UNX Adds Direct Access to Knight's Electronic Trading Services, Smart-Order Routing and Algorithms Through Catalyst(R) Portal and EMS
Catalyst open portal includes SDK, enabling Knight to add new products and strategies as they're developed
NEW YORK, May 5 -- UNX LLC, a leading provider of innovative trading technology solutions, has integrated the full suite of Knight Direct's electronic trading services and algorithms for equities into UNX's broker-neutral Catalyst Execution Management System (EMS) and Portal.
While UNX has long provided access to Knight Link and Knight Match products, this new connectivity allows both firms' clients to directly route DMA and worked orders to Knight for execution using the Catalyst Portal front end.
Clients also can employ Knight's suite of algorithmic trading and smart-order routing strategies, taking advantage of Knight's industry-leading technology and liquidity in displayed and dark markets. Solutions include VWAP and participation algorithms, as well as Knight's latest FAN, Oasis, Covert and Sumo liquidity-seeking and SOR strategies.
Furthermore, Catalyst's open technology framework and advanced Software Development Kit (SDK) will allow Knight to directly control the integration, customization and deployment of new services and strategies as they are being developed. This innovative ability for brokers to quickly integrate their own specific offerings into a multi-broker platform represents a dramatic departure from existing trading technology.
"Buy-side clients always have been dependent upon their EMS provider's ability to integrate brokerage trading products and services rapidly and efficiently, and the sell side often is limited in what it can integrate with independent platforms," explains UNX CEO Thomas Kim.
"Catalyst is redefining broker-neutral trading technology by empowering broker-dealers to rapidly and seamlessly integrate new algorithmic strategies as well as other proprietary content/services at their own discretion."
Knight Direct Managing Director Joseph Wald affirms that Catalyst's new paradigm aligns with the company's approach. "Our objective is to offer buy- and sell-side clients the customized features that support individual trading styles and enhance tactical efficiencies, and Catalyst's open technology provides the ideal tool and gateway to do so."
"What's more, Knight is continually enhancing our algorithmic trading solutions to adapt to client needs, changes in market structure and competitive forces, so Catalyst will enhance our ability to deliver our solutions to mutual clients as quickly as possible," he adds.
About Catalyst®
Catalyst is an electronic trading portal and broker-neutral execution management system (EMS) for single stock and portfolio trading for institutional clients. Built in a modular fashion using the latest .NET and WPF technology from Microsoft® for flexibility and scalability, Catalyst is ideally suited to creating custom tailored solutions for buy-side institutions and sell-side broker dealers through the UNX SDK. An independent offering, Catalyst streamlines multi-broker trading workflow, provides for greater efficiency in the markets and delivers to broker dealers and third-party vendors a platform to deliver proprietary content with complete control.
About UNX LLC:
Founded in 1999, UNX is an independent trading technology firm and agency broker that provides advanced electronic trading technology solutions for buy-side institutions and sell-side broker-dealers through its open architecture platform, Catalyst® and the UNX Network. Its innovative, open technology helps institutional traders find best execution opportunities, streamlines trade operations and provides broker-dealers with an open platform to deliver proprietary content.
About Knight:
Knight Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:NITE) is a global financial services firm that provides market access and trade execution services across multiple asset classes to buy- and sell-side firms. Knight's hybrid market model features complementary electronic and voice trade execution services in global equities and fixed income as well as foreign exchange, futures and options. The firm is the leading source of liquidity in U.S. equities by share volume. Knight also offers capital markets services to corporate issuers. Knight is headquartered in Jersey City, NJ with a growing global presence across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The Knight Direct algorithmic suite is offered through Knight Direct LLC and Knight Equity Markets, L.P., members FINRA & SIPC and subsidiaries of Knight Capital Group.