Feature
The three flavours of VaR
Each of the three methods of calculating value-at-risk has its pros and cons. Brian Shydlo of Sirius Solutions examines them
Adapting to change
The buoyant commodity job market of the last four years is changing as the financial crisis pares down trading opportunities across all asset classes. This new employment landscape will require both commodity firms and traders to learn new strategies to…
Ready for any weather
Roderick Bruce looks back at the highlights of the Weather Risk e-symposium, a live online conference hosted by Energy Risk in late November
Oil change
George W. Bush ruled that the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve was to be released in significant amounts only in a national emergency. But incoming US president Barack Obama could change that, finds Susan Arterian
Ready for takeoff?
With aviation joining the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in 2012, Alex Meredith of Hunton & Williams asks whether the aviation sector is ready and looks at the potential impact on the carbon market
From Russia with hub
Ambitious plans to turn Baumgarten into Europe's most liquid gas hub face many challenges, but if successful could radically change the continent's gas trading landscape. Roderick Bruce reports
European energy outlook
2008 was a rollercoaster year for Europe's energy markets. Roderick Bruce interviews trading CEOs and other senior executives to see how they envisage Europe's gas & power markets developing in the year ahead
Clean and transparent
The process of approving CDM projects, though generally much quicker than it used to be, is still not as transparent as people would like, finds Katie Holliday
Direxion launches latest leveraged ETFs
Direxion, a US-based provider of alternative investment strategies, has unveiled two three-times leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in its range. The Direxion Mid Cap Bull 3x Shares and Direxion Mid Cap Bear 3x Shares ETFs provide 300% of the daily…
Investec delivers two Kick-Out Plans in sixth range of structured products
Investec Structured Products has unveiled its sixth collection of structured products, offering two new Kick-Out plans alongside its Accumulation, Investment and Income products. The Kick-Out products have been created as a result of demand from advisors…
Scoach sees €64.6 billion in trading volume for structured products in 2008
Scoach, a European exchange for trading structured products, has reaped a turnover of €64.6 billion in trading structured products at its Frankfurt and Zurich venues in 2008.
CDS: Market calm at last week's close
Credit Default Swap 5-year senior mid levels for structured products issuers (Friday January 9 2009)
SEC in the dock over Madoff fraud
Editor's blog
Daiwa continues to build structured products business
Japanese investment bank Daiwa SMBC has hired Martial Rouyère as head of retail structured products. London-based Rouyère's appointment follows the hiring of Murielle Maman as global head of product structuring and wrapping in November last year, and is…
CDS: US banks lead levels wider
Credit Default Swap 5-year senior mid levels for structured products issuers (Thursday January 8 2009)
Uruguayan pension fund goes supranational for second time
Uruguayan pension fund, Republica Afap, has invested in a EUR/USD-linked participation note with the intent to hedge its portfolio against the depreciation of the euro against the dollar. The structured product, issued in October 2008, is the second such…
Nasdaq OMX launches government relief index
Index provider Nasdaq OMX has launched the Government Relief Index, which is designed to track the performance of US-listed securities that are participating in US government sponsored relief programmes such as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (Tarp) or…
Regulatory ‘changes needed’ for distribution of structured products says Hong Kong SFC
The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), in its report on issues raised by Lehman Brothers Minibonds to the Financial Secretary, has recommended a number of changes to regulation governing the selling and marketing of structured products in…
CDS: BofA, Goldman, JP Morgan, KBC, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo miss out as levels tighten
Credit Default Swap 5-year senior mid levels for structured products issuers (Wednesday January 7 2009)
Caution prevails; invest in government bonds, says Merrill Lynch GWM
"We are very cautious on 2009," says Gary Dugan, chief investment officer of Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management in Europe, Middle-East and Africa and author of Year Ahead 2009 . "Equities are attractively valued but investors need to take a limited…
JP Morgan launches single observation reverse convertible
JP Morgan has launched a single observation reverse convertible, which only takes into account the level of the stock near the product's close. The structure avoids the usual path dependency of reverse convertible products which use observation dates…
CDS: BNP settles at 61
Credit Default Swap 5-year senior mid levels for structured product issuers (Tuesday January 6 2009)
Warsaw Stock Exchange marks successful year for structured products
The end of 2008 saw a marked increase in the volume of structured products traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) in Poland on the previous year, smashing a series of trading records. Products totalling US$59 million were traded on WSE between January…
Bonds, structured products, mutual funds and cash lead the way
Independent financial advisers in the UK are advising their clients to buy structured products, mutual funds, bonds or to stay in cash, according to a Morgan Stanley survey completed at the end of last year.