Structured products
State Street launches dedicated hedge fund group
State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), the investment management arm of institutional fund manager State Street Corporation, has created a dedicated group for its hedge fund services, in a bid to cash in on increasing market demand for alternative…
Sponsor's article > Basel backlash: the summer of discontent
Regulators in the United States have been voicing their concerns about Basel II for some time. But now banks elsewhere are also opposing some of the proposals.
DoJ forces Merrill to disclose future structured product deals
In a deal struck with the US Department of Justice (DoJ) over charges of conspiracy with Enron, Merrill Lynch has agreed sweeping reforms that will require all complex structured finance transactions effected by a third party with the bank to be…
Sponsor's article > Reason for hope
One disappointing aspect of the Basel II deliberations has been the lack of any proposed change in the treatment of counterparty credit exposures. David Rowe argues that recent dialogue between the Basel Committee and industry representatives offers hope…
The global standard
In this article on anti-money laundering, Dominic Nixon and Rohan Bedi of PricewaterhouseCoopers analyse the final changes to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 40 recommendations.
China opts out of Basel II
China's banking regulator, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), has opted out of Basel II, declaring that the country's financial institutions won't be ready to adopt the new Accord by the end-2006 deadline.
Data vendors hold key to Measurisk survival
Measurisk, a US-based risk technology provider to buy-side community, is scrambling to secure cheaper new contracts from its data vendors in a last-ditch effort to remain a viable business concern. If it can’t convince these vendors to lower their prices…
BoNY expands hedge fund services in Dublin
The Bank of New York (BoNY) is expanding its European hedge fund services with the hire of Ian Headon as group manager for alternative investment services in Dublin.
SG expands range of UK currency warrants
SG, the investment banking arm of French bank Société Générale, has launched warrants on the US dollar/yen and euro/US dollar currencies on the London Stock Exchange’s warrants market. SG said it also plans to launch warrants on the Japanese Nikkei 225…
Creating an op risk loss-collection framework
To meet the Basel II advanced measurement requirements and improve op risk management, firms must establish robust loss databases. Ulrich Anders and Jürgen Platz of Dresdner Bank in Frankfurt outline such a framework.
Does size matter?
A recent study compared returns relative to hedge fund portfolio size, offering interesting insight into the performance versus size debate
Growth of hedge fund indices will separate the 'wheat from the chaff'
benchmark progression will bring institutional money to sector
Euro managers unwilling to route directly to exchanges
german institutions least resistant to electronic trading
Satisfaction guaranteed?
There is no need to feel blinded by science when buying a product with a guarantee. The answer lies in asking the right questions
Going for gold
Pioneer Alternative Investments aims to double its assets by 2005 at the same time as investing heavily in its operational infrastructure
The next frontier
Institutional investors have largely baulked at buying into hedge funds, but research suggests a 10% to 20% allocation is appropriate
Measure by measure
How can the skill of analysts, who provide forecasts of corporate earnings, be accurately measured?
Barclays Global follows currency launch with new long/short fund
small-cap long/short fund could be available by fourth QTR
Total eclipse
A pure credit approach to Threadneedle's Crescendo Credit Fund means its returns are running to schedule
Information exploitation
The managers of Griffin Capital Management's Eastern European Value fund developed a program to make the most of their research database, resulting in 140% returns since its 1997 launch