First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Global markets and policy are flashing mixed signals as leadership changes, new alliances, and rising geopolitical risk reshape the landscape. The Financial Times‘ Diana Mariska wrote that Indonesia Stock Exchange head Iman Rachman resigned “as a form of accountability” after an MSCI downgrade warning helped […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. reported record open interest across its global futures and options markets on January 26, 2026, with more than 114 million contracts outstanding, up about 20% from a year earlier. The company said open interest in global commodities reached 72 million contracts, including […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The Dow’s slide yesterday was a reminder of how concentrated index risk can be when a single sector takes a hit. UnitedHealth, a heavyweight in the price-weighted Dow, plunged nearly 20% after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed keeping 2027 Medicare Advantage reimbursement […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff TMX Group has appointed Chuck Frederick as president of TMX Alpha US, effective immediately, after his role as a key architect of the AlphaX US launch since joining in February 2024. He will lead the strategic direction of TMX’s U.S. trading initiatives, drawing on more […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Cboe Global Markets announced it has named veteran markets executive Scott Johnston as executive vice president and chief operating officer, succeeding longtime COO Chris Isaacson, who will retire from the role effective March 6, 2026, and remain as an advisor through year-end. Johnston, who joins […]
Read articleFirst Read b Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The CFTC and SEC will hold a joint event on Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. ET at CFTC headquarters in Washington, D.C., to discuss regulatory harmonization and U.S. financial leadership in crypto. The session, titled “SEC – CFTC Harmonization: U.S. Financial Leadership in […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Eric Gurdian, who passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at the age of 61. Gurdian was the global treasurer for R.J. O’Brien and previously worked at MF Global and Calyon. You can see his obituary HERE. […]
Read articleae First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff CFTC Chairman Michael Selig has penned an opinion piece for The Washington Post titled “America’s financial markets are ready for a golden age,” meeting the Trump administration requirement to include the word “gold” in all its headlines. Selig says the U.S. stands at a […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Congratulations to FIA President & CEO Walt Lukken and all the other industry graduates of Indiana University on their first national football championship. IU had 16 wins and no losses in this storied season, which saw the Hoosiers defeat the University of Miami Hurricanes in […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Former CBOE President and COO Ed Joyce passed away at the age of 73. Joyce spent his entire professional life at the Chicago Board Options Exchange, rising from the trading floor to become president and chief operating officer. You can find his obituary information HERE. […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff FIA Tech announced that its Atlantis brokerage platform settled a record 2.6 billion listed futures and options contracts in 2025, processing more than $1 billion in commissions amid surging global ETD volumes. DTCC‘s tokenization ambitions continued to expand as Helene Braun of CoinDesk reported that […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff London Stock Exchange Group has launched its “Digital Settlement House,” a blockchain ready settlement service linking traditional and distributed ledger payment systems for near instant transfers, Anna Irrera of Bloomberg reported. Figure Technology Solutions is rolling out its On Chain Public Equity Network to issue […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The global financial landscape is currently defined by a “blistering” commodities rally, according to Bloomberg News, as gold, silver, copper, and tin all hit record highs. This surge is driven by bets on lower U.S. interest rates and improved sentiment in Chinese markets. Specifically, Mark […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Jerome Powell’s clash with the White House continues to define the market mood as central banking, politics, and risk appetite collide across today’s major stories. Global central bank governors from 11 institutions issued an unprecedented statement declaring they “stand in full solidarity” with Powell and […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The escalating confrontation between Washington and the Federal Reserve has sent shockwaves through global markets and underscored how politicized the economic landscape has become under President Donald Trump’s second term. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell revealed that the U.S. Department of Justice had served the […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The World Federation of Exchanges‘ January 2026 edition of Focus examines how global market infrastructure is navigating economic and geopolitical uncertainty while advancing digital innovation and cross-border connectivity. CME Group Chairman and CEO Terry Duffy reports record trading volumes in 2025, with average daily volume […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The European Energy Exchange (EEX) announced that longtime CEO Peter Reitz will step down on July 31, 2026, after 15 years leading the exchange. He will be succeeded by Dr. Tobias Paulun, currently the CEO of EEX’s clearing house, European Commodity Clearing (ECC), effective August […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Intercontinental Exchange reported record trading volumes across its global derivatives platform in 2025, with total futures and options average daily volume up 14% year-over-year and December volumes surging 19% year-over-year, driven by record performance in energy, interest rates, and commodities markets. Energy trading achieved a […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff SGX Group (Singapore Exchange) chief risk officer Agnes Koh will step down at the end of the quarter and deputy CRO Ivan Han was named CRO-designate immediately and is set to assume the role on April 1, 2026. Koh, who joined SGX Group in 2005 […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff CNBC, MS Now, USA, E!, and sports channels, plus digital assets including Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, are now wrapped in a new company and brand that began trading on Nasdaq today under the ticker VSNT. The firm’s name is Versant, and it is a spinoff […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig announced on December 31, 2025, that Amir Zaidi will serve as the agency’s chief of staff, bringing deep experience from his previous tenure at the CFTC (2010-2019), where he directed the Division of Market Oversight and oversaw the launch of […]
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