Feature
Strategic thinking
Banks and index providers have been quick to colonise the investment space vacated by stressed hedge funds after transparency became a byword for popularity. With both now offering proprietary dynamic strategies and promising alpha returns, will they end…
ETFs step into the spotlight
As concerns over counterparty risk continue to drive inflows into exchange-traded funds, Richard Jory asks some of the market’s leading practitioners to offer their thoughts on how an increasingly attractive investment market looks set to develop
Trading in the open
The development of the trading market for exchange-traded funds in Europe will depend on improvements in the reporting of off-exchange activity, though the wait for European legislation will be a long one. Further benefits would result from greater…
Now you PRDC them...
Power-reverse dual-currency notes have represented something of a Trojan horse for dealers. The hybrid structures have been popular for more than a decade among a wide range of Japanese investors, from regional banks to pension funds. But now the strain…
The increasing FX
FX-linked products are on the rise as yield hungry investors look to one of the few underlyings that has been feasible to structure into short term capital protected notes in recent times while hedging conditions improve for issuers. A transparent and…
Keeping it in the family
US family offices control possibly the largest concentration of private family wealth in the world, so it is no surprise that creators of structured products are eyeing this space. But with the ultra-rich resembling small institutional investors more…
Against the grain
Pension fund performance in 2008 was appalling, with funding levels plunging across the globe – but some schemes sidestepped a funding crisis by focusing on effective risk management.
QIS 5 - Making political capital
With the fifth quantitative impact study looming, Ceiops has released its final advice for Solvency II’s level two implementation measures to howls of indignation from the industry. The SCR standard formula’s calibration risks driving a wedge between…
Holistic thinking
Insurers have been focusing their attention to ERM as the deadline for Solvency II looms – but how well is the industry coping with the challenges this presents?
Software survey 2010
Life & Pension Risk’s annual software survey brings together the leading global providers of technology to the insurance and pension sector.
Insurance sofware 2010 - Building defences
In times of increasing regulatory control, software suppliers are going to great lengths to provide insurers with not just efficient business management technology, but added tools to aid risk awareness and give clients more control than ever before…
Australian annuities - from boom to bust
The Australian superannuation system contains over A$1.2 trillion of assets, but the country’s annuity industry has yet to see any tangible inflow from the sector. As baby boomers retire, will this change and if so, does the industry have the risk…
Longevity swaps - a new way forward
The longevity swap market has gone from nowhere to a value of £7 billion in less than a year – offering pension schemes a potential solution to one of their biggest headaches. But do these instruments have a long-term future, or are they simply a…
Different players, different game
A few years ago the secondary market was dominated by one or two names. With the increase in gates, side pockets and illiquid assets, secondary trading of hedge funds has blossomed. More players are in the market, although few are expected to stay the…
Ambitious plans: profile of Newedge
A few years ago Newedge was considered a niche broker. Hedge Funds Review discovers how the prime brokerage has expanded significantly and reveals some of its plans for the future.
Stock loan exchanges gain traction
Exchange trading of stock loans promises to inject a needed dose of transparency and liquidity into the securities lending business. Hedge Funds Review reports on the latest developments.
Capitalising on volatility
Strategy: fixed income arbitrage
Not so grim up North
Hedge fund allocations in the Nordic region vary widely from country to country. Hedge Funds Review digs into the market to find out why.
Happy with regulation
Tiny Luxembourg may be the smallest EU member state but in the investment fund world it is a giant. Hedge Funds Review finds out what it can offer to hedge fund managers.
Paradigm shift
The financial world has undergone a paradigm shift. A bold statement that many would support and probably an equal number would question. Whatever the view, there has been a profound and possibly permanent change that will define this decade, maybe even…
Acting up
Strategy: activist
Developed country debt default sends shivers through the system
What would be the repercussions of a developed country defaulting on its debt?