Brokerage

Flush with cash but uneasy about the future, many companies are looking to buy back their own stock, providing one bright spot for brokers who have seen volumes decline in recent years. Though trading in general is down, buybacks have been on the rise since 2010.

Bowing to industry requests, the Securities and Exchange Commission has delayed implementing parts of the market access rule. But the ban on "naked access," the main thrust of the new regulation, will still go into effect as planned on July 14.

The percentage of high-touch and research-driven trades rose last year, but the Street also felt the pain of a 12 percent drop in commissions, according to a recent Greenwich Associates study of the buyside.

Though many industries have been engaging in corporate buybacks recently, company insiders are using little of their own money to purchase shares in the firms they run, according to a report from TrimTabs Investment Group.

In what could be a harbinger of increased market volumes, hedge fund launches last quarter reached their highest levels since 2007, before the economic crisis sent both hedge fund managers and stock traders running for cover.

Though the high-frequency trading business has become less profitable with the volume downturn, HFTs will remain an important part of the landscape as they continue to take advantage of an uncertain regulatory environment, according to experts speaking at SunGard’s New York City Day on Monday.In a panel discussion entitled “Sell-side brokers: Leveling the playing field against high-frequency traders,” brokers, vendors and HFTs agreed that the recent decline in high-frequency trading is unlikely to be permanent.

As "limit up/limit down" moves closer to reality, the Security Traders Association is asking that many market participants--not just the exchanges--have input into possible amendments to the plan.

Here's an update on SunGard's data product regarding stock lending, in an easy-to-ready memo format.

Cowen Group's plan to maintain its standing with the buyside got a boost last week when shareholders voted to approve its takeover of market maker LaBranche & Co.

In an effort to combat counterparty risk, there is a major push to give financial institutions global ID numbers. Regulators, brokerage firms and banks are calling for a standardized way to recognize who is really involved in a transaction, regardless of where in the world a trade takes place.