Smoke signals from Optiver USA

This website is usually focussing on the Amsterdam derivative markets and its trading firms. However, always very happy to make an special exception for Optiver. The firm is still involved in the case of manipulating oil prices in the US, and the US Commodity and Future Trading Commission (CFTC) is still serious about it.

The same firm is still joining forces with Binck in their joint-venture TOM : a would-be search engine for stock prices for investors, but in reality is only searching for ways to channel all retail flow straight into the books of Optiver. With just one market connected (Euronext), there isn’t much else to search for.. The joint venture recently fired the manager Jochem Lubbers and replaced him with former SNS Securities chief Willem Meijer.

Back to the US. Smoke signals from their Chicago office aren’t always easy to interpret, but there’s certainly something burning over there. Some 10% of the staff has been fired last week. That’s around 20 people. The entire management team has been flushed down the toilet as well, for the second time in three years. One may wonder what kind of trading results in the US inspired the recent lay-offs.

Good news for the CFTC. One of the prime suspects in the fraud case is still working there. Well, at least mr Dowson is still on the payroll. He doesn’t feel the need to show up in the office anymore. It’s a stressful job.