Interactive Data Corporation (NYSE: IDC), a leading provider of financial market data, analytics and related solutions, today announced that its Pricing and Reference Data business now offers clients daily valuations for Municipal Auction Rate Securities (ARS) including Student Loan Auction Rate Securities (SLARS), from Pluris Valuation Advisors LLC, a provider of market-based valuations of illiquid securities.
“Interactive Data continues to receive requests from clients for valuations of Municipal ARS, and our ability to work with a firm recognized for its capabilities in valuing these hard-to-value securities underscores our commitment to responding to client needs,” said Shant Harootunian, managing director, Evaluations, Interactive Data. “Our Evaluated Services team has the depth of experience in providing daily valuations for a wide range of securities, and Pluris has the necessary data and valuation metrics to provide valuations for this particularly challenging asset class.”
“Since the auctions for these securities began to fail last year, we have generated monthly and quarterly valuation reports based on ARS transactions including SLARS in the secondary markets, and we are pleased to make these, along with daily valuations for SLARS, Municipal ARS and other difficult-to-value securities available to Interactive Data’s clients,” said Espen Robak, Pluris president. “Working with Interactive Data provides us a venue for utilizing our proprietary data and pricing algorithms to benefit clients that need daily pricing data.”
Interactive Data’s ongoing dedication to client needs and continuing review of market changes also led to a recent coverage expansion for mortgage-backed securities. The Company recently added coverage for 18 new MBS pass-through pool types, totalling 1,625 securities — including securities backed by relocation and jumbo loans.
Interactive Data provides global security evaluations designed to support financial institutions and investment funds’ pricing activities, research and portfolio management. The Company serves as an independent source of daily evaluations for more than 2.8 million fixed income and international equity securities. These services can enable clients to reduce the time, expense and resources necessary to support their valuation processes.
