Latest news with #InvestmentBanks
National Post
6 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Behavox Responds to Growing Demand for Alert Review Services as Compliance Teams Battle Backlogs and Resource Constraints
Article content LONDON — Behavox, the AI company that transforms data into insights that safeguard and enhance businesses, today announced continued momentum for its Alert Review Managed Services, reporting a 102% increase in client adoption over the past quarter. The surge in adoption reflects a growing industry need for scalable, experienced and vendor-agnostic compliance operations that can keep pace with mounting alert volumes and limited internal resources. Adoption spans 1st line reviewers and 2nd line supervisors, enabling a unified review across communications and trade data. Article content As compliance teams face record-high alert queues, consistent regulatory pressures, and staffing shortages, Behavox's managed service has emerged as a trusted solution for delivering consistent, audit-ready alert reviews – regardless of which surveillance platform a firm uses. Investment Banks, Asset Managers, Hedge funds and Private Equity firms are increasingly turning to Behavox Managed Services to scale alert coverage, meet compliance SLAs, and reduce operational risk. The service supports both communications and trade surveillance, providing surge resourcing, backlog clearance, and end-to-end adjudication workflows tailored to each client's policy and platform. Article content Article content 'Clients come to us when they realize their existing team can't scale fast enough,' said Michael Talbert, Head of Professional Services at Behavox. 'We're seeing firms add monitored employees or risk categories, and depending on the new requirements, their alert volumes might double overnight. That's when backlogs appear, analyst turnover spikes, and the quality of review becomes inconsistent. Behavox steps in to stabilize and scale operations fast, often within days.' Article content With onshore and nearshore review teams in the UK, EU, North America, and APAC, Behavox delivers a regionalized, secure, and audit-ready service led by experienced compliance professionals, not generic offshore staff. All analysts undergo certification aligned to Behavox's risk policy framework, and every deployment includes granular audit trails and privileged access controls. The model has been described by customers as a strategic advantage, not just a cost-saving tool. One global investment bank used Behavox to reduce daily alert review from eight hours to under 20 minutes – freeing internal resources for proactive risk analysis and investigations. Article content Behavox Alert Review Managed Services deliver three strategic advantages: Article content Comprehensive Surveillance Coverage: The only vendor providing unified managed services across both communication and trade surveillance alert review, with native language analysts and regional teams across the UK, EU, North America, and APAC to ensure contextual accuracy and policy alignment. Precision-Driven Workflows: Alerts are reviewed with precision – not just cleared – through layered adjudication models that include certified compliance professionals, SME oversight, and AI-augmented analysis. This ensures consistent quality whether handling backlogs, short-term surges, or long-term operational needs. Platform-Agnostic Delivery: Behavox Alert Review is available to all firms, regardless of existing systems. The service integrates seamlessly with both proprietary platforms and third-party lexicon-based surveillance systems – no Behavox software required. Article content Francois Suanez, Article content Head of SME at Behavox, added: 'A modern compliance operating model requires independence, specialization, and scale. Behavox offers firms all three. Our teams handle day-to-day alert review, while your internal staff can focus on forward-looking risk, regulator responses, or model validation. Best of all, Article content . We work with firms using legacy, lexicon-based surveillance systems, too.' Article content About Behavox: Article content Behavox is the leading provider of AI-powered compliance and conduct surveillance solutions. The company's flagship product, the Behavox Intelligent Archive, enables regulated firms to capture, retain, and analyze communications and behavioral data across channels — empowering compliance, legal, and risk functions to reduce exposure, respond swiftly to regulators, and create a culture of integrity. Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Contact: Article content Article content Article content
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Traders Capitalized on Oil's Extreme Price Swings
The oil market didn't disappoint rollercoaster-ride fans in the first half of the year with wild price swings and sudden dips and price hikes. U.S. trade policies, OPEC+ production policies, and the on-and-off war premium have all influenced market movements and traders' behavior and strategies at some point over the past six oil prices traded in a fairly narrow range in the first quarter of the year, in the low to mid $70s per barrel. Hedge funds and other portfolio managers expected a recovery in China's industrial activity and oil consumption amid continued OPEC+ production cuts. Traders bet on stronger global oil demand amid restricted supply, while the Fed signaled inflation is tamed and additional interest rate cuts would follow soon. However, the price of oil collapsed at the start of the second quarter. U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on all countries, threatened a trade war with Canada, America's top trading partner, and intensified trade pressures on China. The so-called 'retaliatory' tariffs on dozens of countries—now suspended—plunged the equity and oil markets into chaos. Speculators began to fear recessions, including in the United States. Investment banks elevated the risk of a U.S. recession to a base-case scenario. Traders bet on falling oil prices, amassing short positions. To compound the price slump, the OPEC+ group began in April what analysts believe is a strategy to regain market share and punish U.S. shale. The alliance led by Saudi Arabia has been consistently raising collective output by 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) each month, nearly triple the volume originally scheduled. OPEC+ continues to cite 'current healthy oil market fundamentals' to justify its production hikes. In reality, the group has been adding lower volumes than the baseline figure of 411,000 bpd, as some producers appear to now sincerely work to compensate for previous overproduction. Such is the case of Iraq, OPEC's second-biggest producer after Saudi Arabia. But non-OPEC Kazakhstan has been openly defying the group's targets as it continues to raise production from projects involving international majors such as Chevron. Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov confirmed in May that 'the republic has no right to enforce production cuts' on foreign operators. Despite Kazakhstan's production growth, the OPEC+ producers are adding fewer barrels to the market than the headline figure of 411,000 bpd. Compliance and compensation levels have been and will be key for traders and investors to guesstimate how much additional crude OPEC+ is really adding each month. For now, it looks like OPEC+ is going after market share and depressing prices for the U.S. shale producers. In the latest Dallas Fed Energy Survey out this week, 61% of executives expect their firms' oil production would decrease slightly from June 2025 to June 2026 if the WTI price remained at $60 per barrel. At WTI price at $50 per barrel, 46% of executives expect their firms' oil production would decrease significantly from June 2025 to June the slump in April and May, oil prices jumped in June to a four-month high at the beginning of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. Traders feared a disruption to oil and gas supply from the Middle East, and were speculating that the mother of all disruptions – an Iranian attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz – shouldn't be too easily discarded. With the start of the conflict, traders hiked their bullish bets on oil prices by the most since last October. At the same time, short positions – bearish bets that prices would drop – hit the lowest level in four months. The price spike was short-lived as the U.S. ended the conflict (for now) by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites. The ceasefire added volatility to the market, which saw wild swings in June and traders followed the trends. Related: Brent crude surged by more than 30% in just three weeks, peaking on June 23, before nose-diving in its biggest two-day drop since 2022, erasing most of the gains from summer demand expectations and the Middle East risk premium, Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, said in a commentary early this week. The latest commitment of traders reporting week to June 24 saw a dramatic unwind across commodities, sparked by the sudden easing of Middle East tensions following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Hansen added. 'Crude oil took the biggest hit, with WTI and Brent futures tumbling 12%, while gold and silver also lost their shine as safe-haven demand faded.' Trend-following funds and managed money accounts reacted swiftly to the fading war premium, unloading 95,500 crude oil contracts and wiping out more than half of the previous three weeks' buildup. Brent saw the biggest unwinding in longs, with the net long position – the difference between bullish and bearish bets – slashed by 29%, Saxo Bank's Hansen noted. Going forward, traders will take clues from geopolitics and U.S. trade policies, the OPEC+ moves to add supply to the market, the Fed's dot plot of the pace of expected interest rate cuts, the strength (or weakness) of peak summer oil demand, and the ever-present but currently subdued war risk premium in the Middle East. By Tsvetana Paraskova for More Top Reads From this article on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Globe and Mail
02-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Morgan Stanley, The Goldman Sachs and Robinhood Markets
For Immediate Release Chicago, IL – July 2, 2025 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses Morgan Stanley MS, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. GS and Robinhood Markets, Inc. HOOD. Industry: Investment Banks The Zacks Investment Bank industry is poised to benefit from robust trading income driven by heightened market volatility and increased client activity amid geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty. Investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and technology are expected to boost long-term efficiency despite short-term cost pressures. While underwriting and advisory businesses face near-term headwinds, the overall operating environment is gradually turning favorable. Hence, investment banks are expected to record decent top-line growth over time. So, industry players like Morgan Stanley, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and Robinhood Markets, Inc. are worth considering. Industry Description The Zacks Investment Bank industry consists of firms that provide financial products and services, including advisory-based financial transactions to corporations, governments and financial institutions worldwide. These started as partnership firms focused on initial public offerings (IPOs), secondary equity offerings, brokerage and mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Gradually, the companies have evolved into providers of various other services, including securities research, proprietary trading and investment management. Therefore, industry players work mainly through three product segments — investment banking (M&As, advisory services and securities underwriting), asset management and trading and principal investments (proprietary and brokerage trading). 3 Themes to Influence the Investment Bank Industry Trading Business to Remain Solid: Client activity in the trading business largely depends on the prevalent macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions. Since 2022, market volatility has significantly increased, attributable to several geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges. Further, President Donald Trump's tariff plans have upended the near-term normalization of trading business. Market volatility and client activities have soared, and the trading desks will likely continue to witness a flurry of activity. Hence, investment banks are expected to record solid trading income in the upcoming period. Underwriting and Advisory Businesses to Regain Momentum: After a prolonged slump in underwriting, IPOs and deal-making activity since 2022 due to geopolitical tensions and global macroeconomic uncertainty, signs of recovery have begun to emerge in advisory and underwriting businesses. This year started on an optimistic note, fueled by expectations of a strong investment banking rebound under a business-friendly Trump administration, with potential tax cuts and deregulation on the horizon. However, early optimism about a sharp M&A recovery was tempered in April, as renewed tariff concerns and fears of a trade war triggered heightened market volatility. Since then, the operating environment has improved, supported by greater clarity on policy direction. As a result, deal-making momentum has resumed and could accelerate further if inflation continues to moderate and the Federal Reserve initiates rate cuts. While investment banks may still face short-term challenges in underwriting and advisory segments, the evolving macro backdrop is setting the stage for sustained top-line growth in the long term. Technology to Improve Operating Efficiency: Innovative trading platforms, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and investments in technology and advertising will likely aid the operations of investment banks. Industry players are attracting and retaining the best talent for building a leadership team and spending heavily on technology to support clients with infrastructure development and new platforms. While industry players are likely to face increasing technology-related expenses in the near term, these initiatives are expected to improve operating efficiency over time. Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bright Prospects The Zacks Investment Bank industry is a 21-stock group within the broader Zacks Finance sector. The industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #97, which places it in the top 39% of more than 250 Zacks industries. The group's Zacks Industry Rank, which is the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates solid near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. The industry's positioning in the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries is a result of a robust earnings outlook for the constituent companies in aggregate. Looking at the aggregate earnings estimate revisions, it appears that analysts are gaining confidence in this group's earnings growth potential. Since October 2024-end, the industry's earnings estimates for the current year have been revised 5.8% upward. Before we present few stocks that you may want to keep on your radar, let's take a look at the industry's recent stock market performance and valuation picture. Industry Outperforms Sector and S&P 500 The Zacks Investment Bank industry has outperformed its sector and the S&P 500 over the past year despite the recent turmoil. While stocks in the industry have collectively surged 34.1%, the S&P 500 composite has rallied 11.7% and the Zacks Finance sector has risen 19.9%. Industry Valuation One might get a good sense of the industry's relative valuation by looking at its price-to-tangible book ratio (P/TBV), commonly used for valuing investment banks because of significant variations in their earnings results from one quarter to the next. The industry currently has a trailing 12-month P/TBV of 2.81X, above the median level of 2.08X, over the past five years. The industry is trading at a considerable discount compared with the market at large, as the trailing 12-month P/TBV ratio for the S&P 500 is 13.14X and the median level is 13.91X. Finance stocks typically have a lower P/TBV ratio, so comparing investment banks with the S&P 500 may not make sense to many investors. However, comparing the group's P/TBV ratio with that of the broader sector ensures that the group is trading at a decent discount. The Zacks Finance sector's trailing 12-month P/TBV of 5.37X and the median level of 4.68X for the same period are above the Zacks Investment Bank industry's respective ratios. 3 Investment Banks to Keep an Eye On Morgan Stanley: This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock operates globally as an investment banking, securities and investment management company. Based in New York, the key source of Morgan Stanley's earnings stability is its business diversification initiatives. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Morgan Stanley has been undertaking several initiatives aimed at increasing reliable revenue sources. Strategic expansion efforts, including the acquisitions of Eaton Vance, E*Trade Financial and Shareworks, are in sync with its efforts to focus less on a capital markets-driven revenue mix. In 2023, Morgan Stanley and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. announced plans to deepen their 15-year alliance by merging certain operations within their Japanese brokerage joint ventures. The new alliance saw combined Japanese equity research, sales and execution services for institutional clients at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities and Morgan Stanley MUFG Securities. Also, their equity underwriting business has been rearranged between the two brokerage units. These efforts will solidify the company's position in Japan's market. A favorable macroeconomic backdrop is expected to support the company's IB business, further strengthening its financials. The demand for both advisory and underwriting businesses is likely to rise as corporates become more comfortable with the current economic backdrop. With a market cap of $225.7 billion, MS is expected to continue benefiting from its scale and business expansion efforts. Its shares have jumped 42% in the past 12 months. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 7.4%. Goldman: This Zacks Rank #3 company is a leading global provider of investment banking, securities, investment management and consumer banking services. Based in New York, Goldman has offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers globally. Like Morgan Stanley, the key to the company's financial stability is its business restructuring efforts. GS has been refocusing on its core business strengths of IB and trading while scaling back its consumer banking footprint. The company also plans to ramp up its lending services to private equity and asset managers, and aims to expand internationally, which will likely support its growth over the long run. Further, robust client engagement, backed by digital disruption and transformation trends, signs of growing M&A and underwriting pipelines and global expansion efforts will keep supporting Goldman's prospects over time. A solid performance of buoyant equity markets and rate cuts this year, along with Goldman Sachs' leadership position, lent it an edge over its peers. Goldman has a market cap of $212 billion. Over the past six months, the company's shares have rallied 52.6%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ongoing-year earnings suggests growth of 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Robinhood: HOOD, carrying a Zacks Rank #3, is a financial services company that offers trading services in crypto, stocks, options and ETFs, cash management, margin and securities lending and Robinhood Gold. The company aims to democratize finance through its commission-free trading model with no account minimums. Robinhood's transaction-based revenues are expected to improve as investors seek higher returns through capital markets and alternative investments. The company's efforts to become a leader in the active trader market, alongside increased retail participation and secular tailwinds, such as a higher U.S. mobile banking population, will likely drive its top-line growth. HOOD continues to diversify its product base to acquire new clients and gain market share. This will expand the company's client base, enabling greater operating leverage and paving the way for sustained profitability. The company has been engaged in opportunistic expansions to deepen its footprint within the United States and globally. Strategic expansion buyouts will continue to aid the company's growth and establish its international presence. With a market cap of $73.5 billion, Robinhood is expected to continue benefiting from its business expansion efforts. Its shares have soared 310.8% over the past 12 months. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings indicates a 12.8% year-over-year increase. Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks? Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year. Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation. See Stocks Free >> Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@ Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double" Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest. This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%. Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners Up Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS): Free Stock Analysis Report Morgan Stanley (MS): Free Stock Analysis Report Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD): Free Stock Analysis Report
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BGC Group's FMX Futures Exchange Launches U.S. Treasury Futures
NEW YORK, May 19, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BGC Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: BGC) and ten of the world's leading investment banks and market-making firms today announced FMX Futures Exchange ("the Exchange") has launched U.S. Treasury futures contracts. The Exchange initially launched with 2-year and 5-year contracts on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 9:00 p.m. ET, for trade date Monday, May 19, 2025. The Exchange launched with SOFR futures in September 2024. The addition of U.S. Treasury futures on the platform adds an important capability for global institutional trading clients, which include some of the world's leading banks, investment firms, and market participants. The Exchange expects to provide clients with significant capital savings through its clearing partnership with LCH Limited, a fully approved CFTC Derivatives Clearing Organization and one of the largest clearinghouses for interest rate swaps in the world. FMX Futures Exchange is a part of FMX Holdings, LLC, which includes the world's fastest growing cash U.S. Treasuries marketplace and a rapidly growing spot Foreign Exchange platform. About BGC Group, Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: BGC) is a leading global marketplace, data, and financial technology services company for a broad range of products, including fixed income, foreign exchange, energy, commodities, shipping, equities, and now includes the FMX Futures Exchange. BGC's clients are many of the world's largest banks, broker-dealers, investment banks, trading firms, hedge funds, governments, corporations, and investment firms. BGC and leading global investment banks and market making firms have partnered to create FMX, part of the BGC Group of companies, which includes a U.S. interest rate futures exchange, spot foreign exchange platform and the world's fastest growing U.S. cash treasuries platform. For more information about BGC, please visit Discussion of Forward-Looking Statements about BGCStatements in this document regarding BGC that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These include statements about the Company's business, results, financial position, liquidity and outlook, which may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to the risk that the actual impact may differ, possibly materially, from what is currently expected. Except as required by law, BGC undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see BGC's Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information set forth in these filings and any updates to such risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information contained in subsequent reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q or Form 8-K. View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACT Erica Chase+1 212-610-2419 INVESTOR CONTACT Jason Chryssicas+1 212-610-2426 Sign in to access your portfolio
