{"text":[[{"start":11.88,"text":"Jane Street Capital has emerged as a leading player in Asia’s multibillion-dollar block trading industry, filling a void created by the closure of Simon Sadler’s Segantii, in a sign of how the proprietary trading firm is muscling into areas previously dominated by hedge funds."}],[{"start":29.52,"text":"The New York-based group has become a “top three” call for investment bank equity syndicate and trading desks looking for buyers of large parcels of shares in Asian companies, according to four people familiar with the situation."}],[{"start":43.32,"text":"Block trading is a potentially risky but high-reward pursuit for participants, which are often able to acquire shares at significant discounts to market prices."}],[{"start":52.88,"text":"Sellers benefit from a one-and-done deal, as offloading a large shareholding into the open market is likely to have a significant impact on the stock’s price."}],[{"start":62.28,"text":"The industry is an opaque subsection of equity capital markets, with block sales rarely made public. Communications between investment bankers and potential block buyers have also become more heavily regulated, particularly in Hong Kong."}],[{"start":77.4,"text":"Total block sales in Asia topped $48bn in 2024 and 2025 according to figures from Dealogic. Companies listed in India notched up the most block sales, followed by those on Hong Kong and Japanese bourses."}],[{"start":92.88,"text":"Jane Street’s rise comes after the fall of Segantii, the hedge fund run by Blackpool FC chair Sadler that had been a dominant force in Asian block trading. It closed in 2024 after Sadler was charged with insider trading by Hong Kong regulators."}],[{"start":109.2,"text":"Sadler’s Hong Kong trial for trading in clothing retailer Esprit stock ahead of a block sale began in May. He has pleaded not guilty."}],[{"start":117.64,"text":"Jane Street, a New York-based firm that trades its own capital, was previously “active but not top tier” in Asian block trading before its recent ascent, said a person familiar with its activities."}],[{"start":130.02,"text":"The people said the firm boasted of its ability to hedge market risk and retain holdings for longer than rival hedge funds, partly due to its rapid growth — making it a more suitable investor."}],[{"start":141.24,"text":"Jane Street has become one of the largest financial institutions in the US in recent years and now holds positions for longer on its massive balance sheet."}],[{"start":150,"text":"Some of the firm’s riskier bets have soured, however. In July, it posted the first monthly loss in a decade after a massive sell-off in AI-related stocks."}],[{"start":160.12,"text":"“You always had people try to go into the block business because of the feeling that this was one of the few areas where you could generate alpha [excess returns] through relationships with the syndicate desks,” said an industry figure who has worked with Jane Street."}],[{"start":173.96,"text":"Jane Street last year made a high-profile commitment to Hong Kong, its Asian headquarters, by paying about $4mn a month to lease six floors of a new harbourside development."}],[{"start":184.56,"text":"Jane Street declined to comment."}],[{"start":191.56,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1789113137_6161.mp3"}