Articles by Robert Mackenzie Smith
Credit Suisse global FX head Sandoz to leave
Todd Sandoz is to leave the Swiss bank after 17 years and will be replaced by David Tait, currently global head of FX trading
United Overseas Bank eyes Asia clients for single-dealer platform
Singapore-based bank is ramping up its e-FX capabilities using FlexTrade technology as it seeks to poach clients from multibank platforms
Commerzbank broadens e-FX package with DealHub
Commerzbank is the first publicly named bank to be using FX Distribution Hub, with FX Connect the first venue to go live on the service
FX prime brokers continue to shun four-way agreements
Four-way agreements too difficult under Dodd-Frank external business conduct standards, say prime brokers
FX now a $5.3 trillion per day market, says BIS
The latest BIS triennial survey shows the UK has strengthened its grip on the FX market, while USD/JPY has seen a strong increase in trading activity
Yen will continue to weaken, says StanChart
Standard Chartered tops the three-month rankings having recognised in early June that a recent bounce in the yen would be short-lived
Morgan Stanley hires ex-Nomura FX strategist
Geoff Kendrick relocates from London to Hong Kong to join Morgan Stanley as head of Asian FX and local rates strategy
Barclays to add algo tools to Gator aggregator
Barclays will add new, less aggressive algos to Gator in the fourth quarter as it looks to make the product more accessible to real-money and corporate clients that prefer to trade with minimal market impact
EM stress prompts investors to turn to options
As the crisis in Syria continues, the Turkish lira this week became the latest victim of the emerging market sell-off, leading to an increased interest in options
UniCredit expands in FX investor sales
Francis Boisson continues his ambitious growth plan with three sales hires in London and one in Hong Kong
FX options veteran Martin Gymer to launch start-up
FXSales, a new agency brokerage for OTC FX options, is due to launch next month, with Gymer and Kevin Tullett as co-founders
Research veteran McCormick joins Barclays
Hedge fund strategist Jim McCormick to head asset allocation research at the UK bank
Agency desks hopeful new protocol will solve Dodd-Frank issues
A preliminary protocol to enable four-way FX prime brokerage involving agency desks has been agreed ‘in principle’ and could allow agencies to scale up their activities, having been largely reduced to spot since May
SEB hires Hedin from JP Morgan
Svante Hedin will join SEB in October as the Swedish bank reshuffles and expands its e-FX team in Stockholm
Rabobank tops table with contrarian euro view
A bullish euro view in August 2012 lands Rabobank at the top of the 12-month forecast rankings
Eurex preps launch of FX options and futures
German derivatives exchange will move into the FX market in October as it aims to compete for volume in listed futures and options
StanChart creates global RMB team
Standard Chartered builds a renminbi-focused team with appointments in London, New York and Hong Kong
Morgan Stanley restructures FX prime brokerage
Global co-heads of FXPB have both left the bank and relationships with several clients have ceased following an ‘extensive review’ of the business
Rupee sell-off continues, despite repeated RBI efforts
Efforts by the Reserve Bank of India to stabilise the currency's depreciation have failed, as the rupee falls to a record low
Commerzbank loses Fic trading head
Changes in Commerzbank's fixed-income and currencies business see the departure of trading head Hui-Sun Kim
Legal & General's FX trading head tasked to grow derivatives
Newly appointed to head FX trading at Legal & General Investment Management, options trader Virginie Queval is looking at ways to grow the firm's small FX business
TD Securities hires EMFX trading head
Markus Kiraly, a veteran of Bank of America Merrill Lynch and UBS, will join the Canadian bank in London on November 1
Credit hubs vie to increase Sef and FCM participation
Several banks and platforms have backed both of the new pre-trade credit hubs that handle credit screening and clearing certainty, but MarkitServ and Traiana are now locked in a race to sign up more participants
FX markets in mid-year lull as yen volatility dries up
The yen has become more range-bound following its dramatic fall earlier in the year, creating a lull in FX market activity during the western summer weeks