Review
Mittel European Reflections
Central and eastern Europe is a huge potential market for structured products and exchange-traded funds. Structured Products' first conference in the region explored commodities, foreign exchange and diverse underlyings, but the most pressing issue was…
Greater China plus Singapore
JP Morgan is offering Asia confidence notes in Singapore and US dollars in the form of a two-and-a-half year product that links into four equity indexes, in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan
A copy of carbon
Sterling Waterford is providing a four-year carbon credit note in South Africa for which capital is protected at maturity, although illiquid assets may make the product hard to value at the end of the term
A focus on funds
The Italian structured products market is shrinking in the global financial crisis, while exchange-traded funds race ahead. Traditional methods of guaranteeing structured products were brought into question at the Structured Products Milan conference,…
Income and inflation cover
Investec is offering a five-year income product linked to the FTSE 100 with coupons linked to inflation. Capital is not protected at maturity if the 50% barrier is breached at any time during the life of the product
Follow the bear
Merrill Lynch has launched an 18-month bear market review note linked to the Dow Jones US Real Estate Index offering a premium of 14.8% and a potential early return as well as a known underlying
Weathering the storm
Lehman Brothers' collapse has potentially ruinous consequences for the US structured products market. But delegates and speakers at the Structured Products West Coast Conference were surprisingly upbeat about the future and opportunities that have arisen…
Building in safety
The structured products market in Asia is almost unrecognisable from where it was 12 months ago. Products such as accumulators and range accrual notes have been consigned to history, while product manufacturers and distributors alike look for new ways…
Changing landscape
The Irish structured product landscape is changing as volatile financial markets push investors to seek alternative assets, capital protection and shorter-term products. In a week of financial turmoil and failing banks, issuers' credit ratings were a…
Newcastle offers clean energy
Newcastle Intermediary Services has launched a five-year capital-growth product based on 20 alternative energy companies. The principal investment is protected at maturity, and returns are subject to income tax
Looking for the up escalator
Deutsche Bank is offering escalator notes linked to a basket of equity, currency and commodity indexes. Principal is protected at maturity and returns are locked in if the index rises above certain designated levels during the product term
Agriculture in a basket
ABN Amro has provided a sharia-compliant two-year capital-protected income product linked to a basket of international agricultural stocks. There is an 8% cap on individual stock growth
Towards the best of three
Arc is offering a simple growth product linked to three commodities and weighted relative to their performance. Returns will be subject to capital gains tax, and capital is protected at maturity
Inflation-linker boosters
Merrill Lynch has released two high-scoring inflation products, one based on the euro, one on the Swiss franc. The basic structure is the same for both products, with differences reflecting the relative risk and merits of following the two markets
Commodity plays and hedges
Barclays Bank is offering a link to 14 commodities and one commodity index which allows investors to take a stake in the rise of the main commodity subsectors while also providing a natural hedge against inflation
Reaping the dividends
Credit Suisse is offering a five-year CPPI product, based on a pick of Australian stocks and offering semi-annual income based on dividend yields
Tracker with liquid underlying
Vontobel is offering retail investors a money market note that tracks its six-month total return swap index. The value of the product is the level of the Vontobel six-month total return swap index minus the management fees
Nordic exploration
An examination of market trends, index innovation and the expanding interest in emerging markets featured in the Structured Products Nordics Conference 2008. Mifid also marked the agenda, with discussions on interpreting and implementing the regulations…