India’s market regulator is working to offer instant trade settlement in the cash equity market, one of a range of plans unveiled Monday.
(Bloomberg) — India’s market regulator is working to offer instant trade settlement in the cash equity market, one of a range of plans unveiled Monday.
Investors who opt for instant settlement will save margin money, Securities and Exchange Board of India Chair Madhabi Puri Buch said at a briefing in Mumbai. Technology-driven regulatory measures such as the so-called Application Supported by Blocked Amount and tighter settlement and redemption periods for equities and mutual funds have resulted in annual savings of about 35 billion rupees ($366 million) for investors and instant settlement would add to that number, she said.
Instant settlement would be the third in a series of moves to enhance capital efficiency and reduce transaction risk. Earlier this year India became the second market after China to move to a trade-plus-one-day (T+1) settlement cycle. Most countries still take two or more days.
Next year, investors will be able to use a facility that blocks funds in their bank accounts until shares are credited to them, a feature currently available only for IPOs. The same technology is being tested for instant settlement but a timeline on when this will be available is yet to be determined, Puri Buch said.
Sebi is also re-examining certain other rules:
- This includes the reverse book building method used for price discovery in a delisting offer. Companies have claimed this is misused by some shareholders to demand a high premium, reigniting a debate on exit pricing.
- The rule on trading plan for perpetual insiders is also being reviewed for genuine inconvenience it may cause in executing pre-decided trades in volatile markets.
Puri Buch also responded to feedback that a new rule — requiring the country’s largest companies to confirm, deny or clarify any mainstream media report of an impending specific material event — is difficult to comply with as it is tough to track all media reports.
The regulator will seek industry suggestions on implementation standards, in this case a media tracking method. “If there is alignment on objective but difficulty in implementation we are happy to consult further,” she said.
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