Foreign exchange
FSA looks into hedge fund risks
The UK's Financial Services Authority (FSA) has opened up a debate about the hedge fund industry, with the publication in June of a comprehensive discussion paper on the sector.
Five new Dow Jones-AIG indexes launched
Dow Jones Indexes and AIG Financial Products have released five new indexes and sub-indexes covering futures on commodities including agricultural products and energy.
In pole position
Technology
Group of 26 grinds to a halt
The proposals from the Group of 26 fund managers calling for improved covenants were supposed to herald a new era of protection for bondholders. But nearly two years later, the impetus for change seems to have stalled. Laurence Neville reports
Keep it simple, stupid
Do you prefer sophistication or simplicity? Neil Palmer takes a look at optimisation methods in energy modelling and asks if energy quants aren’t sometimes being a little too heavy-handed
Francois-Xavier Saint Macary
It can’t be easy hauling a whole commodities division overseas, but SG CIB veteran Francois-Xavier Saint Macary has big ambitions. By Oliver Holtaway
European ABS: Will it end in tiers?
As part of a special focus on asset-backed securities, we take a look at the European ABS market. After a prolonged period of spread compression, credit tiering may be making a return to the market, as Alan McNee reports
Some brokers taking wrong approach to freight, says senior broker
Inter-dealer brokers could be taking the wrong approach by entering the freight derivatives market through joint ventures with physical shipping brokers rather than directly broking physical freight, says a senior energy broker.
Struggling for growth
All three Canadian energy exchanges – NGX, Watt-Ex and NetThruPut – are finding it slow-going with their expansion plans. Meanwhile the rivalry between NGX and Watt-Ex is growing. Joe Marsh reports
Storage strategies
Companies are increasingly realising they can use natural gas storage to add value to their bottom line. TransCanada’s Farzan Nathoo weighs up the strategies available for optimising value through storage
Mizuho kick-starts insurance derivatives business
London-based Mizuho International has unveiled an insurance derivatives business, to be headed by newly appointed Stefan Roggenkamp.
Icap prepares for money broker JV in China
Interdealer broker Icap aims to be the first foreign company to enter the Chinese money broking sector, after Chinese regulators said they would relax rules previously banning the practice.
Can research reinvent itself?
The provision of credit research to clients is undergoing sweeping reform, as regulatory concerns grow over potential conflicts of interest and banks reassess the value of giving out freebies. Philip Moore examines what this all adds up to for investors
A tale of two cultures… India or China?
china vs india
Abbey taps into parent power
Company profile
Dealing with volatility
Dealing with volatility
De-leveraging credit risk
Leverage
A marked difference
Credit opinions
Nerves of steel
Credit opinions
A long-term engagement
Corporate profile
Risk rationalised
Risk rationalised
A rise in VAR
Risk management