Risk magazine
Options reduced
Dealers report that European corporates have reduced their use of options since the introduction of IAS 39 last year. But with greater volatility in the foreign exchange markets expected in the coming year, are companies sufficiently hedged? Gareth Gore…
Seeking risk transfer
Insurance
Life's perilous journey
Guaranteed variable annuity products generate huge profits for US life insurers, but have left firms massively exposed to exotic equity risk. Some companies are now laying off risk via long-dated, highly structured hedges. Not everyone is convinced this…
Risk Awards 2006
Risk Awards Photos
Regulatory arbitrage: back to basics
Risk analysis
NY Fed chief warns of credit derivatives risk
Timothy Geithner, president of the New York Federal Reserve, has warned traders of the risk of catastrophe in the credit derivatives markets.
Shakeup for BNP Paribas' London equity team
BNP Paribas has reorganised its London equity department as part of an effort it says is to increase the department's size and revenues.
SEC approves NYSE merger
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cleared the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) merger with Archipelago next month, opening the way for its transformation into a for-profit company.
CBOE Vix options thrive on first day
The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) has recorded a strong first day of trading for its options on its volatility index, Vix. The number of options traded were 4,328 calls and 5,095 puts, totalling 9,423 contracts by the end of the day on February…
Barclays Capital slams UK pension accounting rules
Barclays Capital has likened pension funds piling into long-dated index-linked gilts to the tech bubble of 1998 to 2000. And its top London strategist believes the fault lies with new accounting rules that force an unreasonably inflexible discount rate…
Eleven banks in rates derivatives joint venture
Eleven international banks are to set up a joint venture providing price information and guaranteeing liquidity in the interest rate derivatives market.
SG names new research chief
SG has named Benoit Hubaud head of foreign exchange and interest rate strategy research, in addition to his previous responsibility as head of credit research.
Banks need to focus on Pillars II and III says Celent
Banks may be over-emphasising the requirements for Basel II’s Pillar I, which sets the standard for risk-adjusted capital adequacy ratios, while overlooking the importance of Pillars II and III, which cover topics such as corporate governance, according…
RBS names new head of Asian futures
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has named Chin Leng Woon as its new head of futures for Asia at its Singapore office.
Santander appoints new quants head
Banco Santander Central Hispano has hired François Friggit as head of quants, for interest rates and hybrid products at the bank’s headquarters in Madrid.
BoA mis-states derivatives positions by $345 million
Bank of America has contravened Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) rules regarding its treatment of derivatives instruments and will recalculate all of its financial statements since 2002.