Risk magazine
Artificial intelligence advances
Artificial intelligence is widely seen as more science fiction than science, a grab bag of 1960s theories that never panned out. But while computers still can’t grasp the difference between concepts such as ‘breadbox’ and ‘Chicago’, artificial…
RiskNews review
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Re-energising Nymex
In his first year as president of Nymex, Bo Collins has launched a series of ground-breaking product initiatives. Now he’s mulling credit mitigation tools for the besieged energy trading industry
Cranks, academics and practitioners
Emanuel Derman ponders the difficulties in distinguishing among the three
FAS 133: routine or ruinous?
The Association of Finance Professionals, a 14,000-strong group of corporate treasurers and finance officials, gave Risk an exclusive look at its just-completed member survey on the implementation and consequences of FAS 133. Two years after the…
Global derivatives rankings 2002
For Risk’s 11th annual inter-dealer rankings, we have refined our categories and polled hundreds of market participants to reveal which firms are the best in the business. Introduction and rankings compilation by John Ferry, with additional research by…
Innovation fuels Italy’s securitisation boom
Tax changes and increasing corporate credit risk have prompted Italian dealers to look for new assets to securitise.
High-frequency trading: how great is the need for speed?
Just how important is speed? Risk managers and traders are weighing the value of high-frequency market data and trading technologies against their costs. Gallagher Polyn examines the debate over using high-frequency data in risk models, and profiles one…
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…