Pump up the volume: FOW turns market noise into insight

In this context, volumes data, the essential measure of market interest and momentum, is more important than ever. However, sourcing consistent data in and across global markets is a challenge. Fragmented sources, inconsistent formats and publishing delays of days (and weeks) requires inhouse data management resources to patch together incomplete datasets. Different exchanges provide volumes data in different formats and frequencies, creating a jigsaw of PDF, CSV and other file and data formats.

For this data to have real value to traders, asset managers, compliance teams, regulators and other actors in the trading lifecycle - including the exchanges themselves - this disparate, multi-source data must be captured and consolidated for a more complete picture.

FOW’s new Volumes Data service is a true game-changer, capturing and consolidating the market’s most comprehensive dataset of daily volumes and open interest from more than 100 derivatives exchanges worldwide. We’ve done the hard work, so you don’t have to, freeing up internal resources to focus on value generation.

"Volatility doesn’t wait for the month-end. With wide and deep daily volumes data, market participants can monitor market trends and shifts on a daily basis, and be ready to react to interest rate decisions, policy changes, and geopolitical events."

By consolidating a global view of derivatives activity within a single platform and API interface, FOW empowers a new level of data-driven decision making. Covering all major and emerging markets, the extensive FOW volumes dataset covers futures and options contracts in multiple asset classes - commodities, FX, equities and interest rates – both at the instrument level and in a multitude customisable aggregates. Further, the data is cleaned and standardised to support multiple use cases, including:

• Liquidity tracking: Monitor rising/falling volumes across contracts/asset classes/locations

• Benchmarking: Compare peer exchanges, contracts, or aggregated sectors to assess competitiveness

• Strategy validation: Backtest strategies with up to 10 years of monthly history

• Event analysis: Assess the market impact of regulatory shifts, contract launches or macroeconomic news

A first in volumes data aggregation

"This is the most comprehensive single source of volumes and open interest data available in the industry, capturing and standardising data across more than 100 exchanges and, more than that, enabling users to access - and use it - very quickly and easily. This is transformational in terms of accessing, interpreting and leveraging market intelligence for the greatest effect."

FOW’s Volumes Data offers a 360° view of the global derivatives market (across asset classes, geographies, and timeframes). On-the-fly aggregations, including by location, exchange, asset class and contract type, can be configured in conjunction to inform strategies on very specific segments, alongside much more focused drill downs at the individual contract levels. Whether tracking specific commodities in Asia, FX futures in Europe, interest rate futures in the US, or equity options in India, users can filter, compare and benchmark data, and track trends, with ease.

Daily volumes and open interest data supports tactical trading, while monthly data informs longer-term trend analysis and strategic insight. Historical monthly data - for some exchanges going back more than a decade - supports rigorous strategy backtesting, model calibration and trend validation.

Faster discovery, greater insights, smarter decisions

One of the standout features of the new service is its Top 20 rankings - automated tables that highlight the most traded contracts and exchanges. These dynamic lists enable fast discovery of emerging hotspots, unusual activity, and momentum shifts.

By surfacing movers and outliers without the need for any manual digging, these rankings support a range of workflows, from identifying new trading opportunities to informing compliance and surveillance functions. Strategists benefit from a rolling view of growth trends, liquidity shifts and market structure evolution.

Flexible access and usability

Recognising that no two entities will want to receive and consume data the same way, there are a number of delivery and data management options.

FOW Intelligence platform (web)

Access via the online FOW Intelligence platform adds another significant value dimension to this data - as well as visualising volumes data in a myriad granular combinations, users can view it directly alongside FOW’s focused, timely, and expert market insights, industry commentary and analysis. Everything all at once, in one place. Up to date data, market intelligence and smart architecture and tools - including an intuitive charting engine and flexible aggregation logic, means users can turn data into actionable insight within seconds.

• Track, chart, compare and benchmark volumes data for individual contracts across 100+ exchanges

• Create tailored aggregations - for example, tracking FX futures across all Asian exchanges

• Export underlying data instantly for analysis, trading and sales workflows
  

[REST] API

Data-heavy users, and those wishing to bring this wealth of volumes data directly into their dashboards and platforms, are likely to opt for FOW’s intuitive REST API. It is the same API FOW uses to create its own online platform.

• API connectivity delivers high quality volumes data securely and seamlessly into client-side databases, dashboards, quant models, and analytics workflows.

‘Accessibility for all’ was a fundamental requirement of our platform design, giving smaller trading firms and research desks the ability to unlock fully featured data access at a fraction of the cost (and pain) of building multi-exchange data connectivity and infrastructure themselves.

"Not every firm wants to build and maintain data pipelines. Now, they don’t have to. We’ve created a service where the data is ready to go, with all the heavy lifting already done. Instead of cobbling together 10 different data feeds, or parsing PDFs, users can focus on what really matters: making smarter decisions, faster."

Looking ahead, FOW’s product development specialists are looking at service enhancements based on the wealth of data now available. At the same time, our specialist editorial and research teams are working on the inclusion of curated content that aligns market narratives with data patterns.

As traders, sales teams, asset managers, regulators and infrastructure providers navigate a global landscape of shifting markets and fragmented liquidity, there is one indisputable constant: The power of reliable, timely transaction data to illuminate trading patterns, uncover liquidity, manage risk and inform smarter trading strategies.

We can help you harness that power efficiently – request a trial today.