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The International Securities Exchange (NYSE: ISE) announced the successful launch last Friday of MidPoint Match(TM). During the first full day of trading, the MidPoint Match platform performed flawlessly, and ISE members reacted positively to the system's trading structure and execution speed. MidPoint Match, the first product to debut on the ISE Stock Exchange, LLC, is a continuous, instantaneous, fully-automated and anonymous platform that executes orders at the midpoint price of the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO) throughout the trading day.
David Krell, ISE's President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are extremely pleased with the results of the launch of the ISE Stock Exchange, and the strong positive feedback we have received from our members underscores the market demand for the unique MidPoint Match platform, which offers continuous price improvement. We look forward to building on this successful first step in the rollout process to grow the business methodically over the coming months."
MidPoint Match is a continuous market open to all members of ISE and broker-dealers who become members of ISE Stock Exchange. Since MidPoint Match matches and executes all round lot orders, large and small, the platform has broad appeal for both retail and institutional order flow. In particular, the product's unique design makes it well-suited for orders generated from a variety of electronic trading strategies including algorithms, program trades, and statistical arbitrage.
Through its anonymous, exchange-based platform, MidPoint Match allows traders to eliminate market impact and provides close integration with their existing order management process through a highly reliable technology infrastructure. Common stocks and ETFs that are listed on NYSE, NASDAQ, and Amex are traded.
"The first day of MidPoint Match trading met the very high expectations we have established for our technology platform and market operations support. The entire exchange system functioned seamlessly. We are now focused on adding to the list of names traded on MidPoint Match and have established an aggressive schedule for rolling out new listings leading up to the introduction of the displayed market," said Andrew Brenner, Managing Director and Head of ISE Stock Exchange.
MidPoint Match will be followed by an integrated displayed market offering in the fourth quarter, subject to regulatory approval. The displayed market will provide transparency while the blended displayed/non-displayed structure will increase liquidity and functionality for traders.
ISE announced its intent to enter the equities market in April with the formation of the ISE Stock Exchange, LLC in partnership with key strategic firms. The strategic partners are leading broker-dealers and members of the exchange, including Bear Stearns, Citadel Derivatives Group, Deutsche Bank, a subsidiary of E*TRADE FINANCIAL Corporation, Interactive Brokers Group LLC, JPMorgan, Knight Capital Group, Inc., Nomura Securities International, Inc., Sun Trading LLC, and Van der Moolen.
