Large parts of Europe are closed this Monday. It’s time to celebrate the “Monday of the Holy Spirit” also known as “the second day of Pentecost”. During this sunny day the shops are usually closed, and it may be difficult to buy a set of fresh barbecue meat. However, the financial markets are open. Basically,Read more
Euronext is finally ready to introduce the one-cent tick size in the Amsterdam stock options market. This Premium Based Tick Size plan has been postponed for a while, the crisis curbed their enthusiasm in November 2008. Seven months later the united market maker lobby has achieved some success as well. The threshold has been setRead more
Before the outbreak of the crisis, the world of derivatives was as exciting as a the running episodes of Sesame Street. Some minor changes, but basically every day the same. Press releases could be copy-pasted from the previous month. Volume of traded options went up, and bid-ask spreads went down. This has all been ruinedRead more
Comments on posts on websites are highly appreciated. Mostly short views and opinions on other market makers and trading in general, it’s fun to read and now and then carry valuable clues of how trading firms are doing. Yesterday evening a comment was written on the proposed deal between market maker Optiver and broker Binck.Read more
Twice a year Euronext is auctioning licenses for market makers in options. The market makers don’t have to pay for the right to send their quotes, they just have to fulfil their duty. The right to send quotes to the market is granted to the market makers who commit themselves to the tightest bid-ask spreads.Read more
