Indexes
Solving the problem of inflation measures
With fears about future inflation still plaguing investors, inflation-linked products may seem like a sensible way of hedging against the rising cost of living. But the effect of substitution, interest rate rises and timing mean that returns on these…
The benefits of art investing
Alternative investments are tipped to outperform conventional financial offerings this year, leading to a rapid rise in the number of indexes based on art, as well as increasing interest from fund managers. Randall Willette, managing director at Fine Art…
Exchange of the Year
Structured Products Americas Awards 2010
Second-hand values
The demand for transparency and liquidity makes trading in and out of a structured product extremely attractive to investors. This has resulted in healthy secondary markets across Europe, so why has the UK been so slow to emulate its continental…
The call and collateralisation
Citi is providing an open-ended structured fund linked to the FTSE 100 index. Investments in the Autocall Fund mature when kickout occurs or when a five-year cycle is completed, and proceeds are reinvested on kickout. The fund is fully collateralised…
Product performance
Comparing principal-protected, accelerated growth and reverse convertible products with September 2009 strike dates
ETF Securities launches commodity index tracker fund
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and currency specialist ETF Securities has launched the first ETF to track the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Three-Month Forward Index (DJ-UBSCI F3(SM)), following growing investor demand for diversified commodity related products.
ETFs & exchanges sponsored forum: Mitigating risk through the use of ETFs
The potential of ETFs to bring liquidity and mitigate risk
Banca Fideuram focuses on clarity
Tightening spreads are making it more difficult for banks to factor protection into their products and although the market is stabilising, having protection and products they understand is still an important factor for Banca Fideuram’s customers. Clare…
Strategic thinking
Banks and index providers have been quick to colonise the investment space vacated by stressed hedge funds after transparency became a byword for popularity. With both now offering proprietary dynamic strategies and promising alpha returns, will they end…
Product performance
Comparing principal-protected, accelerated growth and reverse convertible products with June 2009 strike dates
UK accumulation
Barclays is offering an accumulator product based on the FTSE 100, with lock-ins for every 15% rise in the index subject to a 60% cap. If the index does not trade above a 115% strike level and the 50% protection barrier is breached, capital is not…