Its asset base (2008) now stands at around USD850 million and its total deposits amount to USD745 million, having almost doubled over the last two years. Standard Bank has been a pioneer when it comes to adapting its business model to the rapidly-changing market conditions. In 2006, it became the first offshore bank as they were then called, to shift to universal banking.
This analysis did not find a single factor that caused the sharp swing in prices. As had already occurred in equity markets, advances in computing and communications technologies have allowed proprietary trading firms (PTFs, also often called high-frequency trading firms) to capture a majority of the interdealer market in Treasuries.