Jun 14, 2012
Client interest drives Citi's Turkish algo launch
Citi has launched a suite of algorithmic and direct market
access trading products designed for trading on the Turkish equities markets.
Launched on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) via Citi
Menkul, a wholly-owned broking subsidiary which Citi acquired in 2007, the Turkish
algos follow in the footsteps of Citi’s new equity trading platform, which
debuted in Israel at the end of last year.
“Turkey is
becoming a more mainstream market,” said Tim Wildenberg, head of
electronic trading, EMEA, at Citi. “They’ve been working to make their markets more accessible. It is a
market that is no more or less volatile than other European markets, and if you
have some relatively sophisticated algos, you can get some really good results."
Turkey is
currently reforming its trading infrastructure and capital markets law to
keep pace with international investor demand, and was recently characterised as
the ‘Eurasian Tiger’
by Philippe Carré, global head of connectivity at financial technology provider
SunGard. The ISE allowed order cancellation late in 2010, which acted as a catalyst for growth in algorithmic trading strategies.
Last month, the clearing and settlement arms of SIX
Securities Services, the Swiss-based post-trade securities services provider signed
a memorandum of understanding with Takasbank and MKK of Turkey to provide
international clearing, settlement and custody services, while in November last
year, the ISE formed an agreement
with Deutsche Börse to support each other in developing their respective
securities markets, carrying out joint research projects and assisting with
marketing activities in Germany and Turkey.
“We’ve been
surprised and encouraged by the amount of interest we have received from
clients wanting to access Turkey,” added Wildenberg. “That’s why we’ve
combined our suite of algorithmic trading strategies with an unrivalled level
of local knowledge and service to help our clients succeed in this exciting
market.”
Elliott Holley
+44 (0)20 7397 3820
elliott.holley@information-partners.com