Under the microscope

In the wake of the global equity markets meltdown, wealth management services providers are dusting off a variety of equity derivatives products to help clients preserve their capital and boost returns. By Ellen Leander

Gone are the days when the wealth management services arm of a bank could offer clients returns of 20% per annum on a moderately risky stock portfolio. Now, many clients are distinctly risk-averse. One banker jokes that when private banking personnel ring their clients, “the clients start saying bad things about their mothers, that they’ve destroyed their chance for their kids to go to college – there are all sorts of war stories. As a result, they are very reluctant to push any