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Credit structures abound
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RiskMetrics expands CreditGrades to include Japan
RiskMetrics Group, the New York-based software company, has expanded its CreditGrade risk measurement system in Asia to include data on Japanese firms.
EC wants Cad 3 study to look at bank lending to smaller companies
The European Commission said it launched a tender today for a study that would pay particular attention to the consequences for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of proposed new European Union (EU) banking capital rules.
Placer Dome reduces gold hedging by 20%
Canadian metals mining company Placer Dome is reducing its gold hedging by 20%, from 8.5 million ounces to 6.8 million ounces, in a bid to profit from the strength of current gold prices.
Merrill Lynch targets Asian retail investors
Investment bank Merrill Lynch has finally joined the flock of institutions battling for Hong Kong’s retail investors, with the launch of its first publicly offered capital guaranteed fund, with more issues planned in the coming months.
Lazard hires Stonehill to build capital markets business
The investment banking unit of New York-headquartered Lazard has hired Charles Stonehill as London-based global head of its capital markets businesses, a newly created position.
Japanese swap spreads range-bound in limited activity
Japanese credit default swaps remained directionless this week, with spreads moving up and down within a narrow range, in what was an overall quiet trading week, dealers said.
Deutsche hires FX quant Pillitteri
Deutsche Bank has hired Giovanni Pillitteri as a London-based quant for its foreign exchange structured trading team.
HEX prepares for weather derivatives launch
The Helsinki securities and derivatives exchange (HEX) will start trading weather derivatives from tomorrow.
FT Interactive Data expands BondEdge Derivatives Coverage
FT Interactive Data, a provider of securities prices and analytical software, has expanded the number of derivatives prices it reports with the latest version of its fixed-income portfolio analysis tool.
Marconi restructuring sparks credit derivatives confusion
Plans unveiled today by troubled UK telecoms company, Marconi, to restructure and reduce its debt to under a billion have caused confusion in the credit derivatives community. Traders said they were unsure whether the language used in the Marconi…
Totem acquires dividend forecasting service
Over-the-counter derivatives price data vendor Totem has acquired Dividend Directory Limited (DDL), the owner of DaDD, a service forecasting dividend and ex-dividend dates up to four years in advance. This information is an important input to equity…
Australia Stock Exchange to launch electricity futures
The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) is preparing to launch its electricity peak and off-peak futures contracts on October 14.
SG launches arbitrage synthetic CDO with 100% Asian exposure
SG, the corporate and investment banking arm of Société Générale, has closed a $100 million arbitrage synthetic collateralised debt obligation (CDO), backed by a portfolio of Asian credit default swaps.
Raft forms user group for Radar op risk products
Risk management software provider Raft International has formed a user group for firms using the various modules of its Radar suite of operational risk tools. The first Radar User Group meeting will be on September 5 in London.
Canada's Penson signs up to Ubitrade software
Montreal-based Penson Financial Services, Canada’s third largest clearing firm, has signed up to use Ubitrade Futures and Options, a back-office trading system developed France-based risk management company Ubitrade.
Euronext Amsterdam early for on-screen derivatives trading
Euoronext Amsterdam believes it will have moved all Dutch futures and options onto screen-based trading by December 9 – three months ahead of schedule.
Ex-Aquila weather head says reinsurers are still backing his team
Five reinsurance companies that invested in troubled energy company Aquila’s weather business, which closed earlier this month, are likely to retain their partnerships with the old weather trading team headed by Ravi Nathan, former chairman of the…
Credit liquidity at a premium as trading activity hits the August blues
Liquidity in the European and US credit derivatives markets has hit premium levels in Europe and the US this week, with trading said to have fallen to 10% of normal volumes and spreads fluctuating within a five basis point range.
eSpeed settles patent dispute with CBOT and CME
eSpeed, a subsidiary of interdealer broker Cantor Fitzgerald and developer of electronic trading technology, has settled its lawsuit against the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) over infringement on patented…
€15bn floods bill unlikely to further hurt insurance sector
Insurers and reinsurers are unlikely to face significant financial difficulties following serious flooding in central Europe that has caused damage worth around €15 billion, according to research by UBS Warburg.
DrKW recruits London-based credit derivatives flow trader
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein (DrKW), the investment banking arm of Germany’s Dresdner Bank, has hired Paul Lewitt as director and head of credit derivatives flow trading based in London. The London hire follows a ramp-up of DrKW’s credit derivatives…
BNP Paribas prepares seventh Japan synthetic CDO
French bank BNP Paribas is preparing to close its seventh Japanese synthetic arbitrage collateralised debt obligation (CDO) under its Serena Finance programme, according to a senior Tokyo-based official at the bank.