Trends in Structured Products & Derivatives Trading 2019

In 2019, sellside derivatives and structured products trading business models are recalibrating following a period of post-financial crisis regulatory change and declines in global cash equities markets volatility, both of which resulted in a consolidation of the futures commission merchant sector between 2008 and 2010 and a corresponding retrenchment – on a regional basis – of FCMs providing buyside clients with a full range of issuance, market-making and pricing services on- and off-exchange.

Increasingly, so-called built-and-bought trading technology platforms – combining in-house built legacy systems with strategic, vendor-provided augments or bolt-ons – are observed as supporting changes in the characteristics and structure of the European and US marketplaces, on and off exchange, for Delta One derivatives and structured products trading. For investment bank Delta One programme trading franchises specifically, the ability to remain nimble in 2019 from a systems flexibility and technology spend perspective is vital within a rapidly changing landscape of buyside client product and instrument type demand.