Australian regulator pushes market operator ASX on fee transparency, competition
Australia's corporate regulator said on Tuesday the country's stock market operator would be required to publish a comparison of clearing and settlement fees against foreign providers and justify any fee increases, in a bid to promote competition. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said ASX, responsible for some A$5 billion ($3.2 billion) of trades a day, must ensure its clearing and settlement services were offered in a transparent and non-discriminatory way. "This is about limiting ASX's ability to misuse its monopoly power to deter new entrants," ASIC Chair Joe Longo said in a statement.