Foreign exchange
High-frequency trading: how great is the need for speed?
Just how important is speed? Risk managers and traders are weighing the value of high-frequency market data and trading technologies against their costs. Gallagher Polyn examines the debate over using high-frequency data in risk models, and profiles one…
Slowly but surely
India
Foraging for returns
Structured products
Credit structures abound
New angles
EU wants Cad 3 study to look at bank lending to smaller companies
BRUSSELS – The European Commission said it launched a tender today for a study that would pay particular attention to the consequences for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of proposed new European Union (EU) banking capital rules.
EC wants Cad 3 study to look at bank lending to smaller companies
The European Commission said it launched a tender today for a study that would pay particular attention to the consequences for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of proposed new European Union (EU) banking capital rules.
Placer Dome reduces gold hedging by 20%
Canadian metals mining company Placer Dome is reducing its gold hedging by 20%, from 8.5 million ounces to 6.8 million ounces, in a bid to profit from the strength of current gold prices.
Merrill Lynch targets Asian retail investors
Investment bank Merrill Lynch has finally joined the flock of institutions battling for Hong Kong’s retail investors, with the launch of its first publicly offered capital guaranteed fund, with more issues planned in the coming months.
Australian capital/asset ratios consistent with credit ratings, says S&P
MELBOURNE – The capital to asset ratios of the four major Australian banks, as measured by credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s own approaches, are consistent with the banks’ double A ratings, S&P said today.
New credit structures appear in Asia
A handful of banks have begun marketing increasingly complex credit structures to yield hungry institutional investors in Asia, amid low interest rates and under-performing stock markets around the region.
Over-reliance on risk models a danger, says Lawrence
Financial institution risk managers must be wary of relying too heavily on risk models and systems, according to Mark Lawrence, chief risk officer at Australian bank ANZ, speaking at Risk Waters Group’s third annual Risk Australia conference in Sydney…
Duke says Ferc probe unrelated to Australian investment curb
Duke Energy International (DEI) today denied speculation that its curb in Australian pipelines investments was related to US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Ferc) investigations into US parent Duke Energy’s alleged round-trip trades on the…
Goldman pushes into burgeoning CDO securities lending market
Goldman Sachs has entered securities lending trades with a handful of collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) in the past few months, says Alex Reyfman, New York-based credit portfolio quantitative strategist at Goldman Sachs.
Japan Credit Market Update: Spreads recover from panic selling
Japanese credit default swaps continued to recover this week, correcting a from a recent sell-off prompted by weak stock markets and general risk aversion on the market.
Singapore harmonises risk-based regulation of financial firms
SINGAPORE – Singapore financial regulators said today they would integrate risk-based regulation of banks, insurance companies and investment firms under a new department from September 1.
Singapore harmonises risk-based regulation of financial firms
Singapore financial regulators said today they would integrate risk-based regulation of banks, insurance companies and investment firms under a new department from September 1.
UK allows for Basel II delays in risk-based rules for financial services
LONDON - UK regulators said in late July they would implement their plans for uniform, risk-based rules for UK-based banks, insurance companies and securities firms in several stages, instead of one or two, following delays to the Basel II bank accord.
Op risk floor removed to give flexibility
BASEL, SWITZERLAND - Global banking regulators have removed the operational risk capital floor previously proposed under the Basel II capital accord to give banks flexibility in developing op risk management systems.
Julius Baer launches capital protected products in response to “volatile and difficult times”
Declining political and economic stability has led to Bank Julius Baer launching a number of capital protected products, including investments that offer private investors exposure to rising gold prices, said the Swiss banking group.
UK accepts large banks could use basic op risk approach
LONDON - The UK’s chief financial market watchdog said in July it accepted that a large international bank could use the basic indicator approach, the simplest of the three approaches to calculating operational risk capital charges proposed under the…
US banks review legal options against operational risk charge
WASHINGTON - US opponents of capital charges as a protection for banks against operational risk are not giving up the fight following the reaffirmation by global banking regulators of their faith in such charges.
Skandia Liv likely to up hedge fund investments by year-end
Skandia Liv, the life assurance arm of Sweden’s Skandia with $27 billion in funds under management at the end of last year, is set to increase its investments in hedge funds by the end of the year, according to Malin Björkmo, Skandia Liv chief investment…