Structured products
Implied volatility surge sees the return of institutional hedging
Short-term implied option volatility has shot up during the past month due to falling equity markets, which has led to increased institutional hedging, according to a report published this week by Goldman Sachs.
Aquila backs Feinstein energy trading proposals
Missouri-based energy company Aquila today said it strongly supports Senator Dianne Feinstein's proposal for more aggressive Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) oversight of energy derivatives trading.
Credit Markets Update: Vivendi and Alcatel protection still available
Credit default swaps are still being trading on troubled French companies Vivendi and Alcatel, although at spreads of between 1,500 to 2,500 basis points for five-year protection, traders in London said today.
DrKW sets up prime brokerage service
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein (DrKW) has launched a prime brokerage business, offering financing and support services to hedge funds and alternative investment funds.
JP Morgan names most vulnerable European corporates
US investment bank JP Morgan Chase named ABB, Alcatel, Alstom, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Fiat, France Telecom, ICI, Invensys, Repsol-YPF, Rhodia, Vivendi Universal as the most exposed credits post-WorldCom in its latest credit research report.
US institutions take greater risks in convertible arbitrage
US institutions that invest in convertible securities, such as convertible arbitrage hedge funds, take more risks than their European counterparts, according to a research report published by US-based financial consultancy Greenwich Associates.
MSCI launches hedge fund indexes
Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), a provider of benchmark financial indexes, has launched a family of hedge fund indexes today following a two-and-a-half year development process. The new group includes more than 90 indexes calculated on a…
AMP Henderson to use credit default swaps in Australia
Investment management firm AMP Henderson Global Investors is preparing to use credit default swaps in Australia for the first time, to obtain credit exposure to Australian companies outside the domestic corporate bond market.
Mixed results for sales of SG's 'gemstones'
SG, the investment banking arm of French bank Société Générale, is seeing mixed results this year from its sale of equity-linked structured products to the European retail market.
Credit Markets Update: France Telecom fluctuates in thin markets
The cost of credit protection on troubled telco France Telecom fluctuated this week within a 100 basis point range, causing knock-on effects on the spreads of other European telecoms in jittery markets that saw little trading activity. But positive…
Japan Credit Market Update: Recent volatility subsides into summer lull
Japanese credit default swap spreads were slightly wider this week, but the US July 4 holiday and the beginning of the summer kept the market largely subdued following recent volatility, dealers said.
JP Morgan Chase to release ratings-based JECI, while ABN launches iBoxx note
JP Morgan Chase is planning to launch a ratings based version of its JP Morgan European credit index-linked security (JECI) in the next few months. The new JECI products will incorporate credits with specific ratings, initially focusing on AA and A rated…
Credit card capital charges will be lower under Basel II
Major banks will probably have to set aside a lot less capital as a cushion against losses from defaulting credit-card holders under the Basel II bank Accord than they do now, global banking supervisors said.
Australian structured finance market to pick up in H2, says Moody's
International rating agency Moody's believes the Australian structured finance market will pick up in the second half of the year following a drop in such deals during the first six months of this year.
Raft International
Technology
CFTC approves use of single-stock futures
A significant barrier to the trading of single-stock futures (SSFs) in the US was removed late yesterday when US regulator the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved final rules for the use of the instruments.
S&P rates hedge fund of funds CDO
Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) said it has rated a hedge fund-backed collateralised debt obligation (CDO) issued last week by Diversified Strategies, a special-purpose vehicle. Cayman Islands-based Investcorp Management Services is the investment…
Credit Markets Update: Vivendi protection costs surge
The cost of credit protection on French media company Vivendi Universal’s debt ballooned 500 basis points yesterday, with five-year bids hitting 1,200bp following downgrades from rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s and the resignation of chief…
DrKW integrates Asian equities and fixed-income operations
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein (DrKW) has established a new capital markets division by merging its equity and debt markets operations to offer fully integrated cash and derivatives services to clients.
Merrill Lynch creates non-Japan Asia derivatives role
Merrill Lynch is creating a new position for its non-Japan Asia local currency foreign exchange and interest rate derivatives business to cater for client demand, a senior official said.
Long-awaited exposure draft on SPV consolidation released in US
The US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has released a long-awaited exposure draft on the consolidation of special purpose entities, or special purpose vehicles (SPVs). New rules for accounting for SPVs, a class that includes all CDOs, was…