Nasdaq serves up its own social-networking site, launches iPhone application; carbon trading tech
Two technology developments came out of the Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. this past week: a new social network and an iPhone application.
On Wednesday, Nasdaq launched a beta of its Nasdaq Community, an online interactive financial networking site. Nasdaq.com already draws about 2.4 million unique visitors per month, according to the company, so having its own social network should only increase traffic.
As with other social networks, users of Nasdaq Community can create a profile and keep it private or public. In addition, members can also rate stocks and peruse investment-related commentaries and articles by industry experts.
Since the site remains in beta, I hope certain aspects of it become a bit more intuitive over time. For example, after 20 minutes of looking around, it wasn't apparent to me exactly how I was supposed to link or communicate with fellow members — other than to click the “follow so-and-so” link for that person.
It also took me a little time to discover what I believe will become a popular aspect of the site: its question-and-answer feature, which can be found by clicking the Investing tab. Registered users can post questions here, as well as read and answer questions asked by others.
Nasdaq QFolio
On Monday, Nasdaq unveiled a new mobile stock market monitoring application called Nasdaq Portfolio Manager, or QFolio. The application, which is available through Apple Corp.'s App Store, offers iPhone or iPod Touch users the ability to monitor the performance of stocks, or portfolios of stocks, in real time. It also offers pre-market and after-hour quotes, as well as access to interactive charts. In addition, the application provides access to StockTwits, an online community for private investors (stocktwits.com).
Nasdaq Portfolio Manager is available free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at
Apple App Store online.
The following link will take readers to a video showing how
QFolio can be used.
To check out Nasdaq's new social network, visit the
Nasdaq Community online.
Trayport to demo carbon trading systems at New York conference
Advisers who want to gain a firsthand perspective on how
Point Carbon Conference will be held in New York Nov. 2-4. It is sponsored by Trayport Exchange Systems, which introduced its carbon Trading Gateway to the U.S. in early October.
Trayport's Trading Gateway platform carries 85% of all carbon emission credit trades in the European Union, according to market analysts. The platform provides access to many carbon exchanges, including BlueNext and Bayerische Boerse's Greenmarket. Other markets accessible from Trading Gateway are EEX, NordPool ASA and ECX, as well as the over-the-counter markets offered by six interdealer brokers. In all, 50 global markets and 3,000 asset classes are available through Trading Gateway.
In addition to the conference, Trayport and Percival Software Ltd. this week announced the integration of Percival's Depend platform with Trayport's Exchange Trading System. Depend is a clearing, settlement, depository and registry system for equities and bonds, and the partnership is meant to foster seamless real-time clearing and settlement of trades.
GFI Group Inc. is the parent company of Trayport. For more information, visit
Trayport online.
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