Alternative trading systems: Crossing comes to Korea

In April, Instinet added Korea to the growing list of markets where it operates alternative trading systems.

In April, Instinet added Korea to the growing list of markets where it operates alternative trading systems.

KoreaCross, as the system is known, will operate as a daily blackbox pre-market crossing network, matching orders at the volume-weighted average price. Instinet launched the platform with the support of Samsung Securities, a leading Korean investment bank, which is acting as a local broker sponsor, providing clearing and settlement services as well as order flow.

KoreaCross is Instinet’s ninth alternative trading system worldwide and the third in Asia after JapanCross, a crossing network for Japanese equities and CBX Japan, a real-time matching engine.

Although still behind the US and Europe in terms of the volume being executed electronically, traders in Asia are catching up rapidly, a trend being driven by the growing influence of hedge funds in the region.

According to Greenwich Associates, hedge funds accounted for almost 40% of commissions in Asia in 2007, almost double...

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