Open risk management platform facilitates hedges across asset classes with unparalleled transparency and educational support
INTL FCStone Inc. (NASDAQ: INTL) today announced that its swap dealer and wholly owned subsidiary, INTL FCStone Markets, LLC (“IFM” or “the Company”), has introduced its structured products online calculator (SPOC), a new online pricing tool that provides users with open access to the firm’s structured products pricing portfolio.
SPOC showcases thousands of structured product prices across asset classes in a manner that provides unparalleled transparency and instructional support to the marketplace. Designed to highlight the breadth of the Company’s pricing capabilities and educate consumers and producers alike, the platform is now available to IFM’s existing account holders. SPOC brings a new level of insight to the structured products universe by breaking through the complexity of elaborate hedging mechanisms, offering both transparency and educational support. Features and benefits include:
- Direct pricing access and direct connection to clients’ brokers.
- Real-time pricing indications on IFM’s structured products.
- Education on the Company’s structured products via detailed data, charts, graphs, etc.
- Mid-Market Mark for structured products, bringing transparency to the forefront.
- Storage of customer pricing histories for reference against future hedging activities.
Mark Maurer, Chief Executive Officer at INTL FCStone Markets, LLC, commented on today’s news:
Among the most challenging aspects for those requiring risk management solutions is determining the hedging strategy that best aligns with a firm’s unique risk exposure and strategic goals. SPOC helps facilitate this by providing customized solutions that break down risk levels, chart desired outcomes, and offer immediate contact with INTL FCStone brokers and traders to review strategies and implement hedging activities.
INTL FCStone Markets helps producers and end-users construct their hedge programs using OTC Structured Products and OTC Vanilla Options, which are more flexible than standard exchange-traded contracts and can be tailored to meet each customer’s specific needs on a case-by-case basis. The IFM team analyzes each client’s entire risk profile, combined with their initial hedging targets, in order to locate potential risks that the customer may not have considered. The Company assists its clients in building a comprehensive risk management strategy to help reduce market exposure.
Mr. Maurer concluded:
As technology continues to evolve and client needs change, INTL FCStone Markets is looking to redefine high-touch, as well as how we interact with our customers using technology in the structured products space. In addition to the invaluable hedging strategies that we offer and the products that we trade, our business is built upon a foundation of added-value client service. SPOC reflects INTL FCStone’s commitment to our customers, as well as to promoting enhanced transparency and education in the marketplace.