Credit markets
Setting the stage for 2008
As 2007 draws to a close, the Energy Risk team asked market participants what they regard as the most influential events of 2007 and how these are likely to shape market behaviour in 2008. By Stella Farrington with additional reporting by David Watkins
Solid foundations?
In a recent landmark step, India's power regulator has given 'in principle' go-ahead to the setting up of a power exchange in India. However, there is discomfort amongst potential participants over some of the regulator's plans. Rakesh Singh of Wipro…
Will they weather the storm?
The weather derivatives market saw record volumes in 2006, but these declined sharply into 2007. Evan Koster, David Cohn and Nicholas Rock of Dewey & LeBoeuf look at where the weather market, now 10 years old, may go next
The future arrives for renewables
The emerging market in renewable energy futures is expected to lower the cost of financing renewables and smooth out the volatility often encountered when running intermittent renewable resources, such as wind and solar. Catherine Lacoursière investigates
Winding down
Prepayments
The tough go shopping
Investors
Siv troubles endure as banks revise super-conduit plan
The troubles facing structured investment vehicles are leaving new issuance in the mortgage markets looking shaky. It is unclear whether plans to create a super-Siv to bail them will succeed
Rise and fall
House price movements are set to become the dominant factor determining what US mortgage banks lend in future. Understanding house price appreciation and modelling it accurately has never been so critical. William Rhode reports
Deal of the month
Volkswagen leasing
Column - Amy Falls
With the markets grinding to a halt, now is the time for investors to show discipline and observe the three golden rules of liquidity management
Talking point - Structured finance CDO downgrades
In October one rating agency downgraded over $10 billion in US structured finance CDOs. Against a backdrop of further negative rating actions, Credit sought reaction from market participants
Markit group buys up iTraxx/CDX index family
The London-based data provider signs a deal to buy the credit derivatives indices from the bank consortia that previously owned and managed them
Back to basics
We take you back to the credit basics to review everything you thought you already knew but were too afraid to ask ... Gavan Nolan, credit analyst at Markit Group in London, looks at credit indices
Column - Jonathan Laredo
Banks are feverishly trying to repair their wrecked balance sheets, and until they have the confidence to re-enter the market there will be an imbalance of buyers and sellers
The flight to quality
Global bond investors are seeking out the highest-rated sovereigns amid the liquidity freeze. But, while the investment-grade corporate markets stall, emerging market debt is proving remarkably resilient. By Daniel Andrews
Roundtable: Sounding out the buy side
With the markets still reeling from the liquidity crisis, Credit gathered together three luminaries from the buy side to discuss the effects of the summer slowdown and, more importantly, how things will pan out over the next few months
Gridlock in CDS confirmations
As if banks haven't got enough to worry about, new data from Markit Group shows that the amount of unconfirmed credit derivatives trades has increased sharply, to levels not seen for around two years. Simon Boughey reports
Deal of the month
Gazprom