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.
OTC shake-up likely as regulators mull centralised clearing
US legislators are pressing for reforms that will lead to a big shake-up in how over-the-counter derivatives are bought and sold. The question is how this will affect the structured notes market. John Ferry reports
Structurers plead with Hong Kong SFC to retain ‘safe harbour’ rules
Providers of structured products fear a collapse in private placement volumes and a shift of business to Singapore following a proposal from Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission to remove rules that ease offering requirements. Georgina Lee…
Trade of the month: fees, profit and risk in structured products
The success of any structured product issued in the retail market is partly determined by the fee structure, in which fees are generally taken in three ways – first in the commission level paid to the broker or adviser, second in the the fee charged by…
Simply does it
Structured products have been used as a scapegoat for some of the problems that led to the financial crisis. But Cater Allen, the UK private banking arm of Santander, says transparent products can regain investors’ confidence. Clare Dickinson reports
Volatility capped access to funds
ING Bank is offering Swedish investors a product that has the classic benefits of allowing access to an unusual and potentially risky underlying while changing its return profile. The product is based on the East Capital Russia Fund, giving local…
Dutch Trigger
Van Lanschot has issued five-year trigger notes based on the AEX index of the 25 most-traded Dutch stocks. The product offers a minimum of 10% per annum on potential early maturity, although capital is not protected if the 50% barrier is breached at the…
Counting the cost of counterparty risk
A few years ago no-one worried about counterparty credit risk. Then a year ago that was all anyone cared about. As markets begin to settle down, the shake-up could have longer-term implications for the structured products market. By John Ferry
Dividend growth
Dealers and hedge funds were hammered by sharp falls in dividends during late 2008 and early 2009. Since then, liquidity has recovered as a wider range of market participants take advantage of the dislocation. Mark Pengelly reports
The Lehman flip clause flap
The decision of a US bankruptcy court to void contractual provisions that shield investors from the credit risk of swap counterparties in structured finance deals has put the legal systems of England and the US on a collision course. It also has…