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.

Combining CDSs and equities

Duggan Asset Management is offering exposure to equity and credit markets with its new capital-protected simple growth product. As well as access to an unusual asset class - credit default swaps - participation is linked to the DJ Eurostoxx 50

Five years and six options

Barclays Bank has issued a five-year product that allows investors to choose the level of protection required and achieve a higher participation rate if they opt for a lower level. Each of six versions of the product has an option on the FTSE 100

Market snapshot

Tim Mortimer of Future Value Consultants looks at the pricing issues for structured products in different markets and provides his trade of the month

Commercial property plays

Morgan Stanley surprised many people in July 2008 when it plumped for a commercial property-based product. With lower volatility than was on offer from the FTSE 100, it made for a relatively generous offer of returns that took 65% of the starting level…

Delighted with deposits

Newcastle Building Society has been gradually building up its structured deposit business, including the launch of a new intermediary services arm in 2008. With the FTSE 100 index climbing and deposits backed by the government, the society is right to be…

The sovereign guarantee

Even in an era of government-backed banks, it is clear that investors do not equate a public stake with investment security. Those looking for watertight investments have been left with two options - structured deposits or collateralised plans. Will…

Meteor launches Prima Growth Plan 16

Meteor, the UK distributor, has launched the sixteenth version of its Prima Growth Plan which has been issued by AAA-rated Rabobank. The kick-out style product has the potential to pay a 10% coupon after one year, paying the return on its first…

Walker Crips launches first growth product

Walker Crips Structured Investments (WCSI) has launched its first growth product on the retail market. The Annual Growth Plan, a non-capital protected plan, provides exposure to the FTSE-100 index. The three-year kick-out plan offers a return of 10% a…

US Wrap: RBC moots real estate rebound

Royal Bank of Canada has launched an accelerated growth note linking to the iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate Index. The bullish trade offers 300% participation in the index over only six months, up to a cap of 39%. It does not incorporate any downside…

A steadier ship

Cautious optimism pervaded the fourth annual Structured Products Americas conference, held in May at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables in Miami. Speakers and panellists seemed happy to reacquaint themselves with terms such as volatility, correlation and…

Editor's letter

While you ponder yet another acronym for structured products - they are now Prips, or packaged retail investment products, according to the European Union - reflect upon the fact that there has been some kind of progress in the calamitous world of…

US Wrap: S&P 500 still dominates growth products

The S&P 500 continues to dominate growth products, despite the illusion of index diversity. Morgan Stanley launched a three-year leveraged participation note ahead of the weekend which linked to three indexes: the S&P 500, the Nasdaq 100 and the MSCI…

Powell departs Arc Capital

Chris Powell has departed Arc Capital and Income (ACI), the UK structured products distributor, where he was managing director. Powell has left the company with immediate effect to pursue other avenues in financial services, says ACI. His replacement has…

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