The Cost Crisis

Market data costs are the second-largest technology expense for most financial institutions, yet they're treated as an unavoidable cost of doing business. Year after year, firms accept 5-15% price increases from vendors while usage remains flat or declines.

$44B Global annual market data spend
18% Average cost increase (2023-2024)
40% Of spend goes to unused or underutilized data

Why This Happens

Complexity by design. Vendors create intentionally opaque licensing structures with hundreds of SKUs, usage-based pricing, and enterprise-wide agreements that make it nearly impossible to understand true costs.

No internal expertise. Most firms lack dedicated market data management resources. The responsibility falls on IT, operations, or even trading desks who lack the specialized knowledge to challenge vendors effectively.

Fear of disruption. The perception that any change will disrupt trading or investment operations paralyzes decision-making, allowing vendors to maintain pricing power.

Our Proven Methodology

We've spent decades inside the market data ecosystem at many of the financial industries leading buy and sell side firms. We know how vendors price, where the leverage points are, and how to extract maximum value.

1

Forensic Cost Analysis

We tear apart your vendor invoices, contracts, and usage data to identify exactly where money is being wasted. This includes:

  • Line-by-line invoice reconciliation across all vendors
  • Contract term analysis to find unfavorable clauses
  • Usage pattern analysis to identify unused entitlements
  • Benchmarking against industry standards and our proprietary database
2

Optimization Strategy

Based on the analysis, we develop a comprehensive cost reduction roadmap that includes:

  • Quick wins: Immediate savings from eliminating unused services
  • Contract renegotiation opportunities with specific pricing targets
  • Alternative data source evaluation for non-critical needs
  • Technology enablement to reduce per-user costs
  • Service consolidation across vendors
3

Vendor Negotiation

We don't just provide recommendations—we execute. Our team negotiates directly with vendors on your behalf, leveraging:

  • Deep relationships with vendor sales and licensing teams
  • Knowledge of vendor cost structures and margin profiles
  • Multi-vendor competitive tension to drive pricing
  • Industry benchmarks that vendors can't dispute
4

Implementation & Monitoring

Cost savings only matter if they're realized and sustained:

  • Change management to ensure smooth transition
  • User communication and training
  • Invoice monitoring to verify savings
  • Quarterly cost reviews to prevent spend creep

Typical Results

💵 15-30% Cost Reduction

Average savings across our engagements, achieved within the first 12 months. Larger institutions with $10M+ annual spend often see 25-35% reductions.

60-90 Day Timeline

From kickoff to implemented savings. Quick wins can be realized in as little as 30 days.

🔒 Zero Service Disruption

Our approach ensures trading and investment operations continue uninterrupted while we optimize behind the scenes.

📊 Ongoing Governance

We don't just cut costs—we implement controls and processes to prevent future spend creep.

Who We Work With

Asset Managers

Traditional long-only managers, multi-strategy funds, and ETF providers struggling with the economics of market data as management fees compress. We help maintain data quality while bringing costs in line with revenue pressures.

Hedge Funds & Private Equity

Alternative investment managers facing increasing scrutiny on operational costs from LPs. We provide defensible cost optimization without compromising investment capabilities.

Investment Banks & Broker-Dealers

Sell-side firms dealing with regulatory cost allocation requirements and pressure to reduce non-revenue generating expenses. We optimize while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Ready to Take Control of Your Market Data Costs?

Schedule a 30-minute consultation. We'll review your current spend and identify immediate opportunities for savings.

Schedule Free Assessment