First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Today I woke up in West Lafayette, Indiana, the home of Purdue University. I am here for a one-day event at the Mitch Daniels School of Business. The “Markets and Moral Sentiments” event at Purdue University’s Mitch Daniels School of Business brings together leading thinkers […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff A wave of cyberattacks targeting Japanese online brokerage accounts has enabled hackers to manipulate global markets, resulting in fraudulent trades totaling approximately $710 million since February 2025, Bloomberg reports. The attackers hijacked retail investor accounts at major firms such as Rakuten Securities and SBI Securities, […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office during his second term, various media outlets have conducted assessments revealing a dramatic decline in his approval ratings. Reports indicate that Trump’s approval ratings have dropped to as low as 41%, marking the lowest […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff John Lothian News is launching the “Trade India” campaign to drive brand awareness, generate qualified leads, and support strategic product launches for firms seeking to access India’s growing financial markets. Through targeted storytelling, thought leadership, and exclusive content on JohnLothianNews.com and MarketsWiki.com, the campaign will […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff A key member of the 1985 Chicago Bears football team passed away yesterday. The passing of Steve “Mongo” McMichael on April 23, 2025, marks a solemn moment for Chicago Bears fans and the legacy of the legendary 1985 team. McMichael, a ferocious defensive tackle and […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Crain’s Chicago Business is reporting on a new exchange competition faceoff that echoes the CBOT/Eurex fight. The CME Group has begun trading hard red spring (HRS) wheat futures and options after its longtime customer, the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, now MIAX Futures Exchange, moved its HRS […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The CFTC yesterday announced it is seeking public comment about 24/7 trading to better inform them on the potential uses, benefits, and risks of trading on a 24/7 basis in the derivatives markets the CFTC regulates. I decided to ask an old acquaintance of mine […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff and a transformative figure in the modern Catholic Church, died Monday at age 88, the Associated Press reported. Known for his humble demeanor and advocacy for the poor, Francis-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina- captivated the world with […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Today we have the interview we did with Cboe Global Markets COO Chris Isaacson at FIA Boca50. Isaacson showcased the exchange group’s sweeping global tech overhaul under the banner of “Cboe Titanium,” a unified trading platform designed to scale across regions and asset classes. From […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Trabue Bland, senior vice president, futures exchanges at ICE, is the latest to give to the Kilt Challenge, contributing $1000, to bring the total to GBP 61,146. The FIA Operations Americas Division is hosting an educational panel discussion on April 30, 2025 focused on distributed […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff In the complex CME and CBOT member class action case (2014 CH 00829) against CME Group Inc. and the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Judge Patrick J. Sherlock of the Cook County Circuit Court denied all three motions of the CME Group. […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first class of commissioners at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), FIA President and CEO Walt Lukken reflected on the agency’s remarkable journey and enduring relevance. He penned a personal viewpoint highlighting the distinctive role the CFTC plays […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Shortly after JLN was published on Friday, Gerry Corcoran, the chairman and CEO of R.J. O’Brien & Associates (RJO), contributed $7500 to the Kilt Challenge supporting Futures For Kids through a donation by the Corcoran Family Foundation. Gerry’s donation followed a $5,000 donation by CME […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff CME Group Chairman and CEO and newly minted FIA Hall of Fame member Terry Duffy is the latest to give to the IDX Gala 2025/Kilt Challenge, Mission (Im)possible that supports Futures For Kids. Terry gave $5000 in support of ICE’s Chris Edmonds and Goldman Sachs’ […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Democrats are calling for an investigation into possible insider trading by President Donald Trump after he paused sweeping tariffs just hours after posting “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY” on Truth Social, sparking a historic 9% rally in the S&P 500. According to The […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff US government debt experienced a sharp two-day decline, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield jumping 0.3 percentage points to 4.3% by Tuesday-an unusually large move for this typically stable asset, the Financial Times reported. The sell-off intensified after a $58 billion three-year Treasury auction drew […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs, imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), have triggered legal and constitutional controversy. Matt Levine of Bloomberg Opinion highlights that while the U.S. Constitution clearly grants Congress – particularly the House of Representatives – the sole authority […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs have triggered widespread market turmoil, raising fears of a global recession and drawing alarm from political allies, business leaders, and economists alike. Trump announced aggressive tariff hikes-some reaching 50%-that rattled global markets, wiping out more than $5 trillion in U.S. […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The futures industry has long spoken out against the implementation of transaction taxes, articulating a range of concerns that align closely with the principles of efficiency and market functionality. Proponents of this stance argue that imposing such taxes would invariably lead to increased costs for […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff I ran across the archives of the John Lothian Newsletter on the WayBackMachine from when they were kept on the PriceGroupETD.com website. The archives began on July 5, 2001 about 11 months after the newsletter started in August of 2000. It is amazing to look […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Dr. Richard Sandor, the former chief economist at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), testified before the House Committee on Agriculture on March 25, 2025 at a hearing titled “The CFTC at 50: Examining the Past and Future of Commodity Markets”, about his pivotal role […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The Impact Project is making an effort to educate the public about the impact of the cuts to the federal budget and workforce with a tool called The Impact Map. The Impact Project aims to provide objective, transparent, and open-source data on how government decisions […]
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