How Finalto is uniquely placed in Asia

Finalto is going from strength to strength in Asia with a unique product suite and focus on local requirements.

Finalto, Diamond Sponsors of this year’s iFX EXPO Asia, is uniquely placed in Asia thanks to a number of recent moves. It reflects the company’s expansive ambitions and focus on local Asian markets as a growth lever.

The company’s Asia-Pacific business is based in Malacca Street, Singapore, with a satellite office in Sydney to handle the Australian business. Although fairly recent, the company’s expansion in Asia has been rapid.

Most recently, Finalto Asia received certification from the Singapore FinTech Association (SFA) as a capital markets provider in June 2022. The certification focuses specifically on Finalto’s 360 offering – the all-in-one trading, client relations and back-office system for brokers and financial institutions that covers all your operational needs.

The FinTech certification is recognized by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and is a benchmark qualification expected by those operating in the fintech industry in Singapore.

New additions

Product offerings are central to delivering for clients and Finalto is working to create the right kind of offering that caters specifically to Asian clients. For example, Finalto recently added of SGISGD – MSCI Singapore Index to our existing list of Asia indices, covering Australia, China, Japan, India, and Hong Kong.

The addition of the index marks another milestone in Finalto’s expansion into the Asia market in the past year. Since it opened the Finalto office in 2019, the company has been building its presence in the region to provide the very best service to clients.

Following this, Finalto plans to add SG3 pricing and distribution to its existing LD4 and NY4 offerings.

Alex Mackinnon Finalto Asia CEO says: "Our group continues to show its commitment to the Asia Pacific region with adding SG3 pricing.”

Finalto is best-known as a B2B liquidity provider, servicing retail brokers, small and medium-sized banks, hedge funds and other investment offices around the world. Although based in London, the company’s global reach allows it to cater to clients in every region.

Andy Biggs, head of liquidity at Finalto, says: “Finalto's ability to create bespoke sustainable liquidity spans across regions. We have a particular focus in precious metals in the region, leveraging our global relationships and technology to provide unique products with unique liquidity. Our experience and understanding of the diverse flow, across our full range of asset classes, from the region allows us to tailor offerings that exceed client expectation.”

Products tailored to Asia

Finalto offers market-leading multi-currency denominated gold trades in grams, ounces and taels. The company delivers a broad range of gold contracts tailored to local market conditions with exceptional liquidity and bespoke pricing.

In 2020, Finalto expanded its offering to better accommodate the market needs in Australia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, UAE and Turkey. The expansion allows clients to hedge gold positions quoted in different weight units and local currencies.

Alex Mackinnon says: “Finalto continues to cater to not only the mainstream but also to the clients in niche markets such as the physical bullion market in Asia – those are the traders in Asia who require bullion pricing denominated in grams, kilobar and or Taels. We’ve added these units to our extensive bullion offering.”

It means traders can deal in taels against the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), and in grams against the United States dollar (USD) or Chinese Yuan Renminbi (CNH). The product offering is aimed at clients trading gold denominated in different currencies and units, including RMB Kilobar which is frequently traded in the Shanghai Gold Exchange.

Alex Yap, who works in the Singapore office of Finalto, adds: “Against the backdrop of global inflation and market uncertainty, gold is often used for both inflation and risk-off hedging. Finalto provides a list of gold instruments priced in troy ounce, gram and tael that cater for the market needs in Asia. Hence, we are providing a convenient way for clients to hedge gold positions quoted in different currency and denomination.”

Beyond Liquidity

Finalto is best-known for its liquidity provision, but the company also offers a full range of B2B trading applications, from risk management and white label trading platforms to a full back-office and CRM suite for brokers.

Finalto360 is the company’s full turnkey brokerage solution which includes 5 essential modules for running a successful brokerage – something it calls “brokerage in a box”.

Finalto APAC CEO Alex Mackinnon says: “Finalto 360 provides start-up and existing regulated brokers a complete multi-lingual turnkey solution for its technology needs to enable your brokerage to reach the next level, 5 modules, 1 powerful platform.”

One thing that Finalto understands above all, is that there is a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work in Asia as the markets are highly differentiated.

Alex Yap, from Finalto’s Singapore office, explains more: “Asia is a very diversified market. The level of tech sophistication in the region ranges from novice to very advanced level. Finalto 360 is the ideal tool to cater to such diverse needs. Fintech is still in its nascent stages in many parts of Asia and the sector is still trying to establish a strong footing.”