Asset International Agrees to Acquire The Trade, Leading Chronicler of Buy-side Electronic Trading Space

LONDON AND NEW YORK – Asset International, Inc. (“AI’) has agreed to acquire The Trade Ltd, a London-based firm that directly and through major events provides institutional investors with news and other specialty content focused on buy-side electronic trading.

“The Trade is an essential building block in our bid to become the foremost provider of information to institutional investors worldwide,’ said James Casella, Chief Executive Officer of Asset International. He noted that The Trade’s media portfolio complements Asset International’s institutional media, including Global Custodian, PLANSPONSOR and the newly-launched ai5000, which is directed at the 5000 largest pools of capital in the world.

Casella will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer of The Trade, and founder John Lee will continue to run the firm’s day-to-day operations. The entire team is expected to remain intact. “John understood early on that electronic trading networks would significantly alter how large institutions invest, and in just six years he has positioned The Trade as the recognized authority in its field,’ Casella said.

In addition to publishing under its own brand, The Trade has a longstanding custom publishing relationship with the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). The Trade is responsible for SWIFT’s quarterly magazine, Dialogue, and a daily publication distributed to conference attendees of Sibos.

“We are confident that the economies of scale and greater resources resulting from this acquisition will enhance our partnership with The Trade,’ said Rosie Halfhead, SWIFT’s Head of Shareholder Relations.

Within the electronic trading space, Asset International seeks to expand The Trade’s products and services beyond the firm’s existing publications, which include The Trade, The Trade Asia, thetradenews.comand specialty handbooks. Later this year, The Trade plans to introduce a new semi-annual publication centered on emerging growth markets, titled TheTradeGM, and begin development of a conference program and research capabilities.

“The Trade is the first of a number of global acquisitions planned by Asset International,’ commented Casella. “Institutional investors and retirement plans value trustworthy, informed and insightful information, and our goal is to be the media platform that they turn to first and most frequently for every aspect of their professional needs.’

About Asset International
Asset International, Inc. is a privately-held publisher and information provider to global pension funds, asset managers, financial advisers, banking service providers, and other financial institutions in the private and public sector. Asset International produces and distributes print and digital publications, conferences, research and data resources via its industry-leading brands PLANSPONSOR, PLANADVISER and Global Custodian. The company was acquired in January 2009 by Austin Ventures and has offices in New York, London, and Stamford, Connecticut.

About The Trade
Based in London, The Trade Ltd publishes The Trade, The Trade Asia, thetradenews.com and specialty publications on algorithmic trading, execution venues and other content of interest to institutional investors who employ electronic trading networks. The trade also provides content for media distributed by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) and TradeTech Paris. For further information, please visit http://www.thetrade.ltd.uk/.