Nasdaq announced that Nasdaq CSD has become the first European CSD to gain full connectivity to all T2S markets through Clearstream’s German central securities depository. The partnership provides Nasdaq CSD’s participants with access to a vast pool of European markets for securities settlement and asset servicing.
Clearstream is the only CSD which maintains links with all markets within the TARGET2-Securities platform. The interoperable link with Clearstream enables Nasdaq CSD to extend this comprehensive network to its participants, making Nasdaq CSD the first CSD in Europe to utilize Clearstream’s Investor CSD solution. This allows participants to settle trades both within and outside of T2S.
For Baltic investors, this development means access to lower transaction fees for foreign securities due to decreased settlement costs. Nasdaq CSD participants, primarily banks, will find the settlement of foreign securities as efficient and straightforward as local securities settlement.
Additionally, this newly established partnership allows companies listed outside the Baltics to easily access a growing Baltic investor base by dual-listing on Nasdaq Baltic exchanges.
“Nasdaq CSD continues to lead in facilitating interconnectivity within European markets and connecting companies and investors in our region to the broader European financial system. This pioneering collaboration with Clearstream not only provides immediate benefits to both Baltic investors and Nasdaq CSD participants but also represents a significant step towards more integrated financial markets in Europe,” says Indars Aščuks, CEO of Nasdaq CSD, in a statement.
Samuel Riley, CEO of Clearstream Securities Services, said in a statement: “Clearstream and Nasdaq share the strong commitment to connecting markets globally. This co-operation has created a precedent for CSDs to explore the capabilities of Clearstream’s investor model and to demonstrate the interoperability of our ICSD and CSD services. The move allows Nasdaq CSD to offer its participants access to a trusted link network that fulfills the entire range of regulatory and compliance requirements surrounding CSDR whilst providing an efficient, flexible platform.”
Both Nasdaq and Clearstream are taking steps to remove post-trade barriers in Europe to deliver cross-border efficiencies and reduce costs for investors and corporates. Thanks to the merger of the three Baltic CSDs and the Icelandic CSD into Nasdaq CSD, shared trading, settlement platforms, and common rulebooks, the Baltic securities markets have achieved the highest degree of regional integration among EU markets, benefiting participants and investors.