The Progress Team

Here in the United States algorithmic and high frequency trading have been under fire lately, blamed for everything from the May 6th flash crash to ruining small investors' profit margins. In the rest of the world, however, algorithmic trading is being recognized as both an opportunity and a way...

At the CFTC's first Technology Advisory Council meeting on July 14, there was concern expressed around the concept of quote-stuffing. There was some evidence presented that the May 6th flash crash may have been caused by or exacerbated by this activity. While with regard to the flashcrash, other...

Nasdaq liked the idea of real-time market surveillance so much that it bought one of the companies that specialize in it.

Nasdaq OMX announced this week that it will buy Smarts Group, an Australia-based market surveillance business that helps exchanges monitor compliance with trading rules....

Fat fingers (or weight-challenged digits to my politically correct friends) have had a good run lately. First we heard that Deutsche Bank had to close its quantitative trading desk in Japan after an automated trading system misread equities market data. The system generated a massive sell order that...

It was an honor to sit on the CFTC Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) last week. I was very impressed with the presentations and discussion, chaired ably by Commissioner Scott O’Malia. I was also impressed by the other Commissioners and with my fellow committee members. This week the CFTC has...

Today’s insider trading cases acquittals in London are a big blow to the FSA, but their ability to detect and prosecute these market abusers cannot be overlooked. Without the technology to detect the trading anomalies, alleged white collar criminals cannot be prosecuted in the first...