Core Insights - CME Group has expanded its operations into the Middle East by opening a new office in Dubai, located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) [1] - The expansion is driven by increasing institutional and retail participation in financial markets, leading to a demand for broader trading access in the region [1] - The Dubai office will serve as CME Group's Middle East hub, enhancing service levels for clients in the UAE and surrounding markets [1] Company Operations - CME Group provides a wide range of listed futures, options, and cash markets across major asset classes, including interest rates, equities, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural products, metals, and cryptocurrency [2] - The company plans to list the spot U.S. Dollar / United Arab Emirates Dirham (USD/AED) currency pair on June 30, 2025, in response to client demand in the region [2] - CME Group operates various trading platforms, including CME Globex for futures and options, BrokerTec for fixed income, and EBS for foreign exchange [2] Leadership and Strategic Goals - The Dubai office will be led by Sharif Jaghman, who has nearly 20 years of experience in financial services and has held senior positions at CME Group and other major exchanges [1] - The establishment of the Dubai office is seen as a significant step in enhancing CME Group's presence in the EMEA region and capturing new growth opportunities [1][2] - The collaboration with DIFC Authority highlights the strategic role of Dubai as a global financial hub and the growing opportunities in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia [1]

Core Insights - 24 Exchange has launched the 24X National Exchange, which provides extended hours trading for US equities to both retail and institutional investors globally [1] Company Overview - The CEO of 24 Exchange, Dmitri Galinov, highlighted the significance of the new trading platform in enhancing market accessibility [1] Industry Impact - The introduction of extended hours trading is expected to cater to the growing demand for flexible trading options among investors [1]

Core Viewpoint - Nasdaq, Inc. is experiencing positive momentum with institutional confidence and a strong stock performance, indicating growth potential in the market technology and data services sector [2][3][5]. Group 1: Company Overview - Nasdaq, Inc. is a global technology company providing market technology solutions, anti-financial crime software as a service (SaaS), market data, and index licensing [1]. - The company plays a crucial role in financial markets, competing with major exchanges like NYSE and LSE [1]. Group 2: Stock Performance - As of October 13, 2025, Nasdaq's stock was priced at $88.90, reflecting a 24.4% increase over the past year, outperforming the S&P 500 by 4.2 percentage points [2][6]. - The stock has shown resilience despite a recent decrease of 2.74% or $2.50, with a 52-week high of $97.63 and a low of $64.84 [5]. Group 3: Institutional Activity - Graphene Investments SAS acquired 37,500 shares of Nasdaq, valued at approximately $3.32 million, representing 2.1% of its reportable assets under management [3]. - This acquisition indicates institutional confidence in Nasdaq's growth potential, making it the fund's 15th-largest holding [3]. Group 4: Market Metrics - Nasdaq shares traded between $88.85 and $91.96 on October 13, 2025, with a market capitalization of approximately $51 billion [4]. - The trading volume on the NASDAQ exchange was 3,339,837 shares, reflecting active investor interest [4].

Core Insights - Consistent dividend payments provide comfort to investors during market volatility, allowing them to hold quality companies without the urge to sell [1][15] - The article highlights three Singapore blue-chip companies: Singapore Exchange (SGX), CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT), and DBS Group Holdings (DBS), all of which have maintained consistent dividend payouts for over a decade [2][15] Singapore Exchange (SGX) - SGX is the only approved financial exchange in Singapore, benefiting from stable income generated from securities and derivatives trading, making it a reliable dividend payer [3][6] - The annual dividend per share increased by 33.9% from S$0.28 in FY2016 to S$0.375 in FY2025, with an average dividend yield of 3.45% and a current estimated yield of 2.1% [4] - SGX's revenue grew at a CAGR of 5.9% to S$1.37 billion for FY2025, while net profit grew at a CAGR of 7.1%, allowing for a dividend per share growth at a CAGR of 3.3% over the last decade [5] CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT) - CICT is Singapore's largest REIT, formed from a merger in November 2020, with a diversified portfolio that provides resilient income even during market stress [7] - The REIT's DPU reached S$0.1088 for 2024, although it remains below the peak DPU of S$0.1197 in 2019; it has maintained a high occupancy rate of 96.3% [9][10] - CICT's DPU increased by 3.5% YoY to S$0.0562 in 1H2025, with an annualized yield of approximately 4.8% [10] DBS Group Holdings - DBS is Singapore's largest local bank, with a strong track record of growing dividends, which increased by 311% from S$0.54 in 2016 to S$2.22 in 2024 [11] - The bank has a healthy dividend payout ratio of 59.4% and net profit grew at a CAGR of 13.9% to S$11.3 billion for the last twelve months [12] - DBS's ROE improved significantly from 9.5% in 2020 to 17.2% in 2024, and its CET1 capital ratio stands at 15.1%, well above the regulatory requirement, supporting its ability to sustain dividends [13][14] Conclusion - The consistent dividend payouts from SGX, CICT, and DBS highlight their strong business fundamentals and commitment to shareholder value, making them suitable anchors for a dividend portfolio [15][16]

Core Insights - The trading activity on the Tradeweb European ETF marketplace reached a total volume of EUR 70.4 billion [3] Group 1 - The data presented is derived from trading activity on the Tradeweb Markets institutional European- and U.S.-listed ETF platforms [2]

Summary of Key Points Core Perspective - The total short interest in Nasdaq securities has increased slightly, indicating a growing bearish sentiment among investors as of the settlement date of September 30, 2025 [1][3]. Group 1: Nasdaq Global Market - At the end of the settlement date of September 30, 2025, short interest in 3,366 Nasdaq Global Market securities totaled 14,078,324,727 shares, up from 14,035,983,054 shares in the previous period [1]. - The average short interest represented 2.16 days compared to 2.49 days in the prior reporting period, indicating a decrease in the average time shares are held short [1]. Group 2: Nasdaq Capital Market - Short interest in 1,675 securities on The Nasdaq Capital Market reached 3,220,349,947 shares, an increase from 3,110,176,592 shares in the previous reporting period [2]. - The average daily volume for this segment was 1.00 day, down from 1.08 days in the prior period [2]. Group 3: Overall Nasdaq Securities - The total short interest across all 5,041 Nasdaq securities was 17,298,674,674 shares at the September 30, 2025 settlement date, compared to 17,146,159,646 shares in the previous reporting period [3]. - This represents an average of 1.71 days of short interest, a decrease from 2.01 days in the prior reporting period [3]. Group 4: Short Sale Definition - A short sale is defined as the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale consummated by the delivery of a borrowed security [4].

Leadership Change - JSE (Johannesburg Stock Exchange), operating the largest stock exchange in Africa, appointed Valdene Reddy as group CEO [1] - Leila Fourie, the current CEO, plans to retire next year [1] Industry Position - JSE operates the biggest stock exchange on the African continent [1]

Core Insights - Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, will invest up to $2 billion in Polymarket, valuing the prediction market at approximately $9 billion [3][5] - The partnership will enable ICE to distribute Polymarket's event-driven data to financial institutions globally, marking a significant step towards mainstream adoption of prediction markets [3][5] - Polymarket is preparing for a regulated U.S. relaunch through its acquisition of QCX/QC Clearing and a CFTC no-action letter [4] Investment Details - ICE's investment will take a stake in Polymarket, valuing it between $8 billion and $9 billion [3] - The collaboration includes potential tokenization efforts, enhancing the integration of decentralized finance (DeFi) into traditional financial markets [3][5] Market Impact - The deal is seen as a pivotal moment for prediction markets, potentially defining a new market category and pushing DeFi into the financial mainstream [5] - The investment aligns with broader trends in the cryptocurrency market, where major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum are experiencing volatility [2][6]

Core Insights - Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is investing up to $2 billion in Polymarket, valuing the platform at approximately $8 billion [1][2] - Polymarket allows users to bet on real-world events rather than traditional trading, and is preparing to re-enter the U.S. market with ICE's support [2][5] - ICE aims to utilize Polymarket's event data to create "sentiment indicators" for institutional traders, potentially transforming data collection and sales [3][6] Investment and Market Reaction - Following the announcement, ICE's stock rose nearly 4% in early trading, indicating positive investor sentiment regarding the potential benefits of this investment [4] - The move reflects a growing convergence between financial markets and alternative betting platforms, which may attract attention from other similar platforms [4] Regulatory Considerations - Polymarket faced regulatory challenges in the U.S. for operating as an unregistered derivatives platform, leading to a temporary withdrawal from the market [5] - With ICE's resources, Polymarket is expected to navigate regulatory requirements more effectively upon its return [5] Long-Term Implications for ICE - This investment positions ICE in a new market segment, potentially leading to the development of event-driven data products [6] - If successful, this could provide ICE with a competitive advantage in a largely experimental space [6]

Core Insights - Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), announced an investment of up to $2 billion in the crypto-based betting platform Polymarket [1] Company Summary - Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is making a significant move into the cryptocurrency sector by investing in Polymarket, indicating a strategic interest in expanding its portfolio in digital assets [1] - The investment amount of up to $2 billion highlights ICE's commitment to the growing market of crypto-based platforms and betting [1] Industry Summary - The investment reflects a broader trend of traditional financial institutions exploring opportunities within the cryptocurrency and betting industries, signaling potential growth and innovation in these sectors [1]