News
SunGard appoints new Asia-Pacific president
Pennsylvania-based risk technology vendor SunGard has appointed John Wilson as president of the company’s Asia-Pacific business. Wilson will take over the reins from Matt Mandalinci, who has been appointed president of SunGard eProcess Intelligence,…
Weather Board of Trade delays launch as problems mount
Atlanta-based Weather Board of Trade (WBOT), which was set for an October launch, will now only start trading exchange-based weather derivatives in February 2003. WBOT has also lost a number of its charter members, encountered problems with its fund…
Astin selects Reech for hedge fund risk monitoring
Astin Capital Management, an independent UK hedge fund manager, has selected London-based financial software provider Reech Capital to provide its risk monitoring service.
Hong Kong Exchange launches new equity index option
The Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing (HKEx) has launched a new equity index option for retail investors, called the Mini-Heng Sang Index Options (Mini-HSIO). On its first day of trading yesterday, volume on the Mini-HSIO reached 171 contracts, comprising…
WestAM enters hedge fund market
WestAM, the €38 billion asset management arm of German bank West LB, has launched its first hedge fund, WestAM Navigator Global Fixed Absolute Return Fund.
Basel II helps German banks focus on risk, says Moody's
A renewed focus on profitability and strategic refocusing among German banks leads Moody’s Investors Service to believe that “the country's banks will not undergo a systemic crisis”, the rating agency said in a report on the German banking sector,…
BNP Paribas looks for new interest rate derivatives trading head
BNP Paribas is looking for a head of interest rate derivatives trading for Asia-Pacific, following the departure of Monty Agarwal in mid-October.
EU capital rules remain on tight deadline
LONDON – European Union (EU) plans for implementing the complex Basel II bank safety rules remain on a very tight schedule, but the issue today of a EU progress report is a positive step, officials at European banking organisations said today.
Europe considers wider op-risk insurance role in new capital rules
BRUSSELS - The European Commission confirmed today it proposes the possible recognition of operational risk insurance as a way of reducing capital charges in all three methods of measuring op risk in its new protective capital rules for banks and…
Insurance companies turning to hedge funds, says Swiss Re
Insurance companies are increasingly turning to third-party asset managers to improve returns and manage risk, according to a new study by Swiss Re. As a result of the trend, insurers' alternative investment holdings in hedge funds are poised to grow by…
Europe considers wider op risk insurance role in new capital rules
The European Commission confirmed today that it proposes the possible recognition of operational risk insurance as a way of reducing capital charges in all three methods of measuring op risk in its new protective capital rules for banks and investment…
Prebon builds bridge to SwapsWire
Institutional broker Prebon Yamane is going live this week with a system, developed in-house, that allows traders to have direct links to the SwapsWire online platform, according to officials at the firm, based in London. Swapswire, owned by a consortium…
Ambac hires Dresdner derivatives dealer
Michael Cush has joined Ambac Financial Services, a financial services subsidiary of Ambac Financial Group, in its interest rate and cross-currency swap team in New York. The hire is in response to increased derivatives activities, an official at Ambac…
Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and UBS Warburg dominate FX derivatives in FX Week awards
Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and UBS Warburg led the FX forwards and FX options categories in FX Week’s awards again this year, confirming their dominance in derivatives.
HSBC’s purchase of Household triggered credit rally, according to BoA
Bank of America (BoA) has used its new credit risk model to show, quantitatively, how HSBC’s proposed purchase of Household International, announced last Thursday, sparked a credit rally.
Aussie funds shun currency overlay
Australian superannuation funds’ use of currency overlay has declined, according to a report made public last week.
UFJ spreads balloon by 160bp due to nationalisation fears
The cost of credit protection on Japanese bank UFJ’s five-year senior debt rose by 160 basis points today as fears grew that the bank would be hardest hit by Japan’s planned banking restructuring.
C&W protection costs widen 200bp following restructuring talk
The cost of credit protection on debt of UK telecommunications company Cable and Wireless (C&W) has widened by more than 200 basis points since its revealed late Wednesday that it would cut 3,500 jobs, undergo a major restructuring and reassess its off…
S&P rates first structured product as an index
Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) has rated, for the first time, a structured finance transaction, Core Investment Grade Bond Trust I, as an index rather than as a collateralised debt obligation.
Leclerc appointed chief operating officer at West LB
German bank WestLB will make Matthias Leclerc chief operating officer of its global financial markets (GFM) business unit with effect from December 1. GFM is the central business unit of WestLB responsible for treasury business, bond and derivatives…
Japan’s SMBC expects to issue synthetic CLO in early December
Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) is preparing to launch a synthetic balance-sheet collateralised loan obligation (CLO) referenced on ¥500 billion worth of loans extended to 1,500 Japanese small to medium-sized companies.
Prmia forms academic advisory council
The Professional Risk Managers’ International Association (Prmia) has created an academic advisory council in a bid to further the integration of risk management theory and practical application.
EU expected to report on Cad 3 progress next week
The European Commission is expected to give details on November 18 about how it intends applying the complex Basel II bank safety rules in the European Union, commission officials confirmed today.
Simplex Technology adds credit derivatives module
Japanese financial software firm Simplex Technology plans to introduce credit derivatives capabilities to spDeriv, its interest rate and foreign exchange derivatives trading platform, according to Mitsuru Igarashi, senior managing director at the company…