Research pointing to a link between Twitter users' emotional state and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has inspired Europe’s first social media-based hedge fund. But is such an indicator just too good to be true?
Latest articles from Trading
Brazil’s stock exchange plays catch up
June 30, 2011Previously reliant on their own resources or bank loans to raise capital, companies in Brazil are now recognising the benefits of listing. But it will take a while before the country's stock exchange catches up with others around the world.
Competition heats up for eastern Europe equity listings
June 1, 2011The trend toward giant international stock exchanges highlights the value of listing on a more specialised market for companies in central and eastern Europe. Warsaw and Vienna are competing for that business.
Will exchange consolidation be derailed by politics?
June 1, 2011As exchanges attempt to forge international relationships, local regulators, banks and politicians are voicing concerns about a loss of sovereignty and influence. Could opposition derail the deals?
Objections will ultimately only delay exchange consolidation
June 1, 2011Protestations concerning nationalism, protectionism and anti-trust legislation could jeopardise plans to merge global stock exchanges, but are unlikely to stop deals in their tracks.
Escaping equities: exchange consolidation and new asset classes
May 3, 2011The recent frenzy of exchange mergers is rooted in tough market conditions for US and European equity exchanges, forcing them to move away from their bread and butter operations to new asset classes.
The appeal of electronic trading for emerging markets
February 16, 2011Appetite for algorithmic and high-frequency trading strategies is rocketing, and many exchanges are gearing up to attract this flow. But significant regional disparities and regulatory barriers may hinder development.
Rearranging the prop desk
December 23, 2010Banks are reticent to discuss the consequences of the US's new Volcker Rule, restricting proprietary trading. While some analysts predict dire results for market liquidity, others suggest that bank leaders privately welcome the opportunity to pull out of risky prop-trading activities. Writer Silvia Pavoni
Temporary blip or long-term shift?
December 8, 2010The third quarter of 2010 was a dismal time for banks' trading businesses. Virtually all of them saw precipitous falls from the third quarter of 2009. While most believed this year would not be as good as the last, does this slump suggest a more long-term decline for one of investment banks' stellar business lines? Writer Joanne Hart
The emergence of Asia's dark pools
November 24, 2010Alternative liquidity is surging in Asia, and dark pools are now leading this assault. However, some major market participants are lagging behind. Writer Michelle Price