Fixed income is rapidly evolving, with the help of technology. We examine some of the key trends that are influencing the way professionals work.
- As manual processes become increasingly inefficient and uncompetitive in a digital world, trading desks need to improve their efficiency.
- The fixed income asset class is undergoing significant evolution, as technological innovation and automation continue to reshape finance.
- The evolution is being driven by trusted technology powered by high-quality data.
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Within fixed income, change is happening at an accelerated pace. Technology innovation and automation are reshaping the asset class and fundamentally changing the way professionals in the field perform their everyday jobs.
Earlier this year, we published a report on the Evolution of Trading in partnership with Coalition Greenwich, showcasing the rapid growth of automation within the fixed income world. Workflow efficiency has become top of mind and improving the quality of these processes from end to end is key.
Technology-enabled workflows are one of the areas of focus for fixed income, and trusted technology, empowered by broad, deep and high-quality data, is a key driver of change in this space.
Addressing workflows from end to end
Manual processes have become increasingly inefficient and uncompetitive in a digital world.
Trading desks need to simplify workflows and increase automation to improve efficiency, enhance performance, better mitigate risk, and ultimately lead to greater profitability.
From reducing the number of clicks to improving transparency, organisations and financial services are looking to develop content and structure throughout the entire trade lifecycle.
The theme of improving workflows was a focal point at the FILS USA conference in Nashville in June. I was part of a panel focused on how desktop interoperability tools can support traders, particularly around execution management systems (EMS), which is important given the advent of FDC3 becoming a trading industry standard.
The panel, which represented a microcosm of the industry, reached a consensus that EMS providers simply don’t do enough to provide for improved workflows.
Although there are multiple benefits associated with cross-functionality and accurate data, EMS, order management systems (OMS) and portfolio management systems (PMS) need to be combined into a consolidated solution. Executions cannot effectively be facilitated without seamless interoperability.
LSEG’s acquisition of TORA, a leading cloud-based technology provider, supports customers trading multiple asset classes across global markets through just such a solution.
Discover more about LSEG’s acquisition of TORA
TORA offers trading technology solutions, including EMS, OMS and PMS, for customers trading equities, fixed income, FX, derivatives and digital assets. Combining the power of TORA software with LSEG’s rich data and analytics capabilities delivers a highly differentiated trading solution with multi-asset class capabilities.
Find out more about TORA – Fund Trading System
Low-code/no-code, Python and the cloud
On the question of build versus buy, the panel believed harnessing the best of both will deliver the optimal solution.
While traders are keen to further develop analytics and share thought leadership for improving workflows, it can be challenging to translate ideas into actionable projects that can be delivered within a reasonable timeframe.
The emergence of low-code/no-code applications or Python-based, user-friendly tools is helping to streamline the process of idea generation to usable solutions on the desk. These solutions help to remove the complexity that has traditionally been associated with building modern apps that suit the needs of today’s business.
Customising workflows and apps to suit their needs will empower investment professionals to adapt and respond more quickly to rapidly changing business conditions.
Refinitiv’s CodeBook gives developers access to a cloud-hosted environment for Python scripting, enabling them to leverage the Refinitiv Data Platform APIs to rapidly build and deploy models, apps and analytics that fit your workflow needs.
Even if you have no coding skills, the interface has been designed to give you the ability to design your own data models or access Python applications built by your colleagues, while providing access to our APIs and platform services in a single interface. This allows you to build analytics, applications and other use cases that are critical for your daily workflow needs.
Data underpins it all
The fixed income asset class is undergoing significant evolution as technological innovation and automation continue to reshape finance.
This evolution also extends to other asset classes, including leveraged loans and collateralised loan obligations (CLOs), where enhanced workflows, greater automation and access to low-code/no-code environments are extending access to electronic trading.
The ultimate goal is to improve the efficiency of workflows, to improve agility and profitability. Key to this evolution is the data that is the basis of digital transformation, which is what underpins the ability to automate and improve processes end to end.
LSEG, through various product sets and businesses including TORA and Refinitiv CodeBook, offers unsurpassed depth and breadth of data and innovative solutions to support this shift.\
