Going out on a limb

Could the recent global downturn in technology spending make Sweden’s OM Group raise equity derivatives trading fees on its exchange operations to boost revenues? Chief executive officer Per Larsson defends his firm’s strategic choices.

It wasn’t very long ago that the recipe for success that Sweden’s OM Group had cooked up seemed foolproof. The company, which started life as Sweden’s equity and derivatives exchange, had ventured into selling technology systems at the height of the global internet-driven tech boom. As a way of diversifying its revenue streams, the move into technology seemed inspired. But now, with the bursting of the technology bubble and a global downturn in technology spending, OM Group’s strategy