GameStop case pushes securities market toward faster settlement

The issue of faster completion for trades has been simmering behind the scenes for years, but it became more prominent after a popular app halted buying of GameStop stock, blaming what’s known as the settlement process. The stock’s wild swings prompted financial market utilities known as clearinghouses to demand much higher collateral to protect the financial system from that volatility. Major changes in a stock’s price before settlement add risk, which in turn requires brokers to hold more funds against the risk. That prompted fresh calls for faster settlement under the theory that it will reduce risk. Two efforts, one from major securities organizations and another from a financial technology firm, are underway to reduce the settlement time from two days to one.