Markit, a leading global provider of financial services across FX, OTC and derivatives, has announced the F-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an initial public offering (IPO), according to a Markit company statement.
FX and OTC Mainstay Markit to Foster Improved Transparency
Markit has established itself across the finance industry through its diverse suite of financial services, reporting and compliance for firms – one of its most popular operations, MarkitSERV, has been utilized by several derivatives and forex companies in recent months.
According to Henry Hunter, Managing Director at MarkitSERV, in a statement on Regulation and transparency facing Swap Execution Facilities (SEFs), “The rules have been published and will become effective in August, however a couple of other things need to fall in place. SEFs need to be registered by the CFTC and its not entirely clear how long that will take. Clearing rules will however be unchanged and will be required – SEF reporting will also be needed, much in line with what has been seen in Europe with EMIR requirements.”
Henry Hunter - Managing Director, MarkitSERV
IPO Details Emerge
Regarding the IPO, the recent decision to go forward with an offering in the United States represents a new step for the company as it creeps into the realm of shareholders. It is worth noting that the proposed IPO is solely a secondary offering, whole several leading banks have already been enlisted for the offering. These include: BofA Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank Securities, Goldman, Sachs & Co., HSBC, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, UBS Investment Bank, BNP Paribas, Jefferies, RBC Capital Markets and TD Securities.
In addition to Markit, other financial firms have recently made the jump to shareholders – Virtu Financial and Getco have both pursued IPO plans, the former having to postpone its plans given the waning sentiment surrounding high-frequency trading (HFT) and its prevalent stigmas.
Company Fortitude Facilitating Stock Offering?
Markit was founded in 2003 and has since expanded its focus to over 11 countries with 3,000 employees. With the success of its operations and MarkitSERV platform, the company has opted to embark on a public offering that hopes to continue its recent expansion. In addition, the firm’s ties and importance to Forex cannot be understated, affording would-be investors the opportunity to invest in a respected name in the industry. MarkitSERV’s FX solutions have earned the business of over 2,500 buy-side institutions and numerous other brokers, SEFs and clearing houses.
