Our team hosted the 2010 TMX Trading Conference yesterday in Toronto. We were thrilled to have many of our valued customers join us for the event.

The agenda was a busy one — with several panel discussions with industry representatives discussing various topics, including routing, ETFs, and the changing landscape of trading in Canada. A representative from the OSC also joined us for a regulatory update, and there was also an interactive discussion hosted by TMX, where we engaged directly, and very openly, with customers on the subjects that matter to them most.

There have been many developments since we last hosted our customers at an event like yesterday and there was much to discuss.

Recently, we set new trading records on TSX and saw a significant year-over-year increase in the number of transactions in May.

• An all time transaction record was set with the turbulence on May 6: 1.6 million trades were made on TSX, which broke the previous record of 1.49 million trades set on September, 18, 2008.
• On May 20, a record was set for the number of orders processed — with over 100 million orders processed, surpassing the previous record of over 83 million set earlier the same month, on May 7.

May was a strong month for TSX Venture Exchange as well; volume, value and transactions for the month were up year-over-year, and also on a year-to-date basis.

During May we also announced that we are now receiving data from all Canadian equity marketplaces through the TMX Information Processor. The Information Processor enables our clients to connect to a single source of consolidated Canadian equity market data from all Canadian equity marketplaces that trade TSX and TSXV listed securities. We expect that having a single access point for obtaining Canadian consolidated data will translate into reduced connection costs for market participants as well as improved market efficiency and integrity.

2010 has also brought fee reductions and new order types to our markets. The order types are part of our continued efforts to serve a diverse set of trading strategies… The lower fees, along with simplified fee structures and rewards for high volume participants, are designed to help grow trading volume and liquidity. On the technology front, the TSX Quantum Gateway is serving customers well with its high efficiency and average order response times — now five times faster than pre-Gateway speeds.

While these trading developments may not have been news to many in the audience; I suspect details about our global reach as an investment destination, was news… TMX teams have been travelling extensively to educate institutional investors about our markets and to attract new sources of capital and liquidity for TSX and TSXV listed securities. The message delivered is a simple one: our markets offer significant investment opportunities and enviable performance levels.In 2009, over 1,300 companies listed on our exchanges had annual share price returns greater than 50%. It’s a great story and one these investors have been very receptive to.

All in all, the involvement and interest in yesterday’s event was encouraging. The expertise and involvement exhibited by so many members of the trading community showed a healthy level of engagement and insight into a fast-evolving trading landscape in Canada. With recent developments and other changes to come, many of the voices we heard yesterday will be vital in ensuring equity markets in Canada continue to be healthy, liquid, well-structured… and well-respected around the world. I look forward to continuing the conversation.

Filed under: Equity Trading, TSX Venture Exchange, Toronto Stock Exchange