Cboe Europe Derivatives Welcomes Interactive Brokers as New Trading Participant

Rhea-AI Summary

Interactive Brokers has joined Cboe Europe Derivatives (CEDX) as a trading participant and will offer its clients access to CEDX's equity derivatives. This move is expected to enhance the efficiency of European derivatives markets by lowering barriers to entry for institutional and retail investors.

CEDX, which launched in 2021, recently expanded its product offerings to include over 300 equity options from 14 countries. Interactive Brokers’ participation as a trading and clearing participant will provide greater flexibility and choice for its clients.

CEDX's equity options are cleared by Cboe Clear Europe, allowing for significant margin reductions and settlement efficiencies. This partnership is seen as a significant milestone in the development of European derivatives markets.

Positive

• Interactive Brokers joins as a trading participant, enhancing market liquidity.
• CEDX offers over 300 equity options from 14 countries.
• CEDX provides lower barriers to entry for institutional and retail investors.
• Interactive Brokers' participation is expected to improve European derivatives market efficiency.
• Clients of Interactive Brokers gain access to a wider range of European derivatives.
• CEDX's equity options allow for margin reductions of around 70%.
• Settlement efficiencies are achieved through domestic Central Securities Depositories.

Negative

• No concrete figures provided on the immediate financial impact of Interactive Brokers joining CEDX.
• The expansion of equity options may require significant operational adjustments for new participants.

Market Research Analyst

The addition of Interactive Brokers (IBKR) as a trading participant in Cboe Europe Derivatives (CEDX) could be viewed as a strategic move to enhance trading volumes and liquidity in the European derivatives market. By leveraging Interactive Brokers' extensive client base, CEDX can attract more retail and institutional investors, potentially increasing the engagement and utilization of its derivatives products. The participation of a well-known broker like IBKR underlines the credibility and growth potential of CEDX.

It's also worth noting that CEDX's expansion into equity options, now offering contracts on over 300 European companies, reflects the exchange's commitment to diversifying its product offerings. This expansion aligns well with the increasing demand for diverse investment tools among traders. By offering a broader range of products, CEDX can cater to varied investor needs, which can result in higher trading volumes and operational efficiency.

However, investors should be cautious about the potential execution and operational risks associated with the expansion. While the integration of IBKR's platform with CEDX's systems appears beneficial, the actual impact on liquidity and the seamless functioning of trading and clearing processes will need to be monitored over time.

Financial Analyst

From a financial perspective, Interactive Brokers joining Cboe Europe Derivatives could have positive implications for both entities. For IBKR, this move allows them to broaden their market access, offering clients additional avenues for trading European equity derivatives. This diversification can lead to increased trading commissions and potentially higher customer retention rates due to the added value of comprehensive market access.

On the other hand, CEDX benefits from the increased trading activity and visibility that a major brokerage like IBKR can bring. Higher trading volumes can lead to greater revenue from transaction fees and improved market liquidity. Furthermore, the use of underlying stocks as collateral for equity options could attract more sophisticated traders looking for capital efficiency, thus bolstering market participation.

Financially, this collaboration could drive revenue growth for both IBKR and CEDX. However, it is essential to consider the costs associated with onboarding new participants and ensuring seamless integration with their systems. These implementation costs should be weighed against the expected incremental revenue from increased trading activity.

Legal Expert

The development of Interactive Brokers joining Cboe Europe Derivatives involves several legal and regulatory implications worth considering. Given CEDX's status as a pan-European derivatives exchange, compliance with various national and EU regulations is crucial. Interactive Brokers becoming a direct trading and clearing participant means they must adhere to stringent regulatory standards to ensure market integrity and investor protection.

The use of underlying stocks as collateral and the implementation of netting in domestic Central Securities Depositories (CSDs) highlight the need for legal clarity regarding cross-border collateral and settlement arrangements. These mechanisms aim to reduce costs and improve efficiency, but they also require robust legal frameworks to manage potential disputes and ensure compliance with different jurisdictions' laws.

In terms of investor impact, the clear legal and regulatory structure underpinning these arrangements can instill confidence, encouraging more participation from both retail and institutional investors. However, ongoing legal scrutiny and compliance checks are necessary to maintain market trust and stability.

• Interactive Brokers joins Cboe Europe Derivatives ("CEDX") and will provide its clients with access to the exchange's suite of pan-European equity derivatives in the current quarter
• The global electronic broker has become a direct trading participant of CEDX and clearing participant of Cboe Clear Europe N.V.
• CEDX recently expanded its range of equity options and now offers contracts on over 300 European companies

AMSTERDAM and LONDON, May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Europe Derivatives (CEDX), Cboe's pan-European equity derivatives marketplace, today announces that Interactive Brokers has successfully joined the exchange as a participant and will provide its clients with access to CEDX's range of equity index derivatives and equity options in the current quarter. Interactive Brokers has become a direct trading participant on CEDX and a direct clearing participant for equity derivatives on Cboe Clear Europe N.V., Cboe's leading pan-European clearing house and CEDX's clearing provider.

Iouri Saroukhanov, Head of European Derivatives, Cboe Europe, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Interactive Brokers to CEDX, which represents a significant milestone in the exchange's journey to improve the ability of retail investors to gain access to and benefit from European derivatives, particularly options. Their participation demonstrates the need for more efficient European derivatives markets, which CEDX is helping to create by offering a simpler, lower cost and pan-European approach to trading and clearing to lower barriers to entry for institutional and retail investors. Interactive Brokers has been a strong collaborator to our successful US options markets for many years, and we look forward to strengthening this collaboration with them in Europe to help improve and grow derivatives markets in the region."

Milan Galik, Chief Executive Officer at Interactive Brokers, said: "We are pleased to introduce access to CEDX, and give our clients an additional way to trade European derivatives alongside our existing global stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, funds and more from a single unified platform. With the addition of CEDX's extensive European equity options and index derivatives, our clients now enjoy enhanced choice and flexibility, enabling them to manage their European investments more effectively."

CEDX launched in September 2021, initially offering trading in futures and options based on key Cboe Europe single country and pan-European indices, with clearing provided by Cboe Clear Europe. N.V. The exchange has been designed to promote on-screen liquidity and offers a single access point to pan-European equity derivatives products, creating significant operational and capital efficiencies to participants.

CEDX expanded into equity options in November 2023, and broadened its universe of these products during Q1 2024. It now offers more than 300 options on companies from 14 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK). These products amount to more than 90% of current ADV and open interest for the top 600 European equity options, as of April 2024. The complete list of underlying stocks is available here. To align with client readiness to trade these products, CEDX initiated its first Liquidity Provider (LP) Programme for equity options on April 1, which also applies to its index options contracts.

CEDX's equity options are cleared by Cboe Clear Europe N.V., which permits the use of underlying stocks as collateral to provide offsets against matched equity option positions, delivering a potential initial margin reduction for a covered call position of around 70%, according to estimates by Cboe Clear Europe N.V. Furthermore, stock settlement (on options exercise and assignment) takes place in domestic Central Securities Depositories (CSDs), removing unnecessary costs and allowing for settlement netting with relevant cash equities transactions.

Further information about CEDX's equity options products is available here.

About Cboe Global Markets, Inc.

Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE), a leading provider of market infrastructure and tradable products, delivers cutting-edge trading, clearing and investment solutions to market participants around the world. The company is committed to operating a trusted, inclusive global marketplace, providing leading products, technology and data solutions that enable participants to define a sustainable financial future. Cboe provides trading solutions and products in multiple asset classes, including equities, derivatives, FX and digital assets, across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit www.cboe.com.

­­­Media Contacts			Analyst Contact
Tim Cave	Angela Tu		Kenneth Hill, CFA
+44 (0) 7593 506 719	+1-646-856-8734		+1-312-786-7559
tcave@cboe.com	atu@cboe.com		khill@cboe.com

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Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain information contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.

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SOURCE Cboe Global Markets

FAQ

What is the significance of Interactive Brokers joining CEDX?

Interactive Brokers’ participation enhances market liquidity and provides its clients access to CEDX's range of equity derivatives.

When did CEDX expand its equity options?

CEDX expanded its equity options in November 2023 and further broadened its offerings during Q1 2024.

What margin reductions are offered by CEDX's equity options?

CEDX's equity options provide a potential initial margin reduction of around 70% for covered call positions.

How many countries do CEDX's equity options cover?

CEDX's equity options cover companies from 14 countries, including major European economies.

What clearing efficiencies does CEDX provide?

CEDX's equity options are cleared by Cboe Clear Europe, allowing for stock settlement in domestic CSDs and reducing unnecessary costs.

What is the role of Cboe Clear Europe in CEDX?

Cboe Clear Europe acts as the clearing house for CEDX's equity derivatives, offering margin reductions and settlement efficiencies.