Hong Kong
HK structured product providers warm to 'cooling off' period
The Securities and Futures Commission's new rules will force dealers to offer secondary pricing and give investors a five-day option to back out of longer-dated trades
Asia plays catch-up on CCPs
While European and US regulators blaze a trail in over-the-counter derivatives reform, Asian supervisors have been much more circumspect. Some are now exploring the use of central clearing but many are still wrestling with how best to implement it. Matt…
Hong Kong examines OTC derivatives central clearing
TMA sets up taskforce to examine feasibility of a HK derivatives clearing house
Structurers plead with Hong Kong SFC to retain ‘safe harbour’ rules
Providers of structured products fear a collapse in private placement volumes and a shift of business to Singapore following a proposal from Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission to remove rules that ease offering requirements. Georgina Lee…
Lee bows out at UBS in Hong Kong
Christopher Lee, head of risk management product (RMP) intermediaries at UBS in Hong Kong, has left the Swiss bank.
Constructing a reputation
China Construction Bank (Asia) is enhancing its retail offerings in Hong Kong ahead of a planned expansion into mainland China. But the distributor is delaying sales of accumulators to high-net-worth and private banking clients for fear of reputational…
Protect to survive
The Lehman minibond scandal put Hong Kong firmly in the spotlight, with television images of protesting investors beamed across the world. In response, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) is making changes to investor protection rules. Martin…
A shift in focus
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission chief, Martin Wheatley, has devoted a lot of his staff’s time to revising Hong Kong’s investment products sales practices following large losses by retail investors. But that has not diverted attention from…
Retrospective: Avoiding the barriers
This JP Morgan product from November 2008 linked to a basket of four Asian indexes and promised a 2.05% quarterly income payment. In the event of a kickout, however, capital was placed at risk and the amount returned to investors would depend on the…
Insurance inroads
Structured product manufacturers have targeted the insurance sector as a potentially important new distribution channel following the collapse in volumes of products sold through retail banks in Asia. Ben Marquand finds out if they are gaining traction