Structured products
Bonds, structured products, mutual funds and cash lead the way
Independent financial advisers in the UK are advising their clients to buy structured products, mutual funds, bonds or to stay in cash, according to a Morgan Stanley survey completed at the end of last year.
Morgan Stanley prepares for growth
Morgan Stanley will launch three more growth plans on Monday January 12, based on UK equity and Asia ex-Japan equity which promise returns if these markets rise by more than 10% over three years.
BIS releases roadmap to better stress testing
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has issued a list of improvements to stress-testing practices that it says could help banks and regulators avoid a repeat of the failures exposed during the financial crisis.
Auction sets 1.5% recovery on Tribune CDS
A final settlement value of 1.5% was set for credit default swaps (CDS) referencing Tribune during an auction today. A price of 23.75% was set for loan credit default swaps (LCDS) referencing the company.
Congress questions SEC competence as Madoff investigation begins
US Congressmen have voiced scepticism about the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) plans to investigate internal failings over the Bernard Madoff fraud case and explore whether numerous opportunities to identify the $50 billion swindle were…
NDFA sports FTSE play
UK distributor NDFA has launched its Growth Kick Out Plan December 08, an autocallable product designed to provide exposure to the FTSE 100 index.
Indexed annuities face structured product style regulation in US
Indexed annuities, a form of insurance contract in the US, are to be placed on a regulatory level playing field with structured products following a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ruling on December 17, 2008.
Barcap launches new structured deposits
Barclays Capital has launched two new structured deposit accounts for its offshore bond series: the three-year guaranteed digital and the five-year guaranteed FTSE 100 deposit accounts.
Quantum offers protected investments as savings rates plummet
Quantum Asset Management has launched two new protected structured products for UK investors, linked to the FTSE 100 index. One investment pays income, whereas the other autocallable product offers a potential 10% return on its first anniversary: both…
Plastics futures to launch on DGCX
The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) is set to launch two plastics futures contracts on February 5. The region-specific contracts for the Middle East and Southeast Asia will be offered on linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and…
FDIC prepares to sell off IndyMac
The US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is close to a $13.9 billion deal that would see the failed California mortgage lender IndyMac transferred to a group of private equity investors.
Fed agency MBS purchases to begin within days
The US Federal Reserve will start buying mortgage-backed securities (MBS) issued by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae within the next few days, fulfilling a promise it made in November.
Tarp runs out at last
Funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (Tarp) have finally been exhausted, following three months of capital injections and loan facilities extended to a variety of institutions.
Alternatives as inflation hedges
Most of modern asset pricing theory and portfolio selection analysis is based on fund separation theorems. These, in a nutshell, advocate that performance and risk are two conflicting objectives that are best managed separately.
Editor's letter
Editorial
The matchmakers
Evolution Securities, a London investment bank previously associated with the equities market and its advisory work with small- and mid-cap clients, has branched into fixed income with the recruitment of two credit market stalwarts, Guy Cornelius and…
The City's boy in blue
For all the recent talk amongst banking chiefs and lawmakers of a return to a more 'vanilla' world of high finance, the sophistication of modern markets provides a fertile ground for fraudsters and insider dealers to operate without detection. To combat…
EC talks on CDS clearing house break down
The European Commission's drive to get derivatives market participants to formally commit to a central counterparty clearing house for over-the-counter CDS has stalled
Is it too late to revive the securitisation market?
First we were told it was undergoing a temporary hiatus, then it was stalled, now they're saying it's broken altogether. William Rhode takes a look at the global securitisation market to see what, if anything, can be done to restore its fortunes
Calls grow for scrapping of Basel II accord
Industry figures argue that the capital adequacy regime is not relevant in today's economic climate, and that regulators have already abandoned certain aspects of the accord on the quiet