The fast lane

The summer months are usually the quietest in Asia’s financial markets, as bankers escape from the overbearing heat and humidity to catch a few weeks’ rest and relaxation in calmer climes. This year, however, the derivatives market has been as busy as ever in Asia.

In South Korea, for example, a number of domestic securities firms have been feverishly working to gain approval from the country’s regulator, the Financial Supervisory Service, to trade in the over-the-counter (OTC) equity