Capital guaranteed
Autocalamity: can hit product be reinvented?
Spreads on ‘worst-of’ bonds leap 50% as some dealers retreat and others pile on hedges
S&P launches low-volatility index for structured products
Underlyings' liquidity aids issuers in pricing and hedging
Italian life insurers look to dynamic hybrids to reduce guarantees burden
Generali sets trend with innovative rebalancing mechanism
Morabanc takes safety-first message beyond southern Europe
Morabanc extends its safety net
Insurers look to volatility controls to support long-term guarantees
As insurers look for ways to offer long-term guarantees to customers despite the challenging investment environment, some are turning to volatility control mechanisms to reduce the cost of hedging the guarantees. Louie Woodall examines how these…
VA providers seek regulatory boost to products in Asia
Variable probabilities
Best in the Nordic region
Best in the Nordic region
The lure of leveraged funds in China
Lof out loud
New regulations leave retail structured products on shaky ground in France
One step forwards, three steps back
The encroachment of Solvency II
The encroachment of Solvency II
Technology vendor rankings 2011: The results
Technology triumphs
Variety is the spice of life for La Caixa
Pick ‘n’ mixto
Principal-protected products could benefit from Solvency II
New risk-based capital rules for insurers could help demand for products with principal protection, say bankers
Market maturity keeps German structured products on track
A mature performance
Barrier remains intact
The 50% barrier in the Investec Capital Protected FTSE 100 Income Plan 1 has remained in place since the launch of the product last year. Those opting for monthly or quarterly payments will have received their coupons, and the same looks likely for those…
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 the region. Ben Marquand finds out if they are gaining…
India finds some forward momentum
The global financial crisis could easily have sounded the death knell for India’s nascent structured products market. But as the country’s equity markets have resumed their upward trend, dealers say equity-linked structures are catching on fast.
A ripening market
Market dynamics and the chequered history of structured investments in South Africa have recently favoured vanilla products featuring capital protection. But some local issuers are gaining traction with more sophisticated offerings. John Ferry reports
Delighted with deposits
Newcastle Building Society has been gradually building up its structured deposit business, including the launch of a new intermediary services arm in 2008. With the FTSE 100 index climbing and deposits backed by the government, the society is right to be…