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore together the development of a post-trade blockchain infrastructure for SMEs in Europe.

“We wanted to engage collaboratively in order to mount an innovative project with the potential to drive the transformation of the post-trade market. By pooling our strengths in this ground-breaking area, we are focusing on new solutions that will give small and mid-sized companies — key actors for growth in Europe – easier access to the financing they need. With this project, we are securing the means to seize opportunities that blockchain distribution can offer: speed of execution, low cost and security.”

Open to other international partners, this pilot agreement aims to improve SMEs’ access to capital markets while facilitating secure and transparent post-trade operations. It is part of the development of a new regulatory environment in France that allows the issue and circulation of securities using blockchain technology.

Mission will be to harness blockchain technology in the design, development and deployment of innovative solutions for post-trade. By reducing transaction costs while maintaining a high level of security, the company would help SMEs raise funds more easily on capital markets.

National Stock Exchange of India (NSE)

The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), HDFC Securities, along with a group of domestic Indian banks are collaborating on a know-your-customer (KYC) data trial, testing blockchain technology. Blockchain startup Elemential provided the technology for the trial. 

The NSE has been testing the tech since as early as September last year. The test involved a shared environment in which the stock exchange would on-board customer data, while different entities (banks and regulators) could access this information in real-time. The first stage of the trial was completed in January. The next stage is expected to see the use of real customer data.

Japan Exchange Group (JPX)

Early last year, it was revealed that IBM had teamed up with Japan Exchange Group (JEX), which operates the Tokyo exchange, to start experimenting with blockchain technology for clearing and other operations. The Japan Exchange Group (JPX) and IBM are working towards testing the potential of blockchain technology for use in trading in low transaction markets. JPX is embracing a proof-of-concept that is investigating how blockchain could be used to create new systems for the trading of low-liquidity assets.

They had run two separate trials and concluded that digital ledger technology “has the potential to transform capital market structure by encouraging new business development, improving operation efficiency, and contributing to cost reduction”.

JPX is also working on trials with Nomura Research Institute (NRI) to examine how blockchain technology could be applied in the securities market.

Korea Exchange Exchange (KRX)

South Korea’s securities exchange operator the Korea Exchange (KRX) launched a blockchain-powered platform for the off-board trading market, linking sellers and buyers to trade securities. This platform named Korea Start-up Market (KSM), is an OTC- platform for using blockchain technology to enable equity shares of startup companies to be traded in the open market. South Korea’s exchange was revealed to be developing a blockchain platform to facilitate securities trading between buyers and sellers, directly, as early as March 2016.

The new feature will see its roll-out by implementing a blockchain platform called ‘Coinstack’, developed by Korean startup Blocko. With a focus on document and identity authentication, Coinstack is serviced both via cloud and on location, while supporting all protocols and applications build on the blockchain technology.

“This is the first example of commercialization in which blockchain is applied to the Korean over-the-counter market. Notably, the Coinstack development platform supports both Bitcoin blockchain-based contracts and Ethereum-based smart contracts.” Blocko CEO Won-Beom Kim

London Stock Exchange (LSE)

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has emerged as one of the most active on blockchain technology. In late 2015, the exchange was already among a cross-industry group of institutions investigating how blockchain technology could be used to change the way securities trades are cleared, settled and reported in Europe. The group — named Post Trade Distributed Ledger Working Group — also includes UBS, CME Group, Societe Generale, LCH.Clearnet and Euroclear. The consortium, which is particularly interested in using blockchain for post-trade processes, now has nearly 40 members.

If you want to read about more stock exchanges please refer to the full list in Carlo de Meijer’s article on LinkedIn.

Open positions of exchanges towards blockchain technology

The number of exchanges worldwide that is joining the many financial institutions in the blockchain and distributed ledger technology race is continuously growing. The potential to enable stock exchanges to significantly reduce the cost, complexity and increase the speed of trading and settlement processes in a secure manner, has attracted many exchanges worldwide to explore this new technology. However, it remains to be seen whether blockchain will soon be accepted by exchanges on a large scale and form the backbone of future stock exchanges. This given the many remaining challenges. But the optimism is certainly high. For the time being stock exchanges are taken open positions.

 

Carlo de Meijer

Economist and researcher

 

Treasury ABC Part IV

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For many people Treasury is, as they think, something that is not concerning. Because there are many items that could be mentioned and listed here, I chose to mention the items that have effect on our daily lives, even if we are not aware of the existence of the described item. Last week I published the third part of the treasury ABC which I’ll call the Treasury ABC for normal citizens. 

 

R is for Regulations

Regulations, regulations. Most people don’t like rules and legislations in their life. The perception is that rules and laws make us “less free”. And in a way, it is. Another way of looking to rules and legislations is that they give a certain assurance that things are going in an way that is generally accepted. Related to treasury activities it is important that the funds invested e.g. for your pension are in safe hands and that risks are limited to guarantee that, when you are entitled to receiving a monthly pension payment, you actually see the amount on your bankaccount. So remember, rules give more certainty and reduce risk for your own sake.

S is for Stock Exchange

Being Dutch it might make you proud to say that a Stock is a dutch invention. One of the oldest known stock is a share in the VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) dated September 9th 1606. Having stocks, and wanting them, brings the next step: a stock exchange where people can buy or sell financial instruments (stocks, options, etc.). Nowadays the index of the Stock Exchange is a main indicator of the state of the economy in a country. The higher the index the better the economy (or the perception of the economic state).

T is for Treasury

When writing the ABC for Treasury it might be helpful to give a definition of Treasury itself.Treasury is about steering and control of financial assets within an organization. Part of treasury management is Risk management. An organization wants to be sure that its financial assets will not disappear “in air” because of wrong investments. Finally, Treasury is also about reporting and justification of the actions which were made with regard to Treasury.

U is for United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is (still) one of the biggest countries in the EU. What makes this country special is that it did not give up it’s own currency but kept the Great Britain Pound (GPB) with care and proud. If that was the right decision is hard to say. Anyway, since we know that the outcome of the 23rd of June the UK will most probably will exit the EU, having their own currency makes such a step less complicated then it already is. Let’s compare some figures between the Euro, the GPB and the US Dollar (figures as at august 8th, 2016):

Currency rate USD 1.00 0.77 0.90

Currency rate GBP 1.30 1.00 1.16

Currency rate Euro 1.12 0.86 1.00

On June 23rd you could buy GBP 762 for Euro 1000. A day later, after the Brexit seemed unavoidable, you could buy GBP 813 and today (august 11th) GPB 859 for Euro 1000. Now we can see that the (financial) world doesn’t think it is very wise for the United Kingdom to leave the EU. The currency rate of the GPB to Euro has dropped around 12%.

V is for Volatility

Volatility of a stock or a currency rate is an indicator for the stability of it. The more volatile the stock, the more unrest around the company concerned. Some stocks are very stable and give the investor lower risk. The more volatility, the more uncertainty in the market. You can figure out that the more volatile the market is the more your investment is at risk.

Jan Doosje

 

Jan Doosje

Owner of Fimterim Advies & Consultancy

 

Business case – Funding strategy : how Fastned uses Nxchange

| 09-05-2016 | interview with Claire Tange from Fastned

Fastned’s growing and they’re giving investors the chance to directly buy and trade in certificates of shares via Nxchange. We’ve asked Fastned’s CFO Claire Tange to explain this type of financing.

 

What is new about this type of financing?

Fastned is now listed on a new pan-European regulated stock exchange called Nxchange. This new stock exchange cuts out the middleman (the broker). This means that investors in Fastned can directly buy and trade in certificates of shares via the Nxchange website. Also, there is a strong social component to the exchange. It’s like Euronext meets LinkedIn.

How would you describe the process?

Because Nxchange is a fully regulated stock exchange, Fastned has to comply with all the regulations that also hold for companies listed on e.g. Euronext. That means that a.o. we changed our accounting to IFRS reporting and that we filed a prospectus with the AFM. This was an intense process, but we did it.

Which alternatives did you consider?

Fastned already had a listing on NPEX, but we felt that we needed a bigger exchange to raise more capital. Given the fact that Nxchange is a fully regulated stock exchange this opens the doors to funds that hold this as a prerequisite. Also, the new exchange offers benefits to our investors, such as vastly improved liquidity.

What are the risks in comparison with other types of financing?

Nxchange is a step between crowdfunding and Euronext. It offers the comfort of a regulated market without the illiquidity of crowdfunding. Like any investment, an investment in Fastned has risks associated with it. We are a new company in a new market. On the other hand, Fastned is infrastructure. Investments are backed with tangible assets. And in the end, the business model is ‘good old’ retailing. We sell electricity on location. Perhaps not so exotic after all.

What are the benefits for you?

Fastned has a very strong community that wants to support the company and the mission we are on. Nxchange is the way to engage and expand our community. We started with the EV enthusiasts but now more and more ‘regular’ investors are joining in.

What are the benefits for people joining?

For Nxchange: Investing in fast growing companies directly on the exchange. Fastned is the first but definitely more will follow. For Fastned: Investing in a huge growth market. If you believe in the transition from fossil fuel powered cars to electric cars you will realise that this will create huge opportunities. In Europe alone 500 billion Euro worth of sales of diesel & petrol annually will shift to electric. Fastned is one of the leading companies in this transition.

If you want to know more about investing in Fastned please visit their website.

Claire TangeClaire graduated as chemical engineer at the TU Delft. After an internship with JP Morgan she decided to pursue a career in the financial sector. She continued as investment banking trainee with ABN Amro / RBS and for almost six years, half of which in London, she worked in M&A and Corporate Finance. Since 2006 Claire was increasingly involved in renewable energy projects in faraway places (Antarctica, Himalayas) and from there on it was a small step to join Fastned and strengthen the team with her financial expertise.