Goldman Sachs Canada Inc.’s alternative trading system, Sigma X Canada, closed up shop on Friday.
According to a notice from the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, effective at the end of the trading day on April 27, the dark pool operated by Goldman Sachs has stopped accepting orders. It began trading in October 2011.
According to IIROC data, the facility only captured 0.004% of the volume traded in the first quarter of 2012, and 0.001% of the value traded. For the quarter, it only traded two million shares, although it was gaining momentum, with 800,000 shares traded in March, up from less than 500,000 in January. Yet, its total value traded for the first quarter was less than $8 million worth.
The IIROC notice indicates that all orders on Sigma X Canada expire at the end of each trading day, so there will be no open orders at the close of trading. However, it also says that, as part of the best execution obligations imposed by the trading rules, IIROC expects that firms will make appropriate arrangements of the handling of clients’ orders upon the winding up of the ATS’ operations.