The company said in a release on Monday that the fund aims to provide diversified total returns with lower volatility and stronger downside protection by tapping into PIMCO’s best ideas across the credit spectrum, including high-yield bonds, emerging market debt and bank loans. It is also said to feature a monthly distribution component, catering to income-seeking clients. Initially, the product will be available to high-net-worth clients in Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.  Eligible investors include those with Accredited Investor or Professional Investor status under Standard Chartered’s Private, Priority Private and Priority segments.  The bank plans to expand availability to additional markets in the months ahead. Sumeet Bhambri, Global Head of Advisory and Managed Investments, Wealth Solutions at Standard Chartered, said: “As a leading international wealth manager, our aim is to provide a diverse suite of solutions to help our clients grow and manage their wealth.” He added that through this latest partnership with PIMCO they now have a “diversified suite of four VCC sub-funds across all key asset classes – equity, fixed income, multi-asset and alternatives – curated exclusively to meet our clients’ investment objectives.” Standard Chartered established its VCC structure in June 2024 to create exclusive investment strategies by combining the expertise of global fund managers with its in-house specialists. The post Standard Chartered Launches 4th VCC Sub-Fund appeared first on LeapRate.

The company said the move underscores its “disciplined capital allocation framework” and confidence in delivering sustained shareholder returns. The fresh buyback is said to form part of the $165 million shareholder returns unveiled in its half-year results earlier this month, which also included dividends of $75 million.  The programme, managed by Panmure Liberum, will run until 31 March 2026. It is irrevocable and non-discretionary, meaning neither the company nor its board can alter its execution. Plus500 confirmed it could repurchase up to 5,868,129 shares, the maximum authorised by shareholders at its annual general meeting in May, less those already bought back.  All repurchased shares will be held in treasury, rendering them dormant with no dividend entitlement or voting rights. The fintech group highlighted its strong financial position as a driver of the decision. As of 30 June 2025, it held $0.9 billion in cash on its balance sheet, providing flexibility to fund both growth initiatives and shareholder distributions. Plus500 said details of daily repurchases will be disclosed before 7 am on the business day following each transaction. The company pointed to its expanding U.S. futures business and recent operational momentum as further reasons for confidence in shareholder value creation. The post Plus500 Announces New $90 Million Share Buyback Programme appeared first on LeapRate.

Part of the Bangkok-headquartered YLG Bullion Group, the firm has been active in the precious-metals market for more than three decades and has held a licence from Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission since 2009.  TradingView noted in its release that YLG Futures also maintains a presence in Singapore and has won multiple industry accolades, including the Outstanding Gold Investment Analyst award in 2022 and two CME Group honours in 2024 for broker partnership and product development. Through the TradingView integration, clients can access contracts from the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) alongside CME Group products, such as COMEX Gold, NYMEX Oil, S&P and Nasdaq index futures, and major foreign-exchange instruments.  Investors can trade these products without paying platform or real-time data fees, with commission rates starting at USD 0.60 per contract. To start trading, users open the TradingView trading panel, select YLG Futures, and log in to their account.  The move expands access to both domestic and global markets from a single interface, streamlining the process for traders who already use TradingView for analysis while reducing costs through integrated execution and market data. The post YLG Futures is Now Available On TradingView appeared first on LeapRate.

The RayNeo X3 Pro AR glasses are the first to support transactions through both Alipay QR codes and Alipay Tap! merchant terminals in China.  Users can link their glasses to their Alipay account, enable voice verification, and complete purchases by issuing a simple spoken command, with transactions confirmed by voice and authenticated through Alipay’s multidimensional risk-control system. Alipay Tap!, launched in 2024, allows payments by tapping an unlocked phone, or now, AR glasses, against a merchant terminal or Alipay Tap! Tag without opening an app or scanning a code.  By April 2025, the service had gained over 100 million users in China. The firm explained that integrating the technology into AR glasses will offer a fully hands-free payment experience, streamlining checkout for consumers and potentially reducing friction at point of sale. RayNeo plans to extend the feature to its V3 and V3 Slim models and bring AR glasses payments to global markets through Alipay+, Ant International’s cross-border wallet gateway.  Future use cases are said to include unlocking delivery lockers and paying utility bills, positioning AR glasses as an “on-the-go personal assistant.” The post RayNeo and Ant Group Launch Hands-Free AR Glasses Payments appeared first on LeapRate.

FINRA explained that between August 2019 and July 2024, customers entitled to cost reductions through “rights of reinstatement,” a benefit allowing investors to reinvest in certain funds without incurring front-end sales charges or to reclaim deferred sales charges, were charged excess fees.  The shortfall is attributed to the firm’s reliance on manual processes, which left the responsibility for requesting discounts with registered representatives and clients. FINRA found PFS had no automated system to identify missed benefits. The oversight led to customers paying more than $710,000 in unnecessary charges. PFS, which is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia and has around 19,000 registered representatives, is said to have violated FINRA Rules 3110(a) and 2010, which require effective supervision and high standards of conduct. FINRA acknowledged the firm’s “extraordinary cooperation,” including engaging an external consultant, identifying affected clients, and establishing new supervision processes.  PFS has already repaid $90,563.18 to some customers and will complete repayments with interest by early 2025. The restitution will be made under a written plan approved by FINRA, and any unclaimed funds will be handled in accordance with state unclaimed property laws.  FINRA stated that no monetary fine was imposed in light of the remedial actions taken. The post PFS Investments to Repay $710,000 Over Mutual Fund Fee Failures appeared first on LeapRate.

According to FINRA, between January 2020 and December 2023, Stifel released 16 quarterly reports under Rule 606(a) of Regulation NMS that misstated key information, including payments for order flow, profit-sharing arrangements, transaction fees and rebates.  In some cases, the firm is said to have incorrectly reported these amounts as zero, despite having received or paid such sums. FINRA found that several reports failed to disclose material aspects of Stifel’s relationships with execution venues.  The regulator explained that some omitted required details entirely, while others relied on vague statements or hyperlinks instead of specific pricing and arrangement information. Additionally, the firm misidentified three broker-dealers as execution venues in 11 reports. The regulator also determined that Stifel’s supervisory system was inadequate from January 2020 to April 2025.  Although it used a third-party vendor to compile the reports, the firm did not review the accuracy of the underlying data or the completeness of its disclosures.  Written supervisory procedures reportedly lacked guidance on how to verify the reports, and no post-publication review was carried out. Stifel, which has been a FINRA member since 1936 and employs around 5,000 registered representatives, accepted the findings without admitting or denying the allegations. The post Stifel Fined $175,000 Over Inaccurate Order Routing Disclosures appeared first on LeapRate.

The same day, open interest in U.S. Treasury futures and options hit 31,615,333 contracts, while SOFR futures open interest reached 13,738,220 contracts, both all-time highs.  CME also recorded 3,526 large open interest holders in interest rate futures, according to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s 29 July Commitment of Traders report. “New open interest records in our interest rate, U.S. Treasury and SOFR contracts highlight the market’s growing need for risk management and price discovery across the yield curve,” said Mike Dennis, CME Group’s global head of fixed income.  “As clients navigate global uncertainty and shifting views on monetary policy, they are continuing to rely on our interest rate complex for precise hedging tools with deep liquidity and significant capital efficiencies.” CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives marketplace, offers futures and options across U.S. Treasuries, SOFR, Fed Funds, TBAs, credit and more.  Its U.S. Treasury and SOFR contracts trade on the CME Globex platform alongside BrokerTec cash securities. The post CME’s Interest Rate Futures Open Interest Hits a New Record appeared first on LeapRate.

The company will maintain its primary listing on the New York Stock Exchange and continue trading under the symbol QTWO on both exchanges. The NYSE Texas listing becomes effective today, 15 August 2025. “Texas has always been home for Q2,” said Matt Flake, chairman and chief executive of Q2. “Our dual listing on NYSE Texas is a natural extension of our commitment to this community, where so many of our team members, customers, and partners live and work.  “As a Founding Member of NYSE Texas, we are proud to play a role in shaping the future of Texas-based innovation and fueling economic growth.” Chris Taylor, chief development officer at NYSE Group, said: “As a company founded and headquartered in Austin, Q2’s mission is deeply rooted in the spirit of Texas innovation. We are excited to welcome the company to our NYSE Texas community of Founding Members.” Founded in Austin in 2004, Q2 provides digital transformation solutions for financial institutions and fintechs, helping serve millions of consumers and small businesses.  The company also supports Texas communities through its Q2 Spark corporate social responsibility programme, which includes partnerships with Austin FC and initiatives such as the Dream Starter Competition and Q-mmunity Gives grant programme. The post Q2 Holdings Announces NYSE Texas Dual Listing appeared first on LeapRate.

Deribit, the world’s largest crypto options exchange by volume and open interest, reported about $60 billion in current open interest and more than $1 trillion traded in 2024.  The platform experienced its strongest month on record in July 2025, with trading volumes exceeding $185 billion amid a surge in institutional activity. Coinbase said Deribit’s “fast, capital-efficient, and battle-tested” platform complements its own growing futures and perpetuals business, enabling it to offer spot, futures, perpetuals and options trading on one platform.  The company said the acquisition will help it scale globally with broader participation and deeper liquidity. Greg Tusar, Vice President of Institutional Products at Coinbase, said the deal positions the company “to lead the next wave of innovation” as demand for crypto options accelerates. From a financial perspective, Coinbase expects Deribit to be immediately accretive to adjusted EBITDA.  Deribit generated more than $30 million in transaction revenue in July, and Coinbase said its third-quarter results will include Deribit’s contribution from August 14 to September 30.  The acquisition will also add about $10 million in additional technology, development, and administrative expenses in the quarter, excluding deal-related amortisation. Coinbase said the deal represents a significant milestone in building “faster, more sophisticated, and more accessible” crypto derivatives markets. The post Coinbase Completes Deribit Acquisition appeared first on LeapRate.