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?

The 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.

As 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?

The 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.

Appetite 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.

Banks 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

Alternative liquidity is surging in Asia, and dark pools are now leading this assault. However, some major market participants are lagging behind. Writer Michelle Price