Abstract: An anonymous trading system is configured to receive a price stream from a bank or other institution. The price stream is converted into a quote stream and input into the trading system via an automated trading interface. The quote stream has its own deal code. The deal code credit limits are set so that the only parties that have credit with the deal code are other deal codes of the same institution. At least one of these deal codes represents a prime broker bank and prime broker customers therefore have access to the institution's price stream to the exclusion of other parties trading on the system. A distributor distributes the quotes from the trading system to the prime broker customers' traders, to prime broker customer automated trading interfaces, and to prime broker customer deal feed systems for logging of deal tickets and communication of those deal tickets to back office systems.

Abstract: In a trading system market data from a matching engine is distributed by a broker to a plurality of trading floors repeatedly every T seconds, typically one second. This one second distribution period is divided into a plurality of time slots and each trading floor is randomly assigned to a slot. Data for a given trading floor is calculated and distributed during the time slot assigned to that floor. The position of a trading floor relative to others is varied by swapping a pair of adjacent time slots every J distribution periods.

Abstract: An anonymous trading system for financial instruments comprises a network of broking nodes each performing a bid and offer matching function and a market view distribution function. Trader terminals are connected to the network via trading agent nodes. During deal execution a credit check is performed and once the deal is complete the identity of the counterparty becomes known to the other counterparty to the deal. The originating counterparty may send a More quantity message to the other party proposing a further deal at the same price. The other party may decline, partially accept, accept or accept and propose a still further amount. Credit for the further deal is drawn from an external source and the internal credit limits are temporarily increased or disabled to prevent the deal from being rejected.

Abstract: Price improvement in credit screened trading systems is achieved by entering a maximum price improvement (MPI) amount with a maker quote. The system prepares separate quote queues for each trading floor including only quotes where bilateral credit exists. Quotes are arranged using Price, MPI, time priority. When a quote is dealt, a dealable price improvement is calculated as the amount of the MPI required to improve the dealt quote's position in the queue.

Abstract: An anonymous trading system comprises an interconnected network of broking nodes arranged in cliques which receive buy and sell orders from trader terminals via connected trading engines and which match persistent orders, executed deals and distribute price information to trader terminals. Where two orders are matched, a proposed deal message is sent by the matching broker. If another broker has processed an event which makes the matched quote unavailable the match fails and rematch may occur. Rematch may be attempted by an intermediate broker provided it owns one side of the match, or it received both sides of the match from brokers in different cliques. The intermediate broker attempts to match with the next available quote in the queue.

Abstract: Price improvement in credit screened trading systems is achieved by entering a maximum price improvement (MPI) amount with a maker quote. The system prepares separate quote queues for each trading floor including only quotes where bilateral credit exists. Quotes are arranged using Price, MPI, time priority. When a quote is dealt, a dealable price improvement is calculated as the amount of the MPI required to improve the dealt quote's position in the queue.

Abstract: An anonymous trading system comprises a network of broker nodes each of which perform price matching, deal execution and market distribution. Trader terminals on trading floors are connected to a given broker node via a trading agent node. Credit may be stored for a given trading floor at its trading agent node or at a credit agent node which stores credit limits for a group of trading floors. Where the credit limits of a party to a proposed deal are stored at a credit agent node, the deal execution process is routed through that credit agent node to check for available credit. The system allows institutions to adopt any combination of local and global credit assignments with counterparties with which it wishes to trade.

Abstract: In an electronic trading system, prime brokerage services may be provided by assigning one or more dependent or child deal codes to a deal code. Prime broker trades are conducted via the dependent deal codes but appear to the market as deals with the parent deal code using credit assigned to the parent deal code. The prime bank customer is a dependent deal code of the customer bank which also trades on the system, allowing credit to be allocated by the customer dependent code for prime broker trades. A deal code may have several dependent deal codes which can trade with one another. Dependent deal codes can be used to expand the size of trading floors beyond that which can be supported by a single deal code and to assist in migration between system versions.

Abstract: A deal feed system for passing deal tickets to back office systems comprises a deal feed contributor which receives tickets from trades on a plurality of trading systems on a plurality of trading floors, a database for storing the tickets, and a distributor for passing the tickets to back office systems. Virtual deal codes are defined to which a plurality of real deal codes map. The virtual deal codes to which a ticket relates is stored in a table with a reference to the stored ticket. A deal code table is updated with the range of the virtual deal code and the update transmitted to the bank office systems and to traders.

Abstract: Computerized trading system for trading financial instruments having a communication network connecting traders dealing in financial instruments and a plurality of trader terminals connected to the communication network. The communication network comprises a credit store for storing an indication of credit available from each credit granting entity, a price distributor for distributing the price quotation messages to trader terminal for display, a credit filter to filter the price quotation messages to each trader terminal associated with at least one credit granting entity.

Abstract: An anonymous trading system includes a prime broker facility that allows a third party to trade on behalf of an institution. A deal is executed between the third party and a counter-party and a further deal is then executed between the third party and the party on whose behalf it has traded. The second deal may be for the same amount as the first deal or may be altered to include the third party's fee for conducting the first deal. Clients of the third party have prices available to them for trades made via the third party which are displayed at their trader terminals. The client sees that a better price is available though the third party than by dealing direct and selects to conduct a deal through the third party.

Abstract: An anonymous trading system comprises one or more matching engines, one or more market distributors and one or more trader terminals for input of orders from institutions trading on the system. The trader terminals are connected to the system through bank nodes. A broker terminal is connected through a bank node and enables voice brokers to trade on the system on behalf of client traders. The voice brokers terminal can be configured for any client trader and will display the market view for that trader. Trades in which the broker terminal participates are not concluded until a manual credit check has been performed.

Abstract: An anonymous trading system comprises a network of broker nodes, each of which have an equal status and can match orders, initiate deals and distribute prices. Trading agents are connected to some or all of the broker nodes. The network is arranged to conform to a series of rules and in a preferred embodiment the brokers are arranged as a clique tree.

Abstract: A conversational trading system allows a plurality of instruments, for example financial instruments such as foreign exchange products to be traded from a single user interface. The interface includes a deal stack comprising a deal list, a deal detail panel and a button bar. The deal list displays deal related information such as status, party, instrument and an instrument and status related string in a form common to all instruments. The deal detail panel displays information relating to a specific deal in the list that has been selected by the trader in a manner that is specific to the instrument being traded. Deal related information may be entered into the system by trader conversations which are parsed by a parser. The parser analyses the conversation for key terms which depend on the status of the deal. Where a key term is found, the deal status is changed and the deal stack sends appropriate messages to the system which may cause counterparty deal details to change.

Abstract: Joint execution type compound orders can be processed in an anonymous trading system comprising a plurality of broker nodes each of which includes an order matching functionality and a market distribution functionality. Trader agent nodes are connected to a number of dealer terminals grouped in trading floors and also to a broker node. Joint execution orders are entered as hit orders and are all matched by the broker during the hit or the order is cancelled. If matches are made the taker's trading agent does not complete any of the deals marking up the order until it knows that all the deals are executable. The system may be used to allow traders to hit bids and offers in currency pairs synthesized from other currency pairs. In this arrangement the dealer enters a simple order in the synthetic currency and the taker's trading agent converts it into a joint execution order.

Abstract: In a duplex chat conversational trading system, trader terminals monitor for new incoming messages from the time a trader starts to input a new message to the time it is sent. If an incoming message is detected, sending of the message is inhibited and the trader is alerted to the new incoming message whereupon he can confirm his message, modify it or resend it. Messages are exchanged via a chat server which assigns a unique reference number to each message. Where a message received at the server is sent in reply to an earlier message it carries the reference of the earlier message. The server compares this reference to the most recent reference it has logged and notifies the parties of a crossover if the references are not the same.

Abstract: In a trading system market data from a matching engine is distributed by a broker to a plurality of trading floors repeatedly every T seconds, typically one second. This one second distribution period is divided into a plurality of time slots and each trading floor is randomly assigned to a slot. Data for a given trading floor is calculated and distributed during the time slot assigned to that floor. The position of a trading floor relative to others is varied by swapping a pair of adjacent time slots every J distribution periods.

Abstract: An anonymous trading system suitable for trading foreign exchange or other fungible instruments comprises a network of broking nodes each of which have equal status and each of which perform the function of matching orders input into the systems, executing trades and distributing market views. Trading agent nodes are connected to some or all of the broking nodes and act as an interface between trader terminals or other order input devices through which orders are submitted to the system, and the broking nodes. Orders may be input into the system as visible quotes or invisible hits.