Structured Products/News
Iosco softens index approach on final benchmark principles
The structured products industry has welcomed Iosco's publication of benchmark principles that promote softer treatment for equity indexes
Morgan Stanley global head of retail structured products Copplestone leaves the bank
Frank Copplestone, global head of retail structured products at Morgan Stanley in London, has parted company with the bank
Deutsche closes down 36 ETFs and ETCs to “tidy up” its product range
Products with €110 million of assets under management will be shut down as the bank has not seen sufficient client demand
Iosco calls for regulators to address counterparty risk on ETFs
Point and Counterpoint
Investors await action on Reyker plan management charges
Investors in the dark about action on Reyker plan management charges
Debut retail structured product from HQX pays 9% and issued by SG
UK distributor launches first public offering: an income plan with Société Générale as the counterparty
Bernard Rogier joins UBS as head of structured pricing
Rogier joins UBS to head structured pricing
RBS job cuts: the beginning of the end for retail structured products?
With RBS pulling out of the retail structured products market, some in the industry are speculating about whether other investment banks will follow
BNP Paribas launches three autocalls through new UK partnership with Sip Nordic
Sip Nordic is shaking up the UK retail market by adding BNP Paribas to its shortlist of 'preferred providers'. The partnership has just launched its first three products
Regulation, tax and technicalities recast European turnover, as French volumes plummet and Italian activity recovers
Tax, legal and practical reforms to the way structured products are transacted in France have slimmed the market to a slither, while similar changes have proved a spur to the Italian structured products revival
SEC estimated value guidance causing concern among investors
Banks providing the estimated value of structured notes in accordance with SEC rules are facing questions from investors about the level of their estimates
Structured Products Nordics: Sweden working to eradicate ‘rotten apples’
Though most distributors play by the rules, some firms may still be selling the wrong products to the wrong investors, says panellist at Structured Products magazine's Nordic conference
US investors turning to capital-at-risk products, say banks
Banks are boosting issuance of leveraged notes linked to US equity indexes and notes that pay out when yield curves steepen
Senior FCA official sees cause for concern in RDR implementation
A senior official at the UK Financial Conduct Authority said the regulator sees shortcomings in the way some market participants have responded to the Retail Distribution Review
Structured Products Nordics: Swedish state secretary calls for greater transparency in retail sales
Conference hears that investors should not have been sold some structured products because they are too expensive and opaque, while Finansinspektionen announces paper detailing what it expects of distributors
Iosco offers general and specific principles to deal with equity and benchmark indexes
Iosco has confronted the 'one size fits all' debate in its draft Principles on Financial Benchmarks, the responses for which are due today (May 16)
New FCA platform rules could mean more product sales via platforms
Electronic platforms that charge fees instead of taking provider commission could, from April 2014, sell more products, as investors try to make the most of the charges they have to pay
SEC’s Amy Starr: US banks must comply with estimated value guidance “in very short order”
Banks that do not promptly disclose the estimated value of their structured notes risk additional scrutiny, says regulator
Gold ETFs can weather latest turmoil as speculative selling eases, say providers
The crash in the gold price in mid-April had dramatic effects on gold ETFs, but some providers say investors' allocations are holding firm
Merchant Capital structured product investors to pay up to £600 as Reyker takes over plan management
Merchant Capital structured products investors are due to be charged hefty fees at product maturity as custodian Reyker Securities takes over as plan manager.
UK sees sharp rise in structured product complaints
Complaints about structured products were up by more than 1,500 in 2012 compared to the previous two years
FCA's Wheatley: structured products are “like spread bets on steroids”
UK regulator hits out at overly complex structured products
Index roundup: Stoxx launches 3D printing index
Index roundup