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In Brussels, trading is the new smoking

4 comments / December 14, 2015

no smokingThe Belgian government proposed an hilarious tax two months ago. Short term profits will be taxed (33%) for retail investors. Losses aren’t taken into account. The idea is the capital markets are bad, just like smoking or alcohol.

Slowly, details emerge. All exchange traded instruments are assumed to be within the scope of the tax. It is confirmed CFD’s (like from IG) are exempt, because not traded on exchange. Also exempt seem to be ETF’s (nice for Flow Traders).

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Euronext goes Google Translate

4 comments / December 4, 2015

Alice doe er wat aanThe Amsterdam stock exchange is considered the oldest in the world, founded in 1602 (link). It escalated pretty quickly, the art of short selling began in 1609. The first European option exchange started in 1978.

Some mergers and spin-offs followed, but The Netherlands has a stock exchange history. While it’s an international company, a lot of Dutch people take a lot of pride in their work at Euronext Amsterdam. People have been fired to cut costs. Replacing them with Google Translate may be cost efficient. It has some downsides though.

EUronext IR looks like Nigerian scam artist

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European option liquidity moves on-screen

9 comments / December 2, 2015

The equity options volumes traded on the European exchanges see less block trades and more liquidity on screen. This is positive in multiple ways. First, it helps price discovery when the transactions are openly traded in the screen. It removes barriers of entry for smaller investors. A market where only block trades switch hands, while screens remain empty is hardly accessible for other market participants. Finally, market makers are attracted by on-screen volumes. More market makers mean tighter spreads.

Below analysis, graphs and statistics are made by Cornelius Müller – who works for Eurex and is based in Paris. Note below statistics don’t include index options.

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ABN AMRO options return

6 comments / November 20, 2015

Today is the big day. ABN AMRO will go public again. Unsure yet about the IPO price, the opening level and other details. Will be available everywhere and will even hit the evening news. In the Netherlands this public offering is a big thing. My taxi driver and the cleaning woman are confident. Signing up for a quick buck. Although both of them are worried about lack of buffers and upcoming Basel III. We’re in the happy days again.

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Traders in the Quote 500

8 comments / November 13, 2015

The annual Dutch rich list, Quote 500, is out again. The list (nl) of most wealthy people contains the usual suspects. Predicted earlier a jump of the largest shareholders of Optiver and IMC. The estimates for some people have been lowered, and didn’t make it to the list. Rene Schelvis may have spent too much on great cars. And a divorce is expensive.

Anyway. Here’s the list of the seven most wealthy traders of the country. Although most fortunes have been earned with holding shares in trading firms. Only Wiet Pot wasn’t involved in the start of a great trading firm.

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