Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided for scoring the use of financial market messages. Uses of messages that are efficient and/or improve market liquidity receive positive scores. Traders are charge fees or receive rewards that are dependent upon message quality scores.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Aspects of the present invention relate to the processing of financial market messages. More specifically, aspects of the present invention provide systems and methods for determining characteristics relating to the use of messages. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Current financial instrument trading systems allow traders to transmit messages to submit new orders, cancel existing orders and modify existing orders. Typically trade engines process each individual message and create corresponding market data messages. Market data messages are transmitted to traders and other entities. Existing systems provide traders and other users with several options regarding the use of messages. For example, if a trader wishes to change the price of an existing order for a financial instrument, the user can submit a modify order message or submit a cancel order message and a new order message. Choices made by traders impact the number of messages required to implement trading strategies. 
         [0003]    Message traffic can strain computer systems and networks that are used to transmit such messages. The processing of messages and associated overhead consumes bandwidth and processing time. Large numbers of messages also have corresponding large memory and storage requirements. 
         [0004]    Therefore, there is a need in the art for improved systems and methods for monitoring messages and providing incentives for the efficient or optimized use of messages. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Embodiments of the invention overcome at least some of the problems and limitations of the prior art by providing systems and methods for evaluating or scoring financial market messages. Messages that are efficient and/or improve liquidity are scored accordingly. An exchange or other trading entity may charge a fee or provide a reward that is dependent on the message score. 
         [0006]    In various embodiments, aspects of the present invention can be partially or wholly implemented on a computer-readable medium, for example, by storing computer-executable instructions or modules, or by utilizing computer-readable data structures. 
         [0007]    Of course, the methods and systems disclosed herein may also include other additional elements, steps, computer-executable instructions, or computer-readable data structures. 
         [0008]    The details of these and other embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The present invention may take physical form in certain parts and steps, embodiments of which will be described in detail in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, wherein: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a computer network system that may be used to implement aspects of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a system for processing financial market messages in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a method for processing financial market messages in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Aspects of the present invention are preferably implemented with computer devices and computer networks that allow users to exchange trading information. An exemplary trading network environment for implementing trading systems and methods is shown in  FIG. 1 . An exchange computer system  100  receives orders and transmits market data related to orders and trades to users. Exchange computer system  100  may be implemented with one or more mainframe, desktop or other computers. A user database  102  includes information identifying traders and other users of exchange computer system  100 . Data may include user names and passwords. An account data module  104  may process account information that may be used during trades. A match engine module  106  is included to match bid and offer prices. Match engine module  106  may be implemented with software that executes one or more algorithms for matching bids and offers. A trade database  108  may be included to store information identifying trades and descriptions of trades. In particular, a trade database may store information identifying the time that a trade took place and the contract price. An order book module  110  may be included to compute or otherwise determine current bid and offer prices. A market data module  112  may be included to collect market data and prepare the data for transmission to users. A risk management module  134  may be included to compute and determine a user&#39;s risk utilization in relation to the user&#39;s defined risk thresholds. An order processing module  136  may be included to decompose delta based and bulk order types for processing by order book module  110  and match engine module  106 .) 
         [0014]    The trading network environment shown in  FIG. 1  includes computer devices  114 ,  116 ,  118 ,  120  and  122 . Each computer device includes a central processor that controls the overall operation of the computer and a system bus that connects the central processor to one or more conventional components, such as a network card or modem. Each computer device may also include a variety of interface units and drives for reading and writing data or files. Depending on the type of computer device, a user can interact with the computer with a keyboard, pointing device, microphone, pen device or other input device. 
         [0015]    Computer device  114  is shown directly connected to exchange computer system  100 . Exchange computer system  100  and computer device  114  may be connected via a T 1  line, a common local area network (LAN) or other mechanism for connecting computer devices. Computer device  114  is shown connected to a radio  132 . The user of radio  132  may be a trader or exchange employee. The radio user may transmit orders or other information to a user of computer device  114 . The user of computer device  114  may then transmit the trade or other information to exchange computer system  100 . 
         [0016]    Computer devices  116  and  118  are coupled to a LAN  124 . LAN  124  may have one or more of the well-known LAN topologies and may use a variety of different protocols, such as Ethernet. Computers  116  and  118  may communicate with each other and other computers and devices connected to LAN  124 . Computers and other devices may be connected to LAN  124  via twisted pair wires, coaxial cable, fiber optics or other media. Alternatively, a wireless personal digital assistant device (PDA)  122  may communicate with LAN  124  or the Internet  126  via radio waves. PDA  122  may also communicate with exchange computer system  100  via a conventional wireless hub  128 . As used herein, a PDA includes mobile telephones and other wireless devices that communicate with a network via radio waves. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  also shows LAN  124  connected to the Internet  126 . LAN  124  may include a router to connect LAN  124  to the Internet  126 . Computer device  120  is shown connected directly to the Internet  126 . The connection may be via a modem, DSL line, satellite dish or any other device for connecting a computer device to the Internet. 
         [0018]    One or more market makers  130  may maintain a market by providing constant bid and offer prices for a derivative or security to exchange computer system  100 . Exchange computer system  100  may also exchange information with other trade engines, such as trade engine  138 . One skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous additional computers and systems may be coupled to exchange computer system  100 . Such computers and systems may include clearing, regulatory and fee systems. 
         [0019]    The operations of computer devices and systems shown in  FIG. 1  may be controlled by computer-executable instructions stored on computer-readable medium. For example, computer device  116  may include computer-executable instructions for receiving order information from a user and transmitting that order information to exchange computer system  100 . In another example, computer device  118  may include computer-executable instructions for receiving market data from exchange computer system  100  and displaying that information to a user. 
         [0020]    Of course, numerous additional servers, computers, handheld devices, personal digital assistants, telephones and other devices may also be connected to exchange computer system  100 . Moreover, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the topology shown in  FIG. 1  is merely an example and that the components shown in  FIG. 1  may be connected by numerous alternative topologies. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  illustrates a system for processing financial market messages in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. A trader  202  exchanges messages  204  and  206  with a trading engine  208 . Trader  202  may be an individual, firm or other entity that trades financial instruments. Message  204  may be a buy order message, cancel order message, modify order message, mass quote message or any other type of message typically sent from a trader to a trading engine. Trading engine  208  may reside at an exchange and may perform some or all of the functions performed by exchange computer system  100  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). Trading engine  208  may receive messages from traders, process those messages and transmit corresponding return messages. For example, trading engine  208  may receive a buy order message, process the message and transmit an acknowledgement message. 
         [0022]    Trading engine  208  may include a message quality module  210 . Message quality module  210  may be implemented with software and/or hardware to score or evaluate messages received from traders and to generate a message quality score. Message quality scores may be used to quantify how efficiently traders are using message types and/or the impact that a message has on market liquidity. In one embodiment message values are assigned according to message type. For example, a new order message may have a message value of 0, a cancel order may have a message value of 1 and a modify order message may have a message value of 0.3. The use of a modify order message is often more efficient than the use of the combination of a cancel order message and a new order message. Accordingly, the message value of a modify order message may be less than the average of a cancel order message and a new order message. In various alternative embodiments message quality scores are also a function of message size. For example, a large order may add to liquidity and not increase a message quality score. 
         [0023]    Various other algorithms and weighting methods may be used to generate message quality scores. Message quality scores may be functions of factors such as changes in price levels, size, time in the market, market and combinations. Weights may also be assigned to each factor and one or more weights may be a function of other factors. Message quality scores may be a weighted sum of factors or other combination of weighted or unweighted factors. 
         [0024]    Trading engine  208  may include an aggregation module  212 . Aggregation module  212  may be configured to aggregate message quality scores by individual traders, firms and/or other trading entities. Aggregation may also be performed for time periods, such as by trading session or month. Trading engine  208  may also be configured to distribute message quality scores. In some embodiments a message quality score  214  is included as part of return message  206 . Message quality score  214  may be for an individual message or may be an aggregated score for a trading entity or may be used in a downstream system to gate available capacity for a user. Distributing message quality scores facilitates accurately tracking message scores by traders. 
         [0025]    In some embodiments a gateway  218  may be included between trader  202  and trading engine  208 . Gateway  218  may perform various functions, such as volume control checks, calculating message quality scores and transmitting message quality scores. 
         [0026]    In one embodiment message quality scores are determined by the following equation: 
         [0000]      Message quality= A *ΔPrice level+ B *Size+ C *ΔTime   (Equation 1)
 
         [0027]    Wherein 
         [0028]    A, B and C=constants per product 
         [0029]    ΔPrice level=change in price level 
         [0030]    Size=order size 
         [0031]    ΔTime=time in the market 
         [0032]    The change in price level factor may correspond to a change in dollar amounts. For example, modifying an order from a price level of $15 per contract to a price level of $17 per contract would have a change in price level of $2 per contract. Change in price levels may also factor in order quantity. For example, if the order had a volume of 50 contracts, the change in price level may be $2 per contract multiplied by the volume of 50 contracts or $100. Alternatively, the change in price level factor may be determined in relation to a best bid or best offer. As the best bid and best offer move the change in price level represents the change in dollar amount or ticks from the best bid or best offer. For example, if an order is at one tick level below a best bid and the market moves, modifying the order to remain one tick level below the new best bid would be considered no change in price level. 
         [0033]    The time in the market factor may be used to reward traders for leaving orders in a market for longer periods of time. Orders that remain in the market for longer time periods may add to market liquidity and may decrease the capacity load needed to process the order and subsequent market data. 
         [0034]    In some embodiments messages that include order sizes that exceed a threshold do not add to message quality scores. Of course, a tiered approach or an adjustment favorable to a trader to the message quality score may also be used in other embodiments. Various message quality scoring algorithms may also factor in distances from a best bid or best offer. Orders that are further away from a best bid or best offer may only marginally add to liquidity. 
         [0035]      FIG. 3  illustrates a method for processing financial market messages in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. First, in step  302  a trading engine receives a financial market message. The message may be a buy order message, cancel order message, modify order message or any other type of message typically sent from a trader to a trading engine. Next, in step  304 , the trading engine determines a message quality score. The determination may use one or more of the algorithms discussed above. In alternative embodiments the determination is performed by a component other than the trading engine. After the determination, the trading engine transmits an outgoing message that includes the message quality score in step  306 . Message quality scores may alternatively be transmitted to multiple devices or used by the trading engine or an exchange computer device. 
         [0036]    The method shown in  FIG. 3  may be used in embodiments that aggregate messages by trading entities. In step  308 , a plurality of message quality scores are aggregated into an aggregate message quality score for a trading entity. An exchange or other trading entity may charge a fee or provide a discount that is a function of a message quality score. An exchange may also base volume controls as a function of the message quality score adding or removing message capacity. In step  310  a computer device determines a fee corresponding to the aggregate message quality score. Information regarding the fee may be distributed as part of a message, such as message  206 . 
         [0037]    In some embodiments that utilize volume controls, an exchange or other trading entity may facilitate the trading of excess capacity. Trading entities may buy and sell volume subject to volume controls or message quality scores. Such embodiments may allow trading entities to profit from the efficient use of messaging, which encourages the efficient use of messaging. 
         [0038]    The present invention has been described in terms of preferred and exemplary embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the invention will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this disclosure. For example, aspects of the invention may be used to process and communicate data other than market data.