Issue: Feb 2012
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COVER STORY
The new normal: structurers learn to live with low interest rates
Original headline:
Rock bottom interest rates in a difficult macro environment and the prospect of upcoming regulations have led to a need for banks to focus on products optimised around constraints. As the mood remains...
EDITOR'S LETTER
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Has the popularity of exchange-traded funds turned them into the new regulatory whipping boys?
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Original headline:
Flows into volatility-based structured products and exchange-traded funds have been greatest in the US, though even European investors have tended to...
Structured Products Technology Survey 2012
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Latest issue - Features
Private banks caught in the crossfire from retail regulations
Original headline:
Private banks have tended to concentrate on the super-wealthy – clients they now call professional investors – but as new regulations governing structured...
Defensive strategies by different means: the divergence in the German and Swiss markets
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Transparency and simplicity remain a key theme for structured product providers in Germany and Switzerland, where even high-net-worth-individual accounts...
OCC: equity derivatives to get a cross-margin service
Original headline:
Margin efficiency is going to be key to both listed and OTC derivatives markets, but the equity market has been lagging - a result of regulatory opacity...
RBS retains structured products in restructure
Original headline:
Royal Bank of Scotland retains its investor products and equity derivatives businesses in its latest restructuring, but ditches cash equities, corporate...
ETFs: moving beyond the synthetic-versus-physical debate
Original headline:
The past year has seen the exchange-traded funds industry plagued by discussions about the relative complexity of synthetic and physical ETFs. Will...
Start of 2012 sees surge in commodities ETF launches
Original headline:
Commodities have returned to the structured products spotlight as providers come up with new, more efficient ways of gaining exposure to the asset class...
Latest issue - More articles
EFG Financial puts the accent on collateralisation
Original headline:
EFG Financial Products has expanded its presence to the UK in the hope of replicating its success in the Swiss market. London-based managing director...
Trade of the month: Autocallables
Original headline:
Autocallables remain popular products, helped by the offer of high target returns (pseudo-yield) in excess of what is achievable by a reverse convertible...
Market snapshot
Original headline:
As the volume of sales of structured products in the US decreases, leveraged return products remain the most popular product, followed by bonus structures...
FVC custom indexes
Original headline:
Generally used as an underlying for growth rather than income products in the US, the S&P 500 index is used as an underlying for approximately 20% of products...
Lookback
Original headline:
Fixed-income ETPs see assets under management grow fastest; how wealth management industry contributes to UK GDP; fine wine index tipped for surge;...
Product performance
Original headline:
Based on three different US underlyings, FVC outlines the performance of two accelerated growth products and an investment that is principal protected
Retrospective: Morgan Stanley leverages the downside
Original headline:
This Morgan Stanley product was aimed at bearish investors seeking to profit from declines in the Russell 2000 Index. Principal was at risk if the index...
Retrospective: JP Morgan autocall victim of short-termism
Original headline:
Short-term products carry the disadvantage that there is so little time to recover should the market move against the investor. This was true for the...
Morgan Stanley's six-year kickout linked to the FTSE 100
Original headline:
Morgan Stanley is offering a FTSE 100-based plan offering the higher of a fixed coupon or the performance of the index, as long as a 50% barrier is...
HSBC straddle product offers each-way bet on S&P 500
Original headline:
HSBC has produced a product that pays out if the S&P 500 rises and also if it falls, with returns on the upside subject to a cap and those on the downside...
Special report: Private banking
Original headline:
Private banking has become more popular for a number of reasons. Whether it is due to the lack of regulation or the openings for more complex products...
CALL FOR ENTRIES! Structured Products Americas awards 2012
Published online only
Interviews for this year's Americas Awards start in March and we need to receive your submissions by February 24
Latest issue - News
Arnaud Sarfati to exit SG CIB in reshuffle
Original headline:
Arnaud Sarfati is expected to leave SG CIB; John Tessar joins JVB Financial; Levy and Mutin say goodbye to UBS; Deborah Fuhr no longer headed to Bank...
ETF roundup
Original headline:
Direxion has listed three ETFs on the New York Stock Exchange based on the S&P Dynamic Rebalancing Risk Control Index Series, which seeks to control the...
Index roundup
Original headline:
Dow Jones Indexes and UBS have launched a commodities index that measures diversified exposure to longer-dated commodity futures contracts spread across...
Proshares ETFs offer Tips for protection
Published online only
Proshares rolls out ETFs offering exposure to the difference in yield between Treasuries and TIPS
Esma aims for the middle ground with draft ETF guidelines
Published online only
European Securities and Markets Authority reveals its long-awaited consultation paper on Ucits exchange-traded funds
Structured products linked to real assets and credit back on the menu in Italy
Published online only
The Italian structured products market is seeing a pick-up as institutional investors demand exposure to physical assets and credit
Swedish regulator eyes blanket ban on distribution fees
Published online only
The ban on distribution fees being considered in Sweden could "substantially" affect the country’s retail structured products market, warn market participants...
Nordic region sees surge in demand for credit and commodity-linked products
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Tough equity markets are driving increased demand for credit exposure and cross-asset baskets in the Nordic region, where a stronger risk appetite is...
FSA reveals regulatory mission
Published online only
FCA's Martin Wheatley says the FSA's power to ban investment products will not be used lightly or without good reason, tempering some of the statements...
State Street unveils global cloud technology for ETF servicing
Published online only
State Street has expanded its servicing capabilities to enable daily ETF monitoring, from basket-creation through to trade processing and settlement
Finra furthers US complexity debate
Published online only
Finra's January notice warns firms to increase supervision on complex products and introduces notion of post-approval review
Investors turn to utilities, gold and dividends for stable returns as equities sink
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Poor equity market performance is driving investors into alternative asset classes such as utilities, gold and dividends in the search for stable returns...
Investors in Asia-Pacific look to rates-based hybrids for yield
Published online only
Low interest rates mean market participants expect the trend for hybrid structures to continue this year, boosted by demand for yield pick-up and diversification...
Risk-reduction ETFs poised to gain ground
Published online only
Market volatility is fuelling investor demand for exchange-traded funds based on risk control indexes
Deutsche Bank rolls out series of MSCI and Australian interest rate ETFs in Hong Kong
Published online only
Deutsche Bank’s latest exchange-traded fund launch on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange includes ETFs tapping into local equities from Indonesia, Thailand...
US investors target low-volatility stocks to mitigate risks of investing in volatility
Published online only
US market sees large inflows into strategies that seek to offset risks of investing in volatility
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