Foreign exchange
NCDEX launches gold and silver contracts
India's second largest commodity exchange, the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), added gold and silver futures contracts to its portfolio at the end of December 2008. According to the exchange, the contracts were launched in response…
Fed expands MMIFF
The Federal Reserve has expanded its Money Market Investor Funding Facility (MMIFF) to include a wider range of money-market investors.
BPS and RiskBusiness announce integrated GRC platform
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Charges recommended for securities settlement failures
US Treasuries dealers should start imposing penalty charges on counterparties that fail to deliver securities on time, an industry group has recommended.
$428bn of Tarp funds to be exhausted by end of year
This year the US government will distribute $180 billion under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (Tarp) on top of the $248 billion it gave to financial institutions in 2008, the US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicted yesterday.
Russian gas exports to Europe via Ukraine halted
Exports of Russian natural gas to Europe through Ukraine have now been completely halted, according to statements from Ukraine's Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom.
European talks stall on CDS clearing
The European Commission's initiative to move the majority of over-the-counter credit default swaps (CDS) onto central clearing facilities has stalled after failing to get written commitments from certain parties.
FSA lifts short-selling ban but disclosure rules stay
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BIS releases roadmap to better stress testing
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has issued a list of improvements to stress-testing practices that it says could help banks and regulators avoid a repeat of the failures exposed during the financial crisis.
Congress questions SEC competence as Madoff investigation begins
US Congressmen have voiced scepticism about the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) plans to investigate internal failings over the Bernard Madoff fraud case and explore whether numerous opportunities to identify the $50 billion swindle were…
SEC: fair value not to blame for financial crisis
Fair-value accounting did not play a substantial role in the downfall of large financial institutions last year, according to a report by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released on December 30.
NCDEX launches gold and silver contracts
India's second largest commodity exchange, the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), added gold and silver futures contracts to its portfolio at the end of December 2008. According to the exchange, the contracts were launched in response…
NDFA sports FTSE play
UK distributor NDFA has launched its Growth Kick Out Plan December 08, an autocallable product designed to provide exposure to the FTSE 100 index.
Barcap launches new structured deposits
Barclays Capital has launched two new structured deposit accounts for its offshore bond series: the three-year guaranteed digital and the five-year guaranteed FTSE 100 deposit accounts.
Po Valley Energy secures sales agreement for Italian gas fields
Po Valley Energy, an Australian oil & gas company, has secured its first gas offtake sales agreement worth €38 million for production from its northern Italian gas fields.
Plastics futures to launch on DGCX
The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) is set to launch two plastics futures contracts on February 5. The region-specific contracts for the Middle East and Southeast Asia will be offered on linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and…
Merrill Lynch sues Reliant over credit facility
Merrill Lynch has filed a suit with the New York Supreme Court claiming Houston-based Reliant Energy defaulted when it cancelled a $300m credit agreement on 5 December 2008.
CME awaits SEC approval for CDS clearing
The launch date for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group's credit default swap (CDS) clearing platform remains unclear, almost two weeks after it received the green light from two US financial regulators.
Households and corporates suffer worsened credit conditions
A net 31.1% of lenders cut back on lending to households and small businesses in the past quarter, blaming a worsened economic outlook, reduced risk appetite and lack of available funds.
Fed agency MBS purchases to begin within days
The US Federal Reserve will start buying mortgage-backed securities (MBS) issued by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae within the next few days, fulfilling a promise it made in November.
Isda documentation to cover CDS settlement auctions
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association plans to incorporate the credit default swap (CDS) settlement auction process into the 2003 Isda credit derivatives definitions by mid-March.
Tarp runs out at last
Funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (Tarp) have finally been exhausted, following three months of capital injections and loan facilities extended to a variety of institutions.
The matchmakers
Evolution Securities, a London investment bank previously associated with the equities market and its advisory work with small- and mid-cap clients, has branched into fixed income with the recruitment of two credit market stalwarts, Guy Cornelius and…