PDS teams up with Malaysia’s BPAM for bond pricing

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp. (PDS Group), the operator of the country’s secondary market platform, and the Bond Pricing Agency Malaysia (BPAM) have inked an agreement to make available bond data and information services.

This would be done through the exchange of website links which is seen to widen the reach of the clients of both BPAM and PDS group to information across each other’s domestic bond markets.

Proponents said this would improve access to online market data and information would serve to heighten investors’ awareness of the Philippine and Malaysian bond markets.

Cross-promoting bond markets between the two countries will contribute towards the growth of the intra-regional bond market, the two parties said.

This is the first collaboration between the Philippines and Malaysia to further promote and support the bond markets of the region.

PDS president and CEO Cesar Crisol said the partnership would help in the establishment of a regional bond market.

“The exchange of links and the reciprocal dissemination of market information from established sources to each other’s stakeholders is a step forward toward the development of a regional Asean +3 bond market,” Crisol said.

BPAM CEO Meor Amri Meor Ayob said they are proud to be a part of the collaboration, which unites the leading national sources on bond data and valuation.

He said traders, issuers and investors in Malaysia would have the opportunity to venture into neighboring bond markets with more confidence and armed with readily available information.

“It is also important to bear in mind that, in order for Asia to firmly take its place in the global economy as the most dynamic region in the 21st century, creating and maintaining efficient and cooperative relations will be more important than ever,” Ayob also said.

Based in Kuala Lumpur, BPAM is a bond-pricing agency accredited by the Securities Commission of Malaysia while the PDS provides a full suite of services, from trading to clearing and settlement, and post settlement across different asset classes.

The PDS group comprises the  Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp., Philippine Depository & Trust Corp., Philippine Securities Settlement Corp., and PDS Academy for Market Development Corp.