Feature
Barclays improves rates
Barclays has launched a series of new offerings which it has garnished with improved rates, starting with the six-year Minimum Return Plan offering a fixed minimum rate of 30% (previously 28%), or 50% of the rise in the FTSE 100 Index, whichever is the…
Poll reveals majority worry over Mifid best execution
Almost 60% of risk professionals surveyed were highly concerned about the best-execution clause included in the EU’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (Mifid).
Basel Committee head credits framework with resilience
Nout Wellink, chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and chief of the Netherlands’ central bank, said that Basel II has helped both financial institutions and systems become more resilient.
Linklaters makes Michael Kent financial markets head
Michael Kent will become global head of UK law firm Linklaters’ financial markets group in November.
First Gulf Bank selects SunGard for Basel II compliance
UAE-based First Gulf Bank will use technology company SunGard’s BancWare software for Basel II compliance, regulatory capital calculation, asset/liability management, and to assess balance sheet interest and foreign exchange risk.
Structured Credit Suisse Move
Credit Suisse has announced three hires in its fixed income and coverage teams for the investment banking business in Australia.
EIB Climate Bond extended
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has extended the euro bond linked to climate change that it issued in May. The due June 28 2012 five-year public offering for the Climate Awareness Bond (EPOS II) will be extended a week, until June 29 “in order to…
BNP Paribas Boosts Hedge Fund Business
BNP Paribas has hired David Lonsdale as European head of securities, within its equities and derivatives business.
Morgan Stanley launches Target Equity Index Family
Morgan Stanley has launched a new series of equity indexes dubbed the Morgan Stanley Target Equity Index Family.
RBC takes Nair as head of Structured Credit
RBC Capital Markets has appointed Priya Nair as managing director, global head of Structured Credit Product origination and syndication. Nair will spearhead the global coordination of origination and distribution of RBC Capital Markets’ structured credit…
Deutsche loses five from shariah subsidiary
Five members of the Dar Al Istithmar Group (DI), a Middle East-based subsidiary of Deutsche Bank, have moved to BMB Group, the Brunei-based Islamic asset management provider. The five were the advisory team in the DI group, which also includes a…
S&P Launches Pan Asia Shariah Index
S&P has launched its fully investable S&P Pan Asia Shariah Index, the latest equity index in the S&P Global Shariah Index Series.
NASD vice-chair discusses merger and compliance trends
Doug Shulman, vice-chair of the National Association of Securities Dealers, an industry body and regulator for US securities regulators, spoke yesterday of his organisation’s merger with the New York Stock Exchange’s (NYSE) independent regulator, and up…
Unthinkably favourable
Imagination in stress testing demands unorthodox thinking, as even seemingly favourable events can have negative consequences. In the case of the oil markets, this means stress testing for a fall, as well as a rise, in oil prices, argues David Rowe
Financial Technologies Basel II seminar to assess UAE impact
Financial Technologies Middle East, a technology company, is running an event on the effect of Basel II in the UAE.
Modelling CDO tranches with dependent loss given default
Guido Giese presents an analytic methodology for pricing collateralised debt obligations tranches including stochastic and dependent loss given default
In the shadows
Booming over-the-counter derivatives markets may be generating huge revenues for dealers, but they are also casting a worrying shadow over trading book profits in the form of counterparty credit risk. Are contingent credit default swaps the answer?
New world order
Eurex announced in April it will acquire the International Securities Exchange for approximately $2.8 billion. This follows the finalisation of the merger between NYSE Group and Euronext in April. How are regulators responding to the cross-border…
FDIC chief gives September deadline for US Basel rules
Sheila Bair, head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), told a trade magazine she hopes the US will finalise its Basel II regulations by September.
Italian regulator establishes quant unit
Italy's Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa (Consob), the regulator that oversees the country's securities markets, has created a stand-alone quantitative analysis unit.
Cross-border confusion
Europe's internationally active banks have until the end of this year to be fully compliant with the new Basel capital Accord, but a lack of clarity on cross-border implementation continues to cause major problems
Stanchart Offers Twin Win Structured Product To Gulf Region
The Qatar-based branch of Standard Chartered Bank has launched a new product dubbed Twin Win, a new structured products for the Gulf Region.
CESR publishes structured finance survey
The Committee of European Securities Regulators (CESR), which develops and monitors EU rules affecting the securities market, has launched an online survey on the rating of structured finance instruments.
Research points to Basel technology split
Chartis, a research company specialising in risk technology, has found that the top banks in North America and Europe are “leveraging their investment in risk technology to produce integrated risk and finance capabilities”.