Indexes

A ripening market

Market dynamics and the chequered history of structured investments in South Africa have recently favoured vanilla products featuring capital protection. But some local issuers are gaining traction with more sophisticated offerings. John Ferry reports

The Thomson test

A restructuring of debt by Paris-based media and electronics firm Thomson has provided an early test for the small bang protocol. The initial stages of the settlement process highlighted a number of outstanding issues, not least the treatment of index…

DGCX to launch commodity indices

The Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (DGCX) will use its futures prices to create commodity indices for the global investment banking and fund industry in the Middle Eastern region.

All four one

MSS Investments has enlisted the Swedish Export Credit Corporation as issuer of a six-year capped growth product linked to the performance of a basket of global indexes based on infrastructure, equities, fixed income and emerging markets

Sixteen again

Arc is offering a sterling-denominated play on emerging markets - specifically the iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund ETF and Hang Seng China Enterprise Index - which promises returns of 16% for each year of its five-year term if no kickout occurs

Index innovation - Standard & Poor's

The strategic markets approach has served Standard & Poor's (S&P) well over the past 12 months, specifically the index provider's Risk Control Indexes, Currency Beta Series, Asian Thematic Indexes and S&P 10 and S&P 40 indexes

Battling the benchmark

In 2007, investors demanded more active commodity indexes to capitalise on the bull run in the asset class. But benchmarks and beta offerings alike were hit by last year's drawdown. Will this lead investors to abandon directional offerings in favour of…

Environmental exploitation

Recessions usually spell bad news for the environment. Promises of investment in clean energy and sustainable technology wither away as mediocre returns drive investors to count the cost of easing their conscience. But today's burgeoning green sector…

Asia comes of age

Dealers are increasingly offering exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to retail investors to give them access to asset classes and instruments traditionally not available to them. At the same time, regional exchanges are trying to bolster their ETF business. Is…

Société Générale launches new listed income product

Société Générale has issued a new listed plan, which guarantees to pay an income higher than a traditional savings account. The FTSE Income Protection 3000, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, provides investors with a fixed income of £17, or 1…

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