Structured products
WHAT IS THIS? Structured products are investments that have multiple components. For retail investors, the most common form is a bond plus an option – these tend to be standardised, sold in small tickets and large volumes. Managing the risks of large structured products portfolios is one of the biggest challenges dealers face.
S&P launches indexes to measure risk premiums between asset classes
Standard & Poor's has launched four indexes to measure risk premiums, which have gained a lot of interest from product providers.
UK Wrap: The holy grail - income and capital protection
Products are still being influenced by the pricing environment and despite a couple of spicy options most of the products seen this fortnight are safe repeats
Gilliat Financial Solutions taps European distribution networks
Gilliat has joined the Federation of European Financial Advisers, enabling it to expand its distribution into Europe
Barclays adds fixed-income exchange-traded notes to its $7 billion business
Barclays in the US has built on its exchange-traded note business with the launch of eight new fixed-income products.
Barclays launches retirement notes as retiree assets expected to hit $1 trillion per year
Barclays has created notes to provide regular income for pensioners as the 'baby boomer' generation reaches retirement.
Private placement structured products boosted by retail mandates
The use of structured products by discretionaries who are managing money on behalf of retail advisers has helped the private placement market continue growing.
Standard & Poor's Angel leaving company
Executive managing director Tony Angel is leaving Standard & Poor's after two years
Qbasis offers fund management strategy to retail through ETF
Futures fund manager Qbasis seeks a London listing for an ETF based on its strategy
Deutsche expands physically backed ETC offering
Deutsche Bank lists collateralised platinum and palladium exchange-traded commodities in London
US wrap: Review products make their mark with emerging markets exposure
Eksportfinans offers Brazil index fund product, Swedish Export Credit Corporation abandons downside protection
Troika Dialog lists blue-chip ETF on RTS stock exchange
Investment bank and asset manager Troika Dialog has listed the first ETF on the Russian Trading System stock exchange
Simple payoffs and short terms remain popular as investors play it safe
Incapital, Barclays and Gilliat all launched three products each in the past two weeks, most of which focused on the FTSE 100 index as investors continue shy away from risky investments