• HTML 5 technology streamlines electronic trading process
  • Redesigned functionality enhances user experience
  • New colour coding for firm pricing improves speed for customers
  • Part of wider initiative to extend cross border liquidity in credit market

MTS Markets International, Inc., part of London Stock Exchange Group ("LSEG"), today announced the launch of pure web-based trading on MTS BondsPro, its live trading platform for US Corporate and emerging market debt. The platform enhances MTS's credit offering in the UK and US as it continues to develop new technology to promote and extend its unique fixed income liquidity structure internationally.

The new HTML 5 technology includes a colour enhancement feature that indicates 'firm' pricing to improve speed for customers. This enables users to view Tier 1 pricing from the most reliable liquidity sources available. As MTS continues to develop stronger relationships with liquidity providers, the posting of firm pricing will accelerate the adoption to fully electronic trading.

The MTS BondsPro platform allows both dealer and buy-side accounts to have the same access to the MTS centralized liquidity pool while remaining completely anonymous. The new offering enables login directly via a web browser, bypassing the need to download software packages and, as a result, reduces IT expense and creates timesaving efficiencies. Improved GUI (graphical user interface) flexibility allows users to modify their live trading screen view and sort by sector, ticker, coupon, maturity, size and price. The migration to pure web-based trading is part of a series of upgrades that include enhanced API (application program interface) trading and improved list trading functionality. Future enhancements can now be deployed quickly due to the flexibility of the HTML5 framework.

Amanda Meatto, Head of US Credit Sales at MTS Markets International, said:
"MTS BondsPro offers something unique to the market through our institutional all-to-all order book and cross-border liquidity pool. Following client feedback, we have significantly improved the interface functionality and user experience and, with fewer clicks to trade, streamlined the execution process."

Mark Monahan, CEO of MTS Markets International, added:
"The transition to web-based trading is an important step forward in our continued growth in the US at MTS. We have had very favorable feedback from clients on our new HTML 5 platform and are thrilled to bring it to market. As the move from voice brokerage to electronic trading intensifies, we will continue to invest in the platform to ensure optimum performance and trading functionality."
To expand its Credit offering for US clients, MTS acquired Bonds.com in May 2014 and renamed the credit platform MTS BondsPro. Today, the all-to-all platform facilitates access to a diverse network of over 650 buy- and sell-side institutions across the US and UK.

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For further information:

Media
Mark Benhard +1 212-314-1199
Ed Clark + 44 (0)20 7797 1222
newsroom@lseg.com

Notes to editors:

About MTS:

MTS Group facilitates a number of regulated electronic fixed income markets across Europe and the US that are managed centrally to ensure optimum levels of global harmonisation and consistency. Over 800 unique counterparties trade an average volume of €100 billion each day on these platforms.

The individual companies within the MTS Group are regulated by financial services regulators in a number of European jurisdictions, including Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Italian Ministry of Finance, Banca d'Italia and Consob, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). In the United States MTS Markets International, Inc. is a member of FINRA and operates MTS BondsPro, which is an ATS registered with the SEC.

MTS Cash is a comprehensive and professional cash securities trading environment for the interdealer marketplace. MTS cash includes several domestic markets regulated in different jurisdictions enabling primary dealers to access unparalleled liquidity, transparency and coverage.

MTS Repo provides an order-driven market for the electronic transaction of repo agreements and buy/sellbacks in Italy. Agency Cash Management (ACM) is a UK-regulated electronic auction platform that uses the MTS Repo technology to enable investors to enter into secured money market investments via the tri-party repo mechanism.

MTS BondVision is an efficient multi-dealer-to-client electronic bond trading platform, delivering access for institutional investors direct to market makers. MTS BondVision is accessible in Europe from the Italian and the UK legal entities and in the US through the US legal entity of MTS Group (MTS Markets International Inc.). On the BondVision platform, MTS Group provides institutional investors with real-time pricing and the ability to trade with the major dealers.

MTS Credit provides a variety of electronic execution methods for a wide range of multi-currency non-government bonds, including covered, SSA, corporate and financial bonds. MTS Credit is composed of financial instruments available to trade on both BondVision and MTS Prime.

MTS Swaps leverages existing MTS Group distribution technology to deliver immediate access to a diverse range of liquidity providers through your chosen prime banks.

MTS Data is sourced directly and exclusively from the MTS interdealer market and includes benchmark real-time data, reference data, reference prices and historical data, providing the benchmark data source on the fixed income market.

FTSE MTS Indices are operated by FTSE TMX Global Debt Capital Markets, in which MTS has a minority stake. They provide independent, transparent, real-time and tradable Eurozone fixed income indices, based on tradable prices from MTS. FTSE MTS indices are tracked by (and can be traded via) around 40 ETFs in addition to numerous structured products.

For more information, visit www.mtsmarkets.com.

About London Stock Exchange Group:

London Stock Exchange Group (LSE.L) is a diversified international market infrastructure and capital markets business sitting at the heart of the world's financial community. The Group can trace its history back to 1698.

The Group operates a broad range of international equity, bond and derivatives markets, including London Stock Exchange; Borsa Italiana; MTS, Europe's leading fixed income market; and Turquoise, a pan-European equities MTF. It is also home to one of the world's leading growth markets for SMEs, AIM. Through its platforms, the Group offers international business and investors unrivalled access to Europe's capital markets.

Post trade and risk management services are a significant part of the Group's business operations. In addition to majority ownership of multi-asset global CCP operator, LCH.Clearnet Group, LSEG operates CC&G, the Italian clearing house; Monte Titoli, the T2S-ready European settlement business; and globeSettle, the Group's newly established CSD based in Luxembourg.

The Group is a global leader in indexing and analytic solutions. FTSE and Russell Indexes offer thousands of indices that measure and benchmark markets around the world. The Group also provides customers with an extensive range of real time and reference data products, including SEDOL, UnaVista, Proquote and RNS.

Following the acquisition of Russell Investments, LSEG conducted a comprehensive review of the investment management business to analyse its strategic fit with the Group. This was concluded in February 2015, and LSEG is now exploring a sale of the business in its entirety.

London Stock Exchange Group is a leading developer of high performance trading platforms and capital markets software for customers around the world. In addition to the Group's own markets, over 35 other organisations and exchanges use the Group's MillenniumIT trading, surveillance and post trade technology.

Headquartered in London, with significant operations in North America, Italy, France and Sri Lanka, the Group employs approximately 4,700 people.

Further information on London Stock Exchange Group can be found at www.lseg.com.

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