The platform will enable U.S. buy-side participants to directly access real-time pricing from one of the deepest liquidity pools in Europe for the first time, and execute European and U.S. government, agency, mortgage, and corporate bonds with major dealers.

MTS Markets International Inc, a wholly-owned US subsidiary, has received approval for membership as a FINRA-regulated broker-dealer. Mark Monahan has been appointed as chief executive of MTS Markets International Inc. Monahan was previously CEO of Ballista Securities LLC (acquired by the Intercontinental Exchange in 2011) and CEO of ICAP Electronic Brokerage in Asia Pacific.

The launch of the U.S. dealer-to-client marketplace later this year will enable clients to benefit from price transparency provided by a deep pool of dealer liquidity and comes at an important time for the industry. On-going economic challenges are keeping Europe in the spotlight, and US investors are increasingly looking to access European fixed income markets.

Jack Jeffery, Chief Executive Officer of MTS Markets said: "Building out our fixed income presence in the U.S. is a natural extension for MTS and London Stock Exchange Group. By expanding the reach of our pricing and trade execution, we are not only responding to the on-going regulatory push for greater transparency and efficiency, but providing an attractive, competitive and cost-effective alternative to an important community of institutional investors."

Mark Monahan, Chief Executive MTS Markets International Inc said: "Increasing regulation, alongside continued uncertainty in the sovereign and credit markets has accelerated the demand for more efficient, informed and connected execution venues. MTS is ideally positioned to answer this need by providing institutional investors with a transparent window into the European marketplace."

MTS has a 25-year history as a leading provider of electronic trading in the European bond markets, with more than $100 billion execu $100 billion executed daily on average over its existing platforms. The company, which is majority-owned by London Stock Exchange Group, plans to provide a highly-competitive service, enabling clients to:

· Trade U.S. Treasuries, agencies and corporate as well as European fixed income bonds
· Request-for-quote based execution with 30 major liquidity providers
· Access Click-to-Trade functionality on MTS BondVision Dealer Pages
· MTS U.S. will distribute market data

MTS will initially offer European and U.S. government, agency, corporate and covered bond markets. These services will immediately access pricing and liquidity from the dealer-to-client platform MTS BondVision.