There has been much pontification over the past couple of years about consolidation of etrading platforms. Indeed, at last year’s TBMA fixed income etrading conference one of the questions posed to a panel consisting of Tradeweb, Marketaxess, Reuters, Bloomberg, MTS was where and when is this consolidation going to occur? (and by the way, great mumble-sweve to avoid giving an answer guys!)
Of course, given the consolidation of previously silo’d flow product areas in several banks , why not look for the first real wave of platform consolidation to be between platforms so far dealing with different asset classes joining forces; creating an offering with potential to service more desks at the buyside (ie fx and fi trading desks using the same thing) ? Getting the developers to join the dots between asset classes is surely a better route to reaching new trades and opportunities, and perhaps winning the hearts and minds of customers on both sides of the trades, rather than tinkering with the existing offering to stick a few more bells and whistles on your existing screens?
Holky, I believe there has been “chat” between FI & FX ECN’s before and there does seem to be a “natural” fit for certain clients. The likes of Reuters, Thomson & Bloomberg are already pushing the “multi-asset” at one place idea, but doing so organically rather than takeovers or consolidation.
I think consolidation will never happen amongst the big-5 of Europe. It will be more a case of survival of the fitest. Unless you had something like Thomson selling TW to Reuters….but I can’t see it happening.
Comment by waratah — February 12, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
[…] above all, ensure everything really has cross asset etrading functionality truly built in (my understanding is that Reuters talk the talk already on this in […]
Pingback by Tradeweb / RTFI « Mostly… — May 15, 2007 @ 12:27 pm