>>Interactive Brokers is the owner of market maker Timber Hill. It used to be way ahead of the pack, with a state of the art trading system. Alas, times have changed. The market making part of Interactive Brokers is for sale. It does not tell much, nor it explains why it's selling it. Looks more like a rumor to me. But it seems like Interactive Brokers is selling it b/c it's in financial trouble. I will wait for official announcement.
The CEO discussed the reasons in a previous investor call. "some people believe that our proprietary trading interferes with the pristine nature of our brokerage business. And so, we think that if we had nothing to do with prop trading, we would get more brokerage clients. And given the extremely poor performance of market making, and it really doesn't look like it's going to improve. So we have certain disadvantages that other folks have been successful in overcoming in market making." http://finance.yahoo.com/news/edited-transcript-ibkr-earnings-conference-031245772.html
geez, nobody promised you get the inside scoop. You gotta dig through the conf call docs and even then you won't get all the details. Fact seems that TH is up for sale. I do not know much more. And it certainly has not much to do with IB being in financial trouble, at least no indication of such priced into its stock price.
same old, same old, bitching. What is your alternative solution? Someone who offers options, stocks, fx, futures, and bonds on the same platform, and not just a front end but full market connectivity. Name one and we can talk. Platform nowadays is ROCK SOLID, data is stable during fast moving markets precisely because they disseminate snap shots, fees are pretty competitive, depending on what you trade and in what size. Support, ok I give that one to you but even there I have almost always gotten through to someone over the phone. It is not a hft solution for obvious reasons...
I do not know everything, but I do not bitch about stuff when I have no better alternative to offer. And you obviously knew nada about this topic so maybe you could descend from your high horse for a second...
Conflict of interests? I understand that. But from that point whether they get more brokerage clients is very speculative assumption. If this won't improve their bottom line they will have to raise their fees. B/C I think their market making business was the main reason why they could keep their fees down & be profitable.
you make an awful lot of assumptions for someone who is even less well informed than I am on this particular topic. "seems like Interactive Brokers is selling it b/c it's in financial trouble" "bottom line they will have to raise their fees" "market making business was the main reason why they could keep their fees down & be profitable" That is all pure speculation and not based on any facts or evidence. Just saying.