Structured product providers in Asia look to professional investors as regulations bite

Regulatory changes put in place in Asia's retail structured products market have brought with them more stringent requirements that have affected the pace of the activity and triggered shifts in the types of products retail investors can access. But as one door closes, another opens with professional investors’ increasing interest in yield-enhancing strategies hinting at a potential revival. Sarah Nowakowska reports

Hong Kong: ELIs are gaining in popularity

Recovery from the financial crisis and the damage caused by the Lehman Brothers minibonds sold to retail investors has been a country-by-country affair in Asia, as national regulatory bodies have each gone their own way in terms of laying down new rules for retail structured products. One common factor, however, has been the adoption of a more stringent approach, in line with the increased scrutiny from regulators in Europe and the US. The effects of successive new regulations since the Lehman