Commerzbank
South Korea to allow local financial institutions to issue covered bonds
Relaxation of restrictions over covered bonds issuance should prompt rapid expansion of sector’s present small base
JP Morgan loss highlights lack of risk experts on bank committees
JP Morgan’s recent trading loss has drawn attention to a lack of relevant experience on the bank’s three-person risk committee. Other dealers fare better, but of 73 risk committee members at 15 big dealers, only four have held senior risk management…
Facebook makes its debut as a structured product underlying
Investors in Europe have been buying structured products linked to Facebook since its stock market launch and now US investors will get a chance to do the same as the first product linked to the company's shares is registered with the SEC
Commerzbank Twin Win notes fall victim to low barrier
Commerzbank offered investors a Twin-Win product in 2007 based on the S&P/MIB Index, which matured in February this year. Breaching the 60% barrier meant those buying lost more than half of their investment. Eve Berlinska analyses the deal
Structured Products Espana: Grappling with regulation
Spain’s structured products market is losing out to safer investments, but delegates at the Structured Products España conference were not willing to write off the future. Joe Rennison reports
Basel Committee considers use of credit ratings in LCR shake-up
The scrapping of the level 1 and level 2 distinction for liquid assets is also discussed as the committee reviews the liquidity coverage ratio
Basel 2.5 prompts flurry of asset sales and risk transfer deals
The last months of 2011 saw European banks preparing for the arrival of Basel 2.5 by trying to lighten their risk-weighted assets – but a delay in implementing the same rules in the US has created an uneven playing-field, they complain. Mark Pengelly…
Sectors and strategies gain market share as exchange-traded products thrive
The healthy exchange-traded products market is seeing increasing demand from investors for access to specific sectors, as well as for dynamic strategies that can adapt to prevailing market conditions
German CDS spreads level out after weak debt auction spooks markets
Cost of insuring against a German government default remains stable after yesterday’s lacklustre debt auction, but risk perceptions on German banks surge
Slow return for Libya oil seen after Gaddafi topple
The overthrow of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi may have sent oil prices falling in recent days, but a return to full oil production in Libya is not likely for some time to come due to on-going security issues, say analysts
Banks turn to dynamic algorithm-based structures to exploit interest rate cycles
Demand for fixed-income dynamic interest rate strategies that combine short-term algorithms and long-term positions on interest rate futures is slowly returning
UBS appoints Rainer Ruecker as head of public distribution trading
Rainer Ruecker has joined UBS to lead the bank's new public distribution trading team.
People: Citi shakes up structuring group
Citi's structured products reorganisation leads the way, while Commerz adds in Asia, King moves to Credit Suisse and Susan Chan shifts from BarCap to Deutsche Bank
Meekins is first to take local lead at Daiwa
Keith Meekins is the first non-Japanese chief executive at Daiwa Capital Markets Europe
Equity should be included in LCR – Risk.net poll
Equity should be included in Basel III liquidity coverage ratio, say respondents
State Street launches 12 ETFs in Switzerland
State Street Global Advisors has introduced a range of SPDR ETFs to the Swiss market as it expands its business in Europe
Bank of Korea wrong-foots market with rate hold; questions raised on anti-inflation stance and bank NPLs
The Bank of Korea held interest rates yesterday in a surprise move which caught fixed-income traders who had factored in a 25-basis point rise by surprise. The move questions Korea’s efforts to tackle inflation and raises concerns that the central bank…
Investors buy into agricultural land for inflation protection
Investors are looking to agricultural land as a fertile ground for investment due to increased demand for a protein-rich diet being led by countries such as China and India, as well as for its properties as a hedge against rising inflation.
Industry in flux as electronic trading and risk control comes to the fore
Addressing the needs of regional banks, high frequency traders, large institutional investors and leveraged retail investors in the ever-changing world of foreign exchange is becoming a significant challenge for traditional participants, with intense…
Swedish market sees big spike in turnover
The Nordic Growth Market saw a huge increase in turnover of products traded on the exchange in November compared to 2009.
Daiwa appoints fixed income sales head
Tony Wong becomes head of fixed income, currencies and commodities sales for Asia ex-Japan.
Commerzbank adds Asia fixed income sales head
Tan Kok Wee joins as head of fixed income and currencies sales for Asia.
Market maturity keeps German structured products on track
The structured products market in Germany has recovered faster than those of most other European countries. Investors have used structured products for long enough to know that they will make money from these products again, despite negative press…