Direct market access (DMA) is a highly effective tool for institutional investors because it removes areas of friction caused by using needless middlemen and brokers. Instead, embracing DMA means exchanges can be directly accessed and orders placed in a fraction of the time.
The beauty of DMA is that the approach can facilitate trading for any stock exchange or security that’s tradeable on exchanges. This means that institutions can find efficiency across a number of equities, fixed-income securities, derivatives, or just about any other financial asset.
Time is of the essence when it comes to frictionless trading, and it’s only through DMA that institutions can execute the right trades at the right time to capture opportunities ahead of their rivals.
So, how can institutional investors create an efficient and sustainable DMA strategy? Let’s take a deeper look at five essential steps to take in order to achieve direct market access success:
Uniting DMA with algorithmic trading
Because direct market access excels in removing the barriers to trading for institutional investors, it offers the best level of efficiency when coupled with high-quality, fast-paced algorithmic trading tools.
This means that ambitious institutions should seek out a functional DMA portal provider that offers quick instrument requests, corporate action management, and downloadable configuration files to help optimise efficiency throughout trading strategies.
In choosing prime services that feature globally positioned trading servers and locally connected pricing structures with data vendors for real-time quotes, it’s possible for institutions to unite their DMA with high-frequency trading (HFT) and functional algorithmic trading platforms to capitalise on opportunities faster without the threat of losing valuable time against competitors.
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Lower latency pricing can be a great asset when connecting DMA and Expert Advisors (EA) without having to worry about slippage or other factors that could hinder the effectiveness of results.
Utilise the transparency of order books to shape decisions
Order books are invaluable tools when it comes to gaining insights into market dynamics. However, the analysis of data can often make it difficult for institutional investors to extract clear insights in a landscape where time is literally money.
When using order books, institutional investors can learn an asset’s liquidity by exploring its bid-ask spread. It’s also possible to explore the depth of the order book to understand the level of buying and selling interest regarding a specific asset.
Traders are capable of using the data within order books to identify trends and explore possible trading signals. For instance, if an asset is receiving a higher volume of bids at a specific price level, it’s reasonable to expect it to climb higher. Likewise, if the ask side is heavily populated at a price level, investors can interpret it as a sell signal.
Order books are becoming more accessible through integrated trading platforms and even smartphone apps today, making it easier than ever for institutions to access essential market insights.
Conforming to compliance
Direct market access poses its own set of compliance requirements for institutional investors, and their adherence will be essential in building a functional and efficient trading strategy.
When using DMA, it’s important that supervisory controls and procedures are continually tested in order to obtain the necessary CEO certification from FINRA. This certification is audited annually and pertains directly to risk management and compliance with the safety of the markets.
It’s the responsibility of broker-dealers to ensure that their DMA services are well-tested and possess the required certification.
With this in mind, it’s essential that any DMA used is fully compliant at all times to keep on top of regulatory scrutiny from the likes of FINRA and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It’s with this in mind that choosing the right DMA requires necessary due diligence, and low-cost options can come with both regulatory risks and possible security threats.
Following the direct market access rule
Any institutions engaging in DMA should also be aware of the direct market access rule set out by the SEC. This rule requires broker-dealers to implement the necessary risk controls for market access.
The Direct Market Access rule means that any broker or dealer that has market access or any entity that offers a customer or other party access to an exchange through the use of its MPID is required to comply with the rule.
This rule applies to trading in all securities, exchanges, or ATS, including equities, options, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), debt securities, and security-based swaps.
While much of the rule focuses on provisions made by broker-dealers to offer compliant market access, it also makes stipulations that can be vital for institutional investors and securing efficient market practices.
For instance, the rule states that it’s entirely possible to incorporate risk management tools or technology provided by a third party that’s independent of the customer, provided that it has direct and exclusive control over those tools or technology and is fully compliant.
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This means that it’s entirely possible for DMAs to vary from different broker-dealers, and their proposition can have different ramifications for efficiency and compliance. With this in mind, it’s worth researching the available DMA options to see whether one tool offers a greater range of compliant integrations to improve access and latency.
Learn the intricacies of DMA and OTC trades
No, direct market access isn’t like over-the-counter (OTC) trading. The intricacies of the two approaches are important for institutional investors to take on board.
Crucially, DMA places trades directly on an exchange, while OTC trading occurs outside of exchanges and directly between the appropriate parties.
Because it focuses on trading via exchanges, DMA offers considerably more transparency, liquidity, compliance, and more competitive pricing than OTC trading, but it’s worth taking the time to research the relevant perks of each approach.
For instance, some institutions prefer OTC trades because commission is instantly factored in and it can be easier to track profit and loss due to operating through a single party.
However, a major issue with OTC trading stems from counterparty risk and reliance on chosen parties to fulfil their commitments when trades are placed.
Building a sustainable DMA strategy
As institutional trading becomes ever-competitive, more traders are looking to DMA as an option to secure frictionless market access in a low-latency environment that’s fully compliant with necessary regulatory requirements to leverage a sustainable strategy.
With the technology entering the industry becoming increasingly effective, incorporating these innovations into DMA strategies without slowing execution times down will be essential.
As the market continues to grow, the range of powerful options at the disposal of institutions will only grow, so it’s worth conducting the appropriate research and utilising prime services that can offer meaningful direct market access that meets the ambitions of the institutions looking to achieve their potential.
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