Exchanges
Swiss exchange launches collateral option to bolster market
Swiss structured product providers will now be able to collateralise the listings that they trade on Scoach, the national exchange. Providers have responded positively to the initiative, which may provide a much-needed boost to the Swiss structured…
FSA publishes code of practice on remuneration policies
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Double-short ETFs launched to hedge market falls
EasyETF, the exchange-traded fund (ETF) provider, has listed five new funds on NYSE Euronext Paris. Three of the funds offer double leverage on the downside of European equity indexes, as a means of providing a hedge against further market falls.
Low recovery rates set for Ferretti LCDS
At an auction held today, data vendor Markit and broker Creditex determined a final settlement value of 10.875% for loan-only credit default swaps (LCDS) referencing Italian luxury yacht manufacturer Ferretti, meaning protection sellers would need to pay…
New single-name CDS sparks hedging worries
Plans to reshape the US single-name credit default swap (CDS) market are causing concerns among some credit portfolio managers, due to a limit on their ability to get capital relief for hedges under Basel II.
Ambac pares losses in Q4
Ambac saw a fourth-quarter net loss of $2.3 billion, a slight improvement on its performance in the third quarter of 2008, when it lost $2.4 billion and a notable improvement from its showing in the fourth quarter of 2007, when it shed $3.3 billion.
JP Morgan cuts dividend to build capital reserves
JP Morgan cut its quarterly dividend from 38c to 5c a share yesterday, in a bid to build up $5 billion in additional capital reserves.
Global carbon trading to grow by 20% in 2009
The global carbon market will see a 20% boost in volume in 2009, according to the latest figures from Point Carbon.
Liffe blames regulatory uncertainty for lack of CDS clearing
Despite being the only firm to launch a centralised clearing platform for credit default swap (CDS) index trades, London-based derivatives exchange NYSE Liffe has yet to clear any trades, a situation it blames on the uncertain regulatory landscape in…
LCH.Clearnet bid sparks conflict-of-interest debate
A proposal by a consortium of major derivatives dealers to acquire London-based clearing house LCH.Clearnet has led to suggestions that banks becoming intimately involved in the clearing process could present a conflict of interest.
Trichet: Eurozone CCP will help improve oversight
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet backed a central counterparty (CCP) for clearing credit default swap (CDS) trades in the eurozone today, in a speech that also called for banker compensation to be linked to avoiding excessive leverage.
Banks agree to EU CCP for clearing CDS
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More MCAs needed to meet equity derivatives targets
Participants in the equity derivatives market say a significant amount of work remains to be done on standardising documentation before it can meet regulators' electronic processing targets for over-the-counter trades.
Banks agree to EU CCP for clearing CDS
Nine major dealers agreed to use an EU central counterparty (CCP) for clearing trades in credit default swaps (CDSs) today, paving the way for talks to resume with the European Commission.
JI finally accredits first third party verifier
The Kyoto Protocol's Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism has accredited its first third party verifier, TÜV SÜD Industrie Service, almost ten years after the UN-backed carbon offsetting mechanism was first agreed upon.
Auction fixes low recovery rates for Smurfit-Stone CDS
At an auction held today, data vendor Markit and broker Creditex determined final settlement values for credit derivatives trades referencing St Louis- and Chicago-based paper-packaging company Smurfit-Stone Container.
Eurex to launch commodity index futures in March
Eurex will be the first European exchange to offer trading in commodity index derivatives with the launch of four new contracts on March 30.
Deutsche Bank joins DME as clearing member
The Dubai Mercantile Exchange's membership committee has today approved Deutsche Bank as the 22nd clearing member of the exchange.
Icap clears first ag swap through ICE
Interdealer broker Icap has executed the first ever cleared agricultural swap transaction through IntercontinentalExchange clearing house ICE Clear US. Regulatory approval for such transactions was granted by the CFTC in December last year.
LCH.Clearnet to expand CDS clearing into eurozone
LCH.Clearnet plans to clear credit default swaps (CDS) in the eurozone by the end of the year, having already launched a CDS clearing service in the UK.
CME launches electricity futures contracts
CME Group has announced 34 new PJM, ISO electricity swap futures contracts will begin trading on the exchange from 22 February for trade date of 23 February 2009.
US and European firms in bid for LCH
A consortium of major US and European financial institutions is lining up a bid for London-based derivatives clearing house LCH.Clearnet. Deutsche Bank is acting as adviser on the acquisition, as well as being part of the bidding group.
Asian airlines struggle with volatile oil prices
A major contributor to the large fuel-hedging losses suffered by Chinese and Taiwanese airlines for 2008 were collar strategies - the purchase of call options and simultaneous sale of put options. But some Asian carriers, such as Malaysia's Air Asia and…
ASX to launch coal and power futures
The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is to list thermal coal futures and options on April 21. It will also launch New Zealand electricity futures on 28 April and natural gas futures contracts for the state of Victoria on 5 May.