SmartPool, the European dark liquidity pool created by NYSE Euronext in partnership with HSBC, JP Morgan and BNP Paribas, has expanded its pool with the addition of investment firms including BofA Merrill Lynch and CA Cheuvreux to trade on its SmartPool.

Lee Hodgkinson, CEO of SmartPool, said: “We are delighted to welcome BofA Merrill Lynch and CA Cheuvreux to our ever expanding trading community. We are looking forward to bringing these customers online in the coming months. Today’s announcement is further proof that our superior economies of scale are attracting the largest and most diverse dark pool trading community in Europe.”

Yvonne Hansmann, head of EMEA execution sales at BofA Merrill Lynch, said: “The use of dark liquidity is a key facility in supporting our clients’ requirements for market leading execution. Linking to SmartPool is therefore an important complement to our overall execution strategy as they further develop their platform and in-flows.”

Bertrand Patillet, executive vice-president and COO of CA Cheuvreux, said: “As a pure agency broker, and at a time when accessing lit liquidity at the lowest implicit cost has become increasingly challenging, CA Cheuvreux is committed to providing its clients with any opportunities that ensure best execution.”