| As popularity of ETF products grows so does the need for more sophisticated trading tools. In recognition of this, Bank of America Merrill Lynch today unveiled its premium algorithm, ETF-aX. This new ETF-specific algorithm analyzes market depth and price -continued | |||||
| "The primary challenge with trading ETFs is market fragmentation; liquidity is limited outside of the top-ranked ETFs," said Charlie Whitlock, an execution consultant at BofA Merrill. "By using ETF-aX, clients are able to leverage our in-house ability to trade a combination of the component parts in different markets, gaining liquidity at more efficient pricing."
Upon receiving a client's order to trade an ETF, the engine analyzes inside pricing and depth of book across the ETF, stock, and futures markets to compile a picture of available liquidity. Once ETF-aX determines the optimal way to transact, balancing a desire for the best pricing against a need to capture the most liquidity, slices are simultaneously sent out to all market centers. A composite ETF price is assembled from the different executions and provided to clients. "This technology has a proven and successful track record within our high-touch business," said Michael J. Lynch, head of Americas Execution Services. "It's a premium product that we think our electronic clients can greatly benefit from once integrated into their algo trading suite." Bank of America Merrill Lynch is a leading global provider of equity and options trading, sales and research services to mutual funds, hedge funds, broker-dealers, pensions, endowments and other institutions. Its award-winning algorithmic trading platform was ranked as one of the top three providers of algorithmic trading, (1) and as having one of the top three market share positions of daily global algorithmic trading volumes in 2009. (2) Bank of America Merrill Lynch is also ranked No. 2 in the World's Best Broker by Bloomberg Markets. (3) |
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| Source: Bank of America | |||||