Infrastructure
A call for old-fashioned banking?
Over the past few years, buy-side traders have been demanding a levelling of the playing field as they increasingly make markets in foreign exchange like their sell-side peers. So it was surprising, and even refreshing, to hear some calls for old…
Saxo launches Webtrader
COPENHAGEN - Saxo Bank plans to introduce version 2.0 of its web-based platform, Saxo WebTrader, at the end of the second quarter.
Isda AGM: Cautious OTC traders increase collateral use
VIENNA - As the credit crisis gathered strength in 2007, dealers became increasingly likely to demand collateral from their counterparties, according to a survey released today by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (Isda).
Record FX returns no compensation for continuing subprime losses
BOSTON & NEW YORK - Record foreign exchange revenues have proved no match for the credit crisis, with billion-dollar writedowns causing two major banks to report big first-quarter losses in their fixed-income divisions this week.
CFTC wary of Fed's merger proposal
WASHINGTON, DC - The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has urged US Treasury to proceed with caution over its recommendation to merge the US futures regulator and its securities market counterpart, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Watching the market in 3D
Chip Lowry, senior managing director of Currenex, and John Vause, managing director of State Street's Global Link business for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, evaluate the evolution of the FX market's structure
Citi targets EM settlement
NEW YORK & BOGOTA - Citi's domestic settlement service is set to gain a foothold in emerging markets where CLS is currently not active.
Trading records fall during turbulent month
NEW YORK & LONDON - Records tumbled on foreign exchange trading platforms last month, with EBS and Currenex reporting record trading volumes for the month and FXall a record quarter.
India reacts to rise in FX derivatives losses
MUMBAI - Indian accounting regulators have brought forward the deadline for complaince with disclosure requirements related to foreign exchange derivatives, amid rising losses linked to complex hedges by small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Yen rise triggers PRDC hedging
TOKYO - The sharp appreciation of the yen in March has left dealers jostling to hedge exposures to power-reverse dual currency notes (PRDCs) and other similar structured products.
Siena Gateway gets Fix adaptor
LONDON - Eurobase last week (April 4) launched a Fix adaptor for its e-trading connectivity product, Siena Gateway.
Caplin wins three new clients
LONDON - London-based web technology vendor Caplin Systems has gained three new clients for its multi-product web-based client connectivity platform, Caplin Trader, said an official at the company.
Wing Hang selects Misys Summit FT
HONG KONG - Wing Hang Bank has signed a deal with a global application software vendor Misys to instal treasury and capital markets software in its Hong Kong head office and subsidiary bank's operation in China.
SocGen reshuffles FICC
LONDON & PARIS - Société Générale restructured its fixed income, currencies and commodities (FICC) division last week (April 3).
FXMS enters CLS market
LONDON - FXMarketSpace (FXMS) has launched an alternative system for settling foreign exchange trades over the platform, in an effort to tackle risks and costs associated with settling trades from high frequency traders.
FXMS initiatives need to see volume
FXMarketSpace's initiative to launch an alternative settlement system to industry utility continuous linked settlement is a bold one.
Turnaround for Parker FX Index
STAMFORD, CT - The continued decline in the US dollar has halted three consecutive months of negative returns for the Parker FX Index, producing a return of 1.34% for February.
Oiling the FX wheels
The Royal Bank of Canada is offering capital protection with a new FX-linked product that is based on currencies from six countries, including two of the world's biggest oil producers
Forex is surviving the credit crunch
The Fed-backed sale of Bear Stearns to JP Morgan has sharpened focus on counterparty risk, with Lehman Brothers as the main target. Although the bank allayed concerns with better-than-expected results, the general crisis of confidence still remains.
CLS Bank sets record for payment instructions value
LONDON & NEW YORK - CLS Bank set a record for the value of payment instructions settled in a single day on March 19.
Lehman Bros comes under fire in Asia
SINGAPORE - Attempts by Lehman Brothers to quash rumours that DBS Bank, Singapore's largest bank, had ceased trading with it last Monday (March 17) failed to reassure traders in Asia.
Nedbank signs up WSS
JOHANNESBURG - Nedbank Capital has begun deploying a real-time trade processing system, Wallstreet FX, to support developments in its forex and money markets operations.
Citi reassesses forex options
LONDON - Citi has made three hires in foreign exchange options, under its new head of G-10 options trading, Nigel Khakoo, in London.