Structured products
2010: what's in store?
With the direction of markets uncertain and no consensus on the future of interest rates, inflation and a multitude of other financial indicators, Structured Products talked to professionals in Asia, the US and Europe about their views on what 2010 may…
Insurance inroads
Structured product manufacturers have targeted the insurance sector as a potentially important new distribution channel following the collapse in volumes of products sold through retail banks in Asia. Ben Marquand finds out if they are gaining traction
Interest rates: direction dilemmas
The final quarter of 2009 saw product creators gripped by uncertainty over which way interest rates were heading. With a steep yield curve making investment in rates products expensive, bankers are seeking the best trade for uncertain times. Will the…
Jubilee's flight to quality
Since Jubilee Financial Products launched in 2008, UK plan managers have found themselves in increasingly turbulent waters. Jubilee’s strategy for success in such conditions has been to limit its scope to the high end of the market, using a top brand…
ETNs poised for a comeback
Worries over counterparty credit risk stymied the development of the market for exchange-traded notes, but as those concerns recede and the products spread outside their home in the US, 2010 could be the year that the investments come into their own. By…
Markit to start trading emerging market sovereign credit risk index
The Markit iTraxx SovX CEEMEA (Central and East European, Middle East and Africa) index will start trading on January 20. The index is part of the Markit iTraxx SovX family of sovereign credit default swap indexes.
Scuppered by sukuk
Dubai World was bailed out by Abu Dhabi in December, but the near default of sukuk issued by Dubai property company Nakheel could have much broader implications for the development of Islamic finance.