So I guess now we'll only have two ECN's: INCA/ISLD REDI/ARCA Will this be good or bad? A lot of people like to put an order on an ECN without a lot of stock already sitting there. That way, when the "sweeper" programs kick in, Your stock will be picked off sooner than if you were behind 5000 shares on ISLD. If there are fewer ECN's to do this with, then there might be fewer fills. However, if you just want to take the offer/hit the bid, it'll provide larger targets. Sure there are others, but not that significant. They say the deal could be worth $500 million. I wonder how many billion it would have been worth 2-3 years ago?
Cost to acquire Direct Access firm Cybertrader in 2000 at the top of the bubble.....about a half a billion dollars. Cost to acquire leading Nasdaq liquidity provider Island ECN in 2002.....about a half a billion dollars. Cost for a picture Chuck Schwab's face when he read the report that Instanet may buy Island for $500 million......priceless.
At least ol' Chuck can write it off. All things being equal, I don't think he can feel as bad as the schmuck who paid seven million bucks for the domain rights to business.com- $875,000 per letter....
http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid={8EE94D6B-E140-43E4-9EA5-2F51A62F1278}&siteid=mktw imagine that CIBC + SIPC; INCA + ISLD, ARCA + ARMD betcha we can make a rap outta 'dis.
Dattrader....good post On a serious note though....I wonder if this could pose trouble for all of us in the future?
I guess if you can't beat 'em, buy em. I think the combined liqidity of the two ECNs in one marketplace will be an improvement, but maybe less competition drives the ECN fees up?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Originally Posted by esc trader I guess if you can't beat 'em, buy em. I think the combined liqidity of the two ECNs in one marketplace will be an improvement, but maybe less competition drives the ECN fees up? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exactly what I am worried about...higher fees.