MX updates guidance on wash trading

A notice published Friday provides greater clarity on what constitutes wash trading

The Bourse de Montréal Inc.’s (MX) regulatory unit issued revised guidance on Friday that aims to provide clarity on what constitutes illegal wash trading.

In a notice, the Bourse set out the latest regulatory guidance on when self-matching orders are considered wash trading, which is prohibited as manipulative or deceptive trading.

In particular, the revised guidance indicated that self-matched transactions that occur due to the limitations of the anti-wash functionality on the Bourse would not be considered illegal wash trading.

“Unless there is evidence of intent, recklessness or willful blindness, a self-match of implied orders will not be deemed to be wash trading,” it said.

The exchange originally published guidance on the issue last year.