SIX Telekurs

Category: realtime highlights

10.11.2007

Transat 6.50: first and last stop Madeira

The 16th Transat 6.50 single-handed regatta from Charente-Maritime to Bahia 2007 started from the French port of La Rochelle on 18 September 2007. Of the 130-plus skippers who registered for the race, 89 started out on the transatlantic crossing. With maximum wind speeds of 30 knots, Jacques Valente, skippering Telekurs Twing , successfully reached Madeira, the first leg of the regatta. For temporary health reasons, however, this experienced sailor decided in accordance with the official regatta physician to drop out of the competition. In the Transat 6.50 four years ago, Valente had completed the crossing to Brazil.

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This article is extracted from the current issue of Telekurs Financial's corporate magazine realtime. If you wish to subscribe or learn more about the realtime magazine, visit www.telekurs-realtime.com

Transat 6.50 readers quiz

Many realtime readers have tested their knowledge of Transat 6.50. The editorial board have chosen the following winners from among the numerous correct answers:

Francisco Lucar from Royal Bank of Canada (Suisse), Geneva

Jürg Mühlethaler from Centrum Bank AG, Vaduz

Nadia Hauf from Telekurs Financial

So congratulations once again on behalf of Jacques Valente and the realtime editorial team!

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Standardisation driven by MiFID

The standardisation of financial data is becoming a highly topical issue as a result of the implementation of MiFID and Basel II. Industry standards are promoting the realisation of automation projects in the financial sector and are creating transparency as the volume and complexity of financial data grows. For example, MiFID regulations stipulate that a unique code must be used to identify issuers, banks, funds and brokers at a European level. The CFI code is becoming established as an appropriate solution for the classification of financial instruments, while the MIC code is used for the identification of markets and trading platforms. Finally, the finance industry this year implemented key measures to facilitate the pan-European introduction of International Business Entity Identifiers (IBEI / ISO 16372).

At the end of June 2007, the National Numbering Agencies (NNAs), Telekurs Financial, the London Stock Exchange and WM Datenservice began strengthening their cooperation in order to promote the use of the IBEI code within Europe. Nourredine Yous, the Telekurs Financial representative at ANNA and Chairman of an ISO Subcommittee, confirmed: Italy, Spain and the UK are participating in the implementation of the IBEI code. Germany is the second
European country after Switzerland to introduce the IBEI code for its domestic companies. November 1, 2007 has been set as the target date by which to achieve the broadest possible coverage and implementation of the standard.

Telekurs Financial already introduced the IBEI codes for companies domiciled in Switzerland and Liechtenstein in its Valordata Feed (VDF) at the start of 2007. They complement the existing company codes (e.g. D-U-N-S Numbers, Danish CVR numbers, Moody s Institution Identifiers, Fitch Issuer IDs and British and French registered company codes) and represent another key data component for the identification of companies in VDF.

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Stock market experience for students

In spring 2007, the Stock Exchange Game of the Swiss Universities (Börsenspiel der Schweizer Universitäten; BSU) once again provided large numbers of students with an insight into the intricacies of the global markets. The BSU Association which organises the Stock Exchange Game gives students throughout Switzerland an opportunity to gain their first experience of the financial markets, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice. The students assume the role of an asset manager and manage 1 000 000 Swiss francs, of fictional capital, which they aim to multiply during the Game. Prizes worth over 40 000 Swiss francs including work placements, await the best players.

This year for the first time students were able to base their investment decisions on first-hand financial information. Throughout the game, any interested participants were given the option of using the Telekurs iD financial display system free of charge when managing their virtual portfolio. As a result, Telekurs iD recorded an increase in its number of academic users one week before the start of the game, as 21% of the participants signed up to use the system. Winners in different categories and almost all of the weekly winners gained a clear lead in the information stakes thanks to Telekurs iD.

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01.06.2007

Under the MiFID spotlight: Reference and market data

On 1 November 2007, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) comes into force in the 30 member states of the European Economic Area. The main purpose of the directive is to create the legal framework for a transparent, harmonised financial market within Europe. This year, as part of the ongoing process of realigning its financial data offering according to customer needs, Telekurs Financial has carefully analysed important findings from within the financial industry and monitored the implementation process. Telekurs Financial s data offering covers a broad range of reference data. Another important focus is to include new sources of market data in the current offering.

MiFID reference data from Telekurs Financial will help banks and financial service companies to comply with the new regulations, including the rules affecting securities trading and settlement. The emphasis here is on the various data attributes at instrument, issuer and exchange level such as, for example, the ISO codes CFI and IBEI. The MiFID actively promotes the adoption of such industry standards a policy which is also one of Telekurs Financial s declared aims. As a founding member of the Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA), Telekurs Financial has long advocated the introduction and use of standards to simplify securities trading and administration. With VDF release 01/2007 planned for this June, Telekurs Financial has provided its customers with an initial set of reference data. The data offering includes a second data set (focused on data attributes at exchange level) with the subsequent VDF release in October 2007. Depending on relevance, these data attributes will also be provided by the Market Data Feed (MDF), the Intraday Pricing Service and the Telekurs iD display product.

Telekurs Financial regularly takes part in discussions and negotiations with new suppliers of market data, for example with Instinet Chi-X Ltd. (the first European MTF licensed by the British Financial Services Authority) and BOAT (a data integration project of nine leading investment banks), with a view to including market data from these sources in its financial information products when the MiFID comes into force. Existing exchanges, including the London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Börse and Euronext, will also be adding MiFID information to their data feeds on 1 November. Telekurs Financial regularly publishes updates regarding its MiFID data offerings on its website: www.telekurs-mifid.com

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Telekurs Financial proudly celebrates the 20th Anniversary

Founded in April 1987, Telekurs Financial s subsidiary in the US is specialised in distributing financial information products and services throughout the Americas. Over these 20 years Telekurs USA has grown from a tiny office with four employees focused purely on data collection to a multi-faceted operation of nearly 100 staff that are involved in all aspects of data collection, quality assurance, systems development, product management, sales and marketing. Telekurs USA represents an important part of Telekurs Financial s strategy of thinking globally while acting locally . Barry Raskin, Managing Director of Telekurs USA, has been with the subsidiary since its first day. As such, he has seen many changes and witnessed tremendous growth. What is personally gratifying to me is the number of significant, long term relationships we have had with our customers through the years , he says. Many of our clients started with just one of our data services, such as corporate actions or end-of-day pricing, but once they realised the value of Telekurs Financial s products, they came back for more, such as our real-time market data feed or our comprehensive Valordata Feed, which combines everything from security reference data and pricing to issuer and trading place information in a completely structured database that links all these elements together. It is wonderful to work for a company that anticipates its customers needs and takes steps toward the future all the while focusing on the quality and integrity of the current services.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary milestone, Telekurs USA hosted numerous customers and friends at a special
anniversary event, which was held on May 31 at the famous Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

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iDealunch: First roadshow at Credit Suisse

Telekurs iD users have been regular visitors to the iDealunch for around five years now. This successful customer event held in Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Lugano has become an established part of the local financial scene. Early this year, the iDealunch roadshow saw its debut at Credit Suisse. The new training option is aimed particularly at customers who prefer to attend an in-house event providing a more tailored range of information.

As the initial pilot customer, Credit Suisse Group welcomed the iDealunch event team to its Zurich office on 19 January. The varied one-day programme was made up of three separate modules. First, the Market Information Business Management unit provided the event team with some interesting insights into its work and responsibilities. In the second module, Credit Suisse staff were able to re-acquaint themselves with the extensive information range of Telekurs iD and find out more about the new features designed specifically for the back office. The final part was devoted to the discussion of a specialist topic: what are the strengths of Telekurs iD in the exchange markets? Some of the strengths discussed included the convenient exporting of data (also via DDE-Link), portfolios, the practical screens for structured products, sophisticated securities searching... and much more.

Kirsten Konzack, training manager at Telekurs Financial, judged the first roadshow a complete success: The staff at Credit Suisse were very positive about this carefully tailored iDealunch. Indeed, we received very good feedback from everyone involved with the event. In addition to the roadshows, traditional iDealunches will still be held in Zurich, Basel and Lugano. For further information, please visit: www.telekursiD.com / Events.

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