TT^® Connect Blog

European energy markets are attracting a new generation of algorithmic traders as financial firms move into power, while established energy companies change how they trade. For EEX, the shift is creating a virtuous circle of rising volumes and liquidity. We spoke with Tim Greenwood, Managing Director Exchange and Director Sales at EEX, about why power markets are attracting new market participants, how they are changing the market and what is next for power markets. 

Geopolitical tensions, shifting global trade dynamics and uncertainty across energy markets have kept volatility high and made the trading environment increasingly challenging. Yet the Japanese power market continues to evolve and grow.  

At the center of this ecosystem is the Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM), which plays a critical role in supporting the development of Japan’s exchange-traded power futures market.   

With deep roots in Japan’s financial and commodity markets, TOCOM provides a marketplace designed around the needs of domestic participants while expanding its appeal to a broader community of energy traders.  

To better understand the opportunities and challenges facing Japan’s power futures market, we spoke with Takashi Ishizaki, Representative Director, President at TOCOM, about market growth, liquidity initiatives, technology adoption and the future of energy trading in Japan. 

If TT Connect revealed one thing, it’s that trading is increasingly complex, and attendees expect that complexity to accelerate.

More than 150 market participants gathered in London on September 29 for TT Connect: The Evolution of Execution to explore the forces reshaping global trading. Audience polling throughout the event provided a unique snapshot of how market participants are thinking about these changes and where they see the industry headed next.

For years, FX has occupied an unusual position on the trading desk. For some firms, particularly macro and systematic investors, currencies are an important source of alpha. But for many others, FX is a necessary consequence of investing across global markets—an exposure to manage rather than a strategy to pursue. 

Prediction markets have generally been left out of most trading strategies, but that is rapidly changing. Over the past year, event contracts have become increasingly popular and are starting to be integrated into the systems that global institutions already use.