Infrastructure
Bank writedowns - is the worst over?
The credit crisis that has roiled the financial markets has wiped out massive amounts of value from banks' balance sheets, resulting in crippling losses for some banks. Most recently, HSBC announced a 79% rise in loan impairment charges and credit risk…
Crude Oil surges to $107
The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) benchmark oil contract has exceeded $107 per barrel in midday trading as the value of the US dollar continues to plunge
Crude rally continues as analysts eye $115 oil
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for April delivery surged to over $105/bbl on Thursday as analysts questioned how much longer the rally could continue.
Banks relied too much on ratings, supervisors say
Regulators from France, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and the US say banks that suffered serious losses during the credit crisis often did so because of avoidable failures in risk monitoring and management.
UBS offers food index for structured products and ETCs
UBS has announced the launch of the UBS Bloomberg CMCI Food Index which will be available through a variety of funds, exchange traded commodities and UBS structured products. The index is available in US dollars, euros and Swiss Francs and covers 13…
UBS and Bloomberg launch CMCI Food Index
The new UBS Bloomberg CMCI Food Index provides direct exposure to the food sector.
World Bank group launches Cat DDO
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), part of the World Bank, has announced a new loan facility designed to provide emergency finance for middle-income countries suffering natural catastrophes.
Copula modelling
Using copulas and Monte Carlo simulations to model price dependencein energy markets, Vincent Grégoire, Christian Genest and MichelGendron show how forecasts for crude oil and natural gas prices can beimproved by modelling the dependence between them
Commodities offer alpha win
commodities
FFAs: rocking the boat?
The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) plumbed the depths in early 2008, sinking from record highs in late 2007. Some have blamed derivatives market activity for the sharp fall. Roderick Bruce casts a beady eye over the BDI and asks where prices are heading next
Waiting in the wings
The long-mooted inclusion of the aviation sector in the European Union's emissions trading scheme is finally on the radar screen. Roderick Bruce discovers whether stakeholders are ready for take off
The prepay delay
Municipal natural gas prepayment deals withered in the second half of 2007 as a result of the credit crisis. While this year has seen a trickle of new deals, greater problems may be lurking. David Watkins reports
A changing carbon market climate
The EU Emissions Trading Scheme is stepping up a notch with a batch of new measures for its Third Phase. Andrew Holt finds out what carbon market participants think of the new proposals
A clearer picture
Fraud has gone to the top of the postmortem on the US subprime debacle. To detect and prevent it, more information at the loan level is needed, and the standardisation of data would also help investors in mortgage-backed securities make better decisions,…
Pimco's head of MBS sees upside in illiquid markets
Value to be found in private label mortgage securities where liquidity premiums greatest, says key investor
Liquidity or bust?
Regulation
Freddie Mac gives private insurers a helping hand
US mortgage agency relaxes criteria to help private mortgage insurers rebuild capital reserves
Primed to recover
Netherlands
The case for the defence
Although the smallest of the big three agencies, Fitch Ratings is often perceived as the one that reacts fastest to market developments. Sarfraz Thind talked to Glenn Costello, co-head of US RMBS at Fitch in New York
From emerging to converging
Turkey