Europe’s stock exchanges battle Wall Street banks for the future of trading

(Bjarke Smith-Meyer and Hannah Brenton – Politico) Europe’s stock exchanges are demanding that finance ministries take their side in what they see as a battle for survival versus investment banks. As their business of channeling cash to Europe’s companies takes a hit, national stock exchanges have the ear of the very top of government as countries desperately try to improve the health of their economies. They’ll soon see whether their campaign is successful. EU finance ministers are gathering in Brussels on Friday to discuss the timeline for legislative negotiations on market reforms, which the exchanges hope will include changes to how investment banks handle equity trading away from public venues. – Europe’s stock exchanges battle Wall Street banks for the future of trading – POLITICO