Infrastructure
Options reduced
Dealers report that European corporates have reduced their use of options since the introduction of IAS 39 last year. But with greater volatility in the foreign exchange markets expected in the coming year, are companies sufficiently hedged? Gareth Gore…
Life's perilous journey
Guaranteed variable annuity products generate huge profits for US life insurers, but have left firms massively exposed to exotic equity risk. Some companies are now laying off risk via long-dated, highly structured hedges. Not everyone is convinced this…
Inflating demand
Japan inflation-linked bonds
Taifex eyes a golden future
Taifex
NY Fed chief warns of credit derivatives risk
Timothy Geithner, president of the New York Federal Reserve, has warned traders of the risk of catastrophe in the credit derivatives markets.
Barclays Capital slams UK pension accounting rules
Barclays Capital has likened pension funds piling into long-dated index-linked gilts to the tech bubble of 1998 to 2000. And its top London strategist believes the fault lies with new accounting rules that force an unreasonably inflexible discount rate…
Fundamental issues in op risk management
Misconceptions about certain key concepts are causing confusion throughout the industry. By Ali Samad-Khan, Armin Rheinbay and Stephane Le Blevec
Eleven banks in rates derivatives joint venture
Eleven international banks are to set up a joint venture providing price information and guaranteeing liquidity in the interest rate derivatives market.
Labour of love
Emerging markets have been a recurring theme in Charles Dallara's career. Now, as managing director of the Institute of International Finance, one of his key focuses is to strengthen crisis prevention in emerging market economies. By Alexander Campbell
A different view on Basel II
Spain's banks are wary of jumping headlong into every aspect of the new capital Accord. But its fears appear justified, considering the country's risk profile. By Duncan Wood
OpenPages launches new solution
MASSACHUSETTS – OpenPages – the governance, risk and compliance management solutions company based in Massachusetts – has launched OpenPages ORM, an op risk management solution that enables banks to identify, measure and monitor operational risk at an…
Timetable chaos
US regulators' decision to delay Basel II by one year has frustrated international banks, causing some to reassess their global implementation plans. With the US regulators yet to release national implementation guidelines, bankers and supervisors are…
E.ON bids $35 bn for Endesa
German power and gas company E.ON has announced a $35 billion (29.1 billion euro) bid for Spain’s largest power company Endesa.
The spotlight swings
The hedge fund industry has come under severe pressure for increased disclosure, with new SEC rules on the registration of hedge fund advisers to be implemented this month. Now, the private equity market is starting to attract the interest of supervisors…
Fed praises credit derivatives progress
The New York Federal Reserve Bank has praised credit derivatives dealers for cutting delays in deal processing
Isda, ICMA and TBMA form joint capital markets body
Three capital markets associations are to form a joint body that aims to streamline industry-wide co-operation between the derivatives, securities and bond markets. The Global Capital Markets Board (GCMB) will develop a common policy on market,…