BATS Global Markets Completes Acquisition of Hotspot FX Market

BATS Global Markets (BATS), a leading operator of exchanges and services for financial markets globally, today completed its acquisition of Hotspot FX, a leading institutional foreign exchange (FX) market, from KCG Holdings.

The transaction was announced January 28^th and received Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice on February 18^th. Hotspot will continue to be led by Bill Goodbody, Jr., who has managed the entity since 2008. He and the rest of the New York-area Hotspot team will be based in the BATS office in lower Manhattan.

BATS CEO Joe Ratterman said, “Today is a major milestone for BATS as we expand into a truly global asset class, a market whose daily trading of $5.3 trillion* makes it the world’s largest. We welcome the Hotspot team to the BATS family and we look forward to delivering continued outstanding customer service as we grow this already successful business.”

BATS President Chris Concannon said, “This acquisition marks a new chapter for BATS and we are very pleased with the hard work and dedication of both the BATS and Hotspot associates to successfully and swiftly close this deal. Through our continued innovation, commitment to low costs and customer service and focus on technology excellence, we expect to have a significant impact on the FX market in the years ahead.”

As announced last month, Mr. Concannon becomes CEO of BATS Global Markets on March 31^st and remains President. Mr. Ratterman becomes Chairman after nearly eight years leading the company, a period during which BATS established itself as the largest stock exchange operator in Europe, the second-largest exchange operator in the U.S. and the top market globally for the trading of exchange-traded funds. The company also operates a U.S. options exchange with market share of 9.0% in March (vs 4.1% a year ago).

Hotspot’s average daily volume in the fourth quarter 2014 was $31.7 billion, an increase of about 20% from the first half of 2014. The company’s diverse customer base includes more than 220 banks, market makers, hedge funds and institutions.

*Source: Bank of International Settlements

About BATS Global Markets, Inc.

BATS Global Markets, Inc., a leading operator of exchanges and services for financial markets around the globe, is committed to Making Markets Better for traders, investors and issuers. In Europe, BATS operates the largest pan-European equities exchange, offering trading and listing services across 15 major European markets. In the U.S., BATS operates four stock exchanges – BZX, BYX, EDGX and EDGA – and regularly ranks as the top market for ETF and retail-driven liquidity. The company is an important listing venue for ETFs and other structured products and also operates BATS Options, a U.S. equity options market. Globally, BATS serves the foreign exchange (FX) market, the world’s largest asset class, operating Hotspot, a leading institutional spot foreign exchange market. With its world-class technology and relentless customer focus, BATS strives to bring efficiency, transparency and fairness to market participants. The company is headquartered in Kansas City with offices in New York, London, Chicago and Singapore. Further information on BATS can be found at www.bats.com and by following us on Twitter @BATSGlobal.

To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

Contact information

BATS Global Markets
MEDIA:
Randy Williams (NYC), +1-212-378-8522
or
Stacie Fleming (KC), +1-913-815-7193
or
Hannah Randall (London), +44-207-012-8950
comms@bats.com
or
ANALYSTS:
Randy Williams (NYC), +1-212-378-8522
rwilliams@bats.com