System and method for conducting web-based financial transactions in capital markets

The present invention provides a system and method that enables users, such as institutional investors and financial institutions, to interactively engage in capital market transactions, including the trading of Over-the-Counter financial products, via the Internet (including the World Wide Web). The system includes a variety of servers, applications, and interfaces that enable users to interactively communicate and trade financial instruments among one another, and to manage their portfolios. Interactive communications supported by the system include: requesting price quotes, monitoring and reviewing quote requests, issuing price quotes, monitoring and reviewing price quotes, negotiation between users, acceptance of price quotes, reporting, portfolio management, analysis of financial information and market data, calendaring, and communications among users and/or system administrators, including e-mail, chat, and message boards.The present invention also supports communications with the server side in an automated manner via an automated processor. Such automated communications enable connectivity with users' internal, back-end systems to execute automated, straight-through processing, including transaction pricing, payment scheduling and journaling, derivatives trading, trade confirmation, and trade settlement. Such communications are facilitated using a novel XML-based syntax (FinXML™) and XSL-based processing language (FinScript™). FinXML provides a standard data interchange language for capital market transactions and supports a broad set of elements and attributes that represent a wide variety of financial transactions, reference data, and market data. The common description of the FinXML syntax can be used for all aspects of straight-through-processing, including deal creation, confirmation, settlement, payment, risk management, and accounting.