Structured products
WHAT IS THIS? Structured products are investments that have multiple components. For retail investors, the most common form is a bond plus an option – these tend to be standardised, sold in small tickets and large volumes. Managing the risks of large structured products portfolios is one of the biggest challenges dealers face.
Know your market
Profile
Getting investors into the comfort zone
CDO equity
Prime time
Prime brokerage
Structured credit
Introduction
An economic capital approach for hedge fund structured products
Hedge fund structured products are increasingly favoured by investors. Banks have been swiftly developing their commercial offers to meet this demand. However, the theoretical framework for the risk management of these products remains little explored,…
Buying into commodities
Commodities
Expectations dashed
Hedge funds
A broader investor focus
CDO managers
The write option
Covered calls
Structured products
Introduction
Smothered by red tape
In response to a string of dubious structured finance transactions (remember Enron?), the ever-watchful regulators have proposed a set of guidelines which observers fear could choke the market.
Smothered by red tape
In response to a string of dubious structured finance transactions (remember Enron?), the ever-watchful regulators have proposed a set of guidelines which observers fear could choke the market.
Smothered by red tape
In response to a string of dubious structured finance transactions (remember Enron?), the ever-watchful regulators have proposed a set of guidelines which observers fear could choke the market.
Complex products rule deemed 'too broad'
Three financial services trade associations released a critical joint response to the US banking agencies' proposed rule on complex structured transactions in mid-July.
US regulators extend structured product proposal response period
The five leading US federal agencies have agreed a 30-day extension to the comment period on their proposals for sound practices covering complex structured finance activities.
UK regulator clamps down on structured product selling
The UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) is set to finalise tough new guidelines for marketing retail structured products this month, as it moves to strengthen oversight after 2003's 'precipice' bond controversy, which saw Lloyds TSB fined almost £2…
Project risk: improving Monte Carlo value-at-risk
Cashflows from projects and other structured deals can be as complicated as we are willing to allow, but the complexities of Monte Carlo project modelling need not complicate value-at-risk calculation. Here, Andrew Klinger imports least-squares valuation…
US retreat hits European trading
The retreat of US energy firms from energy trading has reportedly hit European volumes hard. But volumes aside, James Ockenden finds that the withdrawal may bring a fundamental change in the market. With additional reporting by Eurof Thomas
Structured finance caught off-balance
Efforts by energy and finance professionals to stress the difference between legitimate off-balance-sheet entities and Enron’s opaque devices have had little impact, as US regulators rush to clean up structured finance. Maria Kielmas reports