Foreign exchange/Risk management
Short-selling ban increased volatility more than credit crisis
The bans on short selling imposed in the US and Europe in 2008 had more effect on market volatility in off-limit stocks and equity markets than the financial crisis itself, a new study has concluded.
UAE enforces tighter capital adequacy rules
Daily news headlines
Volatility puts credit investors on the defensive
Investors are gravitating towards safe haven sectors such as utilities and telecoms as credit fundamentals on non-cyclicals continue to deteriorate
Sting in the tail
Credit spreads on highly rated names have blown out to levels that are proving irresistible to many buy-and-hold investors such as pension funds. But tail risk in the form of increased default expectations is still a major consideration. Blake Evans…
Klaas Knot
One of the architects of the Basel II Accord - and a senior Dutch regulator - defends the framework against criticisms that it was ineffectual in the face of the recent banking turmoil
On the crest of a wave
Corporate bond volumes have been soaring as companies scramble to meet their funding requirements in the wake of the loan market's demise. Simon Boughey looks at whether this wave of issuance is a temporary phenomenon or whether it heralds a permanent…
Ukraine heads list of riskiest sovereign issuers
Central Asian and South American countries dominate the league table of sovereign issuers with the highest risk debt, while northern European nations - plus the US - are among the safest
Robert Stheeman
The head of the UK's Debt Management Office, the body responsible for administering the wave of recent government issuance, tells Sarfraz Thind that the recent failed auction doesn't spell a death of demand for gilts
The price is right
Consensus on the input assumptions that financial institutions use to value structured finance securities is crucial if the market is to reach a universally agreed method of pricing these impaired assets. By Peter Jones of Standard & Poor's
Stopping the rot
Noises from leading banks that they may be returning to profitability are failing to mask the painful truth that vast quantities of toxic assets are still causing a stink on banks' balance sheets. Credit looks at the various plans being put forward to…
Limits to growth for Russian forex derivatives exchanges
The decline in the rouble led to a boom for Russian derivatives exchanges earlier this year, but local conditions mean growth is unlikely to continue.
Put spreads play part in the taming of the skew
The recent popularity of put spreads and put-spread collars has helped push down volatility skew to record lows on global equity indexes, according to dealers.
Regulators square up to leverage ratio challenge
Bank supervisors are increasingly advocating the introduction of a gross leverage ratio as a restriction on the growth of assets relative to capital, but the biggest challenge will be to create an internationally consistent measure under diverse…
Talf requests plunge $3bn to $1.7bn in latest funding round
Demand for loans under the US Treasury's Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (Talf) has dropped precipitously since the scheme opened in March.
Concerns over political influence overshadow FASB's changes to fair value
US auditors and investors are concerned that accounting standards are being dictated by politicians rather than independent standard setters.
New York may up RGGI allowances
New York State may decide to allocate more allowances under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to ease the cost burden on compliance buyers, finds Pauline McCallion