NET-VALUE CREATION AND ALLOCATION IN AN ELECTRONIC TRADING SYSTEM

An electronic exchange creates and distributes value among trading partners in a trade. Trading agents for the trading partners use a value manager to store true values for a trading element in the trade. The true values are the values perceived by the trading partner, but are not shown to other trading partners. These true values vary with attributes of the trading element. The attributes modify the trading element and are valued differently by different trading partners. A trade manager receives offers from trading agents. The offers are sent with the true values and the attribute values. The trade manager compares true values of buyers and sellers across a range of attribute values. Net values are computed as the difference of a buyers' sum and a sellers' sum. The buyers' sum is the sum of all true values from buyer trading agents, while the sellers' sum is the sum of the true values of all seller trading agents. The trade manager finds a set of attribute values that has a maximum net value. The trade is conducted for the trading element with the attributes that maximizes the net value. The net value is then allocated among the electronic exchange and the buyer and seller trading partners.