Foreign exchange
Regulatory turf war hits Congress
A battle for influence among US financial regulators broke out in Congress on July 24, as they testified before a Congressional committee on the merits of the Obama administration's proposals for regulatory reform.
Leverage ratios are "counterproductive", says IIF
In a new report on how to strengthen financial regulation, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) has proposed some measures directly at odds with options currently being explored by regulators in both Europe and the US.
Airlines to face €1 billion carbon bill in 2012
Aviation's entry into the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in 2012 is set to cost the sector €1 billion, a report by carbon analysts Point Carbon has shown.
SMX selects Standard Chartered as clearing bank
The Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SMX) has appointed Standard Chartered to provide its clearing and settlement services.
Q2 profits a false dawn for banks, Moody's says
Rising funding costs, continuing writedowns and the withdrawal of government support could push the global banking industry back into crisis, analysts warned this week.
US Talf helps CMBS market recover
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (Talf) is helping to revive the commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) market, analysts have concluded, although the chances for residential mortgages to be included…
Source adds three to bolster European presence
Source, the exchange-traded product (ETP) distributor, has made three new hires to its European sales team as part of its expansion effort. The open architecture provider has ensnared individuals from Lyxor Asset Management, ETF Securities and Unicredit…
European supervisors press for more detail on EC overhaul plans
The European Commission (EC) is expected to publish feedback on its proposals for an overhaul of financial supervision in August, but senior European regulators are already expressing concern about some aspects of the proposed reforms.
Tarp supervisor finds Treasury's oversight is still inadequate
The US Treasury is still failing to protect its aid to US banks from fraud and misuse, according to the latest report from the special inspector general for the Troubled Assets Relief Program (Sigtarp).
Senate investigates speculation in wheat market
Several market participants appeared before a Senate subcommittee today to discuss the effect of excessive speculation on the price of wheat futures.
Deutsche Bank lists hedge fund and carbon ETFs on LSE
Deutsche Bank has listed its hedge fund exchange-traded fund on the London Stock Exchange. The listing of the Ucits III compliant ETF, based on the db Hedge Fund Index, which follows the launch of a euro-hedge version on the Xetra Frankfurt in March, is…
Tarp inspector general calls for more clarity on banks' use of funds
The US Treasury's special inspector general for the Troubled Assets Relief Program (Tarp), Neil Barofsky, has called on the Treasury to force banks to report their use of the Tarp's bailout funds. But the Treasury is reluctant to do so.
Doubt over Fed’s ability to limit systemic risk
The Obama administration’s proposals for safeguarding the financial system place the US Federal Reserve at the heart of a new regulatory regime for systemic risk, but some former regulators are sceptical of the Fed’s ability to carry out the job.
Walker Review ruffles feathers in the City
Editor's blog
Race against the clock for European CDS CCPs
With just two weeks remaining until the European Commission’s deadline for central counterparties (CCPs) to begin clearing credit default swaps (CDSs), two of the competing platforms are still waiting for regulatory approval.
Carbon market VAT scrutiny shifts to Climex
The Dutch government has announced changes to the way carbon permits will be taxed, following concerns about a 49% leap in volumes on Dutch carbon exchange Climex in June. The growth came despite an overall drop in trading volumes across all European…
TSE targets Japanese banks for CCP
The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) is courting domestic financial institutions to become clearing members of its proposed central counterparty (CCP), which it is developing alongside its 86.3%-owned clearing arm, Japan Securities Clearing Corp (JSCC).
TriOptima sees surge in interest rate swap tear-ups
Stockholm-based technology company TriOptima has eliminated $13.9 trillion in notional outstanding from the interest rate swaps market in the first half of 2009, more than the $13.6 trillion total eliminated in 2008.
Trayport links cleared OTC energy trades to LCH.Clearnet
Trading software provider Trayport has announced that it will now offer automated clearing for energy OTC trades on LCH.Clearnet.
Nabucco pipeline construction deal agreed
Five transit countries have signed an agreement to construct the €8 billion, 3300 km Nabucco natural gas pipeline.
Quant Congress: Don't confuse models with reality, says Derman
Models were not responsible for the financial crisis, but those using them need to remember the shortcomings of models in general, asserted Emanuel Derman, head of risk at Prisma Capital Management and professor at Columbia University, at Risk 's Quant…
Central clearing will need new laws, Isda report finds
New laws will be needed in the US and Europe to support the introduction of central clearing of credit default swap (CDS) trades, according to a study published yesterday by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.
BofA-Merrill hires Zaimi to head FICC and structured products sales
Bank of America Merrill Lynch has named Sanaz Zaimi as head of Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities (FICC) sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as well as head of debt and equity Structured Products Sales for the same region.
S&P expands custom index business to fixed income and commodities
Standard & Poor's is expanding its custom index business beyond equities, currencies and real estate as client demand increases for non-correlated asset classes. The index provider will now be able to construct offerings based on commodities and fixed…