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Morgan Stanley Launches Portfolio-Level Trading Algorithm

March 12, 2010
Alexa Jaworski

Morgan Stanley has launched a trading algorithm that enables the implementation of multiple portfolio level instructions such as risk neutralization and cash balancing, the company said Thursday.

Using over 70 different risk metrics, the new algorithm, MS PORT, optimizes execution at the portfolio level by taking into account correlations between assets, as well as volatility and projected market impact, explained Morgan Stanley, adding that the result is “better overall execution and risk management.”

"The addition of MS PORT to our constantly evolving suite of algorithms underscores our commitment to providing our clients with a complete set of trading tools and solutions to manage their global execution needs," said Andrew Silverman, global co-head of Morgan Stanley Electronic Trading.

MS PORT supports equities, futures, and exchange-traded funds, and accesses venues in all major markets. In addition, MS PORT offers clients the ability to analyze each step in the lifecycle of the trade by integrating with MS Analytics, Morgan Stanley's multi-asset analytics platform.

Clients can access MS PORT through Morgan Stanley Passport or through a vendor partner and can execute trades themselves or with the support of the Firm's experienced Electronic or Portfolio Trading teams. MS PORT is currently available in the Americas and in Europe and will be available in Asia by the third quarter of this year.

MS PORT also offers traders improved performance by reducing the variance of execution costs. With this launch, buy-side traders can directly access the new portfolio-trading algorithm used by Morgan Stanley's Portfolio Trading desk.