• Firms recognized for ‘Best Collaboration Initiative’ and ‘Best Partnership Alliance’
• Enables trading on MTS BondsPro liquidity pool directly from Bloomberg terminal
• Furthers LSEG drive to strengthen buy-side relationships in global credit markets

MTS Markets International, Inc. (MTS), part of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), and Bloomberg have been recognized at the annual American Financial Technology Awards (AFTAs) for their collaborative alliance enabling corporate bonds in the MTS BondsPro liquidity pool to be traded directly from the Bloomberg terminal.

Launched in June, this initiative marked the first direct access trading connection by an unaffiliated electronic platform with Bloomberg’s execution management system for fixed income (TSOX). This integration enables buy-side traders using TSOX to trade USD and non-USD corporate bonds in the MTS BondsPro all-to-all liquidity pool, furthering LSEG’s broader drive to strengthen buy-side relationships in the global credit markets.

Hosted by Waters magazine and WatersTechnology.com, the annual AFTAs recognize excellence in the deployment and management of financial technology within the asset management and investment banking communities. MTS and Bloomberg were named in the Best Collaboration Initiative and Best Partnership Alliance award categories at a ceremony at The Marriott Marquis in New York last night.

Traders access and interact with MTS BondsPro liquidity as part of their approved workflow, ensuring streamlined support of audit, compliance, straight-through-processing, pre- and post-trade analytics, and post-trade workflows such as allocations. The joint initiative increases price discovery by enabling traders to view real-time ticking bond prices within TSOX. Users have streamlined ability to trade by exercising a simple click-to-trade function, and have the ability to leave a resting order with MTS BondsPro directly from the terminal.
 
Mark Monahan, CEO of MTS Markets International, said:
“We are delighted to be recognized for this joint initiative with Bloomberg. At a time when access to liquidity is a challenge for corporate bond traders, this collaborative thinking and innovative technology is democratizing the credit market by increasing the choice of connectivity options to the MTS BondsPro all-to-all platform.”

Philip Cenatiempo, Head of Global Markets at Bloomberg, added:
"Our goal is to give the Bloomberg TSOX user the broadest and deepest trading experience available for the fixed-income market. Our collaboration with MTS Bondspro is a practical example of achieving that goal and we are pleased the success of this initiative has been recognized.”

Notes to editors:

About MTS:

MTS Group facilitates a number of regulated electronic fixed income markets across Europe and the US that are managed centrally to ensure optimum levels of global harmonisation and consistency. Over 500 unique counterparties trade an average volume of €100 billion each day on these platforms.

The individual companies within the MTS Group are regulated by financial services regulators in a number of European jurisdictions, including Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Italian Ministry of Finance, Banca d’Italia and Consob, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). In the United States MTS Markets International Inc. is a member of FINRA and operates MTS BondsPro which is an ATS registered with the SEC.

MTS Cash is a comprehensive and professional cash securities trading environment for the interdealer marketplace. MTS cash includes several domestic markets regulated in different jurisdictions enabling primary dealers to access unparalleled liquidity, transparency and coverage. MTS Repo provides an order-driven market for the electronic transaction of repo agreements and buy/sellbacks in Italy.

MTS BondVision is a trusted and efficient multi-dealer-to-client electronic bond trading platform, delivering exceptional access for institutional investors direct to market makers. MTS BondVision is accessible in Europe from the Italian and the UK legal entities and in the US through the US legal entity of MTS Group (MTS Markets International Inc.). On the BondVision platform, MTS Group provides institutional investors with real-time pricing and the ability to trade with the major dealers.

MTS Credit provides a variety of electronic execution methods for a wide range of multi-currency non-government bonds, including covered, SSA, corporate and financial bonds. MTS Credit is composed of financial instruments available to trade on both BondVision and MTS Prime.

MTS Swaps leverages existing MTS Group distribution technology to deliver immediate access to a diverse range of liquidity providers through your chosen prime banks.

MTS Data is sourced directly and exclusively from the MTS interdealer market and includes benchmark real-time data, reference data, reference prices and historical data, providing the benchmark data source on the fixed income market.

FTSE MTS Indices are operated by FTSE TMX Global Debt Capital Markets, in which MTS has a minority stake. They provide independent, transparent, real-time and tradable Eurozone fixed income indices, based on tradable prices from MTS. FTSE MTS indices are tracked by (and can be traded via) around 40 ETFs in addition to numerous structured products.

For more information, visit www.mtsmarkets.com

About London Stock Exchange Group:

London Stock Exchange Group (LSE.L) is an international markets infrastructure business. Its diversified global business focuses on capital formation, intellectual property and risk and balance sheet management. LSEG operates an open access model, offering choice and partnership to customers across all of its businesses. The Group can trace its history back to 1698.

The Group operates a broad range of international equity, ETF, bond and derivatives markets, including London Stock Exchange; Borsa Italiana; MTS (Europe's leading fixed income market); and Turquoise (a pan-European equities MTF). Through its platforms, LSEG offers market participants, including retail investors, institutions and SMEs unrivalled access to Europe’s capital markets. The Group also plays a vital economic and social role, enabling companies to access funds for growth and development.

Through FTSE Russell, the Group is a global leader in financial indexing, benchmarking and analytic services with approximately $10 trillion benchmarked to its indexes. The Group also provides customers with an extensive range of real time and reference data products, including SEDOL, UnaVista, XTF and RNS.

Post trade and risk management services are a significant part of the Group’s business operations. In addition to majority ownership of LCH.Clearnet Group, a multi-asset global CCP operator, LSEG owns CC&G, the Italian clearing house; Monte Titoli, a leading European custody and settlement business; and globeSettle, the Group’s CSD based in Luxembourg.

LSEG is a leading developer and operator of high performance technology solutions, including trading, market surveillance and post trade systems for over 40 organisations and exchanges, including the Group’s own markets. Additional services include network connectivity, hosting and quality assurance testing. MillenniumIT, GATElab and Exactpro are among the Group’s technology companies.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, with significant operations in North America, Italy, France and Sri Lanka, the Group employs approximately 3,500 people.

Further information on London Stock Exchange Group can be found at www.lseg.com.