Texans are taking on Wall Street, and not everyone is convinced that they’ll be able to pull it off.
The Lone Star State’s Big Financial Gambit
The Lone Star State is about to shake up Wall Street with its own brand of cowboy capitalism as bankers get ready to launch The Texan Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE).
The ‘Anti-Woke’ Stock Exchange
This is no small-time operation – it’s billing itself as the ‘anti-woke’ alternative to the New York heavyweights, the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
BlackRock and Citadel
Backed by heavyweights like BlackRock and Citadel Securities, the TXSE in Dallas is aiming to be the new sheriff in town.
Lighter Regulations, CEO-Friendly Environment
They’re luring in global companies with the promise of lighter regulations and a more CEO-friendly environment than those offered in New York.
$120 Million War Chest
The TXSE plans to set up a physical presence in Dallas but will manage all trading electronically. They’ve already raised a massive $120 million from investment firms and retail investors, and they’re gearing up to file their registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) later this year.
Favorable Tax Rates and Loose Regulations
So, why Texas? Well, the state’s been a corporate magnet lately. With favorable tax rates and loose regulatory policies, companies have been flocking to Texas in droves.
Big Players Settling In
Big players like Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo have already set up shop there, and since 2019 the Dallas-Fort Worth area has seen over 59,000 new finance jobs.
Attracting Fortune 500 Companies
Tesla has been eyeing a move down south, and they’re not alone – Oracle, Hewlett Packard, and a slew of others have set up shop in the state too. The state is currently the second-largest hub for Fortune 500 companies, just behind California.
Rising Financial Center
As James Lee, the TXSE CEO, said to the Wall Street Journal, “Dallas has become one of, if not the most, dominant financial centers in the country, if not the world.”
Critics of Nasdaq’s ‘Woke’ Moves
The TXSE is hoping to attract companies fed up with the increasing rules and compliance costs at New York’s exchanges. Critics have called Nasdaq’s board diversity targets “woke” moves, and the head of Citadel, Ken Griffin, has consistently been outspoken against “woke ideology” in finance. It’s pitching itself as CEO-friendly, hoping to lure businesses seeking a less regulated environment.
Challenging the NYSE-Nasdaq Duopoly
The new exchange has its work cut out for it in a market dominated by the NYSE and Nasdaq. They have held a virtual duopoly in the U.S. listings market since the 2000s and are not likely to roll over without a fight.
Lessons Learned
Previous attempts to create new regional financial centers have often fallen flat, like the Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago Stock Exchanges, which all ended up merging with the NYSE and Nasdaq.
Opportunity Knocks
Even with substantial backing, making an impression in this market isn’t going to be easy.
But in these turbulent times, with a rebound in capital markets sending companies scrambling to list their stocks, who knows? Companies from both the U.S. and abroad are eager to list their stocks, which has created a potential opening for the TXSE. Maybe there is room for a new player.
Failed Rivals to NYSE and Nasdaq
The financial world has seen many attempts to rival the NYSE and Nasdaq fail. One venture that received SEC approval in 2019 has only attracted two listings so far. There was also an anti-woke bank launched in Texas two years ago, which shut down after just three months.
NYSE Late To The Game
New York’s financial sector is also not without its problems. In 2020, the NYSE even considered moving to Texas to avoid new taxes proposed by state officials. In this sense, the TXSE might have a leg up on its competition.
A Conservative Pushback in Finance
The TXSE launch comes as conservatives push back against climate-friendly business practices and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies – often labeled “woke capitalism.”
Political Branding: Selling Point or Distraction?
Opinions are split on the idea of political branding. Some analysts see it as a major selling point, while others believe lower compliance costs will be the main draw.
TXSE’s Political Angle
Larry Tabb, head of market structure research at Bloomberg Intelligence, noted, “Texas has a pretty clear message: ‘If you’re anti-woke, come here.’” For Tabb, stand-out branding is one of the most important things an exchange can do to drum up interest, as other offerings (like rules and liquidity) are similar across the board.
Prioritizing Profit
Christine Parlour, a finance professor at UC Berkeley, downplayed the political angle, suggesting that most companies prioritize liquidity over ideology. “At some point, people want to make money. So things can’t or won’t be completely driven by perception,” she said.
The Real Goal of TXSE
While the TXSE might be waving the anti-woke flag, green is still the color they’re really after.
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The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or replace professional financial advice.
