New products and services February 2009

• FXCM (http://www.fxcm.com) launched its new forex trading platform, Active Trader. Active Trader displays an ECN-type view of total liquidity available through the platform, providing transparency in execution and indicating short-term market direction. Key features include five levels of market depth, similar to an equities platform, a view of liquidity available at each price level, and Web-based trading. A free two-week trial is available on FXCM’s Web site. Call (646) 432-2970 or e-mail ctivetrader@fxcm.com for more information.
  
  
• CME Group announced a new U.S. dollar/Colombian peso monthly futures contract on ClearPort. The new contract (commodity code V2) has a contract size of U.S. dollars/ 100 million Colombian pesos. The existing Colombian peso futures contract (commodity code VE) will be delisted.
  
  
• eSignal has released the latest version of its software, eSignal 10.3. New features allow users to place orders via the Advanced Chart by either using new toolbar icons or by right clicking. New drag-and-drop capabilities make it possible to move columns and symbols within a quote window. For more information, visit eSignal’s Web site at http://www.eSignal.com or call (510) 723-1765.
  
  
• Fidelity Investments launched three new capabilities for its stock research platform. Through its Explore and Rank Research Firms page, investors can learn about the methodologies, approaches, and equity styles of 19 wellknown equity research providers. Portfolio-Level Backtesting allows customers to backtest strategies on whole portfolios of equities listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index, the NASDAQ-100 Index, or the S&P 100 Index. Also, the redesigned Markets and Sectors Overview page provides updates on equities, interest rates, forex, energy, metals, and agriculture markets, as well as news, analysis, and research.
  
  
• Charles Schwab announced upgrades to its StreetSmart Pro trading software and Web-based trading platform StreetSmart.com. Clients now have real-time performance reporting for closed positions, new short-selling tools, and more advanced options order types. New features include a realized gain/loss tab to provide intraday reporting of daily trading activity for closed positions; the ability to short securities through direct access venues; a “hard to borrow” indicator that notifies traders if a specific equity may be difficult to borrow for shorting; and “goodtil- cancel” options orders.
  
  
• Quantrade released Quant Builder 2.0, an analysis tool containing a suite of mathematical algorithms and specialized indicators. It’s available as a plug-in for the TradeStation, MultiCharts, and Ninja Trader platforms, and will extend functionality to MetaStock and Excel through scheduled releases. For complete product details, visit http://www.fractalfinance.com/quantbuilder.html.
  
  
• Professional Software Solutions released Diamond Backtesting and Walk Forward Manager (BTWFMgr), which analyzes and optimizes strategy backtesting results for stocks, futures, and forex. It includes automated walk-forward analysis, parameter tracking charts, probability analysis charts, volatility analysis and ranking, long/short bias detection and trading frequency, multi symbol/time frame overview module, result distribution charts, weekday and intraday analysis charts, database and spreadsheet interface, and an automated EasyLanguage TradeStation interface.
  
  
• CQG Inc. is adding the distribution of data for Latin American products (LatAmMarker) to its coverage of debt markets, foreign exchange, money markets, and derivatives from Tullett Prebon Information. LatAmMarker includes prices for the region’s government debt, foreign exchange, derivatives, and local benchmarks. It also includes information on global fixed income, commodities, and money markets that correlate with the Latin American markets.
  
  
• TraderPlanet.com launched a new social networking platform that provides access to financial and educational information and trading tools for traders and investors. The TraderPlanet Index compiles individual responses on the degree of bullish or bearish sentiment or several key market sectors and takes into account technical and fundamental factors impacting the market sector. The site also offers chat rooms, e-mail, blogs, forum discussions, and bulletin postings. Each month, various charitable organizations are featured via a “charity poll” allowing members to choose and support deserving charitable causes regularly as their profitability improves.