Monetary policy
Talking point - Are we facing a global economic slowdown?
In a special extended Talking Point, we ask whether the global economy is about to slip into recession, and, if so, what its effects may be. Our respondents reveal surprising differences of opinion..
Brazil rides the wave of global commodity boom to hit investment-grade status
S&P's upgrade to BBB- for Brazil is in part reward for the country's prudent economic policies that have seen it quadruple international reserves, but could rising inflation spoil the party?
State of the nation
How are US regulators and firms evolving their op risk frameworks to cope with recent market events? Victoria Pennington explores how the operational risk industry is developing in the US, and what challenges and hurdles remain
An inflated Risk
The Dutch Central Bank issued a warning in March that recent market volatility was seriously impacting pension scheme cover ratios - but does this focus on nominal liabilities risk missing the increasing danger posed by inflation? By Aaron Woolner
Banking on transparency
Nasdaq has acquired a much larger footprint in structured products, particularly in the US. The latest purchases - of OMX and of a third share in the Dubai International Financial Exchange - have further catalysed growth and considerably expanded the…
A baby-boomer bounce
The US structured products market continues to develop in both size and sophistication as demand for better returning, or at least capital-protected investment products continues its natural rise. The baby boomers are here and issuers and distributors in…
Striving high
Volatile markets and uncertainty on future trends have meant delivering appropriate hedging and investment solutions to Asian clients in the past year has proven no easy task. Asia Risk's ninth end-user survey highlights the banks that clients believe…
In the hothouse
The funding markets in Australia have virtually ground to a halt, putting the squeeze on non-bank mortgage providers. Are the big banks using the situation to their competitive advantage in a bid to regain lost mortgage market share? William Rhode…
Leveraged loans and the growth of CLOs
The increasing influence of private equity has led to a rise in leveraged loan volumes, in turn driving the market for CLOs
Mortgage lenders to follow in HBOS and RBS footsteps
Rights issues are the flavour of the month, with mortgage lenders following some of the larger banks' example as they seek to boost long-term solvency ratios
MFS Investment Management: Smoothing out the bumps
As seasoned investors will tell you, putting your money in emerging markets can be a rough ride. The highs may be high, but the lows can be even lower. The emerging markets debt team at MFS Investment Management are aiming to give their investors a…
The big freeze
The US subprime crisis has shown how market illiquidity can affect trading. Yet liquidity risk is a fact of life for commodity firms. William Rhode looks at how to mitigate it
Liquidity at a premium
Past performance is no guide to the future for economists as the task of forecasting interest rates turns from Greenspan-watching into the complex task of comprehending the correlation between a wide array of variables. Here, three economists tell…
Deals of the month
Unicredito Italiano and Dexia Group
Putnam Investments - A specialist approach
Putnam Investments is in the business of managing portfolios, but, curiously, it doesn't employ any portfolio managers. Instead, the firm has built a team of specialists that focus on specific sectors. Matthew Attwood talks to two lynchpins of the fixed…
Spain's distributors have their say
Spanish distributors have embraced products from structurers, most notably those from BBVA. The Spanish bank has scored well in the Structured Products distributor poll conducted last month, which also revealed the increasing sophistication of the buyer…
Standout strategies
Structured product manufacturers have for years competed on the sophistication of their payouts. But as the market moves towards a focus on underlyings and simpler products, how can dealers stand out from the crowd?
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
Joint efforts pay off
Central bankers were forced by last year's global contagion into acting in concert for once. Natasha de Teran reports on the market's reaction to this development
The Big Interview: Tim Congdon
The founder of Lombard Street Research and respected economist discusses the precedent for last summer's crisis with Matthew Attwood, and explains how policymakers are damaging the market
Market graphic - Recessionary pricing
The effects of a US recession on Europe are hard to quantify, but European spreads are already pricing in a mild recession, according to JPMorgan Credit Research. Is this enough?
Talking point - Investment-grade bond covenants
Following the release of a white paper by a group of 50 buy-siders proposing an overhaul of existing covenants, we ask market participants whether investment-grade bond covenants need improving
Thirsting for water stocks
The global water sector is expected to be a popular investment theme for high-net-worth investors during 2008, as they look for stable long-term growth stories in an uncertain market. Michael Marray reports
Market snapshot
Tim Mortimer of Future Value Consultants looks at pricing issues of structured products in different markets and provides his trade of the month