Foreign exchange
RWE counts €11 million Enron cost but inherits staff
RWE, Germany’s second largest utility, believes it has the largest energy trading exposure in continental Europe to Enron Europe, the London-based subsidiary of the bankrupt energy trading firm. RWE Trading, the marketing and trading arm of the Essen…
Currency swap illiquidity may hit Korean cross-border ABS growth
The Korean cross-border asset-backed securitisation (ABS) market could see growth stymied this year due to a lack of liquidity in the currency swaps market. While both Hyundai Capital and Samsung Capital are expected to issue separate $300 million cross…
JP Morgan Chase launches short-term FX predictor
JP Morgan Chase today launched an Economic Activity Surprise Index (Easi) that it claims will help users predict short-term currency moves.
FT Interactive Data expands forex coverage
FT Interactive Data, a provider of securities prices, has expanded its coverage of spot and forward foreign exchange markets and reduced update times from every hour to every half hour.
Bank of America appoints new rates head
Bank of America has promoted John Kapustiak to global head of interest rate derivatives trading. Chicago-based Kapustiak was previously head of US interest rate options and proprietary trading.
Hong Kong warrants see steady first week
The Hong Kong warrants market's first week of trading was steady, accounting for 4% of the week’s total turnover on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEx).
The Basle II capital accord: op risk proposals in brief
This summary has been updated to include the revisions to the Basle II op risk proposals contained in the Working Paper on the Regulatory Treatment of Operational Risk issued in September, 2001 and available on the Bank for International Settlements’…
UK regulators ponder op risk charge for insurers
LONDON -- British regulators are deciding whether to impose a specific capital charge on insurance companies for operational risk under new risk-based rules aimed at making the UK insurance industry safer.
Loss survey supports arguments against capital charges, say fund managers
London - The results of a survey by global banking regulators of banks’ operational loss experience support arguments against using capital charges as the main protection against operational losses in fund management and broker activities. This is the…
Credit model evaluation
With the new Basel Capital Accord scheduled for implementation in 2005, banks are having to evaluate the credit scoring models that will enable them to meet the minimum standards for Basel’s internal ratings-based (IRB) approach. Selecting an appropriate…
IT and staff quality seen as key as India adopts Basel II
CALCUTTA, INDIA - The need to improve staff quality and use information technology (IT) effectively are among key targets for the Indian banking system as it prepares to meet intern ational standards of risk-based regulation, India’s central bank chief…
Risk financing might solve doubts over op risk insurance
LONDON - Combining risk transfer with risk financing might be one way of resolving regulator doubts about the use of insurance to mitigate operational risk under the proposed Basel II accord.
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