Indexes
Blue Sky unveils third tranche of Accelerated Growth Plan
Blue Sky Asset Management (BSAM) has launched the third issue of its Asset Allocation Accelerated Growth Plan. The six-year plan is designed to outperform a stock market in the US, UK, Europe or Japan, as selected by the investor, while providing 100%…
Meteor banks on property market recovery
Meteor has launched a second kick-out plan banking on rises in the European commercial property market. It is linked to the performance of the FTSE European Public Real Estate Association Europe Index, which offers exposure to the publicly traded real…
Barclays unveils Guaranteed Deposit Accounts in Offshore Bonds range
Barclays Capital has launched two products as the latest offering in its Structured Deposit Series for Offshore Bonds range. The five-year World Equity Deposit Account offers protected exposure to a basket of four equally-weighted indexes, comprising the…
Barclays Wealth enhances rates on investment range
Barclays Wealth is launching a range of capital protected investments with improved terms on growth and income products, which are designed to maximise returns in volatile markets. The Protected FTSE Plan offers 1.5 times the rise in the FTSE 100 index…
Cash bonds take a different track
As anyone on the financial markets rollercoaster will know, predicting the future path of your investments is next to impossible, particularly in the current economic climate. But a dislocation has appeared between the equity/CDS markets, which are…
Keydata offers kickouts - Product review
Keydata Investment Services is offering a six-year multi-kickout product linked to the FTSE 100 for which capital is not protected at maturity only if the final index level is below the 50% barrier. Potential returns are 12% (not compounded) annually
An emerging reality
Exchange-traded funds
Abbey launches Capital Guaranteed products
Abbey has launched two capital guaranteed products including the third issue of its Guaranteed Capital Plus plan, linked to the FTSE 100 index. The three-and-a-half-year plan returns 18% if the FTSE 100 has risen by at least one point during the term, or…
BGI launches iShares ETFs with exposure to China and alternative energy
Barclays Global Investors (BGI) has launched four iShares exchange traded funds (ETFs) on the Nasdaq stock market. The iShares FTSE China (HK listed) Index Fund provides exposure to the China market by tracking the respective index, which comprises…
Morgan Stanley launches four more linked to property and Asia ex Japan
Morgan Stanley has launched another four capital protected plans linked to UK commercial property, Asia ex Japan and the FTSE 100 index. The 5.6-year UK Commercial Property Growth Plan 2 offers 100% participation in any increase of the IPD UK Annual…
FTSE and NYSE Euronext launch FTSE 100 volatility index
Index provider FTSE and NYSE Euronext have launched the FTSE 100 Volatility index which is designed to capture implied volatility embedded in the price of FTSE 100 options traded on Liffe, the derivatives trading arm of Euronext.
FTSE offers environmental opportunities
Index Provider FTSE has launched its Environmental All-Share Index, which is designed to provide broad environmental exposure by including companies which are involved in environmental technologies.
NatWest International launches third edition of Autopilot
NatWest International Personal Banking (IPB) has unveiled a third edition of Autopilot, its capital guaranteed structured deposit account.
NDFA releases latest Twin Option Kick Out plan
NDFA has launched the latest version of its Twin Option Kick Out Plan June ’08, with a choice of two investment options. The FTSE 100-linked product potentially yields 10.5% per year, while the product linked to the FTSE 100 and Nikkei 225 indexes offers…
Lehman launches Enhanced Returns plan issue 5
Lehman Brothers has unveiled the fifth issue of its Enhanced Returns plan, which offers the highest rates in the series so far. The plan, which is 100% capital protected, is linked to the FTSE 100 index and provides two investment options: a fixed return…
Barclays optimises Eastern Europe exposure
Barclays Wealth has added a new option offering Eastern European exposure to its Emerging Markets Optimiser product. The original product, launched at the end of January, was linked to the performance of the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index exchange…
NDFA launches trio of plans
NDFA has launched three structured products designed to offer income, enhanced growth or capital security. The Regular Fixed Income Plan June ’08 is linked to the FTSE 100 index and offers a fixed annual income of 7% per year, or the option of 0.57%…
Macquarie adds to infrastructure index series
Macquarie has launched its Emerging Markets Infrastructure and Development Index (Memidi), which tracks the rise in infrastructure spending due to demand from urbanites in emerging markets economies by reference to the performance of the 50 largest…
Arc offers potential 19% with latest kick out
Arc Capital and Income has launched its latest kick-out product offering investors a potential 19% coupon after one year. The Arc Stepped Kick Out Plan 5 gives investors the choice of two different risk profiles depending on the underlying stock indexes,…
ING offers Middle East exposure; launches reverse exchangeable note in Brazil
ING Bank has launched a Middle East Access Note which provides exposure to four funds focused on the Middle East. The bank has also launched a USD Worst Of Barrier Reverse Exchangeable Note linked to three Brazilian shares.
Arc closes Fixed Income Plan 5 early and opens Fixed Income Plan 6
Arc Capital & Income has closed its Fixed Income Plan 5 two weeks early due to a high level of demand. Consequently, Arc has opened its next issue, the Fixed Income Plan 6. The five-year plan offers two income options linked to the FTSE 100 and the S&P…
A tough year
Institutional Investor Rankings 2008
The great property price panacea
Property Derivatives