Feature
European stocks primed for protection and leverage
Smarter strategies for European exposure
Corporate hedging demand drives growth in offshore RMB options market
A rapid expansion in type and amount of RMB structures traded in 2013 signals how the Chinese currency is going mainstream. But dealers say the real test will come when the US starts to raise interest rates
OTFs and Sefs: equivalence in doubt
European legislators are close to finalising their derivatives execution rules, but trading platforms are concerned the OTF framework may be sufficiently different to US Sef rules to scupper any chance of equivalence determinations. By Tom Osborn
German insurers respond to ZZR reserve squeeze
That sinking feeling
CFTC chair nominated as Chilton exits
Goldman's Shenouda and O'Hagan retire; BNP Paribas takes Flax; ABN Amro appoints global head of energy; Hederman joins DoE; JP Morgan lures origination head
Pooled funds in clearing limbo
Pension funds will not have to clear in Europe until at least mid-2015, but what about the vehicles some use to scale up their hedging transactions? As things stand, lawyers are giving different answers – and the industry wants regulators to clarify the…
Revived Dodd-Frank position limits worry energy firms
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is gearing up for another big fight over position limits, after its original rule was rejected by a federal court. The agency’s latest proposal, released in November, gives market participants little reason for…
Power market flux creates threats and opportunities for exchanges
Financial regulation, low volatility, flattened prices and the integration of regional markets have put European electricity trading in a state of flux. That poses threats and opportunities for power exchanges – and some industry observers say it could…
Top 10 op risks: tighter consumer regulation
The last in our series of top 10 op risks for 2014 looks at tighter consumer regulation. An industry plagued by scandal will now face closer regulatory attention on its retail side
Top 10 op risks: culture of complicity
The ninth in our series of top 10 op risks for 2014 looks at culture of complicity. Criminal investigations have revealed disturbing common features in many recent scandals
Sovereign hedging picks up as developing countries end fuel subsidies
A push to eliminate fuel subsidies across much of Africa, the Middle East and Asia is raising interest in the use of commodity hedging by governments as a way of containing social unrest. But it remains a challenge to get sovereign commodity hedging…
Top 10 op risks: reputational risk
The eighth in our series of top 10 op risks for 2014 looks at reputational risk. Admissions of guilt expose banks to more than simply public displeasure
Handling the risks of rapid recruitment
An unprecedented recruitment process has taken place in recent years to handle the payment protection insurance scandal. The financial services industry has had to rapidly embrace the challenge of hiring staff in their thousands, but lessons learnt from…
Top 10 op risks: business continuity in the long term
In the seventh of our series of top 10 op risks for 2014, we look at long-term business continuity. Op risk managers need to prepare for crises that last months, not days
Government bond traders see difficult markets heading into 2014
Your word is my bond
Top 10 op risks: IT failure
The sixth in our series of top 10 op risks for 2014 looks at IT failure. System crashes are an embarrassingly public way to lose money – and will become less and less affordable as transaction speeds grow
Top 10 op risks: internal control failures
The fifth in our series of top 10 op risks for 2014 looks at internal control failures. Banks in 2014 face the task of improving governance to prevent another year of embarrassing losses
Rupiah volatility drives Indonesia derivatives uptake
The drive for derivatives
Top 10 op risks: AML
The fourth of our series of top 10 op risks for 2014 looks at anti-money laundering. Preventing money-laundering is set to become just one aspect of the broader effort to clamp down on all kinds of illegal transactions
2014 predictions: tapering, China and Japan top factors
Focus on the future
Top 10 op risks: data theft
In the third of our series of top 10 op risks for 2014, we look at how high-profile spying and security leaks put the spotlight on privacy obligations