Abstract: A system and method are provided for distributed risk management. According to one example embodiment, a central risk controller is provided that can communicate with a plurality of local risk management modules located at a plurality of gateways. The central risk controller may allocate a portion of a central account balance associated with a trading account to each local risk management module. Then, as the trades are made using the trading account, the local risk management modules may manage risk associated with the trades until the local account balance is insufficient. As the account balance gets low, the local risk management module may query the central risk controller for the additional risk account balance.

Abstract: A method of negotiating trades on an electronic trading system is presented. In order to enable an intra-trading-system part-to part negotiation the method comprises the steps of receiving a trade negotiation request with respect to a selected order from a user; forwarding the trade negotiation request to a submitter of the selected order; receiving an accept or a reject to the trade negotiation request from the submitter; and initiating an intra-trading-system part-to-part negotiation procedure between the user and the submitter if the negotiation request is accepted by the submitter. An electronic trading system is also disclosed.

Abstract: System and method for aggressively trading a spread trading strategy in an electronic environment are provided herein. According to the example embodiments, a trader may configure the automated trading tool to trade as aggressively as possible by leaning on a price without an associated quantity. This allows a trader to possibly obtain a more profitable price as well as get filled faster. Traders submit an order for a spread and the automated trading tool calculates the quote order price based on a defined level of aggressiveness, the leaned on price, and the desired spread price. Based on the level of defined aggressiveness and the gap in the market, the automated trading tool may lean on a mildly, moderately, or extremely aggressive price.

Abstract: Systems and methods embodying the present invention permit a trader of securities such as municipal bonds to observe real-time data relating to actual or prospective trades of relevance to a contemplated trade, while excluding those actual or prospective trades that are insufficiently relevant. The trader, or other user, can specify filtering criteria according to which actual or prospective trade data will be collected and presented. The retrieval and presentation of matching data permits an informed yet rapid determination of a price, or other information, for a particular municipal bond or analogous security.

Abstract: A method for facilitating freight shipment between a first geographic location and a second geographic location is disclosed. The method comprising displaying in a first data section of a browser window derivative contract data pertaining to shipment capacity offered by carriers between the first geographic location and the second geographic location, the derivative contract data being associated with at least shipping mode. The method further comprising displaying in a second data section of a browser window forecast data pertaining to demand forecasts between the first geographic location and the second geographic location, the forecast data being provided by shippers, the second data section being configured to be viewed simultaneously with said first data section, the browser window being configured to be accessible via a computer network. The method further comprising receiving shipper assessment of accuracy of the forecast data from the shippers.

Abstract: A broadcast signal having reward and broadcast (programming and/or advertising) content is broadcast, and viewers provide reward responses in response to queries in the broadcast content. Viewers also provide consumer data associated with the reward response provided. Rewards may then be awarded based on the accuracy of the reward response as well as the utilization of the associated consumer data provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for computing migration and performance matrices. The matrices may provide risk and performance data, as well as different views on the data useful for making and monitoring investment decisions. The migration and performance matrices may bring together data to reflect information on the likelihood that a rated entity will change its current rating within a given time period, information reflecting retention rates, and information describing the effect of changed exchanged rates on different data, for example.

Abstract: A method of processing data in connection with a security is provided. The security is collateralized by a plurality of home mortgage loans or by portions of the plurality of home mortgage loans. The method comprises generating payment projections regarding principal and interest payment projections for the plurality of home mortgage loans; determining that the payment projections have errors; and modifying loan characteristic data to eliminate errors in the loan characteristic data that cause errors in the payment projections. According to another embodiment, a method comprises receiving payment data regarding the plurality of loans a plurality of times separated by a plurality of days during the reporting cycle. Each time the payment data is received, the payment data is processed and the opportunity to make corrections is provided.

Abstract: A method for preparing a financial statement for a member of a group of members participating in a community system. The method includes submitting a request to the community system for an accounting adjustment rule. The request includes an attribute of the member, an adjustment rule type, and an account of a general ledger of the member. The accounting adjustment rule is used to adjust a trial balance of the general ledger, obtaining the accounting adjustment rule from the community system based on the request, making an adjustment in the account based on the accounting adjustment rule to obtain an adjusted trial balance, validating the adjusted trial balance of the general ledger subsequent to making the adjustment, and preparing the financial statement for the member upon validating the adjusted trial balance. The accounting adjustment rule is contributed to the community system by at least one of the group of members.

Abstract: System and method for aggressively trading a spread trading strategy in an electronic environment are provided herein. According to the example embodiments, a trader may configure the automated trading tool to trade as aggressively as possible by leaning on a price without an associated quantity. This allows a trader to possibly obtain a more profitable price as well as get filled faster. Traders submit an order for a spread and the automated trading tool calculates the quote order price based on a defined level of aggressiveness, the leaned on price, and the desired spread price. Based on the level of defined aggressiveness and the gap in the market, the automated trading tool may lean on a mildly, moderately, or extremely aggressive price.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for computing migration and performance matrices. The matrices may provide risk and performance data, as well as different views on the data useful for making and monitoring investment decisions. The migration and performance matrices may bring together data to reflect information on the likelihood that a rated entity will change its current rating within a given time period, information reflecting retention rates, and information describing the effect of changed exchanged rates on different data, for example.

Abstract: A computer-based method for generating a program for hedging guaranteed benefits of a set of variable annuity (VA) contracts, including automatically generating interpreted and compiled contract value projection code; generating vectorized integrated scenario sets including arbitrage-free interest rate, hedging instrument, and VA fund values based on financial market data and regression and cointegration analysis of the VA funds and user-selected hedging instruments; multi-threaded vectorized calculating of present value PVGij of projected VA benefit guarantee cash flows for each VA contract i for each vectorized integrated scenario set j; calculating of differences of PVGij to determine sensitivities to financial parameters (“Greeks”) for each contract; calculating of present value PVAij of projected asset cash flows for each asset i for each vectorized integrated scenario set j; calculating of differences of PVAij to determine sensitivities to financial parameters (“Greeks”) for each asset; and, presenting

Abstract: To use market clearing methods to determine market equilibrium, a market clearing situation is established by determining a number of items to be sold at the market price and allotting a number of pseudo items assignable to bids below the market price. Once bids are received for the items, using the number of pseudo items and the actual items as the supply side, and the total funds bid as the demand side, a market clearing price is determinable using a market clearing equilibrium model. Funds assigned to pseudo items are returned or not charged. Further, by selling items only to bids exceeding the market clearing price, such as by setting the market price incrementally above the market clearing price, bidders are encouraged to submit bid prices bid reflecting what the items are worth to them instead of attempting to bid strategically to guess or set the market price.

Abstract: Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. Private equity firms and other investors of small businesses can use the CSoW/CSoSW modeling approach to more accurately evaluate small and privately held companies, both during investment and for evaluating prospective investments. Over-the-counter securities trading systems can also use this modeling approach to provide more accurate information and/or rankings of listed companies to their customers.

Abstract: Methods and corresponding systems are provided for managing investment portfolios that includes the steps of identifying at least one security of the investment portfolio to be sold during rebalancing of the investment portfolio, and rebalancing or deferring rebalancing of the investment portfolio based at least in part on a rebalancing threshold for short-term capital gains or losses, investor specified or otherwise. If an implied total short-term capital gain or loss, e.g., a loss or gain that would occur if the at least one security were sold, falls within the rebalancing threshold rebalancing occurs, otherwise rebalancing is deferred for a later time.

Abstract: An on-line system for creating an open market for matching buyers and sellers of brand name products. The system enables buyers to achieve the maximum value in the purchased product by engaging in an open ended on-line reverse auction and a negotiation process with multiple sellers of the specified product. The system enables sellers to generate sales leads and engage in the open ended on-line reverse auction bidding and the negotiation process with buyers.

Abstract: A method and product for identifying and categorizing pivot points in a time series, such as a time series of financial data (e.g. stock prices) or medical data (e.g. ECG, EEG). The method permits categorization of pivot points in a time series according to their spatial importance and temporal occurrence. The time series has a predetermined end point, predetermined maximum and minimum box sizes, and a predetermined box size increment. The method consists of determining a breakout direction for the time series. Then, for each incremental box size from the maximum to the minimum, pivot points are identified. Commencing at the end point and working backwards through the time series, any point where a reversal of more than the current box size occurs is identified. For each such identified point, the previous extreme, its associated lag from the end point, and the box size at which it is first identified is then recorded.

Abstract: Method, system, and computer program product for computing accounting savings for a business related investment of a target product. The target product and at least one currently used product have at least one feature, and the business comprises at least one business related activity. The method comprises reading, from a database, business activities, target and current product features, their relation, and predetermined values of savings obtained by the features of the products on an activity. The difference of savings between the target and current product per activity is computed. During the process the read data are displayed to the user, who can then modulate the values or add new ones.

Abstract: A method of formation recognition in technical analysis relies on the use of pivot points. A formation of interest is defined in terms of extreme points. The extreme points can be characterized in relation to one another as a series of local or global extrema in corresponding intervals. The method numbers the pivot points in reverse chronological order and attempts to match pivot points with the extreme points of the formation of interest. The first pivot point is assigned to the first extreme point of the formation. A second pivot point is selected from the interval defined by the first pivot point and the highest numbered pivot point that is a high or a low, as required by the formation. Subsequent pivot points are selected from intervals determined based on the formation and previously determined intervals. A formation is recognized if corresponding pivot points are identified for all extreme points in the formation.

Abstract: Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. Private equity firms and other investors of small businesses can use the CSoW/CSoSW modeling approach to more accurately evaluate small and privately held companies, both during investment and for evaluating prospective investments. Over-the-counter securities trading systems can also use this modeling approach to provide more accurate information and/or rankings of listed companies to their customers.